PLEASE WATCH
THIS
BRIEF ANIMATION
by
American Farmland Trust
NO FARMS-NO FOOD!

Short Articles
by Annette Waya Ewing

WHAT IS ORGANIC? ORGANIC FAQ

WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY-FAQ

WHY IS BUYING LOCAL PRODUCE EVEN BETTER THAN BUYING ORGANIC?

ORGANIC NOTES:

Recently there is talk in our neighborhood that organic farmers are allowed to use a small percentage of Ammonium Nitrate fertilizer. Why do we oppose this? Refined ammonium nitrate can have a deleterious effect on soil micro-organisms and earthworms, and after time can cause precipitation of soil salts, compaction and erosion. (Think Dust Bowl.) In other words-it's not sustainable. Sustainable growing practices build soil, not use it as a substrate for nutrients.

We think this is a way that giant 'organic' factory farms can economize. But you and I know that factory farms are not part of the organic or sustainable model.

If it comes to a choice of buying a local conventionally grown tomato from a farm stand, and an organic factory farm tomato that has traveled 1000 miles or more...what would you choose?

2010 Season is here.

This year we are limiting our offerings somewhat. We are planting an acre of okra, as it was the great survivor of last year's heat, drought, and then 2 months of non-stop rain. We may or may not have other produce for sale, as we are scaling back after the major crop losses last year. So far we have many varieties of green beans planted, and they are racing up their poles! Other crops are vining squash, cukes, greens, sunflowers and red baby corn along with the aforementioned okra.

Welcome to our little family farm!
Our aim is sustainability, we grow organically, using beneficial insects to control garden pests, and well composted green and animal manures to amend the soil. Any other chemicals or amendments we use are OMRI approved.
(Yes, that is me on a friend's tractor.)

ShooFly is the former name of the town where we live. When it grew large enough to justify a post office, evidently ShooFly was not acceptable (!) so it was re-named Lena.
We are happy to announce we have recently received Certified Naturally Grown certification. We are small, we have about 2 acres under cultivation.

This year we will be growing/producing a small percentage of what is listed below as last year's crops:

• Heirloom Native American corn varieties:
  Cherokee White Eagle, Seneca Red Stalk, Aztec Black, Hopi Pink,
  Oaxacan Green, to name a few.
• We will also be growing Maiz Morado, a deep purple Peruvian corn variety that has more antioxidants than blueberries!
• Heirloom tomatoes: Cherokee Purple, of course, and other colorful
  varieties.
• Okra: Green, Red, and Orange.
• Snap Beans of many colors and varieties, including Cherokee Wax, Red Swan,
  Tavera, the skinny french kind(:-) and royal purple...
  
• Sunflowers galore!
• Blueberries (small scale)
• Lakota and other Native American winter squashes.
• Melons: banana, noire des carmes, cantaloupe, green nutmeg, early silverline,
  and others.
• Moon and Stars watermelons.
• Cukes of many kinds, including the tiny delicious Mexican Gherkin-which looks and tastes like a tiny watermelon!
• Taters! Purple, red and gold.
• Herbs for tea--many mints, yarrow, echinacea, holy basil, stevia, hibiscus, lemongrass...
• Culinary herbs such as parsley, basils, savory, tarragon, chives, dill, garlic...
• Medicinal herbs such as St Johns Wort, yarrow, meadowsweet, rue, spilanthes, lemon balm, nettles, motherwort, skullcap, milk thistle, bee balm, comfrey, elderberry, burdock, feverfew, wild cherry and so on. We make our own tinctures from cultivated and wild-harvested plants.
• Seasoned sea salt mixtures.
• Mint and herbal tea mixtures.

Our produce is periodically available at Rainbow Natural Foods Co-op,
in Jackson, MS. Please write to us if you are interested.

http://www.rainbowcoop.org/

We also are building a couple of beehives,
and with any luck will be seliing raw local honey in the comb this fall. We are committed to chemical free, kind-to-bees practices. We love beez!

We Support Fair Trade Certified(tm) Products & Practices
When Shopping, Look for The Fair Trade Certified(tm) Label

Fair Trade Certified(tm) products directly support a better life for farmers and farm workers in the developing world through fair prices, community development and environmental stewardship.
Through Fair Trade, small farmer organizations market their own harvests through direct, longterm contracts with international buyers, learn how to manage their businesses and compete in the global marketplace. For some products, Fair Trade welcomes estates and plantations that are
committed to social responsibility, community development, and environmental stewardship to participate for the benefit of their workers. Small farmers and farm workers benefit from premiums that allow them to invest in building their communities and bettering their lives.

The Fair Trade Certified(tm) label is a simple way for consumers to know that their products were produced under socially, economically and environmentally sustainable conditions.

For more information, see TransFair USA: www.fairtradecertified.org. We Support Fair Trade Certified(tm) Products & Practices
When Shopping, Look for The Fair Trade Certified(tm) Label