Friday, March 27, 2009

And the first farmer said...



I volunteered to conduct interviews with some of the farmers who supply our CSA. The intention is to put them on the website. Even though I'm no journalist, I had fun with the first one today. Here's the result:

Good Humus Produce is the source of our dried apricots, peaches, and nectarines. It is a 20-acre farm located in Northern California, which produces a variety of fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

I spoke to Jeff Maine, who with his wife Annie started the farm in 1976 after they graduated from UC Davis. Their interest in organic gardening began when they were living in a coop arrangement in college. They studied things like French intensive gardening and used techniques like raised beds and double digging in an effort to learn how to get the most out of a small plot of land. Even back then, they quickly realized the importance of taking care of the soil. But the most important lesson that emerged was the value of planting a healthy seed in healthy soil.

I asked about farm labor. They tend to use the same local people each year, employing a few of them year-round. Economic conditions to a degree set the salaries, which have risen slowly over time. They make no use of migrant workers.

Since Good Humus is a certified organic farm, I asked how they maintain the proper nutrient level in the soil. Compost and cover crops, including things like mustard, broccoli, rye, cowpeas, vetch, and field peas. These plants are “healers”, some providing nitrogen and others, such as broccoli, serving as anti-microbials.

As with all farms, they must be concerned about predators. They have a deer fence, but they must also worry about other animals like the wild turkeys who love leeks. Under organic gardening rules, they are allowed to use sulfur, oil, and copper compounds spring and fall to ward off fungus, something that can be devastating. Jeff is constantly searching for something better within the organic framework.

They sell their products locally to coops, their own CSA, and at farmers’ markets, avoiding the large stores like Whole Foods. Spiritual Food CSA contacted them to arrange to buy their dried fruits.

I asked what the most labor intensive crop was and to my surprise Jeff said, “Flowers.”

He said his biggest challenge as a farmer is mental, maintaining an open mind and a positive attitude. He has to remind himself to stay connected to the soil from time to time. Their dependence on stable weather, with which much of California is blessed, makes slight deviations seem like real problems.

A unique aspect of Good Humus Produce is their efforts to establish an agricultural easement, which will help guarantee the future use of the land for similar farming. He is hoping to finalize it this year, thereby creating a model for sustaining small farms.

At the conclusion of the interview, Jeff’s wife Annie reiterated how happy they are to have an alliance with Spiritual Food CSA, which connects like-minded people across the country.

11 Comments:

Blogger Fire Byrd said...

I enjoyed reading this.
It is wonderful that bit by bit, person by person almost we are starting to understand that local, organic and fairtrade produce really is the only way to buy food.
I buy as many of those three as possible over here. The organic though is expensive, so I don't always but that. But the other two are vital to me.
xx

3:43 AM  
Blogger lettuce said...

it is great- but sad that sales of organic foods are really suffering from the recession, over here at least.

5:53 AM  
Blogger Kristin said...

Very nice. I love the idea of knowing, really knowing, where one's food originates. The people involved. The place.

8:04 AM  
Blogger Pauline said...

You did a fine job interviewing.

In an effort to offset the high price of organics here, I try to grow as much of my own produce as possible. I use organic seeds (some I save myself from plants I've grown). I am looking for a spot now for berry bushes and small fruit trees. There's plenty of literature available to teach me and the County Extension is a great help. One does not need a huge amount of space to grow enough vegetables to feed himself.

8:21 AM  
Blogger Aileen said...

Interesting project, Barbara!

8:35 AM  
Blogger Angela said...

Here in Germany, organic food is agreat and growing market, and has been since about 20 years. I am glad that the thought is spreading. It even tastes so much better! My own garden vegetable is also just fabulous. And wild turkeys love leeks? Who would have thought! I`m glad we have no wild turkeys!

8:44 AM  
Blogger GEWELS said...

Which reminds me- I must get to the barn to shovel up some manure to toss into my compost pile.

Thank God we are finally becoming so much more aware of a healthier more sustainable way to live.

Here at the Wine Bin we carry a huge selection of organic, bio-dynamic and sustainable wines. They're selling like hotcakes!

It's ALL good!

Shall I assume in the coming season your group will be able to carry local produce? Now THAT's the way to go. Wish I lived in California- to get local year round.

10:19 AM  
Blogger Barbara said...

Gewels -- Our CSA is one of the few that operates year-round. Even in the winter months most everything is local from farms in Pennsylvania, but they do supplement with dried fruit and citrus, which obviously are not local. I can't wait to see what summer brings. I've heard reports from long-time members and it all sounds good!

My second interview is going to be with the farmer who supplies the wonderful brown eggs.

7:43 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There was just an article in the NY Times, plus an NPR bit, about a website (Findthefarmer.com, I think?) that allows you to find the source of certain locally-produced foodstuffs...

F.

3:56 PM  
Anonymous Dr. Reshu Saraogi said...

That was a VERY interesting one! Seriously interesting.

7:34 AM  
Anonymous Kawasaki Disease said...

Thank you, that was just an awesome post!!!

5:46 AM  

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