As part of the national initiative to reconnect communities with their producers, the USDA has created Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food, a program providing producer resources and support for rural development. This $65million initiative aims to "begin a national conversation to help develop local and regional food systems and spur economic opportunity." The site has been active since mid-September 2009, and has a great list of resources, including grant/program information. See Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack's video on YouTube.
In my opinion, however, there seems to be a lack of follow-through and substance as far as site development is concerned; I can't speak for the program itself, but the site appears to have a lot of room for content. For example, the section titled "Ideas and Stories" is 'Coming Soon,' and it seems that most of the sections are missing the 'interactive' element necessary to engage the user. Besides the local farmers market search feature (provided through USDA AMS), which I found to be helpful, there are no real action items to get people involved in the process of 'connecting' with their local farmer. I would like to see more state-specific resources and media, maybe some tips for eating local and getting your children involved in agriculture, and a well-updated news reel that pertains to relevant agricultural news (the current news feed on the site is pretty weak as it refers to news within the scope of the USDA only). The site does a pretty good job of promoting awareness in regards to local food systems, healthy eating and natural resources conservation, but falls short on making the connection between the goals of the initiative and the average user (who will most likely not be applying for grants or awards). Those resources already exist on the USDA's site...I thought this site was designed for the general public.
And finally, what really gets me, is the failure of the site to support their key tagline: "Every Family Needs a Farmer, Do You Know Yours?" Well, for many people, the answer is 'no,' and the conversation stops there. I think that here they should link up with some sort of local farm search service, like MarketMaker. In fact, I think I'll make the suggestion
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Sevin is Not Organic!
Why do people insist that they are doing organic garden and then say something like: "All I use is Sevin, you have to use something in the summer, and then I don't sell the produce after I use the Sevin.".....Cmon, people!! Sevin is dangerous! Organic Gardening or Organic Farming either IS or it ISN"T. It can't be part way.
Organic gardening means only using non-chemical means of pest control, which includes picking off, washing off, screening off insects.
Ask any bee keeper if they would use broad spectrum chemicals on their farms. What do you think the bees do when you are busily spreading your insect killing chemicals around? Think about it! Do you want pollinators, or do you want to have to go around to every plant with a feather to spread the polllen? In China, they have to hire people to do this, due to the wide-spread use of pesticides.
Please put up with a few bugs, keep your plants and soil well fed with sustainable practices, and save perhaps thousands of pollenators with your good practices. (No pollenators, no produce.)
Organic gardening means only using non-chemical means of pest control, which includes picking off, washing off, screening off insects.
Ask any bee keeper if they would use broad spectrum chemicals on their farms. What do you think the bees do when you are busily spreading your insect killing chemicals around? Think about it! Do you want pollinators, or do you want to have to go around to every plant with a feather to spread the polllen? In China, they have to hire people to do this, due to the wide-spread use of pesticides.
Please put up with a few bugs, keep your plants and soil well fed with sustainable practices, and save perhaps thousands of pollenators with your good practices. (No pollenators, no produce.)
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Are you ready for 2009
What is a CSA? How do I get food that I know is safe? Where is my food coming from? How long ago was it picked and at a ripe time or travel time? Has it been gassed? Is there water added to my meat? I would like to help you find answers to each of the questions and to show you how to find a safe local farmer in your area to buy your produce and meats from.
Question 1 A CSA is a farm that works with you to provide fresh produce that you help pick the
crop and help the farm by picking the produce, delivering and boxing for a few hours in the growing season and you buy a share. #2 is it safe? You help pick the produce that you would like to see and then it is grown for you it is not coming in from a different country that has lack safety rules. You are a part of the farm. #3 food is from where?? You are welcomed to visit and asked to help the farmer so you know the food source and the grower. #4-5 picked how? We pick as the peak of freshness and delivery with in 2 days it is not trucked or boated for a month and picked green then gassed you your table. #6 we do not inject water or anything else into the meat you get just the meat that way it was grown, fresh pasture based and free from any junk to make it last longer or look fresher.
How do you find farmers like this ?
Try Carolina Farm Stewardship association@
http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/ for a list of local farmers in your area
In the Upstate try http://www.welchandsonfarm.com/
contact your local extension agent
South Carolina Dept of Agriculture
or just look for a farmer at your farmers market and talk to them
You would need to act fast for this upcoming year as the CSA shares go fast and the farmers can only grow so much
Hope this helps and remember to eat fresh food from a local farmer as that way you will have good food to eat that was grown just for you
Bill
Question 1 A CSA is a farm that works with you to provide fresh produce that you help pick the
crop and help the farm by picking the produce, delivering and boxing for a few hours in the growing season and you buy a share. #2 is it safe? You help pick the produce that you would like to see and then it is grown for you it is not coming in from a different country that has lack safety rules. You are a part of the farm. #3 food is from where?? You are welcomed to visit and asked to help the farmer so you know the food source and the grower. #4-5 picked how? We pick as the peak of freshness and delivery with in 2 days it is not trucked or boated for a month and picked green then gassed you your table. #6 we do not inject water or anything else into the meat you get just the meat that way it was grown, fresh pasture based and free from any junk to make it last longer or look fresher.
How do you find farmers like this ?
Try Carolina Farm Stewardship association@
http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/ for a list of local farmers in your area
In the Upstate try http://www.welchandsonfarm.com/
contact your local extension agent
South Carolina Dept of Agriculture
or just look for a farmer at your farmers market and talk to them
You would need to act fast for this upcoming year as the CSA shares go fast and the farmers can only grow so much
Hope this helps and remember to eat fresh food from a local farmer as that way you will have good food to eat that was grown just for you
Bill
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