In light of the climate talks that just ended in Copenhagen, their “bare minimum” agreements, and this, I think it’s important that we all get on the same page here as far as the many ways small farmers are going to save the world.
Wendell Berry said, “The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.”
I've mentioned in the past that I believe that knowing where our food comes from and participating in its growth gives us a greater connection to place. And I have yet to understand why it is that some time ago it became all the rage to forget this connection and that we too are creatures of the Earth. And this is all despite the fact that we eat, we sleep, and we obey the same calls of nature that all other living beings on the planet do and succumb to them just the same.
And perhaps the consequences don’t have to be so severe, perhaps this struggle can turn into something worth living through; the preservation of a big, crumbling edifice that we will all smear our small patches into so that its cornerstones can remain for future generations to wonder over and tell stories about.
I think it is important to take note of Vandana Shiva’s quote, “You are not Atlas carrying the world on your shoulder. It is good to remember that the planet is carrying you." And to make decisions accordingly.
Given the inconclusiveness of the past couple of weeks in Copenhagen, and the lack of overall action that has lead us to this point, it’s apparent that not everyone else agrees. I think you can point fingers all day regarding this subject because not one of us entirely removed from it. Instead, I’ll recommend that you check out Bill Mckibbens’ website where you can read a more hopeful description of what we should take out of these climate talks.
“…The one undeniable thing about this conference,” he writes, “ Is that it reflected the growing power of a people's movement around the world. You were heard. We're not strong enough yet to dominate the talks--that's still the fossil fuel industry. But we're strong enough to make it harder for the great powers simply to impose their will behind the scenes.”
Given that I’m a natural optimist, I like his thinking. And there’s nothing worse for movement and change than a loss of momentum that comes from feeling quieted and overwhelmed. So even if we don’t all go out and get ourselves a piece of land and go completely carbon free (although if you feel called, much love to you), as consumers we can encourage the momentum of market trends that encourage sustainable practices. This means buy, eat, act, and love local right now.
And that’s why we should all support the small farmers I write about here. As you hopefully read in the link above, they do a lot for us! They give our earth a little TLC that is much needed right now.
In her speech in Copenhagen, Vandana Shiva (I really love her) stated that through her work with small farmers in India she has discovered some amazing truths. "Forty percent of the solution to climate change lies in organic, ecological farming in the hands of small farmers," she says. "This is also a one hundred percent solution to hunger and poverty."
Not to get too preachy or political, we’re all welcome to our own opinions, and this blog is truly for the stories of small farmers. I’m taking a little advantage but hey, there are always a ton of reasons behind why we do what we do.
In peace and food community on this solstice.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
After the December Frost at Terry's Berries
“I’m a bit of a perfectionist,” says Terry Carkner. When asked what she would be doing if she wasn’t a farmer she replied after a small pause, “Oh gosh. I would probably be an accountant.”
Which apparently she was, for a good 20 years, before dedicating herself to full time farming.
“I worked for a CPA firm,” she says, a job that also allowed her to do seasonal farm work. “But then it would get to be spring time and I’d think I would rather be outside.”
Terry and Dick Carkner began farming their 20 acres in the Puyallup Valley 26 years ago, after Dick got a job at the Washington State University Extension. Originally they only grew raspberries, but when they became organic they started growing vegetables out of necessity as well.
“The whole philosophy behind organic is diversifying. We began growing vegetables so we could rotate the crops in the beds,” Terry says.
Crop rotation allows the soil to be replenished after each season since mineral and nutrient requirements differ from crop to crop. Such practices restore and retain soil nutrients, which allow farmers to use the same land for year after year without chemicals.
This conversion to organic led to the development of Terry's CSA program, and throughout the years Terry has watched it grow along with the interest in eating local and supporting small farmers. Her greatest challenges now seem to be keeping up with the growing consumer demand and rolling with the punches of each season. This December’s frost has taken a toll on small farms all across western Washington as many, including Terry, watched their winter harvest freeze over.
“Things don’t grow in the winter cold and dark,” says Terry. “We have to plant ahead of time for our winter produce.”
So while most of us may think about the impact that the extreme weather has on our holiday travels or shopping, small farmers must consider the impact on their production and sales all the way into next spring.
Walking through the farm store, the iconic bright red barn that can be seen from River Road, this is hard to imagine: there is an abundance of colors on the shelves, in stark contrast to the grey weather outside. Kale, cabbages, carrots, beets, brussel sprouts, leeks, and winter squashes are all vegetables that can be obtained locally here in the winter, as well as apples and pears from the Yakima Valley.
We can be grateful for the mild seasons that allow this bounty, but mild just doesn't describe the winter so far and so our small farmers must find ways to cope. However, Terry holds a pragmatic view of the situation. “It’ll come back,” she says. “But it just won’t come back right away.”
Really, it is just another day in the life of a small farmer. “This isn’t a job for people who like all their ducks in a row,” Terry laughs. “Mother nature leads the dance.”
Find out more about Terry’s Berries on the website. http://www.terrysberries.com
And while Mother Nature may lead the dance, as she does inevitably with us all, there are ways to lessen the element's effects for our small farmers. CSA subscriptions help small farmers recover from such unforeseen events so that we can all have more reliable access to local fruits and vegetables. When you subscribe to a CSA, you gather not only a box of produce that is fresher and healthier than you can find at the store, but also a relationship with your food producer and the knowledge of what it takes to keep us all healthy and well fed.
Which apparently she was, for a good 20 years, before dedicating herself to full time farming.
“I worked for a CPA firm,” she says, a job that also allowed her to do seasonal farm work. “But then it would get to be spring time and I’d think I would rather be outside.”
Terry and Dick Carkner began farming their 20 acres in the Puyallup Valley 26 years ago, after Dick got a job at the Washington State University Extension. Originally they only grew raspberries, but when they became organic they started growing vegetables out of necessity as well.
“The whole philosophy behind organic is diversifying. We began growing vegetables so we could rotate the crops in the beds,” Terry says.
Crop rotation allows the soil to be replenished after each season since mineral and nutrient requirements differ from crop to crop. Such practices restore and retain soil nutrients, which allow farmers to use the same land for year after year without chemicals.
This conversion to organic led to the development of Terry's CSA program, and throughout the years Terry has watched it grow along with the interest in eating local and supporting small farmers. Her greatest challenges now seem to be keeping up with the growing consumer demand and rolling with the punches of each season. This December’s frost has taken a toll on small farms all across western Washington as many, including Terry, watched their winter harvest freeze over.
“Things don’t grow in the winter cold and dark,” says Terry. “We have to plant ahead of time for our winter produce.”
So while most of us may think about the impact that the extreme weather has on our holiday travels or shopping, small farmers must consider the impact on their production and sales all the way into next spring.
Walking through the farm store, the iconic bright red barn that can be seen from River Road, this is hard to imagine: there is an abundance of colors on the shelves, in stark contrast to the grey weather outside. Kale, cabbages, carrots, beets, brussel sprouts, leeks, and winter squashes are all vegetables that can be obtained locally here in the winter, as well as apples and pears from the Yakima Valley.
We can be grateful for the mild seasons that allow this bounty, but mild just doesn't describe the winter so far and so our small farmers must find ways to cope. However, Terry holds a pragmatic view of the situation. “It’ll come back,” she says. “But it just won’t come back right away.”
Really, it is just another day in the life of a small farmer. “This isn’t a job for people who like all their ducks in a row,” Terry laughs. “Mother nature leads the dance.”
Find out more about Terry’s Berries on the website. http://www.terrysberries.com
And while Mother Nature may lead the dance, as she does inevitably with us all, there are ways to lessen the element's effects for our small farmers. CSA subscriptions help small farmers recover from such unforeseen events so that we can all have more reliable access to local fruits and vegetables. When you subscribe to a CSA, you gather not only a box of produce that is fresher and healthier than you can find at the store, but also a relationship with your food producer and the knowledge of what it takes to keep us all healthy and well fed.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Greetings and Appreciations
My intentions are quite practical. The fact of the matter is that food allows us to survive and grow, it encourages us to develop culture and connection through its sharing around the table, and it graces us with a holistic sense of ecology and community when we dig our hands into the earth to participate in its growth.
Really what it comes down to is I love food. Food is a blessing.
What follows are stories about good food and the lives that are intimately bound with it. Small farmers are the heart of our health, people we should all be on a first name basis with. Last year the staff of the Tacoma Farmers Market took this belief to the streets. They dared their shoppers to answer the question that stretched across the front of the their market shirts, “Who’s Your Farmer?”
As the season progressed and relationships were forged, it became obvious that both shoppers and farmers took pleasure in knowing each other by name. Even more evidence is provided in the growth of farmers markets and CSA programs all over the country.
This is what inspires me to write.
A personal connection with our producers alleviates consumer worries developed by the failings of the large-scale, industrial food system. In this new (or, perhaps more accurately, remembered) paradigm, food is once again a gift of good will and life source from soil to plate, from farm to community. Bigger does not mean better, more reliable, or more secure; when you know your farmer, you know your food.
I want to express my gratitude to the farmers who have shared their stories with me and who have trusted me to craft them appropriately in my writing, my other source of sustenance. Because of them my body and soul remain well fed.
Cheers.
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