About me...

Because this journey is intensely personal, there will be times when my posts will be about more than just rebuilding the physical aspects of my life. They may be random and sometimes I think they may not even make sense to some. But whatever I post here will be as honest as I can make it, no punches pulled, telling it like it it. I hope that I can share some insight with others who might be going through a similar transitory period in their own lives. With luck and perseverence I know I will eventually successful in my new life. I have very high hopes for all of this but then I had those when Dave was alive, too. I am naturally a pretty optomistic person, I think.

Since one of the oft touted benefits of buying local food is that you get to know your farmers, I thought I would present you with a thumbnail biography about the Farmer and myself so that you might have some small insight into why we do what we do. We have never really done that before because it is very weird to write about yourself. If you read this blog, you know that growing things is a big part of our life, so I am just going to write about the non-NMFO stuff. Hope it turns out okay...

The Farmer

The Farmer was born in 1959 and grew up mostly in Charlotte. His dad was in law enforcement and his mom worked for the school system but they both grew up in the farming community where we are presently located. His parents moved to Charlotte in the late 1950's but because their family ties remained strong, the Farmer spent lots of his weekends and most of his summers coming back to the farm where he spent much of his time helping his grandad and great-grandad work on the farm. He also spent a lot of time outdoors which is where he developed his great love and understanding of nature. One of the reasons he got into organic farming is because of the connection to that love of all things natural. To be able to make a living doing something that is such a noble venture, as well as something that is part of your very core being, is about the best job I can think of right now. Besides, he has the greenest thumb this side of the Jolly Green Giant.


In Charlotte, his family lived outside the city limits, in a rural area where there were still several working farms. When he was about 12, he had a job, before school, at the dairy farm behind their house, feeding the cows as they were being milked. He had a great big bucket that he had to keep refilling at the silo and hauling back to the barn to keep the cows happy and calm. I think he might have also done some milking when he was a teenager.


After graduating high school, he attended college in North Carolina, where he played soccer (first ever freshman to start for his team...he was pretty good) and got a degree in Industrial Design and Engineering. He then spent 15 years or so working as an engineer for a design firm that made precision and micro instruments for industrial uses. Things like drill bits the size of a human hair and stuff like that. He also worked on projects for the auto and computer industry. Eventually, he left the field of engineering and headed west to pursue another life.


All of his life, the Farmer gravitated toward to the water, rivers, lakes or the oceans, which lead him to take up sailing at a young age and he remains a proficient big boat sailor to this day. His love of wind, water and waves, sparked an interest in a fledgling sport back in the early 80's called "windsurfing". Quickly mastering this sport, he spent several years with a corporate sponsorship on the windsurfing circuit. Kite boarding came along in the 90's and the progression into that sport just came naturally. Today he continues to pursue these sports, whenever he can get time away from the farm to do so.


Gifted with an incredibly right and curious mind, the Farmer is a true Renaissance man. He has many wide and varied interests that don't involve water. He is a licensed falconer and knows a whole lot about raptors. He plays guitar, Dobro, banjo and percussion. He practices yoga. He can build just about anything from the ground up and can make fire with a couple of sticks and a strip of leather. One area of particular interest to the Farmer is the study of Native American spiritualism and culture, particularly the Hopi. He hopes to complete his spiritual healing studies someday. And he always tells the truth, even if it stings a little. The Farmer is pretty cool.



The Farmer's Wife

I had a wonderful childhood. I grew up in a small town near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains that was big enough not to be "backward" and small enough so that everybody pretty much knew each other. I was a "town girl" who had grandparents with a farm just outside of the city limits. They grew a huge garden every year which fed us pretty well and that granny taught me how to cook with ingredients fresh from the garden and the value of preserving part of the harvest every year.



Besides the big garden, there were also had apple and cherry trees to climb. We played under grapevines that Granny constantly admonished us to stay away from, lest we get stung by yellow jackets or bees. I don't remember ever getting stung by a yellow jacket until this past year. They had a mangy 3 legged cat that hung around the barn most of the time and presented us with tiny kittens to play with many times. (back then nobody spayed their pets). They gave her away a couple of times but she always returned so they just gave up. I loved that old raggedy cat. I won't say I ran wild at their farm, but is certainly was a free and wonderful place to be.


My other set of grandparents lived in town but had a huge back yard that was a wonderland to me as a child. That grandmother was from up North and cooked weird and exotic things like asparagus or rhubarb pie, with ingredients from her own garden. They had a crab apple tree in the back and a quince bush covered with big thorns and she made jelly out of those fruits. They also had a couple of apple trees that I wish we had saved cuttings from because I now realize that they were heirloom varieties. There was one tree that had the absolute best apples I have ever tasted. I don't eat apples to this day because of that tree...haven't found a variety that even comes close to the flavor and I searched for years before I gave that quest up. The closest I ever came was the old time Rusty Coat.



My grandfather also had a solarium where he grew some really exotic plants, like the giant jade tree that was taller than me as an adult or the Bird of Paradise plant that bloomed almost continually and from which he sold the flowers to the local florist. He also had a full sized lemon tree in the greenhouse that he used the lemons from to make incredible lemon meringue pies for which he was well know among the local widows ( my grandmother died with I was 19).


These city grandparents were organic gardeners and I remember growing up reading Rodale's Organic Gardening magazine because there were always several issues on the coffee table in their den. They had a big compost pile in the far corner of the yard, next to the asparagus/rhubarb beds and I used to marvel at all of the worms when I "helped" my grandfather turn the pile.

That early exposure (I was probably around 10 when what I was reading in the ROGs at their house started to sink in a bit) really shaped my lifelong interest in organic growing methods. In the late 60's I finally made the connection between organics and what was happening to the environment, to health issues, etc. Reading "The Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson had a tremendous influence on my views about the world.

After graduating from high school, I worked through my life by going off to college, getting married, having kids and working my way up to a successful career. My marriage failed and I was at odds on what direction to take with my life. It was a very confusing time and I was really at a loss for where to go next. One dream I never lost through all those years was to go out West and find a commune where I could grow my own food, get back to the land, live free, etc. (Of course that was my dream! I grew up in the Sixties...).

It took me two years to make the decision but I decided to see if any of that dream was still alive. I finally quit my job in 1994 and a week later I was on the road. The reality of it turned out to be that I just needed to clear my head and re-evaluate the direction my life was taking and it worked. Through those travels, I discovered that my dream had matured considerably and that my path was not what I had envisioned at all. That is what brought me to the place I am today. The best thing about taking that dramatic step was that I found someone to share my journey.

It is WooHoo! time at the Farm

Going to the mailbox is becoming more and more fun lately because the seed catalogs are rolling in every day now. Last year, I got on some new mailing lists for seeds, plants, equipment, etc. and some of those have arrived. I haven't even opened a single catalog yet because I want to sit down and just start going through them one at a time until I have perused them all. Usually I open them as they come in but thought I would do something different this year.

Ordinarily, I would not order a paper catalog (tree hugger, remember?) but I can't compare varieties, etc. using the computer. I have a big old oak library table where I do my paperwork and I can spread about 10 catalogs around and flip one to the other. Since I am mostly looking for ethnic, open pollinated and organically grown seeds, I start there but if I see a variety that is not being produced organically I have a whole other process I have to go through. We are required to use certified organic seed (no GMO allowed in certified seed) unless we can verify that we checked all sources available to us and did not find the variety produced that way...that is a job when you grow over 100 different varieties. Also, we only use seed sources that publish a "safe seed" pledge if they are not organically produced varieties.

Sometimes, I get heirloom seeds, organic or not, from seed savers like myself and from all over the country. One particular seed friend that I trade seeds with is in Southern California, almost down to Mexico. She grows all kinds of native Mexican chiles and loves to get our southern varieties, especially okras, in trade because they will grow in her hot dry climate. Sometimes they do better, too, because she doesn't have to deal with the humidity like we do (fungi are a problem for her). She turned me onto a Chocolate Chile that has become a favorite with us and a variety I have never seen in any seed catalog. It is dark brown, mildly spicy and tastes like it was smoked, even when eaten fresh! Gotta love that! But back to the subject I was on before I took that little trek off path.

Once I get a feel for anything new that I think we might want to grow, I research the varieties more thoroughly online (the blurbs in seed catalogs are meant to "sell" on on a variety, so I like to check out the real skinny on them by looking at online blogs and forums that discuss the realities of them. Don't always find them but I would say that 8 out of 10 times, I do. Then I have to present my arguments to the Farmer for his approval (sometimes he sees something I totally missed). There is a lot more to what we do here than just picking up some seed packs at the local seed store and sticking them in the ground. It actually takes us about 2 months of research and planning to get our farm plan like we want it.

Soil and field prep will start as soon as the ground dries out enough to get anything done. Right now the ground is "sticky" meaning that it sticks to hoes, plows, etc. and makes getting any field work done nearly impossible. There was an announcement last week that the drought in Rowan County was just declared officially over (in December...) and so we will be scrambling in February to get things prepped for planting. That is also about the time we will start out seedlings for planting out in April (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, herbs) once it is warm enough to set them in the garden without fearing a hard freeze. April planting will becomes the June/July/August crop of those items.

The good news is that we have lots of things in the ground that will "winter over" and pop up out of the ground and/or start growing again, as soon as we start having warmer days, usually in mid-February. We learned our lesson a couple of years ago, when the winter was so wet we had trouble getting anything planted in time to start our season on time. We were about 2 weeks late on planting and that put us behind until summer. One thing about farming is that there are continual lessons to be learned and if you don't pay attention, you will suffer later. The weather in this region has become so unpredictable in spring and so extreme in summer that some of our growing methods have changed radically in the 10 years we have been doing this. Maybe since the drought has broken, the summer will not be so brutal in 2009. Keeping my fingers crossed for that.

CSA brings responsibilities for the shareholders, not just farmers

"...as a shareholder in both the bounty and the risk, I understand that nature ultimately decides what I receive and when I will receive it."

That is a quote from the first paragraph of our CSA membership agreement and it is a powerful statement. For anyone who is considering membership in CSA (any CSA, not just ours) I would like to give some insight into what being in a CSA means. While every CSA is different in some way, the basic premise is pretty much the same.

Buying into a CSA is an investment in a working farm, not hiring a produce delivery service. No investment comes without potential risks, as well as potential rewards, and a CSA is no exception. The member's investment returns are paid with the labor of the farmer, the use of his land, water and other resources and as a portion of harvests received. There are many factors that can affect the outcome. Anything that happens on the farm affects the CSA, ergo the members are affected, also.

Nothing is ever guaranteed in any investment, especially one involving a farm venture. When a crop is less than expected or fails completely members share that outcome. There is never any way to know exactly what conditions will provide which bounties or crop losses and a CSA member should be prepared for either situation.

Members of a CSA invest in a specific year's seasonal crops and harvests, in return for a specified number of week's products during that year. Ours happens to run for 30 weeks and our growing season runs from April to April. Sometime in that 12 month period, we will fulfill our 30 week obligation to our members. We do our very best to provide it as a weekly portion for 30 consecutive weeks, but there can be no guarantee that this will be the case. The same is true for most any CSA.

Generally, the operator of a CSA knows pretty well what members can expect to receive over the seasons, but there is never any way to say exactly how much or exactly when crops will come in. Say a strain of green beans is supposed to take 65 days to produce, that is only an average and usually if growing conditions are optimal. With the weather in this region being so unpredictable and extreme sometimes, there are many many factors that weigh into a successful year's harvests. Part of the farmer's expertise comes in with being able to plan, execute and deliver crops by being able to work around these variables.

Any venture in which the ultimate successful outcome is dependent on variables like weather conditions, insect pests, crop failures, flooding rains, wind damage is stressful. It is business as usual in our region. Organic field grown crops are considerably more susceptible to any adverse conditions because of the nature of how these crops are grown. With all the factors that weigh into a successful growing year, a farmer who is bringing in a decent crop of 30, 40 or even 50 different varieties is quite a feat, yet we do that consistently here at our farm.

Food doesn't just happen. Growing certified organic food takes capital, extensive knowledge, patience, perseverance, hard work, luck and sometimes even a small miracle for any crop to come to its full fruition. The farm labor has to be done, sometimes 50-60+ hours per week, in searing heat or bitter cold ( farmers work year round to provide food during the growing season). The varieties are chosen (picking out good ones is a skill in itself), the seeds are bought and planted, the weeds hoed and pulled. Planting, picking, prepping and packing has to be done.

All of that work is done no matter what the final outcome is and nothing changes that. I think that people don't realize is how much the farmer loses when there is a crop loss. The expense, time, effort, space, effect on future plantings, the scrambling to plant something to make up for the shortfall all falls on the shoulders of the grower. We have worked just as hard and put in just as much on a crop that didn't produce but a bushel of produce as we did on the one that produced ten.


The CSA farm/member relationship is not a simple one. Being in a CSA means that you have to be willing to support your CSA farm, financially, spiritually and personally. Most people join a CSA because they want to know the person who grows their food and develop ties to that person, even if it is just to say "hi" when the share is picked up for the week. Having that supportive membership means a lot to the farmer.


Most CSA operators are extremely dedicated to their members and the expertise and skill of the farmer has something to do with the end results. Unrealistic expectations about the CSA farm usually leads to disappointment or an unsatisfactory experience with CSA membership. Going into the relationship with realistic ideas about what can and might happen and appreciation of the amount of work involved in growing and managing a CSA can make a big difference in your CSA experience.

CSA membership is an immensely rewarding experience for most people who join one. Beautiful fresh, healthy produce, sharing in bountiful harvests, feeling good about supporting a family farm and getting to know the person who grows the food you feed your family should be enough to make CSA membership worthwhile.

Helping to support a small sustainable farm is also a great way to put your "green" food forward by actually doing something pro-active to improve the environment. Most small farms pollute less, protect the land from environmental concerns and use methods that make the food that they grow much safer and healthier than anything you can buy at a supermarket. Reducing the carbon footprint related to your food supply is certainly a positive thing.

So, after reading all of that, if you think that being in a CSA might be the thing for you, go out and find one in your area. You can look on websites LocalHarvest.org and GreenPeople.com or you can search the Web using keywords like CSA, Community Supported Agriculture, farm share, local produce along with your state or Zip Code (otherwise you will find CSA's from California....).






Not such a great idea...

According to serious environmentalists, one of the worst ideas of 2008: Carbon Offsets

The wanna-be environmentalist's "Get out of Jail Free" card, carbon offsets enable companies or individuals to invest in tree farms or wind power as a way to compensate for their carbon footprints. Problem is, offsets don't change behavior. They're just the green equivalent of confession, making people feel better about their eco-sins but not stopping them from committing them.

Wrote this a while back and never published it...

The title of this blog is "Simply Sustainable - My Life on an Organic Farm". It mostly talks about the ups and downs of living and working as a farmer. But I wasn't always a farmer. In fact, my previous incarnation was about as far from farmer as you can get. I worked in the financial services industry for over 25 years....securities and commodity brokerage, to be specific.


My epiphany that maybe that industry wasn't where I needed to be came to me back in 1992 and it took me two years to shake myself loose from it and "retire" from my long career there. I have never looked back, although sometimes I do miss the money. Of course, that only lasts for about 30 seconds because my old life always flashes before my eyes and brings me back to reality because the truth of it is that I am not sure that I would have survived another year in that business, much less the 13 years since my departure.




I have worked hard to distance myself from the reality that most people live in daily (9 to 5 job, big mortgage payment, credit card debt, etc.) on purpose. I gave up a lot by today's standards of success to get to the place I am in my present life. The money, the house, the car, the travel abroad...none of it really ended up meaning much after all, once it was gone. For a while, it was kind of like an out of body experience, but when I settled back down to earth, it was all good. Like anybody else, my life is far from perfect, but it is much closer than the marjority of people that I know. I have truly never been happier in my adult life.


Of course, I would not be honest if I didn't give a lot of credit to the people around me who have supported and loved me no matter how radical or strange my choices may have seemed to them. And I certainly could not have reached this level of
satisfaction in my life without having my best friend by my side every step of the way. Sometimes, there are people who come into you life that have a profound effect and if you have the wisdom and openess to accept what they bring to you it can change your life forever. Not to sound cliche, because I truly belive this, opening yourself up to the endless possibilities of the Universe is the most important step anyone can take to having their best life ever. We are only given one life at a time to live, so make this one count.

Biography of the Farmers

Since one of the touted benefits of local food is that you get to know your farmers, I thought would like to take this opportunity to present you with a thumbnail biography about the Farmer and myself. I have never done that before because it is very weird writing about yourself. If you read this blog, you know that growing things is a big part of our life, so I am just going to write about non-farm stuff. Hope it turns out okay.

The Farmer

The Farmer was born in 1959 and grew up mostly in Charlotte. His dad was in law enforcement and his mom worked for the school system but they both grew up in the farming community where we are presently located. His parents moved to Charlotte in the late 1950's but because their family ties remained strong, the Farmer spent lots of his weekends and most of his summers coming back to the farm where he spent much of his time helping his grandad and great-grandad work on the farm. He also spent a lot of time outdoors which is where he developed his great love and understanding of nature.




In Charlotte, his family lived outside the city limits, in a rural area where there were still several working farms. When he was about 12, he had a job, before school, at the dairy farm behind their house, feeding the cows as they were being milked. He had a great big bucket that he had to keep refilling at the silo and hauling back to the barn to keep the cows happy and calm. I think he might have also done some milking when he was a teenager.





After graduating high school, he attended college in North Carolina, where he played soccer (first ever freshman to start for his team...he was pretty good) and got a degree in Industrial Design and Engineering. He then spent 15 years or so working as an engineer for a design firm that made precision and micro instruments for industrial uses. Things like drill bits the size of a human hair and stuff like that. He also worked on projects for the auto and computer industry. Eventually, he left the field of engineering and headed west to pursue another life.


All of his life, the Farmer gravitated toward to the water, rivers, lakes or the oceans, which lead him to take up sailing at a young age and he remains a proficient big boat sailor to this day. His love of wind, water and waves, sparked an interest in a fledgling sport back in the early 80's called "windsurfing". Quickly mastering this sport, he spent several years with a corporate sponsorship on the windsurfing circuit. Kiteboarding came along in the 90's and the progression into that sport just came naturally. Today he continues to pursue these sports, whenever he can get time away from the farm to do so.




Gifted with an incredibly curious mind, the Farmer has many wide and varied interests that don't involve water. One area of particular interest to the Farmer is the study of Native American spiritualism and culture, particularly the Hopi. He plays guitar, dobro, banjo, percussion. He can build just about anything from the ground up and can make fire with a couple of sticks and a strip of leather. The Farmer is pretty darned cool.












The Farmer's Wife

Yesterday, I attended a CEFS-Farm to Fork Conference. I won't get into the reasons for the conference, other than to say it involves a sustainable food system for N.C. and that you really should go to their website (http://ncsustainablefood.wordpress.com/) and read more about this extremely important iniatitive here in your home state. There are going to be some really good things coming out of this project and I can hardly wait for them to happen. What I wanted to write about in this blog entry are my impressions about the folks I had the chance to meet and talk with during the conference.





What struck me in particular is that most of the people that I heard voice their opininons and ideas had completely opposite concerns that I do as a farmer. Their perceptions about how a local food system works completely left out the part about where the local food was going to come from. I chose to be in one of the discussions that focused on direct marketing concerns, but before you can address that, you have to have a source of product to get to the market.



There seemed to be an undercurrent all through the attendees that there is this huge surplus of produce being grown by farmers who just can't get it into their hands. Of course, one of the topics of the conference was how to get more new farmers into the local food arena, etc. but there wasn't a lot of talk about helping the farmers, who are already struggling in this economy, just to make ends meet. I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more input/discussion about the problems that a very small farmer, like myself, faces every day. I imagine that will come later or maybe it is already being addressed, but I didn't hear that at the meeting yesterday. Of course, in all fairness, it was a fact and idea gathering conference and I look forward to participating in other discussions.







Probably the very biggest obstacle that I face personally, as a certified organic farmer, is that there is no oversight as to the labeling of organic produce/products at local farmer's markets. I end up competing at every level with growers who are getting nearly the same price (and in some cases the exact same price, or occasionally more) than I am getting for my certified organic produce. I am doing my due dilligence by following the rules, keeping my records, spending my money and supporting the NOP in every aspect of my farm. I do it for myself, for my customers and for the future of agriculture and the world. I believe that if a grower who misleads customers about his product but isn't willing to take the responsibility to follow the regulations has a serious problem with ethics and that is not what organics is all about at my farm.



Sometimes I wonder to myself why I should even bother with organic certification when it is obvious that I could call my products "organic", certified or not, and everybody would just turn a blind eye to the regulations. Using phrases like "my tomatoes are almost organic" or "we are darned near organic" misleads consumers and then the swirling organic waters, which are already muddied by the media and other organizations, become a miasma and that makes it easier for this situation to continue to exist. My moral compass doesn't swing that way, though, and I take this issue very seriously. My background in dealing with federal and state regulations gives me a different perspective on things, I guess, but I know that those rules are there for a reason and it is a good reason.









The very idea of a sustainable food economy in NC kind of makes me wince a bit, because I know that in the long run, it is going to make my road even bumpier if the issues about organic certification are not addressed in some way. It seems that much of the information I receive encourages and fosters the idea that it is okay to represent your goods are organic no matter what the circumstances. I have discussed this at length with a couple of "organic" growers who claim that they fall under the exemption for small farms, yet have no idea what it takes to qualify for that exemption. Yet bogus organic products continue to find their way into almost every farmer's market or other venue that I have ever taken produce to, even

some of the state run farmer's markets.







Don't misunderstand me. I know how hard any small farmer works and I believe we should all be compensated fairly. But how fair is it that I have to compete with what amounts to conventional farmers claiming to be organic at almost every outlet I have used to market my produce?







Another thing that struck me yesterday was the number of people who talked about serving all members of the community, especially low income families. This is something that I deal with all the time. My income level is below the poverty line. If we didn't live on the family farm, basically debt free, we couldn't live on what we make farming. I am constantly being asked to donate food, time, etc. to the needy. What most people don't realize is that I am the needy. I need for them to be willing to pay me a fair price for what I worked so hard to produce. Consumers come to farmer's markets with the idea that the produce should be much cheaper than the supermarket. We sell our certified organic produce for sometimes half of the price of



supermarket organics and still have to endure comments about how expensive it is.







I don't know how to change the public's perception about farmer's and farmer's markets but that is where a big stumbling block to enticing more people to become farmers. There is no incentive to do so because getting started is expensive, there are no financial benefits (we haven't had medical insurance in 5 years, can't afford it) and no guarantees of a decent income. My motivation comes from my comittment to the environment and the fact that circumstances allow me to pursue doing something that I couldn't do with a whole lot of family support. If I wasn't willing to live on a yearly income that is less than most people spend on a car, I certainly wouldn't be doing this.

































Being in a CSA is not like going to the grocer store or farmer's market. Joining a CSA is much more complicated that that. CSA members enter into a partnership with the farm that sponsors the CSA for a specific period of time. In return for financial support, pledge our time, effort, knowledge, land, certification and a portion of all of our crops to our CSA members. Bountiful harvests are shared by all, but so are the risks. Before any CSA member is accepted, there is an agreement that must be signed that explains that. There are risks in any venture, but especially in one that involves farming such as weather, natural events, etc.

We work very hard here to fulfill our obligations and take it very seriously. Instead of being nearly organic or almost organic, we are growing REAL organic food and it is extremely hard, especially in our climate. (And while I am mentioning it, why would anybody want to have "almost" organic food. That is like saying that you almost didn't poison the produce. ) We don't use chemicals to kill the weeds, to grow the vegetables bigger and faster nor do we have any hired help or mechanical equipment to help with all the planting, watering, thinning, weeding, picking, packing or getting the crops out to our members. There are 4 hands here that do it all, two small ones and two larger ones.



There have been many weeks since we started CSA last April when we worked 70+ hours or went to bed bone tired but unable to fall asleep for the aching back or blistered hands. There have been days when the temperatures were pushing 100 degrees and still we were out there working for our members, trying to make sure there was bounty, not shortfall. Too hot too early, too wet for too long, too cold too many nights, nothing to do but make the best of it and keep on keeping on. Family obligations were put aside to attend to CSA obligations until some things just couldn't be ignored any longer and with some culminating in sad and almost tragic consequences.
And still with all of that, we have had a pretty good year. Couple of crops failed because of weather conditions but mostly everything on our 2008 crop list was harvested at least once.
Some things were harvested with a vengeance but that is because they are the things that thrive our intense summer conditions and aren't finicky.

Farming is a constant learning experience and there is always some place where you can do things better, just like there are some things you just have to do the same way every time. Every new CSA year brings us the opportunity to improve because of things we learned the previous season. Next year will be our 5th CSA year and the 10th anniversary of the establishment of New Moon Farm.

MAKING CSA MORE ACCESSIBLE IN THIS ECONOMY

I hope that everyone is faring well during the recent economic turmoil that has been affecting us all. The state of the world is very fragile right now and I pray for peace and harmony every day and for the health and happiness of all. It is not an easy road to travel but if we take it slowly and mindfully, things will be brighter at the end of the road. The Farmer and I have given a lot of thought to how to do our part to help out those who want to be in CSA but who might need a little assistance with making that happen.

Trying to keep our CSA accessible and affordable is a very challenging proposition. By not raising our costs at the same level that other industries are raising theirs we have pretty much kept out prices at the same level for the last several years. This has been a tremendous burden because our production costs have tripled in many areas. Last year, we did increase the price of CSA to a level that would allow us to include delivery of shares to members but that has proven to be an "if it ain't broke don't fix it" scenario. (Who would have thought that gas prices would have spiked at $4+ per gallon right in the middle of our busiest season?) We will be going back to pick up locations for next year and have added one to the list, so now there will be three choices. In addition, we have changed the structure of our CSA to include more affordable payment options and expanded CSA overall by establishing partnership with other local farmers.

MONTHLY PAYMENT OPTION AND MONTH-TO-MONTH SHARES
For the first time ever, we are accepting monthly payments (after the initial deposit) for membership in our CSA. We have set up a PayPal account to take credit card payments (although there is a small admin fee -theirs, not ours- to use this system).

Also, we are offering a Month-to-Month Share that requires only a one month at a time commitment. There are a couple of restrictions on the Month-to-Month option. This share is not available in May and June, during strawberry season, and it is not available as a 100% organic produce share but overall is still a great CSA option.


PUTTING CHARLOTTE BACK IN THE SCHEDULE
We had not planned on having Charlotte back in the pick up rotation next year but the demand was such that we had to pay attention. For that reason, we have added the Charlotte Regional Farmer's Market back into our schedule for 2009. We will be there on Saturdays again starting in late April (CSA officially starts May 2, 2009). There will also be lots of our organic produce for sale at this market but a limited number of varieties. We are doing 2 other markets now and don't want to spread it too thinly so our farm plan includes growing some of our more major crops (okra and sweet potatoes for example) in quantities enough to accommodate all of our venues.

All of the information about these new options are published on the website at
http://www.newmoonfarmorganic.com/

The following blog entry is not going to win me any popularity contests with some people. Those people will read things into this post that simply are not there. I am not attacking anyone in particular. This is not a tirade because I am upset that somebody else is moving in on my customers. Be it is a conventional farmer who is transistioning to organic or somebody with a 10 by 10 plot in his/her backyard, calling themselves as an organic farmer, there is always competition for my business and there is somebody new every year. It is the nature of things and I really don't give it a whole lot of thought any more because there are bigger issues that I do give a whole lot of thought to.


This is not a regional dilemma, either, It is happening in many places. I know people who are small organic growers in other states and we can discuss this subject like we live side by side. Well meaning people who think that they are helping small farmers, by leading them to customers, are actually creating a climate of misrepresentation, misinformation and mistrust between the very people they are trying to help. Kind of like the missionaries who went out and nearly destroyed cultures in their overzealousness and disregard for anybody's ideology except for their own.

There is a huge problem within the local and organic food movement that most people simply don't see or understand. Sometimes I think that they don't want to see it because they don't bother to educate themselves about the true concepts and principles of growing organic food and have no idea what the difference is between something that is truly organically grown and something that is locally grown, but conventional. Many people are so caught up in the almost hysterical local food movements that they fail to take an honest, objective look at how things really are.













Unfortunately, anytime there is an economic demand for a product, impostors sometimes begin to spring up at an alarming rate. This is the situation that many small certified organic farmers are encountering with more and more regularity when trying to market their goods. At farmer's markets, roadside stands, buying clubs and other venues, there are unscrupulous growers who claim to be "almost organic" or to be using "organic methods". Generally, these growers are using these phrases as a kind of "smoke and mirrors" labeling to confuse consumers into thinking that they are getting an organic product when, in fact, many times nothing could be further from the truth.

If you are going to grow and market your produce as organic, what would be the sense of being "almost" organic. You either are or you aren't. There is no gray area here but because there is so much misinformation circulating concerning what the concept of organic means to the consumers, most people have no idea what they are actually getting, even when they are paying a premium price for these bogus "organic" goods.

Some of these farmers have no real clear idea of the disservice they are doing to the concepts of organic farming. Of course, some of them just don't care...anything for a buck. But many of them simply do not have access to or completely comprehend the organic standards of the National Organic Program. Just because you didn't spray noxious chemical pesticides on your crops in no remote way makes you an organic grower, nor does it adhere to the organic method. This system of agriculture is a synergistic partnership between the grower, the environment and a deep respect and philosophical understanding of what this partnership requires.

Part of the organic method requires the support and establishment of habitat for beneficial insects, birds and other helpful creatures. It is not about controlling nature but rather finding the balance between what nature creates and working within that creation. It requires strong faith in the perfect order of all things in nature and to work with and within the natural cycles that occur. The truest principles of organic farming are not about commerce, they are about a deep and abiding love of Mother Earth and about taking our earthly stewardship responsibilities very seriously. It's really not all about the money.

Because the demand for organic products far outstrips the supply, there is pressure for performance and with that always comes the temptation to circumvent the regulations. That is an unfortunate consequence of capitalism. There will always be those who see the chance to make more money and will do whatever they can to tap into the organic marketplace. The ideals of the organic movement which I have been a part of for over 40 years of my life are being trampled on and it makes me angry that something that so many of us worked so hard for is being bastardized the way that it is.

Sadly, it is the negative stories that make the headlines and give people the impression that certified organics should be looked upon with skepticism. This tiny percentage of producers has tainted public opinion, thanks to the media's bias toward the sensationalization of the negative aspects of anything. The part of the story that is never told is that the majority of small certified organic growers are honest, hardworking and highly principled or they wouldn't be certified in the first place. If you are going to talk the talk, you better be able to walk the walk, when it comes to calling your product organic. We became certified to show our solidarity with other organic farmers and to help to give a voice to the small family farmer.



There is an exemption from certification for legitimate very small organic growers. These producers are allowed to call their products organic, provided that they meet the specifications for this exemption. Part of the onus of responsibility for these non-certified organic growers is to keep the exact same paperwork and follow the exact same rules that certitied growers use. Only then is the exemption legitimate.

Ergo, the requirements to legally label a product as organic (non-certified) by falling under this exemption category, is exactly the same as a certified grower. All they are exempt from is inspection and paying for certification, which incidentally is not expensive at all. This is another common argument for not being certified that is completely false...most certifiers have caps on what they can charge and the USDA offers financial assistance to help with the costs of certification.

Since the other most common argument against certification among these pseudo-organic growers is that the paperwork is too burdensome for them to bother with, that is the one of the very things that gives away their lack of knowledge about organics or points to the misrepresentation of exactly what they are doing. If anything, the records we are required to keep only take minimal amount of time. We are able to use our own method of recordkeeping, as long as we have the correct documentation. Having these detailed records of what we do year to year has proven to be an invaluable tool for the efficient management and operation of our farm.

So, the only way to be certain that you are, in fact, getting what you are paying for is to ask for the grower's certification or to question their methods. It is your right to know. Organic certification is your assurance that the grower has done his or her due dilligence in order to obtain that certification. Third party certifiers for the USDA inspect farms to make sure that they are following what amounts to the strictest food growing standards in the world today.

And the growers are not the only ones at fault with regard to misinformation about organics. A majority of consumers don't really know exactly what they are seeking when it comes to organics and so the waters are muddied even further. Lots of consumers are really looking for fresh, local produce, not truly organic produce and this lack of distinction between two very different products feeds the cult of misinformation about organics that abounds at farmer's markets, etc.

Exactly what does the USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC label actually mean to the consumer? The following link will take you to brief outline lists some of the key points that make certification of a producer/product important to anyone who eats organic food. Certified versus Non-Certified






ANNOUNCING NEW CSA STRUCTURE FOR 2009


I hope that everyone is faring well during the recent economic turmoil that has been affecting us all. The state of the world is very fragile right now and I pray for peace and harmony every day and for the health and happiness of all. It is not an easy road to travel but if we take it slowly and mindfully, things will be brighter at the end of the road.

MAKING CSA MORE ACCESSIBLE IN THIS ECONOMY
Trying to keep our CSA accessible and affordable is a very challenging proposition. By not raising our costs at the same level that other industries are raising theirs we have pretty much kept out prices at the same level for the last several years even though aur production costs tripled in several areas. Last year, we increased the price of CSA to a level that would allow us to include delivery of shares to members. That has proven to be a "if it ain't broke don't fix it" scenario. Who would have thought that gas prices would have spiked at $4+ per gallon right in the middle of our busiest season? For that reason, we are going back to pick up locations for next year. In addition, we have changed the structure of our CSA to include more affordable payment options and expanded CSA overall.


CHARLOTTE IS BACK ON THE SCHEDULE
We had not planned on having Charlotte back in the pick up rotation but the demand was such that we had to pay attention. For that reason, we have added the Charlotte Regional Farmer's Market back into our schedule for 2009. We will be there on Saturdays again starting in late April (CSA officially starts May 2, 2009). There will also be produce for sale at this market but limited quantities and varieties. We are doing 2 other markets now and don't want to spread it too thinly but our farm plan includes growing some of our more major crops (okra and sweet potatoes for example) in quantities enough to accommodate all of our venues.


MONTHLY PAYMENT & MONTH-TO-MONTH SHARES AVAILABLE IN 2009
One of the most radical changes we have made are payment methods for membership. As I mentioned above, we are now accepting monthly payments (after the initial deposit) for membership in our CSA. For the first time ever, in 2009, we are offering a Month-to-Month Share that requires only a one month at a time commitment. There are a couple of restrictions on the Month-to-Month option. This share is not available in May and June, during strawberry season, and it is not available as a 100% organic produce share but overall is still a great CSA option. Plus, we have set up a PayPal account for anyone who wants to use a credit card to pay for their membership. There is a small fee (theirs, not ours) for using this service.



PARTNERING WITH OTHER FARMS IN OUR AREA In 2009, we will be partnering with several other growers in our area to expand and give more balance to our CSA shares. Working in conjunction with these other farms will also allow us to include and support fellow farmers in our own community. The focus of our CSA has always been and will continue to be 100% organic produce, grown at our farm. The choice will be up to individual members as to whether they want a fully organic share or not.



All of the information about these new options are published on the website at WWW.NEWMOONFARMORGANIC.COM Just follow the links on the left side menu to navigate the CSA section of our website.

Happy Thanskgiving to Everyone!!!


Hello to everyone. It's been a while since posted anything new here. It has been crazy busy around here lately but I am taking time to write this brief post right now to give our holiday greetings to everyone who reads this blog. I have a little downtime to myself because I waiting for eggs to boil (got the under the chickens this morning). I am going to make these rocking curry stuffed eggs for Thanksgiving dinner today. Oh-oh! Now I hear the beeper going off on the egg timer and I am off to make my eggs.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL
BE SAFE!

RANTING, RANTING, RANTING, YEEHAW!!!

"Only when the last tree has been cut down; Only when the last river has been poisoned; Only when the last fish has been caught; Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten." -Native American Proverb

If the white man had listened to the Native Americans (most spiritual people who ever lived and they were slaughtered as godless heathens by our Euro-bred ancestors...), we might not be in such a mess now. We have put too much faith in the word of man, instead of the deeds of the Creator and we are suffering for it. Only the people of the world can change anything. Governments, politicians, organizations, etc. are only as good as what they are able to inspire or compel the masses to do. Until we stop being so arrogant and lazy in this country (and setting that example for the rest of the world) will anything change?


I put my money where my mouth is, literally, because I make my living as an organic, sustainable farmer. No nine to five, no regular paycheck, no slave to the grind. And I fight the system every day of my life, by living outside of what most people consider "normal". And, I wouldn't have it any other way. At least I feel like I am off my butt and doing something. But recently, my frustration about the road we are headed down, requires I speak my mind.


AND LEARN TO THINK, PEOPLE, instead of being hammered in complacency by people (corporations) whose only task in life is to get you to part with your money, now matter how stupid their product is....Do we really need another Ron Popiel product for 3 easy payments of $19.99? Does a 95 pound woman really need to drive a Hummer? What the hell is in a tatertot anyway? Are strokes and heart attacks on the rise because of cell phones and iPods? Of course, those questions sound ridiculous but the underlying ideas really do exist in our society. What happened to paying for something if you had the money and not getting it if you didn't. When did Americans become embarrassed to pay cash for things they need and a good thing to be a**h**e deep in credit debt? What is going on here!!!!!?????? T H I N K , PEOPLE!!!!!

You can listen to inspirational lectures and speeches every day for the rest of your life but if with lack of action, nothing changes.

CALLING OUT BOGUS ORGANICS....

The following is strictly the opinion of the author and in no way reflects the opinions of anyone else.


BOGUS: 1. being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials 2. being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud.




Strong word to use, "bogus". Unfortunately, it applies to the subject of this blog entry. Anytime there is an economic demand for a product, impostors begin to spring up at an alarming rate. This is the situation that many certified (small) organic farmers are encountering with more and more regularity when trying to market their legitimate organic goods.




At many farmer's markets, roadside stands, buying clubs and other venues, there are unscrupulous growers who claim to be "almost or nearly organic" or to be using "organic methods". While I know how hard farmers work and have nothing but high praise and deep respect for anyone of them. After all, I am one of them, and I know how hard the work can be. But I have only contempt for organic bootleggers.




Using misleading phrases deliberately is a kind of "smoke and mirrors" labeling meant to confuse consumers into thinking that they are getting an organic product when, in fact, many times nothing could be further from the truth. Sadly, this has become commonplace, mostly because of the premium prices that organic produce can bring. Even though there are steep civil penalties for this type of misrepresentation (up to $12,000 per instance), there isn't much enforcement because there are simply too many of these false claims being made for the supervising agencies to investigate. And it is spreading like a wildfire, totally out of control.








Part of the responsibility for this situation falls on consumers because they have been continually willing to accept these goods without question and have so fostered this situation. The local food movement has encouraged this behavior, without meaning to, by the very nature of in its enthusiasm and naivete about the issues. While believing they are helping the small local farmer find a market for his/her goods, they have hurt as much as they have helped in many places by creating a climate where unscrupulous growers can take full advantage of the unsuspecting. Some of these organizations have worked to encourage the proliferation of small local growers, which is a great aspiration, but when it is done in a manner that serves to widen the gulf of ignorance and misinformation about the concepts of real organic growing, it only harms.




If a farmer is going to grow and market produce as organic, what would be the sense of being "almost" organic. You either are or you aren't. There is no gray area here. Because there is so much misinformation circulating concerning what the concept of organic truly means most people have no idea what they are actually getting, even when they are paying a premium price for these " nearly organic" goods. It is like buying a well used car at original new car price.


Most of these bogus growers have no real or clear idea of the disservice they are doing to the concepts and high ideals of organic farming principles. Many of them simply do not have access to or completely comprehend the organic standards of the National Organic Program. Some of them don't understand and some of them simply don't care. Just because you didn't spray noxious chemical pesticides on your crops in no remote way makes you an organic grower, nor does it adhere to the organic method. The organic system of agriculture is a synergistic partnership between the grower, the environment and involves a deep respect and philosophical understanding of what this partnership requires.











Part of the organic method requires the support and establishment of habitat for beneficial insects,birds and other helpful creatures. It is not about controlling nature but rather finding the balance between what nature creates and working within that creation. It requires strong faith in the perfect order of all things in nature and to work with and within the natural cycles that occur. The truest principles of organic farming are not about commerce, they are about a deep and abiding love of Mother Earth and about taking our earthly stewardship responsibilities very seriously. It's really not all about the money.











Because the demand for organic products far outstrips the supply, there is pressure for performance and with that always comes the temptation to circumvent the regulations. That is an unfortunate consequence of capitalism. There will always be those who see the chance to make more money and will do whatever they can to tap into the organic marketplace. Sadly, those are the stories that make the headlines and give people the impression that certified organics should be looked upon with skepticism. This small percentage of producers has tainted public opinion. The part of the story that is never told is that the majority of small certified organic growers are honest, hardworking and highly principled or they wouldn'tbe certified in the first place. If you are going to talk the talk, you better be able to walk the walk, when it comes to organics.










There is an exemption from certification for legitimate small organic growers. These producers are allowed to call their products organic, provided that they meet the specifications for this exemption. Part of the onus of responsibility for these non-certified organic growers is to keep the exact same paperwork and follow the exact same rules that certitied growers use. Only then is the exemption legitimate. Ergo, the requirements to legally label a product as organic (non-certified) by falling under this exemption category, is exactly the same as a certified grower.




All these growers are exempt from is the formal inspection and paying for certification, which incidentally is not expensive at all. This is another common argument for not being certified that is completely bogus...most certifiers have caps on what they can charge and the USDA offers financial assistance to help with the costs of certification.


Since the other most common argument against certification amongthese pseudo-organic growers is that the paperwork is too burdensome for them to bother with, that is the one of the very things that gives away their lack of knowledge about organics or points to the misrepresentation of exactly what they are doing. And what could possibly be the motivation for that?



So, the only way to be certain that you are, in fact, getting what you are paying for is to ask for the grower's certification or to question their methods. It is your right to know. Organic certification is your assurance that the grower has done his or her due dilligence in order to obtain that certification. Third party certifiers for the USDA inspect farms to make sure that they are following what amounts to the strictest food growing standards in the world today.



Growers are not the only ones at fault with regard to misinformation about organics. A majority of consumers don't really know exactly what they are seeking when it comes to organics and so the waters are muddied even further. Lots of consumers are really looking for fresh, local produce, not truly organic produce and this lack of distinction between two very different products feeds the cult of misinformation about organics that abounds at in the local marketplace.




And in closing, I will say that some people will read this blog and say I only posted this because I am one of the certified organic small farmers being affected by this problem. I would reply to that "damned straight" I am. But on the other hand, I am also an organic consumer and I work extremely hard for my money. I have no appreciation for someone who deliberately tries to cheat me out of my hard earned dollars. I also don't think that people fully appreciate the all the effort that goes into maintaining the certified organic status of this farm. If I am willing to put my time, money, effort and yes, even my life into growing something that I believe is a superior product for my customers (and there is plenty of evidence to support my beliefs about this) then I think that it is time that these backyard organic growers were called on their actions.



I live and work on a 30-acre certified organic farm in North Carolina. This year has been a tough one for farmer's all over the state, but for an organic farmer who practices what is called "dry farming" or farming without irrigation this year went way beyond being called a hard one. While you can plan for just about anything, the worst drought in 100 years is something that cannot be predicted.

Things were a bit better this year, but best laid plans can sometimes go awry. Over all it wasn't a bad year, just a year with lots of ups and downs. More lessons to be learned and improvements to be made in 2009.





Yet, we have still been very lucky. Even without the ability to water the crops, from the middle of July onward, there has been something being produced in the gardens all season long, even though the late summer/fall harvests were smaller than in past years.

Plenty of stuff coming out of the gardens this year, although several crops were lost due to weather conditions and insects. By lost, I mean that we decided to not grow them because of conditions that existed. This is good management of our land use, not a failure....big difference.




There has never been the need for us to go the the expense of putting in a new well before because the rainfall and our planting methods, soil condition, etc. has always been sufficient for a very productive season. Next year, however, the drought is expected to continue and possibly even into 2009. For that reason, we will have to take on the financial burden of putting in a well and irrigation system if we are to continue to run the Farm. That means we have to tighten the belt yet another notch and make the best of it. That is the nature of farming. A farmer doesn't have the luxury of feeling secure or complacent about much of anything, especially when he/she is an organic farmer. You just have to accept things, deal with them best you can and move on. There is nothing that we would rather do, though, so we will continue to make every effort possible to continue to make this work.

We put in the well and will be paying for it for a long time. It was late getting in (May i/o March) and it cost over twice the original estimate because the driller hit rock at 75 feet and the water was down almost 500 feet. But we have it now and in 2009, it should do for us what we thought it would do this year.


The drought has been a humbling experience for a lot of people in this region, because it has shown us that we simply cannot take our resources for granted anymore. Environmentalists and ecologists have been making dire predictions about these types of things for years and years, but until it finally hits close to home, it is easy not to pay much attention.

This year we recovered from the drought but had to deal with gas prices soaring out into the stratosphere, the economy collapsing around us, a death of a beloved family member and other things you just can't see coming. While the environmentalists made predicitions that nobody listened to, there were also prognosticators who made like predicitions about the economy but same thing happened as with the dire predictions about the climate...nobody listens until it hits them on their own turf.




AT THE FARM

The Farmer, in particular, has worked so very hard this year to keep things on track. Adverse conditions, while not something one desires, must be looked on by us as a learning experience. Because of the extreme conditions of this summer and fall, we have had to completely rethink how we do some things. Some of these changes will enable us to better manage our resources and give us the ability to still continue to work the Farm with just the two of us. We can't afford outside labor and need to have things at a level we can maintain with just our 2 strong backs and 4 willing hands. And while we love to have volunteers come to work at the Farm, the majority of them just can't make enough of a time commitment to reduce our workload. Mostly our volunteers/apprentices/interns are here for the learning experience and we love having the opportunity to share our knowledge and passion with them. Part of the good stewardship of an organic farmer is to pass the torch onto the next generation and that is something we take very seriously.

We had no volunteers, apprentices or interns this year. With delivery of CSA shares taking up so much of our time, there wasn't anybody here to train or talk to them. The Farmer's workload was tremendous, due to me being gone from the Farm so much so there was no time for him to supervise anyone and I was just not here....



Our farm products are marketed through a CSA. Because the spirit and structure of a CSA means that everyone shares in both the bounty and the risk of a farm we are not the only ones who have all been affected by this year's extreme weather conditions. Record cold, a record heatwave, a record drought...we had it all this year. It has meant a great deal to us to have had so many words of encouragement and support throughout the past several months from our memberfriends. If anything positive has come from this situation, it has given us all the time to stop and appreciate just what it takes to get our food to the plate and to be more aware of the fragility of all of our food sources. Our CSA members have participated in a microcosmic environment of what exists on a larger scale with the farmers who grow all of our food.

This year, again with the record heat. It was almost 100 degrees the first week of May. Rainfall was up but still in drought territory for much of the year. Then hurricane season hit and we had flooding rains a couple of times....yada, yada, yada. Business as usual....same stuff, different year.


This year has also been an eye-opener about the dangers of imported and non-local foods, with food safety issues cropping up on almost a weekly basis. It only takes one catastrophic event to affect our food supply, no matter what the source. Belonging to CSA has gives you access to one of the safest food supplies available (unless you are growing it yourself). Even our handling methods are geared toward food safety (it is a requirement of our certification).

Milk in China anyone? This is still the safest food you can put into your mouth.


Next year, we are going to go back to making home deliveries. After making a study of the logistics of this plan, it is actually more environmentally friendly for us to drive 100 miles per week to deliver than to have many people driving to one location to pick up their produce. (I calculated the number of miles that our customers drive and it is considerably less for me to do the driving.) We have a small gas sipper that will be used for this purpose and so we will stand by our commitment to Mother Earth.

This was a nightmare. Period.

THE NEW AGE OF POULTRY


Next year, we will be producing our own eggs for our CSA. As I have mentioned on several occasions, we already have about 50 chickens that we have for our own usage and making a transition to a larger laying flock is just a matter of renovating the chicken house, obtaining the chickens and setting up nest boxes for them, etc. which will be one of our projects for the winter months.


This project is very exciting for us for many reasons, not the least of which is that we will be attempting, over the next 2-3 years, to establish a breeding flock of two critically endangered breeds. As defined by the American Livestock Breed Conservancy Critical means: Fewer than 500 breeding birds in the United States, with five or fewer primary breeding flocks (50 birds or more), and globally endangered. This has been a goal that we have had in our long range plans since we started and we are finally ready to make this happen. Anyone who participates in our CSA in the future will be a key part of this project.


Bringing a livestock breed back to the role for which it was originally intended is necessary to ensure that the breeds are truly viable again and so stabilize their status. The work of the ALBC and small breeders have rescued many breeds of livestock from near extinction. We strongly believe that these animals are part of our history (human history...not just American history) and should be respected and appreciated for the role that they have played in that history. Preservation of our past can certainly help to shape our future, if we are willing to learn from that past.

The state of the economy has been on everybody's mind lately and we at the Farm are no exception, although issues like mortagage foreclosures and bank failures don't directly affect us here. We don't use credit cards, have a stock portfolio or even use a checking account to pay for things. Keeping our life as uncluttered as possible, we stay pretty much in control of what is happening around us most of the time, unless it is insect or weather related. We have an extremely simple lifestyle.





The exception to that is our business. Being organic farmers, who operate a CSA, our main mission is trying to help families put healthy, local, REAL organic food on their tables, at a reasonable cost. When people are watching their budgets and looking for places to cut corners many times the food budget is hit first. Of course, this affects our business but the larger picture is of greater concern to us here at New Moon. We genuinely care about the health and well-being or our family, friends and customers or we wouldn't be doing what we do in the first place.






Cutting the family food bill in a financial crunch, either by cutting back in general or by buying lower cost items is commonly one of the first places people look to save money. Unfortunately, the health and well being of one's family shouldn't have to be the place to cut back. If anything, times like these should be the time to take even better care of one's self and family. To be able to deal with the stresses and strains of living in a less than optimum circumstance, a healthy diet should be at the top of the priority list. Studies have proven that stress causes or aggravates conditions from something as simple as the common cold to more serious things like heart disease, obesity, diabetes and others. The human body was designed to deal with stress in amazing ways, but if the body is not operating at peak efficiency, it won't do its job at peak efficiency or with the desired results.














Revelations about buying organic in supermarkets

I hate grocery shopping. I love to cook and so everything I see (except for paper products, etc.)is a potential ingredient for something tasty so I get total sensory overload and buy things I will never use. Because I only buy organic, this can get quite expensive so a trip to the grocer store for me is an exercise in self-control. Once in a while, though, we do go to the supermarket and last week, the Farmer and I went to SuperTarget. It is like sticker shock on a new car, every time we go and this most recent trip was not exception.


(Note: Everything we bought was certified organic, except for the mayo)


  • 2 medium sized Slicing Cukes (What a disappointment these things were. I cut the first one and it had a big hard mass of seeds in the middle that I couldn't even cut with a knife and we threw it out. The other one was dry and yellow inside, even though the outside looked perfect.)

  • 1 Pgk (7 Small) Tomatoes (Campari's, about the size of a pingpong ball)
    12 ounces was the pkg wgt. They were quite tasty but they didn't go very far.

  • 1 Med. Yellow Squash and 1 Med. Zuchinni (pkgd. together - not quite 1# wgt. We had 2 meals from those.)

  • 4 avocados (which were partially black inside...yuck! I made gray guacamole...tasted okay but looked horrendous)

  • 1 lb bag of green onions

  • 1 Amy's Spinach Pizza (on sale last week so we indulged)

  • 2 bags organic frozen french fries (don't ask)

  • 1 lb bag carrots (there are 5 carrots in the bag)

  • 1 head of broccoli

  • 2 boxes of organic oatmeal (on sale)

  • 1Pkg of 6 flatbreads

  • 2 pkgs organic cheddar cheese (likewise on sale and an indulgence)

  • 1 Jar of peanut butter (staple)

  • 1 lb organic butter (staple)

  • 3 lb. bag of onions (staple) (We already used all but 2 of the onions, 5 were in the bag.)

  • 5 lb bag of russet potatoes (staple)

  • 1 Jar of Mayo (staple)

That is the entire list of what we bought. If it looks like a lot, it isn't. Everything listed above fit into 3 bags...and the total was $106.87. That means that the average cost of each item listed was about $3.50 (of course some were more, some were less...but that is the average.) I think if I had been buying conventional food, I could have gotten 2 or 3 times as much for my money.

I feel good about the fact that we grow the majority of our own food and that this trip to the market was a relatively rare occurence. I do watch for organic bargains where I can find them and stock up, if and when , it is something that I know we will use. I have been know to buy out an entire stocking of a product, if it is a good deal and I can make good use of it down the road. Organic chicken stock was a recent purchase....I bought 15 cans at less than $1 each.

When I do buy off farm produced items, I am very diligent about certain aspects of what I am purchasing. I never buy organic products from out of the country, unless I know exactly where they came from and the situation with organic certification for the country of origin and/or whether or not it is a fair trade item. Since these items are as scarce as hen's teeth in my culinary world that is not much of a problem for me. But we do like organic raw almonds, for example, ergo I have to get them from a non-local source and I consider them an indulgence, to have once in a while, not a staple food item. I don't know too many people who grow them in this area (although I do know one person with an almond tree, just down the road from our farm).

If you are smart with your organic shopping, you can eat healthy food at a reasonable cost, especially if you supplement your produce with fresh local in season items when you can take advantage of them, preserve things for later when things are in season, and learn to make you own foods from scratch, instead of buying prepared and processed foods. It may be a little more expensive but in the long run you will be healthier and stronger for it and probably a lot more self-sufficient.

The Delaware Project update

If you have followed this blog for a while, you probably know that I have been almost obsessed with Delaware chickens for quite a while. Delawares are a critically endangered domestic breed chicken that was the most popular fowl in America for a while in the 1940's.

Being critically endangered means that there are 5 or fewer breeding flocks (or 500 breeding birds worldwide) being managed and that the fowl is in danger of being lost. Same as with species in the wild...extinction of domestic livestock is something that many people don't ever think about. I think that losing these breeds loses some of our history and, as with our comittment to preservation of historical heirloom food plants, I am determined to do my part for this chicken breed.

Back in April, after searching nationwide for a source to obtain some of these chickens, luck smiled upon me and I contacted someone in my own backyard who had some. I guess my passion for this project (I want to establish a breeding flock of Delawares) must have touched him because after a few conversations, he offered to sell me his entire flock from adult birds to
day old hatched chicks (he had them in the incubator at the time) so I jumped at the chance. Needless to say, I was thrilled because I had called all the way to Montana to try to find these
rare birds in quantity and then they just fell into my lap.

The original group consisted of 14 mature hens, 5 roosters (I only took 2...they are HUGE) and about 80 chicks ranging in age from 3-4 weeks down to the day olds that hatched the morning of the day when I picked them up. The chicks were the progeny of these 14 hens and the roosters so it really is a big ole family. (We have other chicken breeds, too but not quite as many as the Dels.)

That was back in April and now the chicks that survived are almost as big as their parents. Of the 80, we lost about 10 to predatation and accidents. All of the original adults survive. There are just about the same number of roosters as there are hens now. The young hens are almost at the proper age to start laying themselves. At the present time, the chickens have total free range of the entire farm, if they want it, but stay pretty close to the henhouse, where they are housed at night to keep predators from them and where they are .

While predation of your livestock is usually not funny, there are situations than can be. We have a couple of Cooper's Hawks that live in our area. These are the true chicken hawks, not the Red Tail Hawk, which is commonly thought to be the culprit. Cooper's are bird predators, while Red Tails are rat/mouse predators. Anyway, these chickens are so big that the Coop's just sit in the trees and scream down at them because they know they are way too big for them to even try to prey on and so the chickens just turn their heads and look up at them and don't even try to get under any cover. Our game chickens run for the hills when anything crosses the sky, even a plane, but the Delawares just kinda of get an attitude like, "Yeah, right..... ".

Some of our hens probably weigh in at about 6 lbs and the two mature roosters, Spartacus and Hercules, go about 8-9 lbs. each. And they are gentle giants. No squabbling among them like some of the other chicken breeds we have. The roosters actually seem to cooperate to keep the hens safe and satisfied. Of course, they have about 100 ladies to share between the two of them and they take their responsibilities very seriously. Some of the young roosters are getting a little "cocky" and they are quickly dispatched but the hens, not the roosters. Totally funny!!

I hope to have Delaware chicks and pullets for sale by next year but for now, I am keeping all of them safe and healthy, which is very satisfying for me. After this post, there are some pictures of the gang, so take a look if you are interested!
Hercules and some of his "girls", chilling in the shade.
Doofus, one of the young Delawares. Hope he grows into those feet.
Spartacus showing me his good side...
Taking in some barnyard sunshine.
Twice a year, once in spring and once again in the fall, our weather in this area just can't seem to decide which season it wants to be in. Last week and again this week, we are seeing evidence of that with the wild temperature fluctuations. It was 82 degrees one day and less than 36 hours we had a low of 34, which is a 48 degree difference.



There are not too many places that have such roller coaster rides for weather as this one. It wreaks havoc on trying to get crops like we grow to settle into one season or the other. We have many, many things planted right now. They grow like mad for a while, then slow to a crawl, so it is hard sometimes to get Fall actually started, especially when summer like temps tease us one day and frost licks at our heels the next.



The late summer varieties are lasting way longer than normal. Eggplant, peppers, basil and other herbs are humming along like nothing is happening, although we did water them down the other day when there was a frost warning for our community. The Fall varieties are coming along but taking a little longer because of the warmer temps. Not so great if you are getting tired of the summer stuff but great in the long run because the Fall stuff will peak and last longer into the cooler season and so take us thru the end of our CSA, provided nothing else weird happens with the weather. Once we get into late November and early December, then the chances of a cold snap come into play.

We have 8 weeks left and CSA will be done for the year. If members take away nothing else from this season with CSA, they should have a greater grasp of what a small farmer faces when trying to bring in a seasons crops. Factory farms that plant only one thing and do everything mechanically and chemically don't have to fret over much. Diversity require faith, patience, expertise, finesse and a whole lot of good luck to produce the end result. This is the main reason that the US is down to about 80 varieties. If you go into a grocer in Modesto, California and buy a head of lettuce, it is exactly the same variety you would purchase here....keeping it boring and simply is key to factory farming.


We originally took up focusing on heirlooms because we wanted to preserve and enjoy the same foods that our great- and grandparents lived on. Tastes much better too, because we grow things for flavor, nutrition, beauty and interest, not whether or not it can be packed into a train car and shipped 3000 miles or if it will last 3-4 weeks on the grocer shelf (think shipping tomatoes...and where does the nutrition go?).



Things have gone much better this year than last year during the drought and we are well pleased with it all. Of course, the gas price hikes and shortages were not so much fun, were they? We still have stations here in Mooresville that don't have premium petrol, only regular, but the price is $3.09 instead of $4.09.

Knocking on wood that nothing drastic happens in the next 2 months, we should finish out the season no problem. Except for the disaster that is delivery, it was a pretty good year all 'round. Once our season is finished, we can sit back, breath a sigh of relief, take a month off and start the process all over again.

Farming organically is a year round system. I will be working on the farm plan in Dec./Jan. and the Farmer will be back in the field by February, doing soil prep. Overwintered crops will start to pop back up as soon as we have some warm days, even in February, and we will be back in full swing by the end of March or early April. CSA doesn't start until May next year unless we have a bumper early crop and start a few weeks early. Since there is still a pretty good chance of weird weather conditions until about the first week of May, we decided not to fight it next year and just wait it out.

"Garden Helpers" coming to call

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Garden Helper coming to call


This beautiful mantis was perched outside our kitchen window this morning, stalking a meal in the azaleas. Can't tell from this pic but she is about 4 inches long. Tried to get her to turn her head so you could see her face, but she was intent on an insect that was probably her breakfast.
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That's the way things are in my universe...

I try really hard to keep adding things to this blog, but we are so very busy this time of year that it is an almost impossible task. For that reason, I have posted a quarterly, in depth entry on what happened in the previous quarter and some insight into what might be happening in the next. So, if this post seems particularly long, there was a lot going on this summer.

The Way Things Are.... October 2008

We are now rushing into the Fall season for 2008 and looking very forward to working in the cooler temps. Even cold rainy days can be exhilarating, provided you can duck inside periodically for a warm up and a cup of Chai. So far, the last 3 weeks have had nearly perfect weather, rain included.

I am loving life in that regard since this is my absolute favorite time of year, weatherwise, except for really big snows. Those are the best! They come at the time of year when we don't have to feel guilty for being in the house by the fire all day, cozied up with a good book or some videos. Even if the power goes out, we are good to go because we are just as comfortable with no electricity as we are with it. The only thing the Farmer misses is that he can't plug in his Fender but he just switched to the acoustic and it's all good. We heater our home with a wood stove for the first years we lived here, just updating to a heatpump year early last year, so we can keep warm and make dinner, even if the power goes out. And truthfully, I like that much better and being electrified. Also, if the power goes out, remember not to panic about your freezer/fridge.
If the power it out, it is usually colder outside than in the fridge anyway, so just put your milk outside. Or fill the cooler up with snow and put it in there.

But, I am getting off subject, as usual. This year has been one of ups and downs so far. The gardens have yielded a bounty of crops over the summer season and we still have some of the late summer season veggies coming off like crazy. Eggplant, peppers and okra are still making fruit, although with the first frost, there goes the end of summer. And since the average first frost date in this area is October, 14th, there isn't much time left...just a couple of weeks at most. That opens the door for the next season, which gives new meaning to the phrase "going green"!

About a month or so ago, because of the rains that came with Fay, Gustav and Ike (those storms obviously didn't hit us but certainly influenced our weather for several weeks), we were late getting much of our fall crops into the ground. We have talked to a couple of neighbors who ran into the same thing. Crazy thing about rainfall in this vicinity is that we have little pockets that get vast amounts of rain when others get almost none and so there is a misconception that when you watch the weather of the local TV station, everybody's weather is exactly the same.

Because we got plantings in late this season, we took a bit of a different turn and just basically planted every cooler weather seed we had in our inventory, which was considerable. For example, we planted arugula, collards, canola, specialty turnips, winter radishes, salad radishes, Asian greens of all types, about 30 kinds of leaf lettuce and 20 kinds of head lettuce, spinach, carrots, beets, chard, kale, mustards, Chinese cabbages, broccoli raab and more. We planted over 1 1/2 acres of green stuff. Figured that overplanting would yield enough for the rest of fall and winter and also serve as a cover crop between now and next years plantings. Vegetation turned back into the fields are green manures, even if they are weeds, so it is the perfect scenario for what we are trying to accomplish in this area of the gardens.




In addition to all the planting, weeding, picking, etc. that goes on around here, there is also a lot involved CSA management. I wish more farmers would catch on to this distribution system...it is a great thing for everyone but I can see why they are put off by the concept, especially if time management is a problem for them. To make it work, planning is crucial. What goes on in the gardens is pretty much under the watchful eye of the Farmer, so that is no problem. But when you start trying to deal with things that are totally out of your control, things are different.



In the past, we have always had our members pick up their shares at a specific location on certain days of the week. This year, I got it in my head that we were expending too much energy, etc. in our CSA by having people drive to get their weekly divvy because I was concerned about the impact we were having on the environment.



I had canvassed the members last year and was astounded that the weekly carbon footprint of our CSA was almost 1500 miles for the collective. I decided that me driving 350 miles was more environmentally friendly (which it is, but highly impractical, it turns out.) and opted to deliver shares this year. This venture (home delivery) has proven to be the most frustrating, all consuming thing we have ever done at the Farm. The slightest disruption at the farm, ripples out to the delivery schedule and creates more work for everyone involved.




I suppose if we had a person who just did delivery it would be great, but this farm runs with only the 4 hands that the Farmer and I provide and taking 2 of those hands away for 2-3 days per week has proven to be more of a burden. The wear and tear on me personally is another wrench thrown into the machine and so we have abandoned the whole idea of delivery for next year. We are going back to the old system of pick up locations. Hopefully, members can choose the location closest to them and we can reduce our impact that way. It is still local food and it is still not driving a tomato 2800 miles, so I can live with that system.




In 2009, another of our goals concerns education about organic and biodynamic farming principles and practical applications of those principles. The Farmer and I will be working on planning some on farm educational opportunities (weekend seminars, work-study programs) to help spread the good word about what we believe are some of the most important knowledge and skills a person can possess in these uncertain times we are living in today.

Hazardous Duty at New Moon Farm

Hi to everyone. Welcome to yet another chapter in the saga of My Life on an Organic Farm.


I think that Farmer's Wife should be on the list of most dangerous jobs. So far this year I have been bitten by spiders at least 3 times, twisted my ankle about 10 times, been sunburned and windburned, had poison ivy in places where I can't figure out how the heck it got there in the first place. I have been out in the wet and cold until I had a sore throat and bronchitis, in the heat until I almost had sunstroke, nearly been killed about 5 times driving produce around, stepped on a poisonous snake, I have repetitive motion injury from picking and pulling weeds, my hands and feet are so rough and dry from constantly being in water, dirt, heat, cold, you name it, that I could refinish wood without sandpaper. I have had splinters of wood everywhere you can imagine and almost lost a fingertip from an infection from a eucalyptus spine that got lodged under my fingernail. I constantly have itchy watery eyes because I am allergic to most pollens and get contact dermititis when I touch okra, eggplant, squash and tomatoes. Plus, I can't take anything for it because I am allergic to and/or overeact to most prescription drugs. One benadryl will knock me out for 8 hours and I can't work when I am comatose, so I just suffer mostly. Yesterday was a new one, even for me.

Last night, about 8:45, as I was getting out of the car from yesterday's delivery route, something hit me in the chest and then fell down my shirt and started stinging me. Next thing I knew I was swooning and experiencing the most excrutiating pain I have felt in a while. My entire upper torso felt like it was on fire. I started screaming and literally ripped my shirt off and flung it into the air and ran into the house. I am allergic to many insect bites ands stings (not deadly but bad enough....) because I have an overactive immune system (mosquito bites swell up like marbles when I get bitten and itch for days on end). I don't know if that is good or bad. I read today online that wasp/hornet/yellow jacket stings are not nearly as painful or venemous as a bee sting, UNLESS you are sensitive to them because you have an overactive immune system. Welcome to my world.


The culprit this time was a baldfaced hornet. I DO NOT recommend getting stung by one of these buggers... the bald faced hornet is not really a hornet, just a giant yellowjacket about 3/4 long. These are the things that build those big papery nests that look like gray footballs. We have been seeing them quite a lot recently, even had a couple on the back porch, but can't locate the nest anywhere, so it must be up high in a tree. Thank goodness they will be gone by the first frost (can't take the cold...think they hibernate) so we should be able to find the next when the leaves fall, so hopefully they will go elsewhere. Because they are beneficial insects, we won't try to kill them but I am not sure they will do me the same courtesy.



Today I have a handsized bright red welt on my chest that is mostly red and hot as a firecracker. It itches like crazy, but at least the pain in my shoulder and neck has abated. Anyway, I didn't get much picking done today because I didn't sleep last night and then I took benadryl after lunch and was on the sofa for most of the afternoon. The Farmer and I planted all morning, til lunch time...I mostly handed him seed packs but at least I was out there. Go, me.

Anyway, given the state of the financial industry right now (had a 25 year career in that biz), I think I will continue to take my chances on the Farm. At least I don't have to swim with sharks or cozy up to rabid wolves out here.