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Southern Sustainable Farming #16
============Electronic Edition==============
SOUTHERN SUSTAINABLE FARMING # 16
FALL 1997
==========
Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group
P.O. Box 324, Elkins, AR 72727
Phone (501) 587-0888; E-mail: ssfarm@juno.com
Keith Richards, Editor
==========
SOUTHERN SUSTAINABLE FARMING is the quarterly
voice of the Southern SAWG, 50 member organizations
working for more sustainable agriculture in 13 Southern
states. Hard copy subscriptions via U. S. postal service:
$15 per year or $25 for two years
=========================================
CONTENTS:
* Love and Hard Work Sustain This Mid-South Small
Farm
* Public Asked to Recommend Improvements in
USDA Small Farm Programs
* Investing in Our Future: Sustainable Ag Education
for Youth, part 3
* BuyGreen Virginia
* SSAWG Annual Conference & Trade Show
* Calendar of Events
=========================================
LOVE AND HARD WORK SUSTAIN THIS MID-SOUTH
SMALL FARM
by Keith Richards
MILLINGTON, Tennessee--Just beyond the northern
suburbs of Memphis--amid fields of cotton and soybeans,
forested creeks and new housing developments--lies a
small family farm owned by Alvin and Shirley Harris. From
the quiet road out front, Harris Farms looks like a sleepy,
semi-tropical estate with banana plants, elephant ears and
beds of flowers flourishing under the giant oak and native
pecan trees. But up close, the farm is buzzing with constant
activity.
From June through October the Harrises sell fruit,
vegetables, and a few value-added products like herbed
vinegars from a produce stand next to their house. They’ve
built a loyal base of customers who travel from as far as
southeast Memphis to buy blueberries, tomatoes, peppers,
squash, okra, cucumbers, sweet corn, watermelon,
cantaloupes and all kinds of other freshly picked produce.
Even though they are one of the few farms in western
Tennessee to be certified organic, Alvin says most of their
customers aren’t even aware of that fact. They buy from the
Harrises because they appreciate the quality of their
products and the feeling of supporting a family enterprise.
“I Farm Because I Love It”
Alvin was born near this piece of property when his
grandfather owned it in 1934. Although he left for a
20-year career in the military, he and Shirley came back to
the area in 1971. They bought three acres at first, then
another five, four more, then another twelve. Now they
own 24 acres, 18 of which are laid out in bedded rows
behind their produce stand with four more in blueberries.
Alvin began raising produce for market while he was still
working for the military. “I farm because I love it,” he says.
“I’ve been farming all my life. Everywhere we were
stationed, I grew something and spent time with other
farmers. I brought the best of their ideas back from around
the world.”
Something else that Alvin learned while in the military
service changed the course of his farming practices. “I’m
not a scientist,” he says, “but when I went to chemical
school, I learned that the same petroleum-based chemicals
we put on plants are used in chemical warfare to kill
people. Even though farmers are using smaller doses, there
must be a cumulative effect.” So 18 years ago Alvin and
Shirley decided to quit using petroleum-based chemicals on
their farm. Alvin says it was a long process to get their land
to the point where it was as productive without the
chemicals. They couldn’t find much information on
alternative methods, so they slowly learned by
experimenting on their own.
Rotations, Compost, Cover Crops and Green Manure
Rotations, compost, cover crops and green manure crops
form their foundation for building soil health and fertility.
Having the luxury of 18 acres of beds, all terraced and
serviced by drip irrigation, allows them to easily rotate
annual crops around the farm to break pest, disease and
weed cycles. They can also take beds out of production for
a full season or more to renew the soil. Alvin sows field
peas--purple hull, black crowder or zipper cream
peas--throughout the season in many of the fallow beds. If
the peas make a crop, they are harvested and sold to the
Harrises’ large base of appreciative customers. If the peas
don’t make, they are tilled under for green manure.
Alvin and Shirley build a huge pile of compost every year
with the unsold produce and vegetative trash, and spread it
on selective beds during the following season. In the fall,
Alvin sows most of the beds to hairy vetch and crimson
clover for a winter cover that fixes nitrogen and saves the
soil. Then he tills it under a few weeks before planting in
the spring. He also undersows some crops with lespedeza.
All of this investment in soil fertility has apparently paid
off. “There wasn’t an earthworm on this ground when I
bought it,” Alvin says. Now the soil is flourishing with
earthworms and micro-organisms, making farming much
easier.
They start all their own plants in two greenhouses on
their property, then transplant or direct seed into tilled
beds. Alvin has settled on liquid seaweed and Agrigrow as
their main fertilizers, although he isn’t afraid to
experiemen with other products. They recently bought a
load of ground sea shells to try as a soil supplement.
Cultivation is done by tractor within an inch or two of the
plants, then rows are hoed by hand. Natural insecticides
made from garlic or Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are used
when needed.
Lately Alvin has been adding permanent trellises to many
of their beds. Using hog wire with 6”x11-1/2” spacing
strung about a foot off the ground, the trellises give them
the freedom to plant crops that need support--like beans
and tomatoes--almost anywhere on the farm with a
minimum of labor.
Blueberries are the Money-maker
Alvin and Shirley do 90 percent of the farm work
themselves. Shirley also teaches school where she
integrates the concepts of sustainable farming into her
lessons whenever possible. The Harrises hire young people
to harvest blueberries and other crops sometimes, although
Alvin says good labor is almost non-existent. So they are
looking for ways to mechanize with appropriate technology
as they grow older.
According to Alvin, the blueberries are their biggest
money-maker and also their most labor-intensive crop. He
prunes the bushes each winter to clean out dead wood and
increase the productivity of the newer growth. During the
growing season, he mows between the rows with a
tractor-driven rotary mower, and uses a hand-held
weed-eater with a blade to cut the grass underneath the
plants.
Most of the four acres are planted to Tift Blue, a
rabbit-eye variety that bears from June until September in a
good year. They also have one row of earlier ripening high
bush blueberries as a teaser for their customers. Some
berries are sold as U-pick, but most are harvested, sorted
and packed by hand, then sold at their stand or wholesaled
to Wild Oats--a natural foods grocery chain with two stores
in Memphis.
They occasionally market their produce at Memphis area
farmers’ markets or sell a few other items to Wild Oats, but
Alvin estimates 90 percent of their sales are through their
on-farm stand. Having the stand open every Tuesday
through Saturday for nearly six months of the year adds a
big commitment to their farm operation, yet they obviously
love the work and the many interactions with their
long-time customers.
The Harris Farm will be one of the featured stops on the
small farm tour at the Southern SAWG Annual Conference
on January 25. See the next issue of Southern Sustainable
Farming for details and a conference registration.
______________________________________
PUBLIC ASKED TO RECOMMEND IMPROVEMENTS
IN USDA SMALL FARM PROGRAMS
The newly formed National Commission on Small Farms
is asking the public for recommended improvements in
USDA farm programs. Prompted by the USDA’s Civil
Rights Action Team, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman
formed the 27-member Commission on July 16 to study the
problems of small and limited resource farmers.
Glickman directed the Commission to look at a wide
range of programs and issues, including credit, risk
management, education, and outreach, and to recommend
improvements to better serve small and beginning farmers.
The Commission will also look at ways in which USDA
can ensure that small farms are treated fairly and have an
equal opportunity to compete in vertically-integrated
agricultural systems, and at ways to encourage small farms
to adopt farm operations and production practices, such as
value-added cooperatives or direct marketing, that can help
to improve their profitability.
The Commission will listen to oral testimony in four
hearings across the country and receive written testimony
until mid-September. They will report their findings and
recommendations to Glickman by September 30.
Issues are Raised at Memphis Hearing
At the first public hearing of the Commission, July 28 in
Memphis, TN, approximately 250 people gathered to listen
to testimony from farmers, community leaders and other
family farm supporters. Some of the common problems
reported were lack of funding for small farm ownership
programs, excessive paper work necessary to apply for
USDA assistance, lack of representation on county
committees, failure of USDA to enforce fair trading
practices, and lack of available markets.
Several speakers offered suggestions, included the
following: 1) Make improvements to federal lending
policies and programs that reflect a goal of keeping small
farms in working production. 2) Reduce the paper work in
applying for small dollar operating loans. 3) Fully fund
programs that provide research and outreach for small farm
operators through land grant universities and grass roots
organizations. 4) Increase funding for direct farm
ownership programs to assist beginning farmers to
purchase farmland. 5) Provide more education and training
in direct marketing. 6) Reduce the barriers to small and
medium-scale processing facilities for value-added
products.
In addition, some who testified stressed the need for an
extensive discussion about the value--both tangible and
intangible--of family farmers and small rural landholders to
the well-being of our country.
To contact the Commission office, write to: National
Commission on Small Farms, USDA, PO Box 2890, Room
5237 South Building, Washington, DC 20013; phone
202-690-0673 or fax 202-720-0596.
_____________________________________
INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE:
Sustainable Ag Education for Youth, part 3
by Renee A. I. Price
Helping Boys To Become Responsible Men in Alabama
Sumter County, Alabama is a predominantly agricultural
and forested area; home to approximately 10,000 people.
Most of the African-American children in the county are
growing up in poverty or in households with low family
incomes. The literacy level is extremely low, and in these
times of interplanetary travel, most of these children have
had no exposure to people and lifestyles beyond the county
limits in which they were born.
Recognizing that the setting was ripe for producing
troubled and destitute adults, community folk and staff at
the Federation of Southern Cooperatives in Epes conceived
of the "Mens 2 Boys Project." In 1995, with the help of a
three-year grant from the Kellogg Foundation, they began
working with African-American boys to make them more
responsible--and to keep them away from drugs, gangs,
early/teen fatherhood and prison. Gus Townes, Project
Director, states, "If we as adults would take more time with
the children in our communities, we would see their
talents, see that they can be responsible, and in turn
motivate us to do more for them."
The project focuses on boys from 10-18 years of age,
however, staff turns down no one, so girls and children
under 10 years of age also are benefiting from the project.
During this past summer, 85 boys and 15 girls participated
in "Mens 2 Boys," and staff expects those numbers to
increase to 100 boys and 20 girls as school gets underway.
The children meet every Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm at
the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Training and
Research Center in Epes.
A key element of "Mens 2 Boys" is to assist youth as they
mature by helping them develop businesses, secure jobs,
and enhance their overall economic well-being. Working in
collaboration with area businesses, the project is showing
young people how to organize and establish cooperatives
and credit unions. The children also are learning about
agricultural production and marketing; men and women in
agri-related enterprises are volunteering their time to guide
them toward a meaningful future. In addition, the project
staff continuously seeks out employers who will hire the
boys and girls as they come of age; placing teenagers in
summer jobs is especially important.
In two years, the results of "Mens 2 Boys" have been
astounding. When the project began, some of the boys were
unable to look up and say their name. They now are
making presentations. "Self-esteem, confidence,
motivation--these are among the qualities that "Mens 2
Boys" endeavors to achieve for the children," says Townes.
At the 1997 Annual Meeting of the Federation in August, a
10-year old boy gave an impressive presentation before an
audience of several hundred people. Townes recalls a
touching moment when a "Mens 2 Boys" graduate
remarked: "I wish this program had been around when I
was younger--to better prepare me for college and the
world." Today, that young man is attending Alabama A&M
University.
Indeed, "Mens 2 Boys" is a wellspring of opportunity for
children growing up in the rural south. While social and
economic development are of primary concern, staff is
beginning to identify and harness the wealth of talents and
creative gifts embodied in their children. Members of the
community are coming to the Saturday meetings to help the
boys and girls cultivate their interests in arts, crafts,
creative writing, and more. Some of the boys are designing
and making greeting cards with handwritten messages. "I
hope that after three years, you guys don't stop the
program," exclaims one young participant.
In addition to Townes, "Mens 2 Boys" staff includes:
Teresa Brown, Assistant Project Director; Aaron Hodge,
Agricultural Project Coordinator; and Lou Hill, Vista
Worker. These hard-working, caring individuals are ever in
search of ways to improve the project. Through a
collaboration with other Southern SAWG organizations,
they hope to incorporate a gardening program based on
sustainable agriculture into "Mens 2 Boys" during the 1998
growing season. They also are in the process of designing a
"Rights of Passage Program" to teach children good
behavior, due respect to adults/elders, appropriate
self-conduct, and proper ways to live. As proposed, when
the boys reach the age of 13 and have satisfied program
requirements, they will participate in a ceremony signifying
their passage into young adulthood.
For more information about the "Mens 2 Boys Project,"
contact: Gus Townes, Federation of Southern
Cooperatives, Epes, AL 35460; 205-652-9676.
Youth Tours at the Kerr Center
Though the southeast part of Oklahoma is predominantly
rural, more than fifty percent of the children who live here
are from non-farm families. Like young people in the rest
of the U.S., they grow up knowing little about agriculture
and often think food originates at the grocery store. So, at
the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture, "we give them
a link back to the land," explains Lara Ervin, education
program coordinator.
During the academic year, school groups from
kindergarten through grade 12 arrive at the Kerr Center for
tours. Through the popular sheep and cattle livestock
demonstrations, the young people learn about wool and its
uses, and the variety of products from cows. At the Center's
horticulture farm, students visit the small fruit and
vegetable plots, where they become aware of the link
between the health of the soil and the health of the food
they eat. Last year, for the first time, the Kerr Center
invited children to their annual field day at the horticulture
farm. Staff designed a special program for young people,
involving five to six hours of activities. Lara recalls with
delight, "Everyone had a good time."
Students from a local junior college also take advantage
of the learning opportunities at the Kerr Center. Each
semester, the biology class ventures here to explore the
laboratory where researchers perform soil tests and feed
tests.
For more information, contact: Kerr Center for
Sustainable Agriculture, PO Box 588, Poteau OK 74953;
918-647-9123.
_________________________________
BUYGREEN VIRGINIA
The profile of the Virginia Association of Biological
Farming (VABF) in our summer issue (SSF #15) mentioned
a joint project with Mothers & Others for a Livable Planet
designed to bring healthier food choices to Virginia
consumers, while encouraging sustainable farming by
producers. The BuyGreen Virginia Partnership focuses on
creating four main elements:
* Creating a Virginia Green label to identify and promote
sustainable producers,
* Networking opportunities for producers, consumers and
buyers
* Producer outreach and education programs, and
* Consumer and buyer outreach and education.
To learn more about the BuyGreen Virginia project, or to
participate in any of its programs, contact:
Eugenia Anderson-Ellis, Mothers & Others project
coordinator, 2702 E. Grace St, Richmond, VA 23223;
804-643-3915; e-mail: Anderellis@aol.com,
or Jeanne Nye, VABF project coordinator, 1715 Blair St,
Christiansburg, VA 24073; 540-633-6633; e-mail:
Nyej@vt.edu.
_______________________________________
NOTICE: DATE CHANGE
Please note the new date of the
SOUTHERN SAWG ANNUAL CONFERENCE &
TRADE SHOW: JANUARY 22-25, 1998
The event will still be held in MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE at
the MEMPHIS COOK CONVENTION CENTER and will
feature:
* 36 Workshops & Round Table Discussions
Production techniques, marketing approaches and policies
issues key to sustainable agriculture will be addressed.
Topic examples are: ~Soil Health ~Cover Cropping
~Compostings ~Nutrient Management ~Farmers Markets
~Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) ~Value-Added
Marketing ~Farmland Preservation ~National Organic
Standards ~Industrial Fiber Crops ~Cut Flowers
~Pastured Poultry
* 3 Different Multi-Farm Tours
Tours will focus on the farming techniques and innovative
marketing strategies of economically successful farmers
whose practices preserve natural resources and build local
community. Tours scheduled are:
~ Components of Sustainable Agriculture Tour, January 22,
1-6 pm
~ Small-Scale Farm Tour, January 25, 7:30 am - 12:30 pm
~ Large-Scale Farm Tour, January 25, 7:30 am - 12:30 pm
* Sustainably-Grown Food Showcase
The Thursday Reception, Friday Luncheon and Saturday
Banquet Dinner will allow conference attendees to feast on
the bounty of delicious food and beverages produced by
farmers from across the region using sustainable practices.
* Auction and Organic Cotton Fashion Show
This entertaining fundraising event will feature a wide
variety of farmer-produced goods and farm supplies.
Industrial hemp clothing will be added this year.
* 50 Vendor Trade Show
The trade show will bring in businesses and organizations
offering products and services that can help enhance the
long-term viability of farms.
* Networking Opportunities
Well over 400 innovative people making agriculture
environmentally, socially and economically smart are
expected to participate. Some of the most progressive
producers, researchers, educators, information providers,
processors, and rural activists in the region attend this
annual event. You can too!
Watch the next issue of Southern Sustainable Farming for
the full schedule of events and conference registration!
Each year this conference highlights the great diversity of
goods produced sustainably by Southern farmers. If you
have food or other farm products you’d like to have
showcased in the food events, auction or fashion show,
contact conference coordinator Jean Mills at 205-333-8504.
___________________________________
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Sept 23-25: Sustainable Beef Management Workshop,
Univ of MO Forage Systems Research Center, Linneus,
MO. Partially funded through a Southern SARE grant. Will
include comprehensive farm planning to minimize the use
of harvested forages and grain while increasing the
dependence upon properly managed pastures. Also,
instruction in using sustainability indicators that can assist
farmers in assessment of their operations. Contact Ron
Morrow or Ann Wells at ATTRA, 800-346-9140.
Oct 4: Farm Aid 97 Benefit Concert, Texas Stadium,
Dallas, TX. Featuring Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John
Mellencamp, Dave Matthews Band, John Fogerty and the
Allman Brothers Band. Tickets available through local
Ticketmaster outlets. Contact Farm Aid at 617-354-2922 or
e-mail: Farmaid1@aol.com.
Oct 7-9: Sustainable Beef Management Workshop, Univ
of TN Highland Rim Experiment Station, Springfield, TN.
(See description above.) Contact Ron Morrow or Ann
Wells at ATTRA, 800-346-9140.
Oct 24-26: Southern SAWG Steering Committee
meeting, Brinkley, AR. Contact Keith Richards at
501-587-0888.
Oct 29-31: Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corp
Annual Conference, Brinkley, AR. Contact ALFDC at
870-768-3271.
Nov 7-8: Small Farm Trade Show & Conference, Boone
Co. Fairgrounds, Columbia, MO. Contact Small Farm
Today at 800-633-2535.
Nov 14-16: Carolina Farm Stewardship's 12th Annual
Conference, Highland Lake Inn, Flat Rock, NC. Keynote
speaker John Ikerd, from the Univ. of MO, will speak on
local sustainable food systems. Contact CFSA at
919-542-2402 or e-mail to: cfsa@sunsite.unc.edu
Nov 21-22: Georgia Organic Growers Sustainable Ag
Conference, FFA Camp, Covington, GA. Contact GOGA
at 770-621-GOGA.
Dec 4-6: Acres U.S.A. Conference, Stouffer Renaissance
Hotel, St. Louis, MO. Contact Acres USA at 800-355-5313.
Jan 21-22, 1998: Southern Region SARE PDP/Chapter 3
Annual Workshop, Memphis Cook Convention Center,
Memphis, TN. Contact: Roseanne Minarovic or Roger
Crickenberger at 919-515-3252 or e-mail to:
rcricken@amaroq.ces.ncsu.edu
Jan 22-25, 1998: Seventh Annual Southern SAWG
Conference & Trade Show, Memphis Cook Convention
Center, Memphis, TN. Contact Jean Mills at 205-333-8504
or e-mail to: jeanmills@aol.com
Jan 30, 1998: Southern Region SARE Producer Grant
deadline for proposals. For a copy of the proposal
guidelines, contact John Mayne at 770-229-3350 or e-mail
to: jmayne@gaes.griffin.peachnet.edu. Guidelines can also
be accessed on the web at:
http://www.griffin.peachnet.edu/SARE/
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