Category Archives: Farm Life

Sustainabilty for all–EBT and CSA

“We all do better when we all do better.” ~Senator Paul Wellstone

I am blessed that I never went to school hungry. In fact all my growing up life I never went hungry. I would get hungry sometimes in between meals but I never missed one.

This was not the case for Proeun. As a child growing up in America he was hungry alot. At 4 he moved from a refugee camp in Thailand to Alabama. A local baptist church sponsored them. They helped them fill out forms, find a place to live and apply for foodstamps. And the family grew. Eventually there would be 6 children in the family and they would share 2-3 eggs among them. My in-laws were masters at stretching food but still sometimes they went out so the children could eat. Proeun told me he loved school–because he got to eat. He even loved it in the summer. He once told me, “Imagine not eating in a couple days then trying to take a Math test, see how good you do.”

There is much talk about sustainable agriculture and how it is good for local communities. But we realize that sustainable is only sustainable if it is accessible to everyone.

This weekend we will be at the Mother Earth Festival on St. Paul’s westside. I am going to be speaking about CSAs and the future of sustainablity. The coordinator pointed out to me that 50-75% of children of color are living below the poverty line and that for many families CSAs seem an unreachable goal financially much like a new car.

This of course is a concern. In order to be sustainable we also have to have to make money in order to keep doing this work. But with Proeun’s background we really wanted to find a way to make it affordable. We were blessed a few years ago to meet a fellow farmer who offered EBT to his customers. We learned how and applied. Last year was our first year accepting EBT. This year we were hoping to expand and reach 25 families but so far only 2 are taking advantage of the opportunity.

We continue to look for ways to make CSA more affordable and strive to keep our quality high and our prices low. If you know anyone who would like to know more about EBT and CSA please pass on our information to them. And stop by this weekend if you have an opportunity.

creating art

Imagine a world without great music, or art, one in which Mozart’s genius was stifled by the neccessary duty of going to school or Michaelangelo’s art was censored by the common ideas of the time. Imagine a world where everyone ate the same things, where they all dressed the same and talked the same. A world in which you could never excel past your “peers” or radical ideas were stifled.

This is not a political blog, this is a blog about farming, living close to the earth and family, creating a life worth living. But I am troubled. In school I honestly idealized the social contructs of Scandinavian nations. They seemed to have it all together. But now after having children of my own and thinking more about the life I want to live I realize there are very real and harsh consequences of those of us who choose to live outside societal norms both there and here. One is that of constant criticism. Whether you want to make your own healthcare decisions or at least demand that your doctors inform you of all your options, or you choose to raise your children at home and educate them there, whether you want to make decisions about the foods your eat based on your personal convictions and many of the decisions we must make on a daily basis that don’t jive with common culture all bear much criticism. Sometimes it is hard to focus on the fact that I am crafting a life, I am creating art. Art that some would wish to censor.

There has been much chatter about the quote by MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry, stating, “break through our kind of private idea that kids belong to their parents” and recognize that “kids belong to whole communities.” Her comments were met with outlash by the right and some people who would do well to just stay quiet for once. I must admit I was a little nervous. I make regular decisions that are not supported by my larger community. Later she said, “I believe wholeheartedly, and without apology, that we have a collective responsibility to the children of our communities even if we did not conceive and bear them. Of course, parents can and should raise their children with their own values. But they should be able to do so in a community that provides safe places to play, quality food to eat, terrific schools to attend, and economic opportunities to support them. No individual household can do that alone. We have to build that world together. So those of you who were alarmed by the ad can relax. I have no designs on taking your children…”

I am glad she restated and now we can understand each other better. We must all be careful what we say,

Little ears are listening. And what I hope they are hearing is that their mom believes in raising them in the beauty of the home, the shelter of my arms and that I will fight for that right. I am constantly aware of the fact that art is dangerous, none more so then the lives we lead, the decisions we make.

The Dust Bowl’s Legacy in CSAs

I love it when I get the Land Stewardship Projects newsletter in the mail. It encourages me to slow down, relax and remind myself why I am farming. This issue had a very interesting article about the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Few people are alive who remember living through it, most were children at the time and hopefully shielded by the adults in their life of the worst horrors. Dana Jackson said in the article that the Dust Bowl which resulted from extensive tilling of native shortgrass prairie and natural drought caused the worst, “man made environmental disaster in history.”Just to give you a hint of how bad it was here are some pictures courtesy of a PBS documentary and Farm Service Agency workers. 

Yes this is in the U.S. I believe this one is the Texas panhandle. Just a few short years before this was productive farm land.

Car trying to escapt a dust storm.

Abandoned farm (for these and more pictures of the dust bowl go here). This is what the dust bowl has to do with CSAs. Let me be clear no farmer intentially harms their land, but all farmers depend on their land to make money. Sometimes with fluctuating market prices, national policies that can do more harm then good and personal issues farmers gamble. During the dust bowl farmers gambled on rain that didn’t come. In this age of extreme weather gambling is dangerous. Just last year we were declared a disaster zone for heavy rains followed by drought.

Many farmers we know are gambling again. Giving up hay production (required for animal feed) for less labor intensive crops like corn and soybeans. Finding affordable hay will be much more difficult unless you have the land to produce it. But this isn’t about hay, it is about what communities can do to support their local agriculture and hence economy and environment.

I got an email this week saying that the Living Green Expo was not going to happen this year because it was no longer financially sustainable. We have presented at this Expo and so have an inside on info. The email said that awareness of environmental issues has increased many fold in the past couple years and thanked the community for its support. It was a pretty sad email actually.

See on the surface the community is more aware of environmental issues but sometimes financial support still falls short. When we tell people we are farmers and that we have made the decision to leave our urban home and actually pursue this lifestyle we often get sympathizing looks, like “you poor idealistic fools.” Farming doesn’t have a reputation as being secure, let alone sustainable.

But the good news is that local foods is gaining alot of popularity and maybe a happy undertone to the email about the Living Green was that perhaps it wasn’t needed as much anymore. More and more families are aware of the issues surrounding the environment, local foods and local economies. One great way to support local food is through a CSA membership. For us our members are the key to sustainability. For example we have friends that sell at the St. Paul farmers market–the big one. They have to pay over $900 a year just to be members. Then each day they sell requires an additional fee. They have told me candidly that a really good day would bring in $400 in sales but sometimes (often actually) it is closer to $100-$200. This barely covers their time prepping and attending the market let alone the months of field management and growing. They really depend on the farmer’s market to drum up interest in their CSA, not for profit per se.

As the number of farms grow that is good for local food, local communities and the state of Minnesota, and it gives you options. But one option that I personally feel is the best way to support local foods is through CSAs. This ensures that you get a wonderful variety of high quality vegetables (some you may never have thought of trying) and the farmers get security in knowing that they are not wasting mountains of food (and effort and money) not knowing what will sell and what won’t. Also it makes certain that another small piece of Minnesota and the U.S. remains devoted to sustainable agriculture. Thank-you for your support. For more information on our CSA go here.

New Year: Healthy Soil–Review of “Back To Eden”

Last night Proeun and I watched a life changing video, literally. See we knew that farming was not an easy life, and we were totally willing to embrace that, feeling that we were called to live this life. We have been very blessed by our move and loving every minute of it, but it is alot of work, especially bringing soil back to life that has been farmed conventionally for years.

One of the great people we met during our move loaned us a copy of Back to Eden and we finally sat down to watch it last night. See we had heard about no-till farming but weren’t really sure how to go about implementing it. “Back to Eden” gives you a step by step example of the how to and also the benefits. Turns out that even though man lived in a garden when first created, he didn’t actually till the soil until after the fall.

The movie goes on to explore different coverings that the earth naturally uses for its soil and how to recreate that on your on your own land. Now the answer to so many of our labor intensive problems like weeding and irrigating and building up the soil are answered in one way, covering and no-till. So we begin our process this year. We are so excited. One of the women on the video who visited the demonstration garden was asked if she would use the same methods at home, “definitely she said, in about 3 hours.” We feel the same way. So so excited.

Blessings

Entitlement. It’s amazing how much this term is bandied around. Often it is used by those who have to describe the way those who have think those who have not think. It is meant as an insult and often said in a scoffing manner. But on this beautiful fall day 9 months after we moved into our dream home and life and with the season closing and a much needed rest coming I am contemplating–I am not entitled to any of it. A whole crazy scenario had to fall into place for me to be here.

Back when I was a Junior in college I was taking a class in a building I rarely went to. On the way I stopped at a bathroom I hardly ever used and saw an advertisment seeking a rape crisis counselor. The training was provided for free and through my county. I applied, was accepted and went through an intensive 40 hour training. Months later one of my fellow rape crisis counselors called me out of the blue to offer me a job. She knew I was a writer and the paper she worked for was hiring. Was I interested? Now 10 years later I am still writing for that publication and many months my income from here has meant our family survival.

Around the same time I was looking for a summer internship. I applied with Metro Transit and got an interview. But after attending decided it was too far to drive. They called to offer me the paid internship and I turned them down. Then they called me back to see if we could work something out. We made a part time arrangement that just happened to have me working the same hours as Proeun. 

Proeun for his part never wanted to be a bus driver. But when he was looking for work it seemed like the opportunity kept popping up. If he hadn’t taken the job, or if I hadn’t or if we worked different hours we never would have met. Now 12 years later he has a good income, good insurance, and His work allows me to be home with our children. 

Then there is the whole story about how we got into farming by running across information about the Minnesota Food Association while we were at the Living Green Expo, the only time we went. Then all the things that had to come together for us to find this perfect place and get financing and set up the farm. 

 Whether you chose to believe it was divine blessings (as I do) or fate that orders our path in actuallity none of us our entitled to anything. Right now I am feeling really blessed. I am incredibly aware of the fact that I have so so much to be thankful for and we are in a very good place. I wish more people, especially those in power would be aware of the fact that if they have much they have been given much and should therefore forgive much. Cut people a little slack.

I just read a series of books that take place in Ireland around the time of the potato famine. I discovered that there really was no wide spread famine in the land. Only the potatoes were affected. But that is what the poor people ate. Those in power, the wealthy, often English and Absentee landlords, could have chosen to ease the people’s suffering by allowing them to eat some of the grain they grew rather then exporting it for top dollar to England. Instead they chose to look at it as an act of God passing judgement on the Irish. When the poor couldn’t pay the rent whole towns would be sacked by gangs of “destructives” which forced already starving families to the street. Over 1 million people died of starvation and 1.3 million emigrated to America before the crisis was over. Ireland has never recovered its pre “famine” population.

The belief that “those people are just different from me or us” is what allowed this to happen and really any other humanitarian crisis around the world results from a similar line of thinking. But really none of us deserve anything and all of us in the end are the same. The haves often deserve less then the have nots. I chose instead to focus on my blessings and know that I deserve none of it, which makes the blessings all the more sweet.

Seasons Best Eating

This year I finally feel like am able to partake in the seasonal eating I have always wanted. I am not ashamed to say that the main reason I love farming is because I love eating. Yes there are the added benefits of being stewards of the land, connecting with place and family and teaching my children about a valuable, hard working lifestyle where all are important. But really if it didn’t taste so good I don’t know if I would still be doing it.

Now that we are finally finally in the season of plenty it is such a joy to go to our harvesting fridge and see what we have left over from our CSA deliveries or heading out to the field to see what’s available for lunch. Whether it be a quick stir-fry or roasting up some delicious veggies or a salad. Oh so yummy. I don’t know if I would say I am becoming a food snob but the flavors of food direct from the field are so unsurpassed it is hard for me to eat them out of season anymore.

Here are a couple of the dishes I have been living on lately

Tomato Basil Salad

1 or 2 large tomatoes (heirlooms are wonderful especially Striped Germans) chopped
2 garlic cloves
1-2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together and let sit for about 15 minutes for flavors to meld. This especially important if the tomatoes are cold.

My mother first made this for me from a recipe from somewhere, but I am not sure where that original went so I have just been playing with the portions myself. Now this is almost a nightly meal for me during tomato season.

Amy’s Favorite Salad Nicoise

Dressing

2-3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup toasted walnuts
3/4 cup loosely packed chopped fresh basil
juice of 1 lemon
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
2-4 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp of salt

Put cloves and walnuts in blender and pulse to grind. Add the basil, lemon juice and red wine vinegar. Then with blender running drizzle in enough olive oil to make a nice dressing consistency. Stir in dry mustard and salt.

For the salad for 4 good sized salads

One head romaine lettuce chopped
4 hard boiled eggs chopped
1/2 pound fresh green beans blanched
3-4 red potatoes boiled until tender in bite sized pieces
albacore tuna
2-3 sliced heirloom tomatoes

Put down a bed of lettuce followed by potatoes and green beans (note they should be room temperature by running under cool water). Sprinkle chopped eggs and crumbled tuna on the top with slices of tomato on the side. Top with dressing and enjoy.

Azariah Acres Farm

As we continue our farming journey we decided it would be great fun this year to visit more farms. Also it helps us make connections and purchase more of our food from other farmers, something we have been meaning to do for quite awhile. So this Saturday we journeyed to Azariah Acres farm.

We looked forward to it all week. This is a meat farm with a large variety of animals including yaks, pigs, cattle, sheep, ducks, chickens and goats.

Yaks.

Young yak

Cattle

Baby goats, can you guess the favorite of the children?

We had a great time visiting with farmer Suzanne Peterson and learning about her animals. We left with many pounds of meat–chicken, beef, a duck and some yak and goat to try.

The next day the snow storm rolled in. So today we are bunkered down with an amazing piece of roast beef, yum.

6th Annual Minority and Immigrant Farming Conference

This weekend we had a real treat, the 6th Annual Minority and Immigrant Farming Conference. This is my 3rd year attending and each year it gets better. The Minnesota Food Association (MFA), our training organization, is one of the co-sponsors of the event. Glen Hill, executive director of MFA told me that the USDA told him this was the largest gathering of its kind in the country.

Glen Hill with Dr. Yang Dao. Dr. Yang spoke about the agricultural history of the Hmong people in China, Laos, French Guiana (South America), France and the US. The conference provides information to immigrant and beginning farmes alike and was translated into Hmong (ethnic group from Laos), Karen (ethnic group from Myanmar), Bhutanese, Somali and Spanish. It felt a little like the United Nations with all these head sets and translation going on.

Hmong participants visiting with an FSA (Farm Service Agency) representative.

Mhongpaj Lee, a good friend of ours and fellow farmer translated in Hmong. She shared that she works as a translator at Hennepin County Medical Center and while there she sees lots of people from immigrant cultures with good diets (a lot of fruits and vegetables) that still suffer from medical problems including diabetes. It was at work that she learned pesticides are “insulin suppressors.” When her grandmother passed away she knew she “wanted to save the world.” She felt the best way to do that was through farming. “When you feed them you feed their health.”

Mhonpaj translating.

Whenever I go to farming conferences it is totally inspiring and I am totally on fire to get out there and grow this year. We met so many cool people doing amazing and wonderful things with our food system. If you are in the area next year the first weekend in February you really should stop by and see us. It’s free for farmers.

Dreaming of Farming

It seems like ages since I have walked outside barefoot. But all of a sudden this week it seems like things are finally coming together for us and we are settling down. I no longer walk into my living room and fringe at the disarray and toys everywhere. We are getting a system for order and a comfortable rhythm. Effie is fitting in perfectily as I knew she would.

Now of course that things are settling what would I dream about but the hustle and bustle of the warm weather farming season. Seed catalogs have been coming and I am getting so hungry. We are in the midst of finalizing our plans for this years CSA. I hope at least some of you will join us.

Final week of CSA and Onions

This weekend the weather was great and baby number 4 was still taking her time so we decided to take one final trip to the farm as a family. It’s been close to a month since the children and I have been there and was so great to be back–even if it meant sitting in a dusty barn cleaning onions.

All the children were really getting into it, especially Mavis who had taken to “cleaning” already cleaned onions, so I decided to start giving her ones that really needed work and she was pretty good at it. Two and Avril were very helpful to inbetween chasing the goats and chickens and being chased by one cranky rooster.

Of course Avril really loved working on the purple ones and making them “beautiful.”

All in all it was a very enjoyable, though slightly exhausting since we missed nap but so great to be out working again. Proeun still has a couple more days and our last CSA delivery is this week, then everything will wrap up for the season and hopefully a little baby will finally decide it is time to join the family.