As many folks know, "organic" is not the answer to all our of food related problems here in the US (or anywhere for that matter), but it IS a step in the right direction. Unless of course the term "organic" continues to be abused.
I recently read BBC News article about how Wal-Mart's chief executive officer stepped down after overlooking an error in the labeling of conventional pork (coming out of China) as organic FOR TWO YEARS.
As a farmer who is current striving to be able to label our products as 'certified organic,' hearing things like this make me really hesitant to join the club. Getting a basic organic certification is daunting enough, but maybe their should be a more strenuous process out there that captures bio-intensive, sustainable growing practices?
When Wal-Mart started buying organic products it instantly became the largest purchaser of organics in the world. This is great because it's helping make 'organic' more accessible, but is it also hurting the cause?
Showing posts with label bgiedu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bgiedu. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Farming is Hard, but it's a Worthwhile Life
I love what I do (which is a great thing to be able to say), but that doesn't mean that every few days I don't wake up thinking, "Was this whole organic endeavor a bad idea?"
I mentioned in my introduction post that farming has drastically evolved in the last 100 years, and unfortunately not for the better. Here is a great TED talk from Mark Bittman to check out that supports a lot of the things I touched on in my first post.
One more thing to watch: There's a cute Canadian family that is currently living out of a retrofitted school bus and traveling around the USA interviewing organic farmers. It's cool because the Mom's a writer who wants to create a collection of tips/best practices from farmers who are organically and sustainably growing their land.
That's what I want to do, too. Our collections combined could be powerful!
I mentioned in my introduction post that farming has drastically evolved in the last 100 years, and unfortunately not for the better. Here is a great TED talk from Mark Bittman to check out that supports a lot of the things I touched on in my first post.
One more thing to watch: There's a cute Canadian family that is currently living out of a retrofitted school bus and traveling around the USA interviewing organic farmers. It's cool because the Mom's a writer who wants to create a collection of tips/best practices from farmers who are organically and sustainably growing their land.
That's what I want to do, too. Our collections combined could be powerful!
Why A Transitional Farmer Creates a Blog
Check out a video of me, Jess, out in the cranberry bogs, as I explain a little more about the intention for this blog...
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The Blogger and the Bog
Hi, my name is Jess and I'm a cranberry farmer.
I'm also a sister, daughter, grad student, foodie, runner, reader, writer, surfer, artist, lover, and occasional wino. None of this particularly matters, but none the less, helps lend insight into my perspective on life and the things I value.
So why am I starting a blog? I'm starting a blog because our food system in the US sucks. I believe this is for a lot of reasons, but as a small farmer (literally and figuratively), I'm particularly interested in why over the last century, small farms have become nearly extinct (you can check out a brief USDA report here) and farming as a profession, has waned into an almost second class, unworthily endeavor for young people. I'm also interested in the absence of comprehensive education to youth about where their food comes from.
Our food system is an unavoidable part of our lives! The average person eats three meals a day, but rarely ever do most stop to think about how eating habits effect their health and the environment. How did we get to this point? No really, how did this happen in such a historically agrarian society???
So what qualifies me to write a blog about food? Well, I didn't grow up a farmer, but I have spent the last 4 year working in the agriculture and food industries (I'm currently working to convert 10 arces of bogs into certified organic fruit), and my experiences have only furthered my desire to learn more through research, reading, and hearing others' experiences and stories.
And that's what I hope to do with this blog, create awareness of the many struggles that we are facing as a culture lacking small farmers and shed some light on why, as a small farmer, it's hard to keep fighting the good fight. I also hope to be truthful, fact/experience based, non-bias (as possible), and fun. Oh and along with all my undoubted ranting, offer some solutions as to how we Americans can make our food system better. For everyone.
Are you an interested party? Let's connect.
I'm also a sister, daughter, grad student, foodie, runner, reader, writer, surfer, artist, lover, and occasional wino. None of this particularly matters, but none the less, helps lend insight into my perspective on life and the things I value.
So why am I starting a blog? I'm starting a blog because our food system in the US sucks. I believe this is for a lot of reasons, but as a small farmer (literally and figuratively), I'm particularly interested in why over the last century, small farms have become nearly extinct (you can check out a brief USDA report here) and farming as a profession, has waned into an almost second class, unworthily endeavor for young people. I'm also interested in the absence of comprehensive education to youth about where their food comes from.
Our food system is an unavoidable part of our lives! The average person eats three meals a day, but rarely ever do most stop to think about how eating habits effect their health and the environment. How did we get to this point? No really, how did this happen in such a historically agrarian society???
So what qualifies me to write a blog about food? Well, I didn't grow up a farmer, but I have spent the last 4 year working in the agriculture and food industries (I'm currently working to convert 10 arces of bogs into certified organic fruit), and my experiences have only furthered my desire to learn more through research, reading, and hearing others' experiences and stories.
And that's what I hope to do with this blog, create awareness of the many struggles that we are facing as a culture lacking small farmers and shed some light on why, as a small farmer, it's hard to keep fighting the good fight. I also hope to be truthful, fact/experience based, non-bias (as possible), and fun. Oh and along with all my undoubted ranting, offer some solutions as to how we Americans can make our food system better. For everyone.
Are you an interested party? Let's connect.
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