For seven years, my husband and I ran a CSA Farm. It was beautiful and chaotic, rejuvenating and depleting; it was wonderfully difficult yet highly rewarding.
We grew for over 175 families and over a dozen chefs. The expectations from shareholders to provide quantity and quality place a significant amount of pressure on the farmer. We were growing organically with a small budget on seven acres of native prairie.
We worked 14 hour days in the brutal sun; we were a feast had by mosquitoes and flies; our bodies were aching and we were stressed.
In contrast, we had an unlimited supply of blemished vegetables (that would otherwise go to the compost) for our personal use to can and freeze. Our daughter learned it to pick peppers before she learned how to walk; our son knew how to plant seeds and seedlings; we made meaningful friendships with a lot of the shareholders. We were both blessed to live and work along the Mighty Mississippi River.
We raised two children on that farm. They ran barefoot through the fields, picking and eating organic food, fresh from the vine. They knew the importance of growing food without pesticides and herbicides. They were proud to show their friends the farm; they went right for the gold, showing their friends where to find strawberries and peas in the spring, blackberries green beans and cherry tomatoes in the summer, and raspberries persimmons in the fall
While our experiences shaped us significantly, we realized that more households need to practice soil building techniques in their own backyards. In a study published in 2005, researchers estimated there were 40 million acres of turf grass growing in the United States alone. Think of the potential for food production. Think of the difference it would make if everyone with a yard grew their own food. Thanks to city composting programs, urban farms, gardening education programs for youth, grants for free resources her beginning gardeners, and people power, the momentum is increasing.
Growing food using permaculture methods of regenerative food production is good for the people and the environment . Soil building, permanent raised beds, sheet mulching, crop rotation, companion planting, cover cropping and guild plantings are just a few of the ways you can grow food to increase soil health and biodiversity in your backyard.
I like this! One day I hope to own my own farm and grow my own food...
I had a similar experience - ran a small market garden for a while, now do landscaping and try to incorporate organic & permaculture methods. Convincing people that it's all about the soil is very challenging!
Great work! I love your story! Our kids would have a lot in common, lol
Super post
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