Fall 2010 Natural Farmer
Fall 2010 Natural Farmer
Fall 2010 Natural Farmer
Vol. 2, No.86
1077-2294
By all accounts, the 36th Annual Summer Conference at UMass Amherst was a smashing
success. This year rivaled past years, with approximately 1400 attendees, over 200 workshops, 100 exhibitors, and loads of fun and
immeasurable good will. The keynote speakers
packed their respective presentations each night
and brought very different contributions and
perspectives to their talks.
Sally Fallon Morell, Weston A. Price Foundation president, is a nutrition expert who advocates raw milk, fermented foods, animal fats,
cod liver oil and salt as essential foundations
of a healthy diet. She spoke as Friday keynoter.
Catherine Murphy, a documentary filmmaker,
Cuban studies expert, and Food First Fellow,
stepped in for Dr. Fernando Funes, the originally scheduled Saturday keynoter, who could not
make it to the states from Havana, Cuba. The
conference was preceded by the Northeast Raw
Milk Symposium, which hosted about 80 participants from around the region. Guest speakers included Sally Fallon Morell, Pete Kennedy,
from the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense
Fund, and a number of raw milk farmers from
across the Northeast.
The Friday keynote address was focused on
a relatively new topic - salt. In deference to
her well-versed audience, Morell breezed past
her conventional plug for raw milk. Instead,
after a brief reminder to bolt butter and gorge
on goose fat, she moved onto the new enemy:
low sodium diets. In her keynote, Fallon Morell
Much of the conference focused on the tent housing registration and exhibits, and the pond
lawn where the fair took place.
Supplement on
Organic Farming
and Money
Departments
Editorial
NOFA Exchange
News Notes
Book Reviews
NOFA Contact People
NOFA Membership
Calendar
2
3
4
42
46
47
47
Organic
Farming
and
Money
Fall, 2010
by Jack Kittredge
For many of us small organic farmers in the
Northeast, the financial return we get for our work
is quite modest. Some of us earn less per hour than
our workers, some make less than minimum wage,
some even lose money despite their free labor. But
there are some who are doing well, too paying
themselves a living wage and having enough left
over to put something away for retirement and
reinvest in improvements to the farm. Whichever
side of the profit picture we are on, most of us
dont want to talk about our bottom line publicly.
But economic sustainability is necessary for farm
sustainability, so we need to shed some light on this
area.
In this issue we attempt just that. We look at some of
the issues framing why people enter this profession,
as well as some of the numbers economists study.
Organic farming is a relatively new phenomenon for
our national statisticians. The recent 2007 Census of
Agriculture and 2008 Organic Survey have begun to
track organic farms and markets. We present some
of the more relevant numbers from that exhaustive
data. Those interested in the full report and the
ISSN 1077-2294
copyright 2010,
Northeast Organic Farming Association, Inc
NOFA
Fall, 2010
Exchange
News Notes
In addition, the High Court did not rule on
several arguments presented by Monsanto about
the application of federal environmental law. As a
result, the Court did not make any ruling that could
have been hurtful to the National Environmental
Policy Act or any other environmental laws. In addition, the Court opinion supported the argument that
gene flow is a serious environmental and economic
threat. This means that genetic contamination from
GMOs can still be considered harm under the law,
both from an environmental and economic perspective.
This Court opinion is in many ways a victory for the environment, for farmers, and for consumers and a defeat for Monsantos hopes of a green
light. To represent this opinion in any other way is
just spin.
source: the Huffington Post, June 21, 2010
Vermicomposted Manure Said to Suppress Late
Blight Better than Vermicomposted Biosolids.
In composting, how important a role does the staring material play in disease suppression? Polish
scientist, Magdalena Szczech, and colleagues found
that vermicompost made from cow, sheep and horse
manure suppressed disease caused by Phytophthora
infestans in tomato, while vermicomposted biosolids
did not. There is a large body of scientific literature
on disease suppressive thermophilic composts that
deals with a range of feedstocks. However, its difficult to compare between studies because experimental methods can differ widely.
source: Allison Jack, Cornell PhD in plant pathology, in interview with Red Worm Composting, http://
www.redwormcomposting.com/interviews/interviewwith-allison-jack/
Mark Lipson Moves to NOP
OFRFs Senior Policy Analyst Mark Lipson has accepted a position at the USDA as Program Specialist
for Organic Farming. We wish him luck!
source: The Organic Broadcaster, July/August 2010
Fall, 2010
Fall, 2010
a door, cut a hole, install a used room air conditioner, attach a $300 CoolBot, plug it all in and voila a
home made walk-in cooler for less than $1000!
I talked with my refrigeration guy about it
(I see a lot of him as we have a 50-year old corkinsulated 7x7 foot walk-in with a belt drive we got
as an ancient hand-me-down in 1982, and he keeps
shaking his head about how much longer it may or
may not work.) He was enthusiastic about CoolBots,
even though you would think they would be cutting into his business. Apparently the simplicity of
the idea sparked his admiration more than it did his
jealousy. He said the only problem is that a CoolBot/AC combo will not work well when it is cold
out. If you use it for spring and fall cooling, at under
50F outside temperature, say, the efficiency goes
way down and at even colder temperatures, it may
not work at all. (Khosla says that depends on the
brand of air conditioner you have. He recommends
LG.) But with those daytime temperatures, if you
are not going in and out a lot, you can just bring in
nighttime air and shut out daytime air with fans and
vents and run it like a root cellar. Check the CoolBot
out at http://www.storeitcold.com/index.php. As you
would expect, Ron has a lot of good info up there.
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Fall, 2010
Corrections has forced elimination of these items,
resulting in soy-based meals for breakfast, lunch and
dinner. Meanwhile, the U.S. government has a huge
surplus of chicken legs, which it sends to China and
other countries overseas. Soy was introduced into
the prisons as a substitute for meat in January 2003,
when Rod Blagojevich became governor. Archer
Daniel Midlands, a major contributor to Blagojevichs campaign, was the main beneficiary of the
new prison food policy. In the wake of the dietary
change, prisoners began to suffer from a variety
of health problems, including digestive disorders,
severe constipation, debilitating diarrhea, vomiting
and extreme pain after eating. Skin problems, thyroid disorders and endocrine disruption leading to
breast development are also common.
The Weston A. Price Foundation has filed suit
seeking an injunction putting a halt to the use of a
soy-laden diet in the prison system. The group supports farms on prison land. A self-supporting farm
program for Illinois prisons is a win-win proposition, says president Sally Fallon Morell. The
prisoners would be well fed and healthy, they would
have meaningful work, and the state would save
millions of taxpayer dollars every year.
source: http://www.westonaprice.org/press/1988budget-shortfalls-hit-illinois-prison-diet.html
Russian Seed Bank Threatened
A Russian court has ruled that the worlds first seed
bank, outside of St. Petersburg, Russia, may be
destroyed in order to make way for a housing development. Called a Living Library, 90% of the
Pavlovsk Experimental Station collections varieties
are not found anywhere else on the planet. Founded
in 1926 by Russian agricultural scientist Nikolai
Vavilov, the station became an icon of human perseverance when 12 Soviet scientists made a stand,
choosing to starve to death rather than eat the precious seed and plant collection during the grueling
900-day siege of Leningrad between 1941 and 1943.
Supporters of the seed bank are calling for appeals
to Russias President Medvedev and Prime Minister
Putin to stop this destruction.
source: http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/
go/save_the_worlds_first_seed_bank_act_now/
212?akid=178.5019.XHjz_M&t=7
Fall, 2010
Organic Equipment
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Find out how to grow nutrient dense food
Ask for a free catalog of all our supplies:
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e-mail [email protected]
Fall, 2010
Little brown bat with fungus on dorsal surface of wing and tail membranes
that once hosted hundreds or thousands of bats are
now empty.Nine species are currently known to
be affectedthe little brown bat, big brown bat,
northern long-eared bat, tricolored bat (formerly
known as the eastern pipistrelle), eastern smallfooted bat, the newly-affected cave myotis and
southeastern myotis, and two federally endangered
speciesthe Indiana bat and the gray bat.
Fall, 2010
Special Supplement on
10
Fall, 2010
These are the intractable realities. Of course, by
dint of outstanding talents or exceptional market
conditions, some farms are doing much better
economically than others. I am sure you can each
think of one or two. But if we are to have a local
food system that reliably provides most of the food
needs for the population of our region, we must
shift our spending priorities. The people who grow
our food, farmers and farm workers, must get a
fair share so that they can go on producing and
lead decent lives. They do not need or even want
to live like corporate CEOs. Many of the organic
farmers and homesteaders I know would be happy
to serve as models for a living economy based on
the principle of ENOUGH. The Nearings, Helen
and Scott, projected an ideal of four hours a day
for bread labor, four hours for creative and artistic
activities and four hours for conviviality. Because
of economic pressures, these days, people trying
to make a living farming are so far from that ideal
it is not funny. But if we at least begin demanding
that farmers and farm workers should make a living
wage with full benefits, (health care, compensation
for injuries and unemployment, and retirement)
from a 40 hour week, we may start moving towards
an agriculture that will sustain us into a future worth
living.
Julie Rawson &
Jack Kittredge
Barre, MA
[email protected]
www.mhof.net
978-355-2853
Fall, 2010
11
Tracie in her CSA distribution and pick-up area. Each member will have his or her order
placed in a basket, either for home delivery or farm pick-up. Note the walk-in cooler behind her
and the labels on the baskets, specifying order size and optional items.
My moms boyfriend and my partner, Keith, cut this
all down and pulled up the stumps, because they
had equipment. We had a guy mill the wood onsite.
We moved in a trailer to live in for now. It cost us
$7000.
At one point Tracie thought she wouldnt be farming
the following year and told her members the CSA
was ending. The next, she had her own farm.
It all came together, she insists, once I let go of
the dream! We were going to take a break and go to
the Southwest. I was going to landscape with Keith
thats what he does. Im a hard worker. I know
I can do something else. Of course I didnt totally
let go of it. I just let go for the meantime. I thought
maybe it would work out later. Id save up money
and that would make it easier. But when I let go, no
kidding, within a week I got that Email about the
land.
Of the ten acres of fields, Tracie is using five right
now for crops. She has had to expand her operation to make enough to pay for all the infrastructure
expenses the well, septic, barn, hydrant, walk-in
cooler. But those are now installed and functioning, and things work well. The barn is a beautiful
timber-framed structure, onto which Smith designed
a washing and packing area on the west side so it
would be cool all morning. The 500-foot deep well
12
Fall, 2010
Fall, 2010
13
she is worried about the soil drying out more easily in those beds and not getting good germination.
She has heavier soils and doesnt have any irrigation
equipment to deal with drought.
One thing Tracies farm has, like most New England
farms, is weeds and rocks.
We do early hoeing, she says, to try to get ahead
of the weeds. Ive read that if you hoe before you
can even see the weed, thats the best time to do it.
And I till as soon as I take something out. We use
both our tractor tiller and sometimes a little one, for
a small area. Yesterday we had four people weeding.
We went through the whole field. There were so few
we could do that. And that is because we keep up
with it. It has been dry, and that helps.
Tracie shows some of the rows of vegetables on her farm. In this field the rows are 250 feet
long. Note the attention she has paid to aggressively addressing weeds!
those things are $30 each for the whole season to get
it added weekly. We put a little M, H, K, C or L on
their basket. I do surveys every year and find that
some people want more mesclun, some want more
chard, some want more kale, some dont want it at
all. Its not that hard, in my opinion, to give people
what they want. We harvest it anyway.
Say we have a little over a hundred pounds. explains Tracie, and the divider number (made up of
the number of large family shares plus 2/3 of the
number of family shares plus 1/3 of the number of
individual shares) is 52. Then a large family gets
about 2 pounds, a family gets about a pound and a
third, and an individual gets about 2/3 of a pound. It
is simple how it works, once you figure it out.
Once full, the baskets are reorganized for pickup by
route and name. Smith puts the pickups in order so
the driver loads the last basket to be delivered into
the car first, etc. Tracie has two baskets for everyone who picks up. They take one home and bring it
back the next week and drop it off, picking up the
other that has been filled. Home delivery members
have three baskets one is filled and delivered, the
second (last weeks) is picked up on that trip and
taken home by the driver to drop off at the farm next
week. The third is the one which is filled before the
second gets back to the farm.
After last years disastrously wet year, when the
farm had water standing in some fields, Tracie
bought a tractor-based raised bed maker. She figured
raised beds would help keep her crops up out of the
water. Of course it has been dry this year, and now
Tracie uses black plastic on tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and other crops liking heat. The rest
she mulches with hay or even wood chips.
14
Fall, 2010
Tracie makes sure there is a big farm lunch on harvest days. Everyone eats in an outdoor pavilion,
with cooking done by a working shareholder or
Shannon, one of the employees who is a good cook.
Fall, 2010
15
Thanks USDA!
Horizon Organic and our farmer partners
thank USDA for strengthening the organic
regulations with clear grazing requirements.
The Pasture Rule will assure organic milk drinkers
that organic dairy farms are pasture based.
Join us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/Horizon
16
Fall, 2010
Farms and Sales of Organically Produced Commodities on Certified and Exempt Farms, 2008
So What?
Organic farming continues to grow as farming
structures evolve over time. Policy makers had not
predicted the dramatic changes in market situations
especially regarding consumers preferences, dietary
concerns, and willinness to support local farms.
While the total number of farms seems to start to
climb in recent years, there are still critical issues
for organic producers to consider. When more
farms enter the production cycle, it might generate more competition among producers when there
exists limited access to local or regional markets.
Seeking financial support and capital investment
will become more restricted when each farm has different needs and endowments.
References
USDA, 2007 Census of Agriculture, National Agriculture Statistics Services.
USDA, 2008 Organic Survey, National Agriculture
Statistics Services.
Chyi-lyi (Kathleen) Liang is at University of Vermont, Department of Community Development and
Applied Economics, 103 C Morrill Hall, Burlington,
Vermont 05405-0160, (802) 656 0754, CLIANG@
uvm.edu
Fall, 2010
17
ECO-AG
WHen
WHere
www.acresusa.com
Conference registration fees cover
attendance to all lectures, consultants hall,
trade show & film screenings.
Conference Cancellations: We will issue a full credit for cancellations received through Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 to be applied to Acres
U.S.A. subscriptions, books and videos, audio CDs or future conference fees. last-minute cancellations and no-shows can receive
a 50 percent credit if requested by Dec. 31, 2010. Also, your registration can be transferred to someone elses name if you cannot
attend; please contact our office. If attendance is uncertain, play it safe and register on-site. Sorry, no cash or credit card refunds.
Pre-Conference Study Cancellations: Space is strictly limited at all pre-conference seminars. last-minute cancellations prevent
us from selling the space that you held. We will issue an 80 percent credit for cancellations received by Monday, nov. 15, 2010
to be applied to Acres U.S.A. subscriptions, books and videos, audio CDs or future conference fees. Your registration can be
transferred to someone else's name if you cannot attend; please contact our office. Sorry, no cash or credit card refunds or credit
for late cancellations or no-shows.
Sample ISSue
Book Catalog
HOTel
For organic and sustainable farming systems that are proven in the field, look to
Acres U.S.A. Covering all facets of organic
and sustainable agriculture, Acres U.S.A.
makes the connection between the soil and
human and animal health. Our book catalog
contains over 400 titles to help you improve
your farm and your life.
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e-mail: [email protected]
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18
Fall, 2010
by Bob Parsons
Over the past 5 years a joint project between NOFAVT and UVM Extension has examined the economics of organic dairy production in Vermont and
Maine, with the study looking only at Vermont for
the last 2 years. What we have found is an agricultural sector that experienced a surge in profitability
and prices in 2006 only to see those profits erode by
2009. The study involved developing balance sheets
and accrual income statements from participating
farms that were paid for their assistance.
For 2008, the 35 farms in the study averaged 67
cows, producing 13,438 lbs of milk per cow at an
average price of $30.90 per cwt. There is quite a
contrast of farms in the study, ranging from 257
cows to a low of 20 cows. However several of the
smaller herds were the most profitable. There is also
a contrast in milk per cow, ranging from 7789 lbs
to 19,132 lbs of milk per cow showing a range of
management practices and amount of grain being
fed. Two herds in the study did not feed any grain,
and these farms were not the lowest producing herds
in the study.
Some organic dairy farms have been able to earn
extra income from the sale of extra dairy animals.
One thing that a number of farmers are telling us
is that their culling rates have declined by being
organic, allowing them to raise fewer heifers for
their own use and sell off extra animals. Sixteen of
the farms in the study sold extra cows or heifers for
dairy production in 2008.
The farms average gross income averaged $4,555
per cow. Farms that sold extra dairy animals had
a higher income than the other farms. Obviously,
farms with a higher milk production per cow also
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We counsel and teach cooking
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Fall, 2010
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Fall, 2010
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Fall, 2010
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Fall, 2010
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607-227-6147
Fall, 2010
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Summer and Fall harvest can be an incredibly satisfying time of year. Picking the fruits of your labor,
packing boxes full of product, and loading trucks
headed to Farmers Market or a delivery run- just
watching your goods roll down the driveway to
meet their customers is inherently rewarding. I love
stacking boxes and bags on a pallet and sending
it off to market. Maybe the feeling is archetypal:
growing plants and animals, caring for them, and
then seeing customers appreciate your efforts in the
wholesome, nutritious food you provide. Farmers
everywhere find meaning in this chain of events.
But is that feel good sight of a truck full of freshly
packed product just a well-deserved end to months
of hard work? Or could it be the anticipation of receiving the sales money for the product? Rewards
for your toils are the spoils. Is the satisfaction of
seeing your farm product meeting its customer addressing your needs of economic security?
Greenleaf
Foundation
Making Small Grants to nonprofit organizations that
promote organic farming and
gardening and community
development throughout
New England.
For more information please
contact:
Greenleaf Foundation
c/o LWC
230 Congress St
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 622-2260
So what does this have to do with that great feeling of seeing a truck full of product leave the farm?
That truck represents sales money, and ultimately,
financial security. But does it really?
In the harried and varied workday, farmers seldom
connect the costs of the product with the sales that
they bring in. Is the sales revenue from the product
on the truck more than enough to cover all production expenses like seed, fertility, and employee
paychecks? And enough to cover the farmers hours
that she or he worked? And to pay for overhead ex-
24
Fall, 2010
Son Flint Wiswall, in straw hat, and employee Kate Freeman, making change,
staff the Cate Farm stand at the Montpelier Farmers Market.
Though I desire to see more happy prosperous farmers, I dont want farmers stressed out about recordkeeping and taking copious notes of everything that
happens on the farm. Being a profitable farm is not
a hard nut to crack, nor does it have to be unpleasant. As in the old shell-and-bean game, the key is to
keep your eye on the correct moving object. Focus
on what data you need to increase your farm profit.
And dont overdo it at first. In the excitement of
taking control of your financial destiny, it is easy to
become overzealous and try to do too much.
As a starting point, I recommend you take your top
selling items (1 - 5 products) and make a product (or
enterprise) budget for each of them. Your top sales
items will have the biggest effect on your bottom
line because they constitute the bulk of your current
revenue. Take a piece of paper and make the budget
NEW YORK:
MAINE:
GREENVILLE
Greenville Saw Service
5040 Route 81
518-966-4346
BREWER
Bradstreet Lawn & Garden
30 Industrial Plaza Drive
207-989-8676
HUDSON FALLS
Falls Farm & Garden Shop
1115 Dix Avenue
518-747-5252
BRUNSWICK
Brunswick Home & Garden
26 Stanwood Street
207-729-3001
NEWFIELD
Littles Lawn Equipment
1113 Elmira Road
607-272-3492
BUCKSPORT
Bobs Small Engine
474 River Road
207-469-2042
SKOWHEGAN
J.T.s Finest Kind Saw
579 Skowhegan Road
207-474-9377
WINDHAM
Hall Implement Company
1 John Deere Road
207-892-6894
NEW HAMPSHIRE:
WALPOLE
R.N. Johnson, Inc.
269 Main Street
603-756-3321
WILTON
Intervale Machinery & Supply
63 Forest Road
603-654-2393
RHODE ISLAND:
CHARLESTOWN
Pats Power Equipment
3992 Old Post Road
401-364-6114
CONNECTICUT:
COLCHESTER
Ganos Power Equipment
120 Linwood Avenue
860-537-3413
PENN YAN
Evergreen Small Engine
2849 Swarthout Road
315-536-3192
MASSACHUSETTS:
AMHERST
Boyden & Perron
41 South Whitney Street
413-253-7358
BELCHERTOWN
Devon Lane Power Equipment
10 Ware Road
413-323-5435
CHESHIRE
Reynolds General Merchandise
52 Church Street
413-743-9512
HARVARD
The BCS Shop
28 Tahanto Trail
978-456-3327
WESTFIELD
Westeld Equipment
11 Airport Drive
413-562-5050
NEW YORK:
AUBURN
Auburn Chain Saw
128 York Street
315-252-0664
NEW YORK:
BULLVILLE
Makuen Machinery
Company
1424 Route 302
845-361-4121
CAMPBELL
Jims Equiment Repair
4072 Lewis Road
607-527-8872
CANTON
Woodchop Shop
352 Cowan Road
315-386-8120
EAST WILLIAMSON
Paige Equipment
5016 Route 104
315-589-6651
ENDICOTT
Endicott Tractor
120 West Main Street
607-748-0301
GENEVA
Martins Sales & Service
1506 Route 5 & 20
315-549-7664
PORT LEYDEN
Marks Small Engine
3307 Douglas Avenue
315-348-6715
RICHMONDVILLE
Team Dixie Chopper
1182 State Route 7
518-294-2081
ROCHESTER
Brodner Equipment
3918 Lyell Road
585-247-5218
SENECA FALLS
Martins Sales & Service
4531 Rt. 414
315-549-7664
VERMONT:
FAIRLEE
Newton Enterprises
1561 Rt. 5 South
802-333-9530
NEW HAVEN
New Haven Power
3065 Ethan Allen Hwy.
802-453-2175
Fall, 2010
25
Richards wife Sally Colman in their packing house with the tomatoes.
say, 300 bed feet for crops) and the average cost
of labor. Ill set the labor rate at $15/hour, which
includes employer taxes and Workers Comp. If the
farmer does all the work, she or he will, in essence,
earn those wages in the end as net profit. But if the
farmer has a hernia operation and has to hire someone to do all the work, the employee will get the
wages, and the farmer will only see any net profit
from the enterprise.
five assorted
cards per pack
view images at
http://foodservice.bsdvt.org/
look for Vermont Farm 2 School Arts
26
Fall, 2010
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Fall, 2010
Expenses
27
Labor
($15/hour)
Notes
50 pullets
$ 400
Amortized cost of fence
$ 10
$
6
Fence will last 5 years, so total
cost is divided by 5.
Amortized cost of waterer, feeder
$ 10
Also, 5 year lifespan
Total feed costs for 1 year
$1800
4500 lbs total, $20 per 50 lb bag
Total bedding
$ 120
Labor for daily chores; 1 hr/day
$5475
365 days x $15/hr
Lighting for 4 winter months
$ 11
100 watts for 720 hrs. = 72 KWH
Total Expenses
$2351 +
$5481 = $7832
Sales
Eggs: 22 dozen x 50 hens
$5500
$ 300
$ 100
$5800
$-2032
`
`
`
`
`
`
AO12
28
overwhelm the viewer. There is tons of useful information in the fine print if you take the time to read
it -- I wanted to be as transparent as possible. But
to cut to the chase, the short version of the story is
that popular broccoli nets about $1100 per acre after
all expenses for a hypothetical diversified 5 acre
vegetable farm, while non-descript kale nets about
$24,000 per acre. Thats $24,000 net per acre! Have
I got your attention?
A well-managed diversified vegetable/flower/herb
operation can readily gross $20,000 per acre on a
small to medium scale. (Larger farms may achieve
this, but may need to sell volume at lower prices).
Some smaller start up farms realize this higher potential- I know of one 4 acre farm netting $51,000
after only five years in business, and another netting
$65,000 after 8 years farming. Granted, these are
smart farmers that seized market opportunities. But
it is possible. All farms are unique, We all need to
carve our own niche in the marketplace. And we all
need to pay attention to our profitability.
I have had the benefit of working with numerous
farmers in New England, and Id like to share some
hard to find numbers for farmers to gauge their own
businesses. Keeping in mind that there is no typical
model farm, some common numbers Ive found for
diversified organic vegetable farms are:
Gross sales per acre: $20,000 to $30,000 per acre
Net profits per acre: $0 to $20,000
Hired labor as a percentage of gross sales: 25% to
35%
Farmer hourly wage: a 40 hour work week times
50 weeks/year is 2000 hours. A vegetable farmer in
New England may work 20 hours/week JanuaryMarch, 60 hours /week April-June, 60 hours/week
July- October, and 30 hours/week November- December, for a total of 2160 hours, not that much different from a 40 hour/week year round worker. Take
your net profit and divide it by 2160 hours, or by the
number of hours you figure you work. For example,
Fall, 2010
For a hypothetical 5 acre diversified organic vegetable farm grossing $20,000 per acre, heres how
the $100,000 gross sales may be spent:
Seeds: $2000
Plants and supplies: $4000
Insurance: $2000
Fertility and pest control: $4000
Fuel, utilities: $2000
Repairs/maintenance: $3000
Supplies: $7000
Capital improvements, machinery: $6000
Rent, interest, miscellaneous: $10,000
Paid labor: $30,000
Owners profit: $30,000
Again, there is no model farm, but these expense
categories paint the picture in broad strokes to get
an idea of where the money flows.
Tips for beginning Farmers
Starting up a farm from scratch is a lot of work.
That said, many have done it successfully. Id like to
share two thoughts that may speed the process along
in a good direction.
COM PA N Y
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We speak organic.
We speak organic.
Fall, 2010
29
Wiswalls daughter Kuenzi, on the right, transplants echinacea with employee Katy BakerCohen, on the left. Noah Humphries-LePage fills in blanks in the background.
vive economically. But what is an appropriate profit? Surely it is one enough to provide the basic needs
of the farm, the farmer and any employees. And
if a farms profit is increased by sharpening ones
pencil and becoming more efficient, why not pay
the farms workforce more? Everybody wins. As the
organic movement continues to mature, should we
promote the poor farmer paradigm and the USAs
cheap food policies? Im all for a cheap food policy
as long as we also have a cheap health care policy,
cheap education policy and cheap & clean energy
policy. Should the survival of organic farms depend
on cheap labor? Can we pride ourselves on a product that pays workers poorly to produce it? Farmers
Farmer
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Fall, 2010
Fall, 2010
Participating Farms
Most of the farms in this project were located in Wisconsin, although a few
were in neighboring states. All but one used organic production practices. They
ranged from less than one acre to over 70 acres, and were divided into three
scale categories:
31
amounted to between 0% and 42% of gross sales. Labor on the 3 to 12 acre market farms ranged from 402 to 1,443 hours per acre and averaged just under 850.
Payroll expenses consumed as much as 34% of gross sales on these farms. Labor on the four large-scale organic vegetable farms ranged from 462 to 613 total
hours per acre and averaged 554. Payroll expenses consumed between 19% and
41% of gross farm sales.
Market gardens had fewer than three acres in active production, not including
fallow or cover cropped areas. There were six market gardens in this project,
with 0.5 to 2.7 acres in active production.
Farm finances
Net cash income per acre: Expenses, especially labor costs, can quickly eat
into gross sales on a vegetable farm of any size. Net income matters most in
terms of financial sustainability. The term net cash income is used in this report
to describe a farms gross sales minus all current year cash expenses. Factors
such as prescribed machinery use and land costs, depreciation and opportunity
costs were not included. Three-year average net cash income for the farms in
this study ranged from under $2,000 to over $8,000 per acre. Market gardens
experienced more year-to-year variation in net cash income per acre than the
two larger farm types.
The growers participating in this case study tracked their expenses, sales and
labor hours over the three years of this project. They helped choose what data
Market farms had between 3 and 12 acres in active production, not including
to collect and how to analyze it. They opted to compare the annual net cash infallow or cover cropped areas. There were eight market farms in this project.
come they earned from their farms without including factors such as prescribed
Some of these farms were struggling with issues of mechanization versus hand
machinery use and land costs, depreciation and opportunity costs. In their own
labor, while others were among the more successful and stable in the study.
words, they wanted to know how much cash they had at the end of the season
to provide for themselves and their householdsand perhaps take a vacation.
Vegetable farms produced crops on more than 12 acres, not including fallow or The averages and ranges for some measures are shown below. Although this
cover cropped areas. There were five vegetable farms in this project. Four were study was not designed to produce statistically significant quantitative data,
diversified organic operations. An additional nonorganic farm that followed low- average values instead of ranges are reviewed as a means to simplify the discusinput, integrated pest management (IPM) practices participated. Its numbers are sion and help respect grower confidentiality. The growers used additional ratios
not included in the stated averages or ranges. Acres in production ranged from
that are described in the full report.
15 to 80 acres.
Gross sales per acre: Small plantings of organic, fresh market vegetables,
These farming scales are both similar and different in terms of marketing, equip- herbs, flowers and berries can garner large gross sales. The farms in this study
ment, crops and labor.
realized threeyear average annual gross sales between $6,267 and $25,605 per
acre. The most impressive gross sales per acre were seen at the smallest scale of
Marketing: Selling produce directly to customers was the cornerstone of most
production. These gross sales per acre figures are based only on the land being
growers marketing plans. Most sold product through farmers markets, restauused for cash crops in a given year. If land in cover crops or fallow land were
rants and retail outlets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA); pick-your- included, these figures would be lower for most farms. Some farms had addiown and on-farm sales were less common. Many growers used one dominant
tional farm income from enterprises such as eggs, chicken or beef, which were
marketing outlet along with a variety of secondary outlets.
not included here.
Crops: All of the organic farms in this study grew a wide variety of crops, although some were more specialized than others. Diversification prevented pest
buildups and provided some insurance against crop failure. But learning to grow
many different crops was challenging, and growers with a wide array of crops
often could not justify specialized equipment purchases.
Labor: Labor hours on the market gardens with fewer than three acres ranged
from 933 to 2,994 hours per acre, and averaged just under 2,000. Payroll
75
74
73
72
71
70
69
68
67
66
65
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selves averaged around 66% to 70%. After adding in 10% to 13% of gross sales
reinvested into equipment of enduring value (purchases or major repairs), this
leaves around 20% for general overhead (annual operating supplies and expenses.)
The project also collected data on seed costs. The market gardeners growing
on less than three acres spent, on average, $700 per acre on seed. The three to
12 acre market farms spent about $600 per acre, on average. The over 12 acre
vegetable farms spent an average of $327 per acre on seed. This is considerably
34
Fall, 2010
All but one of the farms in this study were using organic farming methods and were likely paying more
for organic seed. These farms often grew specialty
crops with pricey seed. The non-organic grower
who grew a far more limited array of crops spent
only $165 per acre on seed.
-------1. New York City Hotel Association, 1995. In: Tempest in the Kitchen, New York Times,
March 15, 1995, page C1.
Reprinted with permission from the UW-Madison
Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems: www.
cias.wisc.edu
*This data comes from a participating market garden during one year of the project.
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by Jack Kittredge
Wayne Hansen stands in his garden next to his Sungold cherry tomatoes.
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Fall, 2010
There used to be a three-story barn on the property,
and still has the remains of a carriage house.
The guy was a mortician, explains Wayne. There
are extra braces supporting the upstairs that make
me think it might have been for stone slabs or coffins.
For equipment, Wayne uses mostly hand tools, plus
a small garden tractor and a Troybilt rototiller. He
has a Troybilt high wheel mower for weeds, as well
as a wheel hoe and hand cart.
Given the space he has to use, Wayne plants quite a
diverse number of crops. He does a lot of potatoes,
planting them in furrows made with his garden tractor middle buster and then covers them over and
hills up the soil with his tillers hiller-furrower attachment. He thinks three and a half feet is the right
spacing.
This Zephyr squash, Wayne asserts, is the best tasting squash in the world and is the most
popular one in Italy. The one he is holding is about the size they are when best picked.
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Waynes helpers plant lettuce in soil blocks using a transplanting tool Wayne ordered from
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38
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Wayne and his wife, Marilyn (who has just braided the garlic she holds), stand in their field.
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Its in the hands of us, the salt of the earth, the organic farms. We are the change
agents. It will be a bright future if you put salt on your food and allow yourself
to eat plenty of butter.
Friday keynoter Sally Fallon Morell spoke about the value of salt in
human diets, as well as the presence of adequate animal fats.
ago, Murphy originally headed to Cuba after working with Catherine Sneed of
the Garden Project, in San Francisco. After having worked with incarcerated
continued on page 44
This banner, made by the children during the conference, led the
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42
Book Reviews
by Richard Wiswall
published by Chelsea Green, 2009, www.chelseagreen.com
$34.95, 184 pages, includes a CD with spreadsheets,
budgets, and templates for many useful management
documents
review by Jack Kittredge
You can add my praise to that of Vern Grubinger of
UVM extension, Lynn Byczynski of Gardening for
Market and Enid Wonnacott of NOFA-VT. This is
an exceedingly useful book. The first 150 pages discuss the basics of a farm business by focusing on 11
aspects of the whole experience.
True Sustainability This chapter provides tools for
you to discover and become clear about your personal goals. Not the new 4WD pick-up, but the big
ones: health, family, security, enjoyment, freedom,
etc. Richard tells of his own experiences doing the
work of farming and how it can look like drudgery
when you are too close, but looks far more satisfying if you put it in perspective and find it is helping
you to your true goals.
Farm for Profit, not Production This chapter steps
you through the beginning stages of planning for
profit. Wiswall helps the reader establish an annual
profit goal, in numbers, and then work out the production and marketing plan which will accomplish
that goal. This involves thinking through each crop,
how much will be produced, to whom and at what
price it will be sold, and what resources in land and
other inputs are necessary to produce and sell it.
Discovering Profit Centers Here we talk about actually recording the quantity and price of items sold,
and the expenses involved in production. Richard
gives lots of tips about how to minimize the time
involved in this work, while making clear that if you
neglect it you will have trouble achieving your profit
goals. He introduces the crop journal, a running
Fall, 2010
Fall, 2010
Investments are things that continually increase in
value, so buying a tractor is not that but is instead an
expense.
Production Efficiencies In this, the longest chapter
in the book, Wiswall proves that yes, he is really a
farmer and not an accountant. Reminding the reader
that Profit = Income Expenses, he suggests that
often the easiest way to increase profit is not to raise
income but to trim expenses. On organic farms, that
usually means cutting the biggest expense -- labor.
The easiest way to cut labor is to mechanize and
use tractor-based equipment, especially for tillage.
Wiswalls concern about the financial impact weeds
can have is evident as he waxes eloquent on adopting a strategy of farm-wide uniform raised beds so
that tillage can be standardized and efficient. (Julie
and I have just adopted this system this year on our
own farm, and I was greatly encouraged that we will
see more of those predicted but hard-to-find profits
in 2010.) Like most farmers, Richard likes to talk
about his equipment. He describes (and shows pictures of) his disk harrow, S-tine harrow, chain harrow, mini chisels, bed former, rototiller, tine weeder,
basket cultivator, sweeps, flame weeders, various
seeders, bedlifter, rotary mower, root crop chain
digger, and barrel washer. For a guy who wants to
reduce expenses, and understands that equipment is
not an investment but an expense, that is quite a lot
of hardware. But I take his word for it that each item
saves money in the long run compared to paying for
hand weeding or accepting the losses in production
that result from weedy fields.
Write Your Own Business Plan Wiswall may be
biting off more than he can chew by trying to convince farmers to write business plans. But for those
who need one usually because they are trying to
borrow money or interest investors or partners in the
farm and need to clearly examine its potential as a
money-making venture creating a business plan
can be an exciting and worthwhile achievement. It
involves a farm description of location, size, ownership, improvements, products, markets, analyses of
SWOT (Strengths, Opportunities, Weaknesses and
Threats), of management (who manages what?), of
markets (current ones and trends), and of enterprises
(the major products you raise), farm financial forms
(Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Projection), and planning ideas and timetables. Most of
us have this information in our heads somewhere,
but putting it down in an organized form on paper is
something new. Wiswall helps with some examples
and clear statements of what you need to show and
why.
Planning for the Inevitable: The Ultimate Conclusion Of course no book on the business of organic
farming is complete without a discussion of the impact of death and inheritance on the operation. This
short chapter is more to urge the reader to make a
will, appoint a health care decision-maker should
you be disabled, and give someone the power of
attorney to deal with your financial affairs on your
behalf if you become incompetent,
The last 40 pages of appendices give detailed examples of forms, workbooks, enterprise budgets for
various crops, and an index. The paperwork is small
and detailed, but it all, as well as much else, is available to the reader on a CD which accompanies the
book. This nice touch saves you many hours of reinventing (or at least re-keyboarding) the wheel and
is just one more example of the care and thoughtfulness Wiswall shows for the reader.
Simply in Season
43
By Philip Ackerman-Leist
Chelsea Green Publishing, 2010
Softcover, 278 pages
$17.95
Black and white line drawings by Erin AckermanLeist
review by Erica Myers-Russo
Ill begin with a disclaimer: a couple of years ago
while attending a residency at Green Mountain College, I had the pleasure of visiting the AckermanLeist homestead. I met Erin and enjoyed a hike
led by Philip. I admired the cozy house, envied the
gorgeous old russet apple trees, and sampledat the
resistance-is-futile urging of their young sonthe
sweetest, fleshiest rose hips Ive ever seen. I even
used the compost toilet.
Now, reading Up Tunket Road, I realize that visit
was a bit like reading the last page of a novel first
I began the book with an image already firm in my
mind of the idyllic denouement, the little homestead
brimming with sustainability and good cheer, nary a
conflict or compromise in sight.
One of the books many virtues is that it reveals the
workboth physical and intellectualthat went
into the creation of the homestead I saw that day,
the work which, Im willing to bet, Ackerman-Leist
would argue is on-going. What makes the tale
charming rather than didactic is Ackerman-Leists
combination of perspective and humor. (The waste
management discussionwherein Philip and Erin
continued on page 45
CARE FAR
RTH
M
EA
WORKING IN HARMONY WITH NATURE
Compost
44
Fall, 2010
essential questions that farmers have. Laura shared. Red Tomato was very
pleased to be part of the dialogue this year.
Sharlow and Emily Hitchcock, 8th graders who just entered their first year with
the teen conference, enjoyed the new freedom of being with older kids after
five years of attending the childrens conference. Like typical teenagers, Emily
and Sharlow spent time playing pool, card games, and hanging out with other
photo by Jason Cucchiara
teenagers on campus. With about 30 other teenagers, they participated in a
Exhibitors found eager audiences for books, clothes,
Bodycare workshop where the teens made spritzers and lipbalm. They really
soil amendments and fertility aids, tools, and much else.
liked seeing how things are made, after having always consumed products
individuals who were finding their way and dealing with personal crisis through pre-made and sold in the grocery store. The girls were surprised and amused
community gardening, Murphy felt drawn to the Cuban food crisis another
at trying various herbs during another workshop. A presenter had explained
kind of collective crisis. She wanted to understand how the country of Cuba
different uses and had the teens try herbs in different forms. At first it seemed a
was responding to the withdrawal of the Soviet Union. Catherine Murphy drew
little scary eating things from nature, they confessed. The most profound thing
a picture of a pre-crisis Cuba largely reliant upon Soviet industrial farming
the twins took from the summer conference was a lesson about global hunger,
models, which utilized monoculture planting, machinery, chemical fertilizers
presented by Heifer International. The presenter put out visuals, Emily
and pesticides, and petroleum. With the fall of the communist empire, Cuba was explained he put a world map on the ground. The global hunger workshop
faced with a transformative moment. Murphy quoted Dr. Fernando Funes, her
was designed to show teens the distribution of resources throughout the world,
mentor and researcher with the Cuban Association of Agronomists and Foresters, compared with local populations. It was eye-opening for them to see photos of
who said about that time in Cuban history Cuba had two choices to lay
kids around the world who did not have enough to eat.
down and die, or to stand up and fight. Cuba chose the latter. Devoid of ag
imports after the Soviet withdrawal, Cuba redeveloped its agricultural system in Aside from the diverse learning opportunities, lots of entertainment and cheer
a sustainable, organic way. Part of the reason the sustainable transformation was abounded. The first evening, a contra dance took place outside on the main
possible in Cuba, according to Murphy, was related to structural aspects of the
lawn, along with world drumming in the campus center. On Saturday evening,
governmental agencies, small farms, research institutions, and a general Cuban
a cajun band kept folks kicking up their heels outside, while a student DJ from
commitment to education and learning. The government made land available to the Pioneer Valley kept folks hopping in the Cape Cod Lounge to top hits.
anyone who wanted to cultivate food, research centers came together to provide The UMass Amherst dining services did an outstanding job of feeding organic
insights and leadership on new agricultural models, and campesinos (small
food to the entire crowd all weekend long. Perhaps one of the most colorful
farmers) were poised to fit into cooperatives and adapted pr4actices like crop
and relaxed part of the NOFA Summer Conference was the afternoon fair, on
rotation, diversification, and other sustainable farming methods. One of the most Saturday afternoon. Complete with pie-eating contests, corn nibbling, cow
powerful lessons of the Cuban sustainable agriculture transformation, Murphy
plop gambling, a parade, live music and auction there were amusements and
concluded, was that it is possible to develop a decentralized, country-wide
distractions all around. The farmers market brought in some new vendors, to
system of food production, based on small family farms. With the U.S. losing
family farms every year, the Cuban story seems pressing, according to Catherine.
Murphy taught us We can do with less, live with less. We lead happier more
fulfilling lives when we do with less and especially when we share what we
have. Thinking less in terms of I and more in terms of We, Cuba shows us
that we can have fulfilling liveswe may be able to save our planet and the
species as a result.
Summer Conference workshop topics ranged from honeybee management,
to draft horses, vermiculture, lactofermentation to composting for beginners.
NOFA always manages to put together a slate of topics that reaches far and
wide. Attendees included serious commercial farmers, small CSA-style local
producers, gardeners and landscapers, and urban homesteaders. One of the
presentations included leaders from business/non-profit hybrid organization Red
Tomato. The organization joined the conference to explore their model for local,
regional wholesale farm-to-large consumer distribution. Laura Edwards-Orr, Red
Tomatos Marketing Manager shared some of her experiences as a presenter.
She observed that most of the attendees at their workshop included small CSAshare type farmers, who are looking at distribution/supply chain questions.
Small farms, according to Laura, are always interested in the question of making
distribution more efficient. Although she thought that the attendees were not
specifically the kinds of farmers that Red Tomato most often works with, the
knowledge-sharing around distribution is critical to many farmers looking for
a way to get their products to market. How to move food is one of the most
Fall, 2010
complete the circle of exhibitors on campus all
weekend. Livestock demonstrations, including
llamas, draft horses and yoked oxens put smiles
on kids and adults alike. This year the conference
introduced a silent and live auction, which raised
much-needed funds for NOFA. Participants bid
on whale watching tours, weekend getaways to
Vermont, books and artisan products.
Kathleen Geary, one of the Summer Conference
Registration Coordinators shared how deeply she
connects with NOFA members. Participants were
always courteous, caring, loving, and helpful she
reflected. Despite all the work we put in, ultimately
the NOFA Summer Conference is about the people.
These are the people I want to be around. Their
generosity of spirit, communal outlook, helpful
nature, and general appreciativeness is what
sets NOFA folk apart. Kathleen even received
a beautiful scarf from some Peruvian attendees,
when they arrived at the registration table. As the
Public Relations Coordinator, I too received a small
token of gratitude from one of my press attendees
the editor of the Standard Times stopped by my
table and took a large heirloom tomato out of his
bag for me. This, the 36th annual NOFA Summer
Peter Asmus
University of California Press, 2009
Softcover, 392 pages
$18.95
Numerous full-color photos and graphics
review by Erica Myers-Russo
Introduction to Energy in California is number 97
of the California Natural History Guides, and like
45
The Town That Food Saved How One
Community Found Vitality in Local Food
by Ben Hewitt
published by Rodale, 2009, www.rodalestore.com
$24.99, 234 pages, includes index
review by: Jean Hamilton
From the title and jacket description, you might
assume that Ben Hewitts The Town that Food
Saved is the book version of the media feeding
frenzy that has descended on Hardwick, VT in recent years. In fact, this book is a thoughtful and
reader-friendly look at some of the most pertinent
and complicated challenges confronting local food
advocates.
In seventeen chapters, Hewitt paints a detailed portrait of Hardwick, VT, with particularly fine strokes
granted to those residents who have been central
to the local food system. The book opens with an
introduction to the unique characteristics of Hardwicks history and geography. From that foundation, readers are introduced to the Hardwick buzz, in
which several local, state, and national media outlets
pounce on Hardwicks story of redemption by local
food and agriculture. Hewitt was one of these journalists in 2008 when he wrote an article for Gourmet magazine about Hardwicks food revolution.
Many towns and many movements vie for such
media attention, but being a neighbor to Hardwick,
Hewitt sees the bigger picture, in which he realizes
that the media spotlight has neglected conspicuous
complications. The meat of the book explores the
philosophies and relationships that tie Hardwick together in agreement and dissent.
The Town that Food Saved, reads like a gabfest with
a close and intelligent friend. Hewitts humorous
and humble voice shines through the narrative as he
introduces readers to a very human cast of characters. Along with these characters the author takes us
on a vivid journey that includes attending community potlucks, the smells and sensations of evening
milking, a masterful hog slaughter, pints at the local
pub, and member hours spent marking miso soup at
the local food co-op. The easy reading provides an
excellent foil for the difficult questions that Hewitt
encounters:
How can local food systems offer economic viability to small-scale food producers and feed the
locals? In creating fair, ecological, decentralized,
and community-based food systems is it better to
reshape mainstream paradigms (like capaitalism) or
to create completely alternative models (such as barter-based communities)?
The rich stories and detailed personal encounters
lend a tangible reality to those big questions. With
the human and ecological details of this small Vermont town, Hewitt implores us to feel the urgency
of the complicated questions and to find the strength
in ourselves and each other to [wrest] our destiny
from a system that is convoluted, hierarchical, and
dangerous for the dependence it engenders and
[plant] it in our own communities, in our own soils,
with our own hands.
As someone who wrestles with questions of fairness, inclusion and effectiveness of my advocacy, I
benefited from my time spent with this book. Please
be clear that this is not a how-to guide; you will not
find a blue print here for saving your town with local food. Perhaps more valuable, this book offers
lessons in recognizing our own and our neighbors
humanity, in collaboration, and in community. This
book reminds us that building local food systems
is about building community connections; the path
will not be clear and straight, but in the bends and
brambles along the way we will find the odd flavors,
characters, world-views, and ways of life that define
home.
46
Connecticut
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Fall, 2010
Rhode Island
Vermont
New York
Fall, 2010
NOFA
Membership
Calendar
47
Thanks for joining and helping support organic agriculture! Choose Your Chapter & Membership Level:
Name______________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Address____________________________________________
______________________________________
Phone_____________________ Country_________________
Email______________________________________________
o farmer o gardener o homesteader o thoughtful eater
Please send this completed form to the sppropriate state chapter
Non-Profit Organization
U. S. Postage Paid
Barre, MA 01005
Permit No. 28
$5.00
Tracie Smith, New Hampshire organic grower, has seeded clover and buckwheat between these
330 foot long rows of beans. Tracies successful CSA grosses $104,000 per year, of which
she nets almost $31,000.
This issue contains news, features, and articles about organic growing in the Northeast,
plus a special supplement on
Fall 2010