Posts tagged: organic
Posted by Suzanne Pender on May 03, 2016 at 11:40 AM
This greenhouse is shared by five farmers who collaborate and share information and resources in the Black Dirt Region of New York.
Beginning a farm can be challenging, especially if transitioning depleted land to an organic system. A new crop of farmers in the famous black dirt region of Chester, New York, are enthusiastically taking on that challenge.
Some of these new farmers lease farmland through a Chester Agricultural Center project managed by Northeast Farm Access. This project provides farmers with affordable leases and requires them to use organic practices. The result is conserved farmland that grows healthy, local organic food in an environmentally sustainable way.
These farmers also get help from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Simon Ziegler of Sun Sprout Farms; Shayna Lewis and Matt Hunger of Dirty Boots Farm; and Travis Jones of Verdant Common Growers heard about NRCS’ High Tunnel Initiative and went together to their local NRCS service center to ask about it. Read more >>
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Posted by Suzanne Pender on May 02, 2016 at 07:03 PM
Travis Jones, Verdant Common Growers, in front of his NRCS-supported seasonal high tunnel in the black dirt region of New York. The high tunnel enables Travis to grow year-round.
Travis Jones of Verdant Common Growers grew up working on his father’s farm. His father was one of the few in the Black Dirt area of New York that used organic practices, though the farm wasn’t certified organic.
It wasn’t until after Travis graduated from college with a computer science degree that he decided to farm full time. “I felt I could advance farming in the area for the next generation,” says Travis. He also decided to pursue organic certification for his farm. “The main reason I want to be certified organic is to expand my sales to places like Whole Foods. I think organic certification will be even more important in the future,” he said.
He owns and leases 70 acres, rests fields for one to two years, and doesn’t use any inputs on his land, except starting seedlings in his greenhouse. In 2015, he grew 15 acres of mixed vegetables and worked to transition another 20 to 30 acres toward organic certification. Read more >>
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Posted by Suzanne Pender on May 02, 2016 at 06:33 PM
Simon Ziegler, of Sun Sprout Farm, planting seedlings.
Both Simon Ziegler and Madeleine Banulski share common values and passions―helping others and producing locally-grown, healthy organic food.
“We always dreamed of starting our own farm together,” said Simon, co-owner of Sun Sprout Farm. “We have been in love with the Hudson Valley for a long time, and after several years of looking for the right place, we found our destination in Chester, New York.”
He met co-owner Madeleine while volunteering at a community for adults with developmental disabilities. Simon worked on the community’s bio-dynamic dairy farm, and she worked in the garden and apple orchard.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in Organic Agriculture Science in Germany, Simon returned to the states to work full-time for six years as the field manager at an organic farm in Connecticut. Read more >>
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Posted by Suzanne Pender on May 02, 2016 at 05:57 PM
Shayna Lewis examines the winter greens growing inside her high tunnel.
The six-acre Dirty Boots Farm in the town of Chester is the first farm Shayna Lewis and her partner Matt Hunger have run on their own, though both have plenty of organic farming experience.
Shayna said, “What I love most is this is the first time I’ve been in charge and worked for myself. I get to make decisions and see what happens. It makes you better and makes you try harder.” It’s going well, she said. “Last year, our first here, we had a bumper crop.”
They started working with NRCS after hearing about the agency’s High Tunnel Initiative, and Shayna and other local farmers went to the field office to learn more. The plastic covering provided by high tunnels enable farmers to grow in-ground crops year-round, ensuring a healthy local food system, and reducing inputs. Read more >>
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