Taking back control of our food sources.What's happening to our food? How did it happen that cows are routinely fed chicken litter, hormones and antibiotics, and parts of other cows? Why does our food travel an average 1,500 miles and many days from the farm to the dinner table while local farmers are going out of business? Why are pigs and chickens raised in cages so small that they can barely turn around and have to have their tails cut off or their beaks clipped in order to keep down the stressed induced mutilations? Why do we have outbreaks of hepatitis from imported green onions? And why is there massive destruction and loss of soils, heavy chemical and fuel inputs, and an agriculture system based on industrial models? Why is there an epidemic of obesity and diabetes, particularly among people who can least afford food? Why are foods genetically engineered genetically engineered adjective Recombinant, see there but not labeled as such, labels being something that over 90% of Americans want on their prepared foods? And why are we losing our farmers, losing them so rapidly that there are now more people in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. in prison than there are farming the land? The answer is that we have lost control of our food system. For the last 10,000 years or so, all of agriculture was local. Most of our grandparents grandparents npl → abuelos mpl grandparents grand npl → grands-parents mpl grandparents grand npl grew up eating food that they grew themselves, or they knew the farmer that they grew the food. Only in the last couple of generations has there been such a radical disconnect from the food that we eat and the farmers that produce it. This has led to a massive concentration in food production, with food becoming just another global commodity, and the near total loss of control on the part of the consumer. Most food production is now out of sight and thus out of mind. That's why good people of good conscience end up supporting a system that is bad for farmers, bad for farm animals, bad for the land, and bad for the consumers. And our tax dollars support this massive concentration of farms and the system that makes the foods that are the least healthy for us the cheapest. It is a bitter irony that most of the subsidies to agriculture, subsidies that come from our tax dollars, go to farmers growing corn for corn sugar corn sugar n. Dextrose obtained from cornstarch. and grains for meat. This means that almost all prepared foods--from soda to pasta sauce--now contain corn sweetener Sweetener A special feature added to a debt obligation or preferred stock to promote marketability. Notes: Warrants and convertibles are two popular sweeteners. See also: Convertible Bond, Kicker, Warrant Sweetener . It also means that grain-fed meat--meat very high in fat--is extremely cheap. Americans are consuming massive amounts of these prepared foods and cheap fatty meats and getting more overweight and unhealthy. At the same time we are experiencing an epidemic of obesity, an epidemic that is already consuming everyone's dollars through increased health costs, and now tax dollars are being used directly to address this epidemic. We can take back our food system. The one sure way to make certain you are not supporting the current destructive industrial agriculture system is to buy locally grown food. Getting to know the person who grows your food is a powerful way to reconnect with food and community--when you support your local farm, you get the freshest food, keep money in the local economy, and make sure that we keep farms as part of our landscape, while making sure that you have a say in how the food is grown. In the southern Appalachians, we still have many family farms that are eager to grow food for local communities. We are at a critical time for farmers and farmland, with the average age of farmers approaching retirement and too few new farmers to take their place. Only by supporting local agriculture can we create the markets that will attract the new farmers. And only by attracting new farmers and keeping our farms in production will we save the rural landscape of farms and forest that we love. Fortunately for farmers and communities, there is growing support for local food. Farmers know that their best markets are local and they want their food to stay in the community. Consumers are learning about the high cost of our current food system and that locally grown food is fresher and supports the local economy. At this time of year, one great way to get the freshest food and reconnect with local farms is to join a CSA (1) (Canadian Standards Association, Toronto, Ontario, www.csa.ca) A standards-defining organization founded in 1919. It is involved in many industries, including electronics, communications and information technology. . A CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, is a direct connection between the farmer and the community. The CSA member pays at the start of the year for a share of the season's harvest, and then gets a weekly delivery of the freshest food available. The farmer gets money up front and the support of the community. WNC WNC Western North Carolina WNC World News Connection (US government online news service) WNC Washington National Cathedral (Washington, DC) WNC Women's National Commission (UK) CSAs Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a direct connection between the farmers and the consumers. To join a CSA is to buy a share of the season's harvest. The former grains the security of knowing he or she has been paid for a portion of the harvest and the farmer's "community" participates in how and where their food is grown. This direct connection puts the face and place of food in full view. Before the start of the season, when the farmer is planning the upcoming year, shares are sold to members of the community at a fixed price. The farmer plans the plantings to meet the shares that have been sold. Every week throughout the season, the CSA community receives a box of that week's harvest. Most of the local CSAs will deliver to several convenient area locations, but they always encourage the community to come to the farm, and even to participate in the growing of their food. Find the most up-to-date information on CSAs at www.BuyAppalach-ian.org. CARL AND PATS Patryk Battle 176 White Oak Creek Oak Creek, city (1990 pop. 19,513), Milwaukee co., SE Wis., a suburb of Milwaukee, on Lake Michigan; inc. 1955. Electronic, plastic, paper, metal, and concrete products; machinery; computers; chemicals; and transportation equipment are made there. Rd. Burnsville, NC 28714 828-675-5920 patrykbattle@hotmail.com Asheville pick up at the French Broad Food Coop and Celo pick-up. Other pick-up sites possible. DEERWOOD GARDENS Alice Dewhurst 525 Louisa Ridge Franklin, NC 28734 828-524-6164; fax: 828-524-6100 deerwoodfarm@planet-save.com We sell farm shares to members in Macon County only. Our products include vegetables, cat and edible flowers For hundreds of years, edible flowers have been gathered and consumed. Just as the leaves and roots of some flowering plants can be eaten; various flowers, which can be used to decorate a room, can also be used to decorate foods and are considered edible. , berries, eggs and honey. DOGWOOD dogwood or cornel (kôr`nəl), shrub or tree of the genus Cornus, chiefly of north temperate and tropical mountain regions, characteristically having an inconspicuous flower surrounded by large, showy bracts which HILLS FARM Steven Yokim, Jessie Lehmann, and Melissa Fridlin 369 Ox Creek Rd. Weaverville, NC 28787 828-645-6286 syokim@buncombe bun·combe n. Variant of bunkum. Noun 1. buncombe - unacceptable behavior (especially ludicrously false statements) bunkum, guff, hogwash, rot, bunk .main.nc.us A ten-acre farm offering pick-your-own cherries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, black raspberries, and grapes; also over 60 heirloom varieties of apples. Our CSA shares include a wide range of fresh vegetables and herbs. Transitioning to organic; we currently use no chemical pesticides or herbicides. Wood-fired breads and pizzas also available. Fall and half shares available. Customer picks up box at farm June-October FISHER BRANCH FARM Jenifer Miller 526 Fisher Branch Rd. Marshall, NC 28753 828-689-4505 fisherbranchfarm@yahoo.com Flower shares. May through October. Pickups in Asheville. FULL SUN FARM LEICESTER Buncombe County Buncombe County insincere speeches made solely to please this constituency by its representative, 1819–1821. [Am. Usage: Misc.] See : Hypocrisy Alex Brown Alex Brown may refer to:
She died after a brief illness in New York at age 49. 828-683-1607 90 Bald Creek Road, Leicester, NC 28748. fullsunfarm@earthlink.net Full Sun Farm is a certified organic market farm located northwest of Asheville in Sandy Mush Valley. We cultivate 41/2 acres of vegetables, cut flowers flowers cut from the stalk, as for making a bouquet. See also: Flower , and berries. We sell direct to consumers at the Saturday North Asheville and the Wednesday French Broad Food Cooperative A food cooperative or food co-op is a grocery store organized as a cooperative. Food cooperatives are usually consumers' cooperatives and are owned by their members. Food cooperatives follow the 7 Cooperative Principles. tailgate A conversion layer that lets IDE devices connect to the IEEE 1394 Firewire interface. markets, and through a 36 member CSA. Pick-up: Wednesday from 3pm-6:30 in West Asheville at a CSA members home and Downtown at the French Broad Food Coop Tailgate Market GREEN TOE GROUND FARM Gaelan Corozine Nicole DelCogliano 411 Pope Rd. Burnsville, NC 28714 828-675-0171 www.greentoeground.com We are a diverse CSA farm, cultivating 2 acres of handcrafted hand·craft n. Variant of handicraft. tr.v. hand·craft·ed, hand·craft·ing, hand·crafts To fashion or make by hand. hand·craft , ecologically grown vegetables, flowers and herbs. Offering local eggs and honey. CFSA CFSA Community Financial Services Association CFSA Certified Financial Services Auditor CFSA Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (Pittsboro, NC) CFSA Child and Family Services Act (Canada) member farm. Celo area. HOMEGROWN home·grown adj. 1. Raised or grown at home. 2. Originating in or characteristic of a locality: "Rock is homegrown music in the United States, evolved from blues and country and Tin Pan Alley" HERITAGE Jeffery and Jennifer McConnaughey 644 Morgan Branch Road Candler, NC 28715 828-667-5516 holistic@lycosmail.com WNC's premier BioIntensive "Mini-Farm" specializing in authentic heirloom/heritage gourmet produce, berries, and culinary herbs from the South and around the world. Also rare and ornamental vegetable and culinary/medicinal herb plants. Although previously certified organic, politicalization of organic standards has convinced us not to re-certify. Seed-saving workshops available. Home delivery in Buncombe County. JAKE'S FARM Chris Sawyer
Chris Sawyer is a Scottish computer game developer who is best-known for designing and programming RollerCoaster Tycoon, RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, and & Missy Huger Brown Lynch Road Candler, NC 28715 828-665-4472 www.jakesfarm.com jakesfarm@msn.com Established in 1998 and Certified Organic in 1999 we sell wide variety of produce including some small fruit, Two greenhouses operate all year. We welcome visitors by appointment. We Offer a wide variety of Certified Organic produce including some heirloom varieties, cut flowers and herbs. Pack your own. MARKET GARDENS AT HICKORY Hickory, city, United States Hickory, city (1990 pop. 28,301), Burke and Catawba counties, W N.C., at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mts.; inc. 1870. It is a processing and trade center for an abundant agricultural region (grain, soybeans, poultry, hogs, NUT GAP FARMS Annie Louise & Isaiah Perkinson 1860 Charlotte Hwy. Fairview NC 28730 828-628-3348 anniel@buncombe.main.nc.us We are the fourth generation working on our family farm. We have added a new enterprise to the farm mix, sustainably produced vegetables, fruits, and flowers. MOUNTAIN HARVEST ORGANICS Julie Mansfield or Carl Evans 77 Wyatt Lane Hot Springs, NC 28743 828-622-3654 farmer@MountainHarvestOrganic.com www.MountainHarvestOrganic.com This century old farm is located in the Spring Creek A spring creek is a stream that flows from a spring. Spring Creek may refer to any of the following specific places:
NEW MOON HERBS ORGANIC FARM Gregg Adams 85 Laurel Haven Fairview, NC 28730 828-628-1272 Newmoonherbs@aol.com New Moon Herbs Organic Farm Established in 1993, New Moon Herbs Organic Farm features a full line of organic vegetables, herbs and berries. We love to sell to restaurants, retail outlets, thru our growing CSA and the Fairview Tailgate Market. Accepting members for 2003. OLIVER ORGANICS Hal Oliver 101 Winsom Trail Hendersonville, NC 28739 828-697-1153 olivorg@bellsouth.net Over 100 vegetable, flower and herb plants grown sustainably. Produce available to individuals and restaurants. Hendersonville Tailgate (King street Saturdays)-Herb Festival-Garden Jubilee. Subscription available by February 1st. Full for 2003. PALMER FORD ORGANICS Will Osborne Mars Hill
828-689-8596 palmerfordorganics@hotmail.com A sixteen acre certified organic farm near Mars Hill NC in Madison County Madison County is the name of twenty counties in the United States, named after President James Madison:
SEVEN SPRINGS FARM Ron Juftes 426 Jerry Ln. Check, VA 540-651-3228 foodforthought7@yahoo.com www.7springsfarm.com We run a CSA and organic gardening products catalog from our farm. For detailed information on the CSA and products business refer to the web. Pickup ites in Blacksburg, Roanoke, Radford, Floyd, Christiansburg, Martinsville. VEGENUI GARDENS Ron and Cathy Arps 402 Carver Mountain Valley Sylva syl·va n. Variant of silva. Noun 1. sylva - the forest trees growing in a country or region silva timberland, woodland, forest, timber - land that is covered with trees and shrubs , NC 28779-8564 828-586-5478 ronarps@jackson.main.nc.us Vegetables, flowers and herbs from mid-May through September. Regular (weekly) and half shares (biweekly). Pickup at farm. Find a local CSA and other sources of locally grown food in the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture sustainable agriculture n. A method of agriculture that attempts to ensure the profitability of farms while preserving the environment. Project's Local Food Guide, available in print and on the web at www.BuyAppalachian.org. Charlie Jackson is the Local Food Campaign Director of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project. For more info on ASAP (chat) asap - As soon as possible. , contact him at 828-293-3262, Charlie@BuyAppalachian.org. |
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