Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["mcoldiron" <mcoldiron@crcom.net>]

Hello Ken,

 

I'm not too far from you, about 90 miles south.  I'm a dry land farmer in cotton country.  I have been trying to work my way into organic vegetable farming for around 7 years - and believe you me, I have tried.  The biggest problems I face are equipment, material availability, and man power.  Oh sure I could grow a little postage stamp garden organically, but to supply local stores and farmers' markets is a whole nother ball park.  Insects, weeds, soil fertility, and the like all have to be managed somehow and if you can't find what you need, at a reasonable price, whatcha gona do?  Small garden techniques just can't be used.  I've tried to get what I need to go organic and borders on impossible.  Maybe it's because I live on the ragged fringes of civilization that makes it so hard.  I'd love to hear how you can grow more than a hand full of veggies organically around here.  I did notice that much of you wording revolved around  the prefix "mini".  Maybe that's what we need first, the materials to grow more than a small plot.  We need an organic farming infrastructure first.  You can't build much more than a small wood shed without a strong foundation.

 

My two cents.

 

TxBeeFarmer (Mark)
West Texas Zone 7b

----- Original Message -----

From: Ken Hargesheimer

To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 1:56 PM

Subject: [Livingontheland] Future Organic Farmers of America

o

GARDENS/MINI-FARMS NETWORK

Workshops: USA - TX,  MS, FL, CA, AR, NM, WA; México, Rep. Dominicana, Cote d’Ivoire,

Nigeria, Honduras, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Haití, England, Nicaragua, India

minifarms@gmail.com

Workshops in organic, no-till, permanent-bed gardening, mini-farming, mini-ranching, using drip irrigation, in English & Español

 

FUTURE ORGANIC FARMERS OF AMERICA

Let's Grow Gardeners, Mini-Farmers and Mini-Livestock Farmers

 

FFA and vocational agriculture in the high schools are an embarrassment to me as an ex-FFA member and vo-ag student.  Almost none of the present day students in FFA/Vo-Ag are interested in agriculture.  Since FFA is no longer Future Farmers of America, that is as it should be.

 

Gardening is being taught in more and more schools beginning in the elementary.  These students will be more and more interested in gardening and farming as they progress into the upper grades.  Some will want to mini-farm as adults and many will home garden.  They can begin in high school.  They can get additional education locally and/or online or they can attend one of the community colleges/universities that offer a degree in organic farming.

 

I propose that we establish a new organization consisting of those students who are interested in food and fiber production.  The number of students is not important.  This is especially important in view of the present energy situation which will force this country to return to local food production.  Even before 2008, there has been a growing grassroots movement to buy local, buy fresh and buy organic.  The future is urban farming and that is where the students are anyway.  Almost all cities [inter-urban, urban and peri-urban] have land that can be farmed.  Organic, no-till mini-farming/mini-livestock farming takes little or almost no capital and only hand tools, power hand tools and pedal power. 

 

The average age of American farmers is the late 50s.  A-G-R-I-C-U-L-T-U-R-E is an eleven letter "dirty" word in American today.  Many of the new farmers are people leaving the unhealthy, high tech, non-satisfying lifestyle they had created for themselves.  They know little about farming but are learning.

 

To create the FOFA will take effort, time and eventually some funding.  At this time, I want to build a list of interested organizations, individuals and groups who have the same vision.

 

I am going to email this to every address for the above that I can find.  Please respond.  I would appreciate any suggestion which I will compile.  I will email the information and suggestions, as needed, to inform all interested. 

This is my idea but this has to have the input of everyone of like interest.  If there is someone out there who will take this and direct it to fruition, it is yours.  I have other projects I must not neglect.

 

I want this to spread to every high school around the world.

 

Ken Hargesheimer

Box 1901

Lubbock TX 79408-1901

806-744-8517

 

Update, June 08:  One person emailed that she has a group of students interested in forming a FOFA chapter.  I sent an email suggesting that people working with high schoolers who are interested in production agriculture to call an informal meeting and discuss the formation of FOFA.  Keep me informed and I will send out a report later.

---

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