Happy Nevada Day, Now Where are the CSAs???

Ok, it's Halloween and Nevada Day. Nevada, the only state that has a holiday on Halloween. Banks and other businesses are closed. Many others let their employees go home early. For people like me who kick-back, relax and hand out candy to trick-or-treater's on Halloween, getting off from work a little early can be nice.

Last night I discovered something else a little unique about Las Vegas. It has nothing to do with any illegal or questionable activity... It is something about CSA organizations. There are none here.

The closest thing to a full blown CSA is Gilcrease Orchard. This is a great place to go, even in the burning heat of the desert summer sun. It is a pick-your-own farm that offers fruits and vegetables almost year round. Under increasing pressure from land developers and government groups, the future of that farm is on shakey ground. But, that is another subject.

I must wonder why there are no CSA farms here. Sure, farming in the desert is a challenge. That not withstanding, there ARE farms in Logandale, Glassand, Overton, Mesquite and Riverside. Even south of Laughlin on the the Colorado river are farms. In Pahrump, on the other side of Mt. Charleston are a few smaller farms. Yes, they all rely on irrigation to operate.

My question is this... Why are there no CSA groups here? Is this a huge opportunity or is there a huge roadblock somewhere? I think it is worth a little investigating.

National Farm Transition Network

I knew I would find it!

The National Farm Transition Network. Operated by Iowa State University, this group seems to operate on a more managerial or supervisory level than the Farm On program.

According to their website, there are 24 participants in 20 US States. Every single participant has their own web address with a TON of great information. As I try to sort through all of this info, I invite you to do the same and let me know what you find. Just leave a comment here.

Interesting Program in Iowa

Just before going to sleep tonight, I happened across this program in Iowa to help connect those who want to farm but can't afford the initial start-up costs, with those who are planning to retire in the next five to 10 years and have no one to continue the farm.

This interesting program is not just limited to Iowa farmland. There are also farmers in Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin and even Texas who are taking part in this program. More information on this grand program (Called the 'Farm On' program) can be found here, on the Iowa State University Extension website.

There may be similar programs in other states. Expect more posts about this. Programs of this nature may be the only way to keep small farms going.

What Goes Up, Goes Down

What goes up, goes down. Of all people, farmers of all stripes know this fact of life.

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You knew it was bound to happen. For two years, farmers have watched with amazement while corn and then soybean and wheat futures rose into uncharted territory as short crops and ethanol demand fueled wild speculation in the commodity markets.

All the while, veteran growers knew those prices could go down just as fast or maybe even faster than they went up. Thus, the declines in corn, soybean and wheat futures of recent weeks weren’t a big a surprise to anyone who’s been farming more than a few years.

Since June, corn, soybeans and wheat contracts have lost nearly half their value. December 2008 corn futures, which traded at $8 in June, closed at $3.84 on Oct. 16. November 2008 soybeans have fallen from $16 in June to $8.67 while December 2008 soft red winter wheat dropped from $10 to $5.55 per bushel.

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Read the rest of the article here, at Delta Farm Press.

Hurrah for Fresh Fruits!

And, hurrah for grapes!

It has already been proven that grapes are high in antioxidants (Grape Consumption Improves Antioxidant Capacity in Humans) but a new study just recently released shows that grapes help reduce many heart related risks including high blood pressure. Read all about it here at Science Daily.

If you are a market gardener or other produce farmer, now may be a good time to look into planting grapes. In most parts of the US, they are rather hardy and low maintenance. Most cultivars travel rather well to the market. They offer a nice taste of variety there among the vegetables, and if you operate a CSA, grapes are a nice, simple offering to your customers or shareholders.

Short on space? If you have a fence, reinforce the top with a 2 x 4 or a few strands of plastic coated wire and plant the young grape plants in the fence-row.

Don't have a fence? Build a small trellis for your antioxidant filled fruit to grow!

Want more grape growing information? Check out these links: Backyard Grapes; Growing Grapes for Home Use; How to Grow Grapes; and Grape Arbors - New Interest In an Old Tradition.

The Food We Eat

Yet another reason to eat locally grown and produced food. Reuters, API, Agence France-Presse, and hundreds more recently reported on melamine, an industrial chemical, being found in chicken eggs from China.

This is not the first time a potentially dangerous chemical has been found in food. Unfortunately, it will likely not be the last either. What to do?

Well, if you can, buy locally produced food from your neighborhood CSA or Farmer's Market. You will be supporting local agriculture, getting fresher food, and helping to keep your local economy sustainable.

Another thing you can do is be a knowledgeable consumer. Know what you are buying and where it was produced. With chemicals showing up in food, not being a knowledgeable consumer could expose you to unknown risks.

Helping the Bees

Do you remember hearing about something called Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD on the news? Years ago, CCD was all over the news. Articles and commentaries seemed to be everywhere.

Well, the news moved on to other issues but the problem remains. Colony Collapse Disorder is still a serious problem. First identified in 2006, studies indicate that in only two years more that a third of all managed hives have died off or been lost due to CCD.

Bees are important pollinators for foods like sunflowers, soybeans, apples, peaches, pears, pumpkins, cucumbers, cherries, blue berries, raspberries, strawberries, peppers, squash, almonds, cashews, clover (hay for animals), tomatoes, and watermelon. The jury is still out on the cause. Pesticides, environmental changes, pollution, mites, drought, unknown contagious disease, pollen or nectar from genetically modified plants and even RF radiation from cell phone towers have been blamed.

So, what can people do to help the bee population? Farmer or not; whether you live in town or the country, you can help.

• Judiciously use non-natural pesticides. Even trying to kill off that pesky ant colony in the back yard with some chemical can easily get into a bee colony's food chain.
• Use natural pesticides and natural Integrated Pest Management techniques when possible.
• If you have a personal garden or market garden, plant at least 1/4 of it in heirloom varieties of vegetables.
• Put together a "bee pot". A "bee pot" is a planter with bee-friendly annual flowers that will provide nectar and pollen. Some great flowers to plant include shasta daisy, violets, sedum, bluebells, spearmint, black eyed susan, sunflowers, calendula, purple coneflower, and poppy. It is best to plant annuals that are native to your area.
  

For more information on how you can help the world's most important pollinators, contact your local extension service.

Organic Farm to Restaurant

I just wanted to make a little post about this blog entry. Here is an excerpt:

"Since summer Sammons has been farming five acres, on a 75-acre agricultural preserve, in the Santa Ynez valley under the name Epic Organics (also the name of a farm she had up in Santa Cruz). For many California chefs, Epic Organics is synonymous with unique, outstanding vegetables -- maybe even the Platonic idea of unique, outstanding vegetables. Now she is planning to expand with an additional 4 1/2 acres."

You can read the rest here: latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2008/10/post-tk-from-fa.html

What to do with those green tomatoes?

There always seems to be a bunch of green tomatoes on the vine at the end of the season. What to do with them?

My personal favorite is Fried Green Tomatoes, but here are a few other things to consider:

• Sautéed Green Tomatoes - Simple and healthy. www.liketocook.com/50226711/sautaed_green_tomatoes.php
• Green Tomato Relish - This looks great and the relish goes right into jars. These should provide a nice tasty treat all through winter. www.wisebread.com/save-the-tomatoes-autumn-tips-to-prolong-the-growing-season
• Fried Green Tomatoes - Yes, recipes like this have been around for decades. www.liketocook.com/50226711/weekend_herb_blogging_green_tomatoes.php
  
• Pickled Green Tomatoes - Here is another oldie. These pickled green tomatoes should last throughout the winter season. www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1636,158189-255196,00.html

Purple Tomatoes?

Purple Tomatoes? I have heard of yellow tomatoes, pink tomatoes, green tomatoes (not the unripe kind), black tomatoes, brown tomatoes, light purple tomatoes, orange tomatoes, white tomatoes and of course the ubiquitous red tomato. But a dark purple tomato like you see on the left?

Thank you genetic engineering!!!

The following is an except of an article on www.foodconsumer.org You can read the entire article here: at www.foodconsumer.org
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Now that we have tried and failed to win the cancer war, it's time to change our strategy. A new study suggests that eating a new genetically modified tomato may help prevent many types of cancer.

The study tested a diet full of purple tomatoes rich in anthocyanins, pigments commonly found in blackberries, in mice that lacked the p53 gene commonly known as the "genome guardian". Mice that lack the gene were susceptible for a range of tumors, particularly lymphomas and would die at a very young age.

Researchers from the John Innes Centre, coordinated by Cathie Martin, found that the cancer-prone mice on the diet supplemented with purple tomato powder had their lifespan significantly extended.

The study was published in the Oct 26, 2008 issue of the journal Nature Biotechnology.

For the study, the researchers from the John Innes Centre in Norwich, Great Britain, in collaboration with other European centres first inserted two genes called Delila and Rosea1 from snapdragon flower in the tomato genome making the fruit anthocyanins-rich purple tomatoes.
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Ok, so genetically enhancing tomato plants gives them higher amounts of anthocyanins, "...pigments commonly found in blackberries..." The took two genes from a snapdragon and grafted it onto a tomato. Why did they do this? I think this sums it up:

"Most people do not eat 5 portions of fruits and vegetables a day, but they can get more benefit from those they do eat if common fruit and veg can be developed that are higher in bioactive compounds," says Prof Cathie Martin from the John Innes Centre

And by the way, they haven't tested the tomato yet for human toxicity.

Everyone is of course entitled to their own opinion about genetically modified food. Personally, I will stick to eating a sliced fresh heirloom tomato with dinner and a bowl of blackberries and cream for desert.
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Do you want more information on real colored tomatoes or want to buy some seed? Just browse over to www.tomatoseed.com/tomato_color.html or www.tomatofest.com

Farming and the Presidential Candidates

Where do they stand? Well, I did a little research and here is what I found...

Barak Obama - - -

• Witney Schneidman says Senator Obama favors establishing what is called an Add Value to Agriculture Initiative, which would work with land-grant institutions, private philanthropies and businesses to promote innovation in global food production. The initiative would, among other things, work for improved irrigation methods, seeds and fertilizers for farmers in the developing world.
• Senator Obama states, "I support a robust safety net. This includes traditional farm programs, crop insurance and disaster assistance."
• On biofuels, Senator Barak Obama set a goal of having 60 billion gallons of fuel from biofuels by 2022.
• His health plan would ensure that no one would be turned away from care if they have pre-existing conditions.
• According to David Lazarus, Obama's rural policy director, “...has no intention of tampering with the individual’s rights to bear arms.” And, Lazarus added, Obama’s plan to increase conservation areas would provide more places to hunt.
• Favors increased research funding into alternatives to natural gas in the production of fertilizer.
• Favors infrastructure improvements to the nation's locks and dams used for shipping food commodities.
• James Webster, a representative of Senator Obama, said “Obama looks at local farming and consumption as not pitting commercial industrial agriculture against local farming. We need both,” and predicted that local production would rise, especially with new Farm Bill mandates for specialty crop assistance, organic farming, and conservation.

John McCain - - -

• J. Peter Pham states that, "Senator McCain has not hidden the fact that he opposes farm subsidies."
• Senator McCain, who had previously called the Farm Bill "bloated and flawed", advocated "market-driven risk management" and promised to fundamentally reform the current crop insurance program.
• Friendly to pro-gun groups.
• Supports eliminating the federal inheritance tax for the first $10 million of property. Now it is $1 million, and many farms and rural businesses exceed that amount.
• Told Field and Stream, and often has said in other venues, that he supports conservation.
• "Favors a risk management program for agriculture that reflects the realities of the global marketplace for food, fuel and fiber in the 21st Century.”
• A central focus of his agricultural policy will be to expand international trade, bringing American products to more foreign markets and boosting the profitability of American farms.
• John Block, a representative of Senator McCain said improving local food sources was “not a big thing to worry about. We need to work on the big issues like keeping costs down. Doing more stuff close to home might help, but the reality is the price of food is going to keep going up.” Block was sanguine about the increases adding, “the market system will make it work.”

Both of them - -

• Agree that the agriculture sector should be involved with environmental regulation.
• Believe that energy production could help save rural America’s economy.
• Favor cap-and-trade plans that may drive up prices for fossil fuels and prompt a shift to lower-carbon sources of energy, such as wind, solar and nuclear.
• Think increased production of domestic natural gas would help ease the pressure because it is used in the production of fertilizer.
• Congress approved a farm bill earlier in 2008 that will expand federal nutrition programs by $10 billion over 10 years. Neither presidential candidate was present for the initial Senate vote or the second vote to override a presidential veto.
• Both representatives of the candidates said that higher costs for energy would mean a greater reliance on local food sources and that was a good thing.

I would like some comments on this, so please consider this your little virtual soap-box to discuss the presidential candidates and their positions on farming, agriculture and sustainability. Speak Up!!!

Time to Get Dirty

Well, my little motorcycle ride across the US is done. My first goal? Getting beyond the Rocky Mountains and into farm country. With the Rockies in my rear view mirrors, I started drinking in the beauty of agriculture and rural culture. For me, it was inebriating.

The smells of the grass and trees and ripening crops awoke long dormant memories and feelings. The sight of tractors and dirty farmers and wagons and grain elevators and bales of hay brought tears to my eyes several times. This was not melancholy; it was joy.

As I rode through miles and miles of small rural blacktop roads, farmers were out there harvesting their crops or checking their cattle or repairing fences or cutting trees. Several times there was an almost primal urge to exchange my helmet for a John Deere cap, hop off the bike and get dirty.

Maybe it's time for me to get dirty.

One thing I learned from my 5800 mile bike ride is the power of persistence and believing in one's self. I may have been a relatively new rider on a very small bike but I knew I could do it. While on the last leg of my journey I wondered what this world would be like if more people persisted with their dreams and believed in themselves.

Maybe it's time for me to do more of that. Believe and persist.