When I think of farmers of the 19th and early-20th centuries, I think of simple, honest, noble and humble people. When I think of farmers of the late 20th and 21st centuries, one of the first thing that pops into many people's heads are chemical-spewing, soil-destroying, government-lobbying, labor-abusing corporate farming businessmen. Now don't get me wrong, I know there are still family farmers working the land the correct way-- right here in west Michigan-- but for the most part, we have corporations playing the role of "farmer" in America today. Tens of thousands of acres, producing crops that we don't really need, with genetically-modified seeds, using chemicals that are bad for the environment, and killing pests and diseases that only exist because they've destroyed the natural order of things. And then there's Monsanto-- a seed company that actually forbids farmers from collecting and saving their seeds for the next year. A company that sues farmers when "their" seeds blow from one farm to another. This is just the epitome of arrogant human behavior. And these practices are destroying our farms and our soil. Soil, mind you, that took up to 1,000 years to develop. Soil, that once it's wiped out, is gone for good. This "money first" approach to farming is the total opposite of the image of the humble farmer-- being a steward of the land, working his or her soil with care and compassion. And you know what? Humility and farming should go hand-in-hand. The word humility actually derives from the word humus-- which is soil. The Latin noun humilis means "grounded" or "from the earth." So that's how we need to approach farming and gardening-- with humility. That means before we enjoy the flowers, or bite into those strawberries, or share our abundance of zucchini with the neighbors, we need to do right by our soil. We need to humbly approach our gardens, and realize that good crops don't come from a bottle or a chemical lab. Good crops come from good soil. That means no synthetic chemical fertilizers. They kill the microorganisms that our plants need to survive and thrive. Humble farmers for thousands of years provided nutrients to their crops by way of compost. We should too. That means no synthetic chemical pesticides. Humble farmers for thousands of years dealt with pesky and destructive pests without chemicals. We should too. There are always organic ways. That means no synthetic chemical herbicides. Humble farmers for thousands of years dealt with weeds by picking them and by having healthy soil. We should too. That means using compost, peat, Biochar, Worm Compost, clean soil, ground up egg shells, coconut coir to condition the soil and provide water retention and aeration. If you're going to be a gardener, if you're going to be an urban or suburban farmer, focus on the soil, be grounded, be mindful of the earth in which you're sowing your seeds. Humility-- it's really understanding that humans don't always do things better than the rest of creation.
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There are so many delicious reasons to grow a garden-- fresh herbs for your soups and dips, fresh lettuce and spinach for salads, fresh berries on ice cream. But man, is there anything more delicious than a fresh tomato off the vine? Juice that squirts out when you cut into it, seeds that drizzle onto your plate, and flesh so tender it melts in your mouth like butter. It doesn't matter how we eat them (sliced on burgers, diced into a pico de gallo, chopped over some pasta), tomatoes offer us the most stark reminder of why growing your own is so much better than buying from a chain grocery store. I threw together a tomato sandwich for lunch today, and it was so good, I had to share it. (There probably aren't too many fertilizer companies around that put recipes on their websites, but THIS is the very reason we got into the fertilizer business in the first place-- to produce the healthiest, most delicious garden bounty this side of Eden.) And this sandwich just looked so pretty and tasted so delicious, I couldn't keep it to myself. Enjoy! Tomato & Onion Open-Faced Bagel Sandwich Ingredients One garden-fresh tomato (grown with Living Worm Compost) One fresh red onion Hummus (not to be confused with humus; we may be soil lovers here, but let's not get carried away!) Olive oil Coarse-ground sea salt, black pepper, chili powder, celery seed Toasted bagel Directions Put a healthy schmear of hummus on both halves of a toasted bagel and drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over the hummus. Dice up the tomatoes and scoop the flesh, juice and seed onto the bagel. Dice up a couple rings of red onion and sprinkle over the tomatoes. Season to taste with sea salt, pepper, chili powder and celery seed. If you share a love for these three things– the home-spun wisdom of The Farmer’s Almanac, fresh strawberry jam, and canning stuff from the garden– then do we have a recipe for you! First, if you haven’t learned how to can fruits and veggies, this is something you really should try. When you’ve got jars of your harvest stored in your pantry, then you can enjoy the taste of summer well into the dark and cold months of winter. Second, is there anything finer than a fresh strawberry jam? It is quite possibly the most-enjoyed of all the fruit flavored jams– it’s a step up from the grape jelly we all enjoyed as kids, but it’s not so exotic as to turn off the most finicky of eaters. And so, from the Farmer’s Alamanc, here is a great recipe for producing your own strawberry jam that can be enjoyed all year long (when you can it properly!): Ingredients: 4 cups of hulled, mashed strawberries (about 2 pounds fresh strawberries) 4 cups white sugar ¼ cup lemon juice Note: You can buy commercial pectin, though you don’t necessarily need to add any. Pectin occurs naturally in fruit, and is what helps the jam set. Adding liquid pectin can help jam cook more quickly and creates a slightly different texture. If you use it, be sure to follow the accompanying instructions to make sure your jam sets properly. Equipment: -Wide-mouth glass jars, bands, and NEW metal lids with rubber seals (you can reuse the jars and bands). -Large, non-stick pan -Long-handled wooden spoon -Non-reactive bowl (glass or plastic) -Candy thermometer (optional) -Boiling-water canner or deep pan with a canning rack or basket -Tongs -Small spatula -Clean dish towel First, sterilize your jars and lids. Wash them in hot, soapy water. Place the jars in a deep pan of boiling water, and boil for 10 minutes. Place the flat metal covers into a pan of simmering water. Leave lids and jars in the water until needed. Mix the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice together in the large pan. Don’t fill it to the top, as the mixture could bubble over the edge. Heat on low, stirring until the sugar is dissolved—about 20 minutes. Bring the mix to a boil, stir often, and cook until it reaches the setting temperature of 220 degrees. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, spoon some jam onto a chilled plate, let it cool, then run your finger through the middle of it. If the jam holds its shape and doesn’t run back together, it’s ready! Let the jam stand for ten minutes. In the meantime, carefully remove the jars and lids from the hot water with tongs—have a clean towel handy to set them on. Skim excess foam off the top of the jam with a spoon, and then spoon the jam into the jars leaving a quarter inch at the top. Wipe off the rims and run the spatula along the inside wall of the jar to let air bubbles escape. Place the metal lid and then screw on the band. To preserve your jam for up to six months, process it by putting the jars into the boiling-water canner, following any instructions that come with it. You can get one at the supermarket, but if you don’t have one, place a wire rack in a deep pot, bring water to a boil, and boil the jars for ten minutes. Carefully remove the jars and set on a towel, allowing them to cool overnight. Check the lids to see if they sealed before storing in a cool place. If you’re ready to have your mind blown when it comes to farming and food– or if you’re ready to get a friend or relative on-board with organic and sustainable farming– here are five fantastic movies that we at Good Sweet Earth can’t speak highly enough about. They’re inspiring, educational, informative, and even entertaining.
After seeing these films, you’ll want to sink your hands into some rich, crumbly dirt; sink your teeth into some garden-fresh fruits; and sink the notion that corporate farming is really “no big deal.” All five of these films are available on DVD/Blu-Ray, and most are on streaming services like Amazon Prime and Netflix as well. 1. Food, Inc.In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults. Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield’s Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms’ Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it’s produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here. 2. Dirt! The Movie. Dirt! The Movie is an insightful and timely film that tells the story of the glorious and unappreciated material beneath our feet. Inspired by William Bryant Logan’s acclaimed book Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth, Dirt! The Movie takes a humorous and substantial look into the history and current state of the living organic matter that we come from and will later return to. Dirt! The Movie will make you want to get dirty. 3. Forks Over Knives. Forks Over Knives examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods. The major storyline in the film traces the personal journeys of a pair of pioneering yet under-appreciated researchers, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn. The idea of food as medicine is put to the test. Throughout the film, cameras follow “reality patients” who have chronic conditions from heart disease to diabetes. Doctors teach these patients how to adopt a whole-foods plant-based diet as the primary approach to treat their ailments—while the challenges and triumphs of their journeys are revealed. 4. The Dust Bowl: A Film by Ken Burns. The Dust Bowl chronicles the worst man-made ecological disaster in American history, in which the frenzied wheat boom of the “Great Plow-Up,” followed by a decade-long drought during the 1930s nearly swept away the breadbasket of the nation. Vivid interviews with twenty-six survivors of those hard times, combined with dramatic photographs and seldom seen movie footage, bring to life stories of incredible human suffering and equally incredible human perseverance. It is also a morality tale about our relationship to the land that sustains us—a lesson we ignore at our peril. 5. The Fruit Hunters. You can find them deep in the jungles of Borneo, in the hills of Umbria and perhaps even in your own backyard. They are fruit hunters, the subjects of the new film from acclaimed director Yung Chang (Up the Yangtze, China Heavyweight). The Fruit Hunters travels across culture, history and geography to show how intertwined we are with the fruits we eat. Our guides are devoted fruit fanatics. Movie star Bill Pullman’s obsession leads him on a crusade to create a community orchard in the Hollywood Hills. Adventurers Noris Ledesma and Richard Campbell scour the jungle for rare mangos, hoping to intervene before the plants are steamrolled by industrialization. Pioneering scientist Juan Aguilar races to breed bananas resistant to a deadly fungus that threatens the worldwide crop. And fruit detectives including Isabella Dalla Ragione investigate Renaissance-era paintings for clues, hoping to rediscover lost fruits. And, of course, there are the fruits themselves, presented in all their mouthwatering glory: cherimoyas, ice cream beans, durians and more. “Farming” is typically thought of as raising plants or animals for profit. “Gardening” is thought of more as a hobby. So which are you? A farmer or a gardener? Before you answer, consider this: Healthy and attractive landscaping can increase the value of your home up to 11%, according to a recent study from Michigan State University. That means if you have a home worth about $150,000, with a great looking lawn, nicely maintained flowers and shrubs, and a functioning garden, you could be adding another $16,000 to your pocket should you choose to sell your house. On the flip side, a weedy and diseased lawn, with no attractive plant life (either ornamental or edible) on your property could cost you thousands of dollars by considerably lowering your property value. Also, if you’re growing fruits and vegetables and herbs in your back yard, ideally you’re going to be eating those things, right? That means those are items you won’t need to buy at the grocery store, which means that’s money in your pocket as well. So when you’re planting those flowers, or pulling those weeds, or mowing your lawn, or harvesting those tomatoes, consider the value you’re adding to your house, and consider the money you’re able to keep in your pocket when you go to the grocery store. That being said, you are potentially profiting off of the plant life in your yard. So I’ll ask you again, are you a gardener or a farmer? All things considered, I’d say you’re a farmer– a bona fide yard farmer. Now let me ask you this: Do you support organic farming? Do you appreciate the farmer who works the land the right way– sustainably and naturally? Do you worry about pesticides and GMOs (genetically modified organisms) showing up on your dinner table? If so, then it’s time you became an organic yard farmer! Buying organic produce is great, but it’s not enough. Let’s start farming our own yards the right way– sustainably and naturally. Let’s eliminate Round-Up (a product of Monsanto), let’s eliminate the chemical fertilizers like Scotts, let’s stop using chemical pesticides like Grub-Ex that offer short-term fixes but do long-term damage to the planet. If you’re interested in becoming an organic yard farmer, get in touch with us at Office@GoodSweetEarth.com, or by calling us at 616-594-0693. We can give you a free consultation for organic lawn and garden fertilization and soil conditioning. Here is more information on the services we offer. |