Summer - Georgia Organics

Reclaiming Organic
Getting back to our
movement's roots 2
Farm-fresh Food in S. Georgia
Our Farm to School spotlight shines
on Dougherty County 6
A NEW DAY FOR URBAN AG
Updated Atlanta zoning could
serve as model for region 14
THE DIRT
The Quarterly Newsletter of Georgia Organics – Fall 2012
Summer 2013
We connect organic food from Georgia farms to Georgia families.
The Heart
of a Farmer
Growers are connected
to the earth by more
than their hands.
Some growers
farm solely to make a
living, to turn a profit, to
provide for themselves and
their families. There ain’t a darn
thing wrong with that.
There are other farmers, though,
who’ve been pulled to the land by an
unknown force, who’ve been nudged towards it by an unseen hand.
The connections these farmers feel towards the
earth, the soil, and the natural systems that produce
healthy, nutritious food are as powerful as they are intangible. Whether you believe in God, or don't, farming
is a spiritual act.
We asked a few farmers in the Georgia Organics family to
tell us a little about their connection to the land. We like
where their heads are at.
Chris Jackson
Jenny-Jack Sun Farm,
Pine Mountain
Walking alongside the buckwheat
last week just before the lunch bell, I
stopped to admire the blazing white buds
bursting open in perfect symphony. Their
physical beauty, upright posture, and belonging
demeanor first intrigued me, but it was the sound
surrounding the flowers that made me pause.
It was a harmonic hum, like a fast-moving ceiling
fan or the distant rush of wind from rush hour traffic.
I immediately guessed bees. Not swarming, but evenly
spread out, thousands foraging nectar, purposefully and
gracefully floating from source to source unencumbered
by the entranced human. Nothing particularly wise or
Continued on page 8
Letter from the Director
Reclaiming Our Roots
You Say Sustainable Tomato, I Say Organic Tomato
200-A Ottley Dr.
Atlanta, GA 30324
678.702.0400
[email protected]
www.georgiaorganics.org
Board of Directors
Rashid Nuri, President
Mandy Mahoney, Vice President
Ed Taylor, Treasurer
Linda DiSantis, Secretary
James Brown
Robert Currey
Naomi Davis
Dee Dee Digby
Kurt Ebersbach
Cheryl Galway
Julia Gaskin
Roderick Gilbert
Diane Marie Harris
Jenni Harris
Connie Hayes
Gina Hopkins
Carroll Johnson
Melissa Libby
Ellen Macht
Cashawn Myers
Anne Quatrano
Staff
Donn Cooper
Farmer Services Coordinator
Erin Croom
Farm to School Director
Suzanne Girdner
Conference Coordinator
Stephanie Hass
Membership & Volunteer Coordinator
Brooke Hatfield
Communications Coordinator
Andrew Ladd
Director of Operations
Sandy Layton
Development Director
Alice Rolls
Executive Director
Emily Rose
Farm to School Assistant
Michael Wall
Director of Programs
Anika White
Administrative Assistant
the Dirt
Summer 2013 • Published Quarterly
Georgia Organics, Inc. 200-A Ottley
Dr., Atlanta GA 30324, Volume 15
Issue #2 Copyright © 2013, Georgia
Organics, Inc. All rights reserved.
@georgiaorganics
Every time I look at the certified organic acreage
data in Georgia, I wince.
Sure, we have had 2,000% growth since 2003, but
when you start with just 273 acres, it’s easy to make
the data sparkle. In reality, our state has experienced
minimal growth. That’s tough to swallow when you
run an organization called “Georgia Organics.”
Our state has definitely seen a growth in the
number of sustainable farms. We have more farms
that are Certified Naturally Grown (CNG), a less
rigorous certification, than any other state. Georgia
Organics’ workshops, conferences, and mentoring
program continue to see strong participation, with
new faces every year.
So why the lackluster statistics?
Two things are going on here. The first is that many
of our sustainable farms are not interested in getting
certified organic. These farmers have developed a
direct customer base, and don’t see a real need to
go through the process or pay the cost to become
certified organic.
Unfortunately, the USDA and other agricultural
establishments don’t get to see what we see—a
vibrant, growing movement—because there is little
data to show them. Not to knock CNG, but no one
from the USDA or Georgia Dept. of Agriculture
has called me to ask about CNG growth in our
state. I wish they would, because then I'd have a
lot to brag about.
The second factor is that we have not successfully
penetrated conventional agriculture or had much
growth in what is called “ag in the middle,” the 100200 acre farms that could be supplying increasing
wholesale and institutional demand. Certainly,
there are some pioneers farms that have been paving
the way—White Oak Pastures, for instance, and
Miles Berry Farm. Making farms this size viable
is extremely tough when the marketplace is still
undeveloped and infrastructure is lacking.
Tangible growth and economic data are important
to politicians. We can tout the number of farmers
markets, annual conference attendees, and CNG
farms, but what institutions really needs to see is a
dramatic rise in organic acreage in the state, certified
acres that are without a doubt free of GMOs and
toxic chemicals.
I can’t think of a louder statement our movement
could make than for our farmers to get certified. That
www.facebook.com/
GeorgiaOrganics
2
THE DIRT SUMMER 2013
political stance would echo through the hallways of
the agriculture department, across the campuses of
universities, and even in the Gold Dome.
That is when we start to have institutional
influence. That is when we speed up the investment,
research, and infrastructure that is currently lacking.
I hear more and more people using the term
“organic”—not “sustainable,” but “organic.” And not
just from consumers, but nutrition directors and chefs.
“Local” food is a muddy term as local, conventional
offerings become more commonplace. Local food is
great for local economies, but it doesn’t change the
way we chemically grow food in Georgia.
Organic farms will have an upper hand in the future,
but they will need our help to figure out logistics,
solve production challenges, and get certification—
things we could better advocate for if we showed
elected officials and ag regulators that the number of
certified organic farms doubled, then tripled.
In many ways, our movement has abandoned
certified organic. Believe me, I understand why so
many farms aren’t certified. But we would not be
I can’t think of a
louder statement our
movement could make
than for our farmers
to get certified.
where we are today if the National Organic Program
had never come along. It was big, bold, and messy, but
it kickstarted our momentum, and certified organic
will be crucial in the fast-growing GMO fight.
We are not that little food movement that represents
less than 1 percent of Georgia’s agricultural acreage.
We are bigger than that. But we need to reclaim
“certified organic,” even for small farms. If you are
a farmer who is not currently certified, but would
consider going organic, we can help you make that
happen. We need you to make that happen.
It is time for us to stand up and be counted.
Alice Rolls
Executive DIrector
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Farm to School
ut
Check oto
the pho n
album o k!
o
Facebo
From left: Blaine Allen, Dougherty County School Nutrition Director, Emily Rose,
Georgia Organics Farm to School Assistant, Shirley Sherrod, Director of the Southwest Georgia Project, Erin Croom, Georgia Organics Farm to School Director, and
Daa'iyah Salaam, Business Development Specialist for Southwest Georgia Project.
5 million meals spotlight
Dougherty County
Dougherty County is in the heart of
southwest Georgia, and southwest Georgia
is in the heart of Georgia farm country. Its
proximity to so much agriculture makes the
county a crucial proving ground for farm
to school programs. Blaine Allen, School
Nutrition Director of Dougherty County
School System (DCSS), has teamed up with
Southwest Georgia Project for Community
Education, a social justice organization that
advocates to spearhead farm to school efforts
in the region.
Southwest Georgia Project (SWGAP) began
its farm to school initiatives out of a desire
to help small farmers reach a larger market.
Through their partnership with DCSS
schools, the schools have introduced new
vegetables, held taste tests, and built school
gardens tied to core curriculums. “We feel
that it is our obligation, our responsibility, to
not only find markets for our farmers, but to
help shift the way we think about food in this
region,” Daa’iyah Salaam of SWGAP recently
told a cafeteria full of community members.
DCSS serves 21,000 meals every day. Their
nutrition department’s farm to school goal
is to purchase 20 percent of the produce
4
THE DIRT SUMMER 2013
served from farms within 100 miles of the
county. Directing resources to those kinds
of local purchases would give the region’s
economy a huge boost. SWGAP is also
seeking to establish a processing and
distribution center so that products
don’t have to travel all the way to
Atlanta to get washed, cut, and
packaged before heading back
to Albany’s schools. Besides the
economic advantages, Allen, the
DCSS nutrition director, sees
another benefit: produce that is
recently harvested is much higher in
nutrient content. “Farm to school will create
a healthy student body in the Dougherty
County School System,” he said.
In early May, Georgia Organics partnered
with DCSS and SWGAP to lead a
Community Meeting for parents, teachers,
school nutrition staff, and others interested
in current farm to school work and in helping
craft the future vision for farm to school in
their community. We also helped lead a
Farmers’ Forum for several local growers to
meet directly with Allen and discuss what
they can grow for the school next year.
Clarke County kids
enjoyed the fruits (and
vegetables!) of their
labors in an end-ofyear garden party.
This year, Georgia Organics
launched the 5 Million Meals
Campaign to encourage school
nutrition directors to serve local
food. An amazing 40 districts
pledged to serve local this year!
Leaders who have
taken the pledge
Appling County School System
Atlanta Public Schools
Baldwin County Schools
Barrow County School System
Bleckley County School District
Burke County Public Schools
Carrollton City Schools
City Schools of Decatur
Clarke County School District
Clayton County Public Schools
Cobb County School District
Coffee County School System
Colquitt County Schools
Commerce City Schools
Crisp County School System
Decatur County Schools
DeKalb County School District
Dougherty County Schools
Fulton County Schools
Grady County Schools
Gwinnett County
Public Schools
Habersham County Schools
Hall County Schools
Harris County School District
Hart County School System
Jackson County School System
Laurens County Schools
Lowndes County Schools
Madison County School District
Marietta City Schools
Morgan County School System
Newton County Schools
Oconee County Schools
Pickens County Schools
Pierce County Schools
Rockdale County Public Schools
Savannah-Chatham County
Public School System
Thomas County Schools
Tift County Schools
Wilkes County School System
Photo by Anthony-Masterson
Nominate the Next Georgia
Organics Board Member
Heirloom Society
Leave a Legacy with Planned Giving
At Georgia Organics, we dream about a food revolution that
shortens the distance from farm to fork, values organically grown
food, and honors the livelihood of small family farms.
You can be integral to this future food chain by making a planned
gift to Georgia Organics today. Leaving a gift might actually
save your family money by decreasing inheritance taxes through
charitable gift deductions. A simple directive in your will can bring
welcome support to Georgia Organics and the difference we make
in the health of our citizens, our country, and our environment.
Please consider supporting Georgia Organics’ mission by making a
charitable bequest. For more information on how to make a planned
gift, contact a financial advisor or Andrew Ladd, our director of
operations, at [email protected] or 678-702-0400.
Members of Georgia Organics are invited to nominate candidates for
the Board of Directors. The Board supports Georgia Organics’ mission
to connect organic food from Georgia farms to Georgia families by:
• Offering strategic leadership and • Providing strong fiduciary oversight
policy development
• Advocating on behalf of GO
• Providing ideas and creative input
and its members
• Fundraising and recruiting
• Assisting in the work of the
members
organization
Board nominations are a competitive process, and nominees are carefully
vetted by the nomination committee to create a slate that will match the
skills and needs of the organization. There is no guarantee that a nominee
will be selected for the final slate. We strongly invite nominations of candidates with diverse backgrounds and geographic locations and candidates
who have fundraising, farming, logistics and/or financial expertise.
To nominate an individual, please fill out the form available online at
www.georgiaorganics.org/nominationform.pdf and submit by Aug. 1.
Grow the Revolution!
Seed saving special in
our online General Store
Get The Seed Underground: A Growing
Revolution to Save Food by local author
and poet Janisse Ray and The Organic
Seed Grower: A Farmers Guide to Vegetable Seed Production together for $45
for a limited time only!
www.georgiaorganics.org
GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG 5
In The Field
30
number of young and
beginning farmers in this
year's mentor program
Walker comes
to driver's aid
Farmer Services Coordinator Donn
Cooper, our man in the field.
On May 9, five farmers met for a coastal growers field day at Cumberland
Island. Growing on the coast presents a unique set of challenges, and we
wanted to connect them so they could share resources and build a community. From left: Ryan Graycheck, garden manager at the Greyfield Inn in
Cumberland Island, Aaron Bell, the new farmer at Little St. Simon's, Matthew Raiford of Gilliard Farms in Brunswick, Gerard Krewer of Harriet's
Bluff Farm near Woodbine, and Amy Schuster, departing farmer from Little St. Simon's.
Georgia Organics hosted a pastured
poultry field day at Brandon
Chonko's (left) Grassroots Farm in
Reidsville on May 22. Lee Lancaster,
above right, a senior compliance
specialist in the food safety division of the Georgia Department
of Agriculture who's heading up
the new on-farm poultry slaughter
regulations for the state, was one
of the 25 people in attendance.
6
THE DIRT SUMMER 2013
With each edition of The Dirt,
I have too many farmers
to thank for their time,
generosity and dedication to the good food
movement. However,
after a recent trip to southeast Georgia, there is
one person I’d like to single out.
Coasting into Sylvania, I was not surprised to
see the blue lights right behind me. My black
Dodge Charger, a rental with DeKalb plates,
had a little more gettyup than I was used to.
I stopped on the shoulder, gathered my license and rental receipt and handed them to
the patrolman as he approached the window.
“How fast was I going?” I said.
“Sixty-eight in a 55.”
“Oh, wow,” I said, starting to sweat. Didn’t
he know I would never speed intentionally?
This car just goes too fast, officer.
He studied my license. “Do you know where
you’re headed?”
“Relinda Walker. Walker Organic Farms,” I
said, worrying how that word “organic” would
be taken in this part of the state. The previous
day I had driven past countless fields of conventional onions curing in the sun.
“OK,” he said, handing me my things. “You’re
going to want to take a right up here on Route
21. It’s about five miles down the road.”
Now, I’m sure the ticket would have been
written had I not said Relinda Walker’s name,
which, I think, is the moral of the story.
The statistical indicators are inconclusive, if
not disappointing, for the progress of organic
farming in Georgia. Support from legislators
sits between nonexistence and passing acknowledgment. Yet here is an organic farmer whose
person and farm are integral parts of her community and landscape.
Integration within the local community is
the first measure of big-picture success for
organic agriculture. And it’s happening everywhere: from Elberton to Jeffersonville to Newton. Progress starts with people.
We’ve got a movement afoot. Thank you,
Relinda.
Bluffton, GA
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GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG 7
Continued From page 1
earth-shattering fluttered through
my brain. There was no deep,
soulful realization. But the moment itself was right and pure and
settling.
The bees were doing what worker bees were designed to do— locate, harvest, and return nectar
to the hive so that the collective
might survive the cold days and
even colder nights.
Their busyness in preparation
is noteworthy because they were
engaged in the very life-giving
talent bestowed upon each bee to
perform daily. This picture, I believe, breathes volumes into our
daily pursuit of vocation, calling
and purpose.
A farm is certainly a good place
to watch nature make these connections. Pigs rooting and rolling
in mud, chickens hunting a juicy
worm, bees and insects fulfilling
their innate desire to be fruitful.
There is comfort in witnessing
an animal relishing its intended
function, unashamed and deliberate in its movements, careful but
overwhelmingly confident.
I have been encouraged to watch
many of you humbly live out
your callings, as Frederick Buechner said, “where your deep love
meets the world’s deep needs.” As
for us, Jenny and I were reminded last week while pulling red
and white sweet potatoes from
the chocolate-colored earth how
fortunate we were to be digging,
making constant contact with
our beginnings and our end. May
our continual search for purpose
find power in prayer, community,
and the natural world.
Lynn Pugh
Cane Creek Farm, Cumming
I use organic production methods
because I believe that we must
learn to feed ourselves in ways that
are life-giving to creation.
Experiencing and working with
nature all day, most every day will
change a person if they pay attention! Time for reflection is built
into every day, as some tasks are
repetitive and leave plenty of time
8
THE DIRT SUMMER 2013
for thought. I have become more
inclusive and less judgmental as
I come to understand my significance and my insignificance in
this world.
It is a sacred moment for me every time I see a seed germinate. I
know the science of the process,
but the whole thing is clothed in
miracle, as far as I am concerned,
and I feel the presence of God.
Sometimes in my classes, I hear
and see students of diverse backgrounds with different dreams
sharing and enjoying each other
in a truly wonderful way. They are
brought together by their mutual
love of growing and nurturing creation. God is present in such love,
whether people realize it or not. It
brings me great joy to be a part of
such a community.
I have always called myself a
Christian, though maybe not in
the popular understanding of the
word. Better to say, I believe in
following the example of Jesus.
I believe in God as the Creator of
everything including the forces of
nature and evolution. I believe that
humans have been given a special
mission and challenge to learn to
sustain and nurture the world we
are a part of. Part of that mission
is accomplished in the mindful and
considerate production of food.
Rashid Nuri
Truly Living Well Center for
Natural Urban Agriculture,
Atlanta
So many people get up in the
morning and when they go to
work they feel like they are going to hell. They hate it. I can see
it on people’s faces. They have to
gird themselves to be able to go
into the office because they don’t
like the dynamics that are there.
Me, I come out to the garden in
the morning and I know I meet
God right out here, in these plants,
and I can hear [and] see God speak,
see all the miracles that take place:
Clockwise from top left:
Darby Weaver and Elliot
Smith of Sun Dog Farm.
Jenny and Chris Jackson
of Jenny Jack Sun Farm.
Rashid Nuri of the Truly
Living Well Center for
Natural Urban Agriculture. Lynn Pugh of Cane
Creek Farm.
GeoRgia Organics
Good Food Guide
������� 2013-2015 edition
→Your essential guide to←
Photos by Anthony-Masterson
Farm-fresh
& organic food in Georgia
⋆Farms⋆Restaurants & caterers⋆Farmers markets⋆and more!⋆
the connections between us, the plants, and
the soil, and the people that relate here. People come out here just for the peace that they
experience here.
We work very hard to keep the vibrations at a very mellow level. The garden
does not support disharmony. It doesn’t
support discord. These are all things that
are not here. So you can come in and have
peace and be able to commune with nature. People say that, but when you are
communing with nature you are really
communing with God.
Darby Weaver
Sun Dog Farm, Blairsville
Even with the unpredictable weather patterns and bouts of heavy rain, life on our
farm has found its course and navigated
the extremes with grace. After just five
months on the property, Sun Dog Farm is
finally shaping up to be a productive venture and thriving farm organism.
And here I am on a daily basis soaking in
the beautiful expressions of this valley. On
a golden morning harvesting radishes, I
was amazed to realize how much the farm
is an extension of my own consciousness.
There are moments as a farmer when you
look about all of your work and feel a great
sense of pride. There are maybe just as many
moments when you look at all the incredible
life forces around you harnessing energies all
their own and you simply feel grateful.
I have come to realize that my role here
on the farm varies, but it is certainly never
“master” or the “boss.” I am but one part
of the farm organism.
The adage “know your farmer” truly expresses the importance of purchasing food
from the very people who put the seeds
in the ground. When someone loves their
land and crops enough to not only put their
name on the label, but to put their face behind the table at the Farmers Market, it is
quite clear that they are doing what they
love and that love is what grew what they
are offering.
That love is what ensures that the crops
receive proper nutrition, as well as the
people who eat them, and that love carries over into the farm organism as a
whole. Love is as dynamic a force as a
farm is an organism, and the relationship
between the two is the best source of
medicine available today.
The Good
Food Guide
—Are You In?
Production is underway for the 20132015 Georgia Organics Good Food
Guide, the most comprehensive resource on Georgia's sustainable farms,
restaurants, farmers markets, grocery
stores, and other businesses!
Make sure your farm, community
garden, market, or business is listed.
The deadline for submissions is July
16. Farms need to be members in good
standing at the Farm level or higher.
Businesses and Restaurants need to be
business level members in good standing at the $250 level or higher.
Farmers Markets and Community
Gardens do not need to be members in
order to be listed, although it is encouraged. If you meet the criteria above, you
will be listed in both the online interactive Good Food Guide and the printed
version set to debut this fall.
Please re-submit your listing information if it hasn’t been updated in 2013.
If your business or restaurant has several locations, please submit the application separately for each location.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.georgiaorganics.org/become-a-member-today/goodfood-guide
GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG 9
Photo by Anthony-Masterson
Why I
Support
Georgia
Organics'
Capacity
Campaign
By Shirley Daughtry, Heritage Organic Farm
Back when I became Georgia’s first and only certified organic farmer, no one really knew what organic agriculture was.
Back then, there was no organization like Georgia Organics, so I didn’t have
any technical assistance, education, or marketing support. We are lucky to have
a group like Georgia Organics. How I would have loved to have participated in
their farmer mentoring program back when I started, or attended a local conference with 1,000 other farmers, consumers, and advocates.
It has been amazing to watch their progress in educating farmers, launching
farm to school, promoting local food, and building the good food community.
Georgia Organics has been working long and hard, and now it’s time to support
them.
That is why I would like to ask that
you join me in supporting Georgia
Organics’ $1.1 million, three-year
capacity campaign that will grow
this crucial organization so that our
statewide movement becomes more
influential and reputable.
If we want more organic farms and
healthy, toxic-free food, then we must support groups who are working statewide
to truly change agriculture. Georgia Organics is our best hope to do that.
Georgia Organics has raised 70 percent of its goal, but those last dollars are
always the hardest. Please consider the most generous gift you can make. If you
can give $1,000 consider a three-year pledge of $3,000. If you can give $50,
consider pledging $150. We are creating a new future for agriculture in Georgia.
It’s time we all pull out our pens and seize this important moment.
We are creating
a new future
for agriculture
in Georgia.
Please give online by going to www.georgiaorganics.org and clicking “Join/Donate.” Select
“Make a Donation” from the drop-down menu and write “Capacity Campaign” in the
special notes field. For further information and to participate in our Capacity Campaign
please contact Sandy Layton at [email protected] or 678-702-0400.
GeoRgia Organics
Good Food Guide
������� 2013-2015 edition
School Garden Creation - Curricula - Support
Residential - Commercial - Design - Implementation
Masters Agriculture
Masters Landscape Architecture
Certified Permaculture Design
Are you
listed?
→Your essential guide to←
www.sustenancedesign.net - ph: 404.377.2843
10
THE DIRT SUMMER 2013
Farm-fresh
& organic food in Georgia
⋆Farms⋆Restaurants & caterers⋆Farmers markets⋆and more!⋆
Capacity Campaign
Donors
$100,000 +
Suzy & Robert Currey
Wilbur & Hilda Glenn
Family Foundation
The RFP Fund
Robert W. Woodruff Foundation
$10,000 – $49,999
RFF
Alice Rolls
$5,000 – $9,999
The Mendez Foundation
$1,000 – $4,999
Linda DiSantis & Bob Kerr
W.F. Ingram Family Foundation
Les Dames D'Escoffier Atlanta
Melissa Libby
$1-$99
John Ahern
Laura Strickland, Aker
& Doug Acker
Allie Armistead
Judy Ashley
Don Babb
Giana & Eden Bader
Lolly Beck-Pancer
Gena Berry
Grace & Bill Boling
Ellen Bouchard
Cheryl Brady, Foster-Brady Farm
Rosemarie Braun
Tammy & Bill Burnell,
Burnell Farms
Jenn & Mike Burns
Rebecca Burns
Janie & Tommy Carmichael
Kate Cassity
Brooke Carter & Naazir Yamini
Pascale Chambers
Carrie & Alan Chandler,
New Dawn Farm
Quentia C. Chester
Nancy Coveny
Judy & Mike Cunningham
Jodi Daley
Lydia Dalton
Linda Moore
Denise Poole
Julie Shaffer
Barbara Brown Taylor
& Edward Taylor
Eric Wagoner, Locallygrown.net
$500 - $999
Easterlin Farm
Brittany & Matt Gove
Dorothy Kirkley
Ellen Macht
Barbara Petit & C.J. Bolster
$250 - $499
Margaret, Matt, Fin,
& Ella Connelly
Carrie D. Lawson
Matt O'Shea
Elaine Poirier & Michael Elliott
Karen Davis
Kathryn DiMenichi
Nema Etheridge
Ashley Blake Ferguson
Sherry & Edward Fletcher
Sara Fountain
Kerin Fraunfelder
Mark Galvin
Danyelle Gilbert
Joy Goetz
Stephanie & Peter Gordon
Ryan Graycheck, Luke
Graycheck & Maya Velasco
Amy Handler
Peter Hartel
Stacia Hendricks
Catherine Holmes
& David Berle
Carol Hunter
Karen Hurtubise & John Clarke
Julie Jacobson
Jerlyn Jones
Diane & Bill Jordan
Carolyn Kennedy
Tori LaConsay & Ramsey Yount
Holly Lang
Mitch Lawson,
Rise ‘N Shine Farms
Todd Lister, Veribest Farm
Ann Walter & Derek Economy
Woodie Wisebram
$100 - $249
John Bare
Nancy Bock & Bonnie Edwards
Suzanne Burnes
Kelly Campbell-Abel
Harvest Farm
Cheryl Carson
Tamie Cook & Deana Hilton
Creekridge Farms
Marti Breen & Cal Crutchfield
Decimal Place Farm
Down To Earth Foundation
Catherine Dragon
Madelyn & William Duke
Gloria & David Fagin
Craig Gilbert
Jaime Lozano,
Crossed Arrows Farm
Jule-Lynne Macie
Bruce Mathis, The
Home Gardener
Mellonee Mayo
David McCandless
Vanessa, Matt, &
Ethan McIntyre
Sarah McQuade
Holli Medley
Julia Metzker
Karen Minvielle
Raabia Muhammad
Mushroom Mountain
Priscilla Mustin
Joshua Neuman
Chase & Joe Parks
Patchwork City Farms
Karen Pazol & Stu Lipkin
Donna Pennington
& Robert Beard
Sandi & Earnie Philips
Juby Phillips
Matt Pieper
Phoenix Gardens
Ron Prather
Gretchen & John Quarterman,
Okra Paradise Farms
Sandy Golden
Rebecca & Sanjay Gupta
Harvest On Main
Kimberlee & Brandon Ifill
W. Carroll Johnson III
Linda Jones & Ed Hunt
Susan Keller
Gloria Kemp
Jan Kozak
Ann C.W. Lam
Lila McAlpin
Mary Moore & Betty Willis
Liz Peterson
Picky Eaters Buying Club
Sarah & Brendan Prendergast
Deborah Shaw
Joan Sherwood & Debbie Fraker
Judith Smith & Rob Aaron
Joe Windish & Doug Keith
Holly Rand
Constance Roberts
Crus Rodriges
Karen Rose
Kathryn L. Savoie
Katherine A. Shelton
Emily & Michael Shively
Joel Smith
Sara Smith & Stephen Gardner
Smithson Mills
Lois & Paul Swords
Jennifer Teems
Noela & Ignatius Thang
Christine Tholl
Jessica Toral & Bryan Price
Liz & Trey Towery
Alice Varon
Charli Vogt
Eleanor Walker & Dennis Mason
Helen Wall
Grace Nyabura Gatundo Wandu
Belinda & Jason Waters
Peter Webb
Jess & Robert White
Brent Wilson
GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG 11
Nutrition director
farm field trip!
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On May 24, school nutrition directors for Jackson County, Commerce City, and Jefferson City
schools went on a farm field trip! Thirty cafeteria
managers joined them to visit the farms interested in selling to schools in Jackson County
next year, including R2 Farm in Winder. They
met the farmers, and saw first-hand where their
cafeteria’s food will be coming from.
Atlanta, May 15
There are some great farmers
in Atlanta's West End, a hidden gem inside the city limits
where history and agriculture
meet to empower the community. We went to Patchwork
City Farms, which is on the site
of Brown Middle School. We
also visited Haylene Green, the
Garden Queen, who is growing plants from her native
Jamaica, like hibiscus sorrel.
Capitol Steps
On May 8, Georgia Organics Program Director
Michael Wall and Farmer Services Coordinator Donn Cooper met with Chandra Harris,
district director for Congressman David Scott, to
request that the congressman support the Beginning Farmer & Rancher Opportunity Act. (For
more information about the BFROA, go here:
http://sustainableagriculture.net/our-work/
beginning-farmer-bill/) Chandra was great, and
very receptive, and we look forward to working with her and the Rep. Scott in the future!
On May 29, Michael and Donn met with Rep.
Austin Scott to thank him for the work he's
done on the Farm Bill (he supported the
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program). We asked him to continue
to support cost shares for organic certification and agricultural conservation programs
and were extremely encouraged by his
response: "I want to support your industry."
Jefferson, May 6
We hosted a Farmers’ Forum
for growers in the Jackson
County area to meet with
the school nutrition directors
for Jackson County, Commerce City, and Jefferson
City schools. The farmers
supplied a list of products
they can grow for the
schools next year and the
directors are planning their
produce orders accordingly.
Bluffton, May 1
Anthony-Masterson, the
talented team behind
"Grow!" was onsite at White
Oak Pastures to film two
more installments in the
Georgia Organics Field
Trip! series. Farmer Tripp
Eldridge demonstrated fast
and efficient post-harvest
processing and CSA box
packing for the videos.
Americus, April 30
Cafe Campesino hosted a screening
of "Grow!" in their new community
garden. While we were in the neighborhood, we stopped by Koinonia Farm
to film another Field Trip! video with
Anthony-Masterson Productions. This
one featured Brendan Prendergast talking about biological pecan production.
Support Our Efforts! Become a member of Georgia Organics today!
Presentations
Macon, April 25 GO’s Farm to School and Farmer
Services staff hosted a table at this year's annual
FFA Career and Trade Show. Agriculture students
and teachers from across Georgia participated in
a "Name the Herb" activity and discussed farm to
school programming at their schools. We also talked
with students interested in entering the field of
organic and sustainable agriculture after graduation.
Demorest, May 3
Students at Wilbanks Middle
School had a taste test of
Hakurei Turnips from Mill Gap
Farm, grown by farmers Amy
and Chuck Mashburn. Students first tried a raw sample
then moved down the table
to where Chef Lindsey of Lindsey's Culinary Market served
up her famous Turnip Carrot
Gratin. Students ended the
tasting by voting their preferences for the turnips. After
lunch, Chef Lindsey taught the
cafeteria staff how to make
the gratin, which was served
again the next week as a vegetable in the main cafeteria line.
AROUND
THE STATE
April–June 2013
Macon, March 25 Georgia Organics presented
at the Georgia Family Connection Partnership
(GAFCP) train the trainers workshop in Macon.
This workshop was in partnership with PLAY,
an initiative out of Georgia State University
that focuses on policy change with childhood
obesity. The GAFCP has staff in every county, in
partnership with many organizations, who work
toward healthier children, better graduation rates,
improved economic situations for families, and
more. They are responsible for developing the
plan for the community. Not surprisingly, many
counties have become more and more interested
in improving childhood obesity statistics. The
purpose of this meeting was to “train the trainers.”
Habersham county farm
to school pilot program
This project is a collaboration between Georgia
Organics and the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia.
Glenwood, April 22
Georgia Organics' farmer services coordinator Donn Cooper is advising on a SARE
grant to remove bermuda grass from Lola's
Organic Farm, an organic, unmechanized
vegetable farm in Wheeler County. Jerry
Larson is leading the research for the grant.
Albany, May 8 -9
In partnership with Southwest Georgia Project,
we hosted a community meeting for parents,
students, teachers, school nutrition staff, and
others interested in farm to school programs
in Dougherty County. We also joined them
in hosting a Farmers’ Forum for growers in
southwest Georgia to meet with the school nutrition director of Dougherty County Schools.
March 27 All 38 teachers at Wilbanks Middle
School participated in a GO-led workshop on how
to incorporate farm to school into their curriculum. Every teacher will teach at least one lesson
in the school garden before the end of the year.
May 18, Clarkesville Students and staff from
Habersham County participated in the 51st annual
Mountain Laurel Festival in Clarkesville, educating the public about and promoting their farm to
school program. Students walked in the parade,
and school staff gave out a turnip taste test and
answered questions in their farm to school booth.
The My Market Club
We traveled to six different markets across Georgia
to launch the My Market Club, a grant-funded
program that will encourage people to support their
local farmers by committing to regularly shop at
their local farmers markets. Participating markets
include: the Decatur Farmers Market, the East
Atlanta Village Farmers Market, the Forsyth Farmers
Market in Savannah, the Grant Park Farmers Market
in Atlanta, Mulberry Street Market in Macon, and
the Mainstreet Farmers Market in Statesboro.
www.facebook.com/georgiaorganics
GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG 13
Updating Urban Ag in Atlanta
The City of Atlanta will release a new urban agriculture zoning ordinance soon,
which is welcome news—Atlanta’s current zoning law is outdated and doesn’t
allow for community gardens and farms
to thrive.
Current city law impedes urban ag by:
• Preventing urban agriculture operations from obtaining small business loans.
• Blocking urban farmers from getting
business licenses.
• Refusing to allow farmers and community gardeners to enter into legal land
lease agreements.
• And, most importantly, creating a risky
environment where one complaint may jeopardize an entire project.
Farmers markets, community gardens, and
urban farms are critical pieces of the city’s
communal space.
Plus, urban agriculture offers job creation;
Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban
Agriculture (TLW), the foremost urban ag
operation in Atlanta, employs 35 people.
Urban farms are spreading across the city,
with many getting national attention for innovation and community service, especially
TLW’s Wheat Street Gardens in the Martin
Luther King, Jr. Historic district.
Atlanta also has over 150 community gardens,
including 20 through city-initiated community
partnerships. Farmers markets are thriving in
communities all around the city, providing access to healthy, local food in many areas designated as “food deserts” by the USDA.
The Atlanta Public Schools are also working to support local farmers and feed hungry
kids healthy food. This year, Atlanta Public
Schools will be sourcing their lettuce from an
Atlanta-based farming operation on target to
serve nearly 5 million salads with local pesticide-free lettuce grown right
here in Atlanta.
Atlanta needs to update its zoning
code to reflect the true value of these
businesses and amenities.
Georgia Organics has retained Will
Sellers (pictured at left with Georgia Organics Executive Director Alice Rolls) to usher the new urban
ag zoning ordinance through the
city’s Neighborhood Planning Units
(NPU), the city council, and onto the
mayor’s desk.
Sellers is working alongside the Atlanta Local Food Initiative (ALFI), the city of Atlanta’s
Office of Sustainability, Turner Environmental Law Clinic, a network of urban farmers,
and other partners.
To follow this issue, and to help advocate
for the legislation, sign up for the eDirt and
Action Alerts at www.georgiaorganics.org and
click “Sign Up for E-News” in the top right
corner. You can also learn more at www.gogrowatlanta.org. Follow along by checking
out “The Daily Dirt,” at www/georgiaorganics.org/news-center/blog/
Adams-Briscoe Seed Company
“The ABCʼs of Buying Seed”
325 E. Second St. / P.O. Box 19
Jackson, GA. 30233-0019
Since 1946 Adams-Briscoe Seed Company has been serving agriculture and the seed industry
with all types of seeds, many of which are difficult to locate elsewhere. We stock all types of
seeds for cover crops, forages, erosion control, wildlife enhancement, vegetables, land
reclamation and other uses. As a dealer for National Garden Wholesale we also supply a good
assortment of organic fertilizers and plant protection products. Please contact us for a seed and
product list. You may visit our website at www.ABSEED.com
Phone: (770) 775-7826 FAX:(770) 775-7122 E-Mail : [email protected]
Jimmy Adams
Mail Orders Welcome * Credit Cards Accepted
Greg Adams
to harvest, store, and arrange casual bouquets
by doing it with farmer Lynn Pugh. General
principles of design will also be covered.
Lunch will be seasonal veggies, hopefully,
tomato sandwiches. $25.11 a.m.– 1 p.m., (770)
889-3793 5110 Jekyll Rd Cumming, Ga 30040.
Organizations
Did you know that you can
support Georgia Organics in
your company’s employee
giving campaign? You can donate to Georgia
Organics through EarthShare of Georgia and have
a small donation taken out of your paycheck,
which adds up to a significant contribution at the
end of the year! Call Alice to enroll: 678.702.0400.
Events Calendar
For more information, visit
www.georgiaorganics.org/events.
June 17-28, July 8-19, July
22-August 2 Summer Camp at Truly
Living Well, Atlanta Truly Living Well’s
Summer Camp at Wheat Street Garden is a place
where dirt rocks and compost cooks! The camp
promotes environmental stewardship, health
and wellness, and self-discovery! Campers ages
6-14 will learn elements of organic gardening
while engaging in critical thinking, team
building and fun activities. $375 per camper/
per two-week session. Fee includes all activities
and daily lunch. Scholarships may be available
for those needing financial assistance. 9 a.m.-5
p.m., 75 Hilliard Street NE, Atlanta, Georgia
30312. www.trulylivingwell.com
June 29 Innovations In Organic
Farming Field Day, Clayton This
free field day at Ladybug Farms will highlight
progressive on-farm technology involving
gravity-fed irrigation systems and solar energy.
Doug Towery from NRCS will update attendees
on USDA resources, and representatives from
Georgia Organics, among others, will present on
local and statewide nutrition initiatives.
Rain or shine. Optional local farm-fresh lunch
provided by Fromage. (706) 897-1676, www.
ladybugfarms.net
July 10 Flower-Arranging Class at Cane
Creek Farm, Cumming You will learn how
Urban homesteading has never been
more popular, and Georgia Organics is
proud to be the fiscal partner for The
Homestead Atlanta, an educational
resource that has forged a community
around urban homesteading. For the
rest of our super-sizzlin' summer
curriculum—including indigo dyeing,
leather beltmaking, and chances to drive
a team a draft-horses—please visit
www.TheHomesteadATL.com.
June 28 Healthy Animals, Healthy
Soil: Rotational Grazing Want
to learn how to increase your soil and
livestock health all at the same time?
Come learn the wonders of rotational
grazing at EastWest Farm. Whether you
have a small flock of chickens, multiple
cows, or are designing a full, integrated
homestead, discover all that you need to
know from paddocks to fencing. (Show up
early for a milking demonstration!)
June 29 Hugulkultur: The
Self-Watering Garden with a
Crazy Name Hugulkultur not only
makes you sound cool, but it lets you grow
in raised beds that don't need irrigation or
fertilization and sequester carbon. Come
learn more about this elegantly simple
permaculture principle in Piedmont Park
with Kevin Frazier.
Georgia Organics members
get reduced rates for classes!
www.thehomesteadatl.com
July 14 Making Salves and Syrups,
Decatur The Funny Farm's Duane Marcus
will teach you how to make healing salves
for a variety of uses including wound care, lip
balms, baby bottoms and overall skin care.
You will also learn how to make delicious
medicinal syrups you can use alone as tonics
or put in teas, in yogurt, on biscuits, pancakes
and waffles. All supplies are included in the
workshop price, and you'll go home with two
salves and one syrup. $75. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., (770)
527-0395, 4459 Allgood Springs Drive, Stone
Mountain, GA, 30083.
July 18 Honey Harvest Workshop,
Statham Each participant will help to harvest
the honey from the honeycombs in our hives.
Take a taste of honey, comb and all, and see
what you think! The majority of the learning
comes from hands-on experience. Each family
will leave with a “thank you!” jar of honey to
take home. $35 Registration: thelazybfarm.
com/workshops/honey-harvest
July 21 Jct. Kitchen Attack Of
The Killer Tomato Festival, Atlanta
Some of the South’s best chefs, farmers,
and mixologists team up to benefit Georgia
Organics. The festival will once again be held at
JCT. Kitchen & Bar and will spread out over the
pedestrian bridge that connects the two sides
of Westside Provisions District to feature 35+
chef participants, 14 mixologist participants,
and 30+ farmers. The event will also include live
music from The Spazmatics and local chef band
Five Bone Rack. $55 for general public, $50
Georgia Organic members. Tickets purchased
after July 1 are $70 for everyone.
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MAKE YOUR PLANTS WANT TO GROW!
Pure Earthworm Castings
OMRI-certified • Listed Organic
www.appalachianmountaincrawlers.com
(706) 747-1065
GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG 15
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