GrassRoots
Farming Advancements and GrassRoots Farmers Networking for a
Change
Farmer-to-Farmer
Networks: Effective Grass-Roots Sharing Farmer-to-farmer
networks are thriving in Wisconsin as a way for farmers
to pool ideas, exchange perspectives, and learn from each
other. Some 20 Wisconsin networks focus on management
intensive rotational grazing, weed and pest management,
soil fertility, herd health, or the economics of farming
sustainably. more info
GrassRoots Networking Forum Online
business networking forums, disussions on connecting
and creating grassRoots opportunities online and off line.
More
Than Just GREAT Food. Join the Movement!
It’s
very important to consume only as many calories as is
recommended in a day. But it’s also important to try
to eat whole foods that are full of the nutrients and micronutrients that really keep your body
running. Foods that are unprocessed and un-tampered with
(like at Chipotle) are more filling and nutritious than
the synthetic foods you might find at other restaurants.
- Locations
CSA keeps food dollars in the local
community and contributes to the maintenance and
establishment of regional food production. CSA supports
the biodiversity of a given area and the support of local
agriculture through the preservation of small farms
producing a wide variety of crops. CSA creates a sense of
social responsibility and stewardship of local land. CSA
puts "the farmers face on food" and increases
understanding of how, where, and by whom our food is
grown.
Polyface, Inc. is a family owned, multi-generational,
pasture-based, beyond organic, local-market farm and
informational outreach in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.
Joel Salatin Shenandoah Valley Farmer with a
Grounded Vision...
IN 1961, William and
Lucille Salatin moved their young family to
Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, purchasing the
most worn-out, eroded, abused farm in the area
near Staunton. Using nature as a pattern,
they and their children began the healing and
innovation that now supports three generations.
Disregarding conventional wisdom,
the Salatins planted trees, built huge compost
piles, dug ponds, moved cows daily with portable
electric fencing, and invented portable
sheltering systems to produce all their animals
on perennial prairie polycultures.
Polyface, Inc. is a
family owned, multi-generational, pasture-based,
beyond organic, local-market farm and
informational outreach in Virginia's Shenandoah
Valley.
Today the farm arguably represents America’s
premier non-industrial food production oasis.
Believing that the Creator’s design is still the
best pattern for the biological world, the Salatin family
invites like-minded folks to join in the farm’s
mission: to develop emotionally, economically,
environmentally enhancing agricultural enterprises and
facilitate their duplication throughout the world.
They produce:
Grass
Feed Salad Bar Beef
Pigaerator
Pork
Pastured
Poultry (Eggs, Broilers, Turkeys)
Forage-Based
Rabbits
Forestry
Products
We are in the redemption business: healing
the land, healing the food, healing the economy, and
healing the culture. Writing, speaking, and farm tours
offer various message venues.
Experience the
satisfaction of knowing your food and your farmer,
building community.
We are your clean meat connection. www.polyfacefarms.com
Genetically engineered foods, sold in most food stores in the
US and in many other countries may be hazardous to the
health and may harm the environment.
The
Benefits for Organic Farming
Protects
future generations
Prevents soil erosion
Protects ground water quality
Saves energy - Modern conventional farming uses more
petroleum than any other single industry, consuming 12%
of the country's total energy supply. Organic farming is
more labor intensive.
Keeps chemicals out of our food chain - Many pesticides
approved by the E.P.A were registered before there was
extensive research which links these chemicals to cancer
and other diseases.
Helps small family farmers
Supports a farm economy without government handouts -
Modern conventional farmers received billions in federal
subsidies this year alone.
Promotes bio-diversity with crop rotations and
sustainable farming practices.
Better tasting products.
Organic Farming Organic
Gardening techniques, topics and selected links to other
Organic Farming information. Organic farming is vital to
our Health and Prosperity.
AgBiz
Tiller -
Monitoring the Activities of Corporate
Agribusiness
Agriculture Network
Information Center - a guide to quality agricultural
information on the Internet as selected by the
National Agricultural Library, Land-Grant
Universities, and other institutions.
AgricultureB2B.com
-
Comprehensive listing of all things agriculture
in the North America and worldwide, including
listings in thousands of categories - from
companies to farms and feed suppliers to training
and transportation and everything in-between.
Community
Farm Alliance (CFA) (Frankfort, Kentucky) - "is a statewide
grassroots organization of persons committed to
family-scale farming as the most efficient and
sustainable form of producing the best quality
food, while protecting the environment and
strengthening rural community life."
Compassion in World
Farming (CIWF) - "Campaigning to end the
factory farming of animals and long distance
transport through hard-hitting political lobbying,
investigations and high profile campaigns."
EliteFarmer.com - "Aims to
disseminate information of use to people with
small farms or rural property. Topics include
farm, food, seeds, crops, plants, vegetables,
flowers, fruit, nuts, garden, horticulture, pest
control and much more. Most documents are in pdf
format."
Environmental Working
Group (EWG) (Washington, D.C.) - "is a not-for-profit
environmental research organization dedicated to
improving public health and protecting the
environment by reducing pollution in air, water
and food."
Factory
Farming Home Page - "Factory farming is an
attitude which regards animals and the natural
world merely as commodities to be exploited for
profit. In animal agriculture, this attitude has
lead to institutionalized animal cruelty, massive
environmental destruction and resource depletion,
and animal and human health risks."
Farm Aid: The Official
Web Site -
"This is the place to join Willie Nelson,
Neil Young and John Mellencamp to fight for
family farmers. Since 1985 these three artists
and thousands of activists like you have raised
their voices on behalf of family farmers."
Farmers' Legal Action
Group, Inc. - "A nonprofit law center
dedicated to providing legal services to family
farmers and their rural communities in order to
help keep family farmers on the land."
The
Garden Gate - "offers gardeners and
nature lovers a carefully-selected and well-organized
collection of links to informative and
interesting horticulture sites around the world."
The Small Farm Resource - "created to help
disseminate information of use to people with
small farms or rural property."
CSA
Shenandoah Valley is a partnership between
a farm and the surrounding community –the
community financially invests in the farm by
purchasing “shares” prior to the
beginning of the growing season and in return,
the farm provides, to the best of its ability, a
variety of fresh vegetables harvested at their
peak weekly.
You can enjoy the bounty of Echo Ridge’s
produce by joining our CSA. CSA members receive a
weekly share of seasonal vegetables and produce
freshly harvested. - Shenandoah
Valley Community Supported Agriculture
