Annual Growers Meeting

 Kale sprouting in the greenhouse at Cooperative Extension

Despite the freezing temps and snowy ground, we held our Annual Growers Meeting on Tuesday -- I like to think of the meeting as more even more exciting than selecting seeds from the Johnny's catalog.  I look forward to this meeting after months of dreary weather and dwindling fresh, local produce.  Our organization's energy for the meeting is often matched by that of veteran and new growers from around the county who are looking for ways to continue and improve their farming operations through wholesale venues.

More than 40 farmers attended, eating a wonderful local meal including food from five different farms (cooked by Dewain Mackey via funding from Tobacco Trust Fund Commission).  In exchange for their full bellies, we asked for information from them, ranging from their farm history to crops currently planned for 2010.  Now, we gather all of this data as we plan out crop quantities, varieties and the (hopeful) schedule of produce availabilities.  After plenty of brainstorming among Madison Farms folks, we offer information back to farmers.  Would you be interested in growing more Yukon Gold potatoes?  How about doing an early crop of collard greens for Mission Hospital?  There are so many factors on both the production and purchasing ends of this situation, but we end up with a successful year with plenty (and I mean, plenty) of open, transparent communication.

So, here it begins.  I could probably produce a flow chart of communication lines for you, but you can use your imagination: we call farmers, farmers calls us back, we call farmers, farmers call Johnny's Seeds, farmers call us, we call Greenlife Grocery [repeat until late October].  Sometimes we e-mail, and sometimes it seems like we use ESP.

A Man Named Pearl

An exciting announcement, friends:

Madison Family Farms is helping put on An Evening with Pearl at Mars Hill College as part of their ongoing Citizenship Series and Black History Month.  Lifeworks Learning Partnership (with funding from the Ford Foundation) is screening A Man Named Pearl as well as hosting Mr. Fryar for a fabulous event.

Two minutes of your time:
A Man Named Pearl Preview

And the information you require for attending:

An Evening with Pearl Fryar at Mars Hill College

                Late in his profession as a manual laborer, Pearl Fryar began his true life’s work in his backyard.  At nighttime and on his days off from the cannery, Fryar worked tirelessly to turn his simple Bishopville, SC lawn into a fantastical world of topiary shrubs and artwork.  He has crafted a sanctuary despite what the world told him otherwise. 

A Man Named Pearl, a documentary that peeks into his plants and philosophies, will be shown at Harris Media Center on the campus of Mars Hill College, February 17, 2010 at 6 pm.  Mr. Fryar will also be at the event to share his unique perspective with the community. A Man Named Pearl offers a remarkable peek into not only Fryar’s beautiful garden, but also his beautiful spirit.  If you don’t know the story of Pearl Fryar, you are in for a treat.  If you do know his story, you are in for an incredible treat.  His is the story of rising above to create something from nothing.

                “An Evening with Pearl Fryar” is free to the public.  The event is part of the month-long celebration of Black History Month at Mars Hill College, and is made possible by funding from Lifeworks Learning Partnership, Madison Family Farms, and grant monies from the Ford Foundation.

 

Mr. Fryar with his piece de resistance!

A Look Back at MFF, 2004

Aubrey, our organization's president and co-founder, just received some kind words from someone who read an old article on MFF. Here's the article, from Mars Hill College's The Hilltop (November 2004):

Local Farmer Brings New Taste to Cafeteria

Our new friend wrote in response to the article: "My purpose in writing to you is simply to say THANK YOU for supporting this farmer and getting some good green leafies into the stomachs of the kids. I hope the cafeteria is still buying from Mackey Farm, and that the farm is doing well. I also hope you have some appropriately cool signage somewhere in the cafeteria that lets 'em know they are eating good stuff when they eat Mackey's pesticide-free lettuce!"

This manager has noted: "Cooler signs in dining hall."

Seed to Spork: The Issue of School Lunches

This week I must be perched atop a soap box on behalf of Madison Family Farms. Here's a great article that pretty simply outlines the problems in our school cafeterias:

State of the Union's School Lunch

When I lived in Virginia and worked for Appalachian Sustainable Development's Learning Landscapes program, we exposed all the (K-5) children in Washington County to farming, nature and their environment. I say exposed because it certainly felt like an expose based on their jaw-dropping reactions to lessons on pizza ingredients (yes, cheese comes from milk, which comes from a cow, not the back of the grocery). While incorporating all of their State Standards of Learning (math, science, history, writing, etc.), we led the children in planting various gardens on school property which they inevitably harvested, cooked and ate from. I'll never forget the spring day when we harvested all the ingredients from the Salad Garden with our 5th graders.

The kids processed ingredients for homemade salad dressings, herbed butter, and the salad. They were ecstatic! But when it came time to take salad to eat for lunch, many students passed on the green and purple lettuce for their school lunch. What was on their trays that day? One bean burrito, heated in its sealed plastic wrap, one scoop of baked beans and a bag of chips.

It's the battle of finances vs. nutrition in what is, right now, a zero sum game. While we're waiting for a declared winner, I'm going to thank our Madison County Child Nutritionist for make the financially-sound decision to buy local produce from Madison Family Farms.

A Madison County student helps serve samples of
local apples for a school-wide taste test
(Pink Lady and Golden Delicious were a close tie for 1st).

Slow Food, Fast

Anyone who knows me should know that I love Chipotle. Unfortunately for the past 3 years, I've lived in Chipotle-free areas, which is a detriment to my guacamole intake and personal happiness. I just saw this video clip (Chipotle Founder Steve Ells) and was reminded why I appreciate this fast food chain and savor what they create.

Madison Farms has taken great strides to get local, fresh foods into restaurants and grocery stores around Western North Carolina, but one of our most important goals is feeding folks (of all ages) with these fresh ingredients via institutions. We started as an organization whose chief mission was to supply local produce to the Madison County School system. Farmers easily identified produce they could grow in spring and late summer (or store well in fall and winter) that the schools consistently ordered. (Potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, bell peppers, and so on). After we developed this marketing system for K-12 cafeterias, we shifted the model to college cafeterias. And then to hospital cafeterias.

There certainly have been bumps along the road from farm to fork, but I think our story stands as a great model of success. We're coming off a successful meeting with cafeteria staff at Mission Hospital in Asheville where we heard repeated enthusiasm for the food we provide the hospital. The chef shared tedious memories of stringing beans last summer (they, of course, come pre-strung from a larger, industrial food supplier), but he also assured us it's worth it.

The string-bean culprit: Greasy Beans

What's worth it? We're not one-stop shopping (no matter how hard our farmers try, they cannot provide bananas, not even in the hottest of summer months). We don't pre-shred, pre-slice, pre-anything our produce (although we're experimenting with it). Our produce isn't perfect looking -- tomatoes and potatoes are the worst at being misshapen but still perfectly delicious!

But then think about the varieties of homegrown vegetables, the flavors, the quality, the freshness, the remarkable nature of something grown mere miles and picked days before it is laid to its final resting place: our plates. We (local food supporters) get it, and chefs certainly support it. But there's plenty more people to persuade. At least we don't have to worry about the folks at Chipotle (did you watch the video yet?).

A Cold Day to Make a Sale

Seven warm-blooded farmers, bakers and crafters set-up at Madison County Cooperative Extension on Saturday, January 9th for the first day of the Indoor Winter Tailgate Market. Customers dusted off their canvas market bags and filled them with potatoes, eggs, meats, wood carvings and jam.

Christopher and Dewain Mackey describe their

hydroponic lettuce system to a customer

The market even hosted Asher, a craftsman from Madison County, who was on-hand to make custom leather goods or for leather repairs. This Madison Farms Manager is currently brainstorming a proper purse for him to make. Asher also creates some fabulous metal garden tools and plant hangers that are pure whimsy.

Asher working on his antique Singer sewing machine

Although the temperatures outside were in the single digits, vendors sold a huge variety of their goods to customers throughout the day. I must mention the ready-to-eat goods that made McDonald's look shameful: Brenda Dillingham's Banana Nut Bread, Darci DeWulf's Apple Turnover and Dewain Mackey's Sausage Biscuit and Pork Burgers were just some of the items shoppers bit into while perusing the market. (I may have found some crumbs in my scarf from all of those items later on). Join us on January 23rd for Round Two of the Indoor Winter Tailgate Market (which will feature even more vendors!). Stay tuned, friends...

Sunset Valley Farms has a Pineapple Habenero salsa
that will knock the winter chill off right your bones!

Snowy Field Trip

Company came! A consortium of students from Wake Forest University's Divinity School (and its partner schools across the East Coast) paid a visit to MFF to learn about the work we do to promote small family farms in the county. The tour was part of a week long stay in Western North Carolina where the students and leaders visit various non-profits, churches, social justice groups and more to learn about the ongoing efforts to sustain our communities. They were full of questions about MFF, which is flattering to say the least.

After I quit my yapping about local foods and economic development, we sat down to a fine meal cooked by Dewain Mackey (locally produced meats and veggies, of course) and learned more about Cooperative Extension with help from Ross Young, Director, and David Kendall, an Extension Agent. Next, we traveled to East Fork Farm to see a masterful operation run by Steve + Dawn Robertson's family. Sam was at the top of the drive, ready to greet us all with gentle nudges (despite his ferocious guard dog status). Here's Sam:

Sam barks all night to protect his pals

Although the Robertson's two guard dogs and two house dogs were quite the attention-getters, Steve was an excellent host to our group of 30, describing their operations from frustrations to success stories with everything in between. They sell an enormous amount of lamb throughout Madison County and Asheville (restaurants and tailgate markets) as well as throughout the Southeast (look for it at your local Earth Fare and Greenlife Grocery). They've trailblazed on marketing their high-quality meats and, hopefully, it's paid off for them.

Sheep - old and young alike - huddle up away from the snow

(with their chicken friends and guard dog Sally)

But I can't overlook their other enterprising operations: rabbits (no pictures, on account of they are too cute to imagine for...you know...a dinner plate), chickens and their for real free range eggs (as opposed to some you find in the grocery), and their brand spanking new cabin for visitors (agritourism, y'all!). These folks have diversified and our out-of-town guests were awestruck by all that the Robertsons have accomplished in their 13 years farming in Madison County.

This chicken, after snacking on dog food,
greeted most of us with pecks on the calves + shoes