Piney Hill Farm For Sale

Matt and I have just returned from the MOSES Organic Conference in La Crosse, WI. Though we spent much of our time at the conference volunteering at the copy machine and running errands, we also had time to take in workshops and speakers... Participating in this event with so many other organic, sustainable farmers felt like a validation of why it is that we farm organically and why we farm at all for that matter. Dr. Greene gave a presentation about "Why Farmers are my Heroes" that really pointed to the health effects of our widespread pesticide use in this country. It is a common myth that organic food is for the wealthy because it is so expensive, but Dr. Greene reminded me to think of the many costs associated with conventional food that we don't often account for. Childhood diabetes has increased five-fold in the last few decades...(much of this increase is linked to childhood obesity and diets that lack in adequate nutrition). The average child diagnosed with diabetes will pay three million in healthcare costs in their lifetime (which is now reduced by one to two decades from their life expectancy). That starts to make conventional food pretty expensive. Organic food has been proven to be more nutritionally rich. Shouldn't it be worth more? And as I heard one farmer say recently, if we subsidized organic farmers on the level that we subsidize large-scale crop/commodity farmers, maybe we could bring the price down to a level that everyone can afford. After we heard Dr. Greene tell the story about his wife's struggle with breast cancer that is almost certainly a result of her childhood growing up next to a grape farm where they sprayed pesticides right next to her bedroom window, and he brought up the point that many people say organic food is too expensive...I heard the woman behind me mutter "try cancer."

Beyond the affirmations, we came away with new ideas for creating our own compost, year-round greenhouse production, cover-cropping know-how, another Cobra hand-hoe, some organic fish fertilizer, and many more connections to the farming community. It is sunny and 10 degrees today, but I am positively squirming in my overalls to get outside and plant.