healthy food - Farmer Friday - Lazy River Farm - SIBEJO

 Intern Amanda is back with another profile of a local farmer...

There are some people in life that you just immediately connect. This is how I felt when I met Mike Watkins at his farm, Lazy River, in Hermon. His patient demeanor coupled with his knack at reading someone�s personality makes for good company. What is more, I was impressed by his immaculate gardens. They leave a person to believe Mike hires help, but in reality he does the majority of the work himself with a little help from his son, Raymond, and brother, Bill. When I complimented Mike on his success, knowing how much time (at least twelve hours/day) and effort he puts into each plant, he modestly responded, �Oh, I putter around.�

21 years ago, Mike Watkins oversaw the growth of a thousand pheasants on only two acres of land. He moved to the North Country, searching like David Rice for that perfect slice of land to satisfy his desires, a hunting preserve and a quiet place to fish. He quickly discovered lending his land to seasonal hunters was not enough to sustain his family. �When you have five hungry kids and a wife that works part time, you learn to do a lot of things,� he quietly commented. Mike began picking fiddleheads and leaks for the spring sale. He used to ship over 800 lbs./week, but the demand was too much as he juggled other jobs. Now Mike sells 200 lbs./week to a company in Vermont. He also has personally cut, sawed and delivered lumber from his hardwood lot to make ends meet.

For 18 years now, Mike has grown a wide range of vegetables. He had no prior experience in farming; nonetheless, his work ethic gleamed in the sun�s rays reflecting on his 200-acre farm. The growth of his vegetables was through a process of trial and many errors. At one point the grassy spots surrounding the house used to be tilled for vegetable cultivation; however, the lack children�s hands permitted grass to grow. Even so, Mike�s sizable beds and three greenhouses make a person wonder if hides extra hours in his day somewhere.

Mike�s success is an upshot of his keen business oriented mind. He can state how many markets worth of produce are in a given row (generally four), and his math skills are quick as well as calculated.  Any excess produce he donates to community members as well as the local food pantry. Mike�s generosity outshined his prickly beard as he encouraged me to take home sweet onions, yellow beans, and blueberries. �Take what you need�do you want anything else?� he kept asking. His kindness isn�t just an after thought or a neighborly gesture either. For example, Mike harvests his watermelons and cantaloupe at a smaller size because he recognizes often commercial size melons spoil before elderly can consume their juicy summer flesh. He also grows sweet corn at the request of Farmers Market customers, even though doing do costs him money.

Mike is what I call a �thinker.� He �tries to make the most with what [he] has.� For example, he

built his greenhouses out of repurposed materials. On the 16� x 90� he only spent $300 to build, using his own lumber and labor. The other greenhouse is two pre-made greenhouses from Tractor Supply Co. put together after they failed to make the growing process worthwhile. He braced the metal poles with three foot stakes, 2�x 6� cedar boards and recycled last year�s plastic from the 16� x 90�. �Desperation is a great provider,� he remarked. That is not to say Mike is desperate or in need; he simply lives a life of innovation and logic.

Management wise, Mike uses the least amount of chemicals necessary, but occasionally will treat his plants with Bull�s eye, Miracle Gro, or CaMg+. To prove wife�s tales are sometimes true, he also spreads dog hair around the garden because deer do not like the scent. Forage oats planted between rows during the summer serve as a cover crop, returning needed nutrients into the ground and cutting unwanted weeds. On a side note, I was surprised at how lush Mike�s gardens appeared. Many farmers are struggling with irrigation as a consequence of this summer�s dry season. Yet, Mike�s sandy soil has withheld fairly well. He bent down to show me this, squeezing a handful of dirt to show how the moisture caused the particles to stick together.

The visit to Mike�s farm reminded me of how life is a process. We often forget when eating a meal that someone, somewhere (hopefully nearby) grew that eggplant or tomato. Someone spent countless hours freeing onions from weeds, milking cows, or planting new crops. We take for granted farming is not only a hobby, but also an occupation. Supporting local food systems is critical for people like Mike who rely on our community for his income.  I left Lazy River Farm feeling like I do after a long conversation with my dad: settled, comforted and informed. I also left with a job blueberry picking�and how could a girl turn that down?

healthy food - Farmers market assistance for seniors - SIBEJO

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball announced that $2 million in Senior Farmers� Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) checks are now available for eligible individuals across the state. The program provides checks to low-income New Yorkers age 60 and older to purchase $20 worth of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables from participating local farmers� markets and farm stands. For the first time, program benefits are being provided on an individual basis instead of per household, expanding the reach of the program to more older New Yorkers.

Commissioner Ball said, �Governor Cuomo has made it a priority to ensure thousands of New Yorkers have access to fresh, healthy foods at affordable prices through programs like the Seniors Farmers� Market Nutrition Program. By implementing this new policy that will provide checks redeemable at a participating farmers� market to individuals rather than by household, even more seniors will be able to take advantage of the program this year, whilesupporting the hundreds of farmers that take part in the community markets.�

In upstate communities, checks are now available at county area Offices for the Aging. Older adults can also access checks at the following Commodity Supplemental Food 

Approximately 120,000 booklets consisting of five $4.00 checks will be distributed this year, allowing for the purchase of fresh, locally-grown fruits and vegetables from 950 farmers vending at over 600 farmers� markets and farm stands across the state. A pocket folder with instructions on how and where to use the checks to purchase fresh, local fruits and vegetables from farmers at the market will be included with each booklet. Checks can be used at participating farmers� markets and farm stands through November 30 of this year.

The Senior FMNP is administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, in cooperation with the New York State Office for the Aging, the New York City Department for the Aging and the New York State Department of Health. For the second consecutive year, additional funding has been provided in the New York State Budget to expand the United States Department of Agriculture�s program.  Nutrition education is provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Eligible recipients must be age 60 or older and meet the income eligibility requirement�$1,832 or less per month for a single or $2,470 per month for a couple� or affirm that they are currently receiving or eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or public assistance or Section 8 housing subsidy. Recipients cannot have received Farmers� Market Nutrition Program checks from any other location.

healthy food - Farmer Friday - Lay Z Ducks Farms - SIBEJO

GardenShare summer intern, Amanda, reflects on another farm visit this week...

When I went grocery shopping at Price Chopper with my parents this week, I couldn�t help but notice distinct differences in our shopping habits now that I buy food for myself. My mom reached for a head of lettuce, leaving me to sigh loudly as an expression of my disapproval because I knew Dulli from Birdsfoot Farm offers a great salad green mix with signature fresh dill. Watching her pick between the six shelves of jams and jellies, I again shook my head knowing Mary-Ellen from Circle G cans the best strawberry-rhubarb jelly in St. Lawrence County. Then, I stopped myself. Was I becoming a food snob?

�Voting with your forks,� as Michael Pollan says, or changing the consumers' shopping habits seems to be the only way we can alter the American style of eating. After all, large-scale farmers produce what the government subsidizes (corn rather than broccoli, soy rather than kale). When one goes to the supermarket, the consumer is essentially foraging for energy. So naturally when one buys to keep essentially alive, stretching food dollars is top priority. For example, one dollar spent in the processed section of the grocery store can offer 1200 calories. Conversely, spending that same dollar in the produce perimeter will get a shopper 250 calories worth of carrots. As a mother, feeding children snack packs after soccer practice then is much cheaper compared to a bag of carrots with a scoop of (organic) peanut butter. The decision is a no-brainer.

I thought back to my visit to Lay-Z Ducks farms, owned by Wendy and Phil. Tragically, a lot of kids in St. Lawrence County don�t understand what real fruits and vegetables are as an upshot of opportunity expenditures.  Not too long ago, Wendy brought carrots to her grandson�s sporting event. She offered the snack to other children, but they declined, claiming her carrots didn�t taste as good as the orange Cheez-its or fruit snacks they are typically accustomed to for a snack. Wendy and Phil have reared their grandson as a locavore. Every Friday, Wendy takes him to the Canton Farmers market. He always makes a pit stop to see Jean Tupper for her famous homemade doughnuts, and he gets excited to pick their produce for the week. His taste buds salivate for a fresh vegetable. �Unless you have been raised to appreciate fruits and vegetables, you just don�t know,� Wendy commented.

This knowledge is something Wendy and Phil practice on their farm. Wendy�s husband, Phil, came home 18 years ago with ducks in an attempt to begin a duck farm. Wendy�s ducks were horrible; they wouldn�t mother their young. �They were just lazy!� exclaimed Wendy, which is how the farm got its name. Fast forward to present day and one can find ducks, heritage breed turkeys, several varieties of chickens, and Overhasli goats. From the goats, Wendy makes three types of cheeses: chevre, mozzarella, and ricotta. The two mothers are milked by hand once a day. In the future Wendy wishes to increase her herd to meet the growing demand for goat cheese. However, Wendy claimed finding fellow goat farmers are difficult; there are only two other locations in St. Lawrence County. Goats aside, Wendy raises approximately fifty Cornish hens for pre-order meat sales each year. Just recently, Phil butchered thirty twelve-week old hens. Wendy is passionate about eating locavore, a term used to express diets largely sourced from local food. All of her animals are fed organic or natural feed. She does not use chemicals on her property.

 For now, Wendy�s profits generate mainly from home base, but she is open to selling at both Canton and Massena Farmers Market. She has found just from her house sales the difference in demographics. Some areas of St. Lawrence County are willing to pay the added value of her labor, even though Wal-Mart or Aldi�s is a cheaper option. Currently, the chickens sell for either $4.50/lb. for pieces or $3/lb. for a whole. Wendy said she tries to present the data on growth hormones, economic development, human treatment, but has found �financial restrictions� prevent many customers from purchasing her products. For Wendy, her bottom line of healthy food outweighs a few extra pennies. �I would rather pay full price and eat half a pound of high quality food (fruits and vegetables), than three pounds of the nutritionally lacking counterpart.� This made me think of �food elitist,� a term used to describe someone who strongly advocates for a return to the healthy basics of buying fresh, local food. The lifestyle can be expensive and largely unrealistic for many, a group that once included myself. So how can we support the local movement without putting up a wall between the public and their choices for healthier living?

This made me wonder the possibility of changing a child�s eating habits if they aren�t the ones footing the bill. Of the families receiving SNAP, approximately 50% are children. If a working mom chooses the less expensive snacks for her children, they will surely learn to prefer that over the healthier alternative. Wendy wishes at school events there was more representation of good quality food. The classic hot dogs, hamburgers, potato chips and Coca-Cola may be tasty, but Wendy desires an apples or orange. �I believe if you are raised out of a box, you stay in a box. I refuse to let our grandson live that way. We actively take him to different markets and the Potsdam Co-Op.� This I recognize is a form of privilege in the form of purchasing capability. However, it is this very privilege GardenShare tries to eliminate through our CSA program and our Double Up program and the Farmers Market. By providing families with an incentive to shop locally, we hope to encourage them to change their eating habits.

healthy food - Farmer Friday - Sawyer Creek Farm - SIBEJO

When people give directions in a small town, the instructions usually go like this:

�Okay, so you�re going to go straight through town past the old Agway. Keep headed down that way until you hit the four-corners with the old dairy farm on the left. When you�ve pass a fallen silo, you�ve reached our place.�

�or something like that.

My visit to Sawyer Creek Farm was a similar experience. Owner Sheila Warden told me to look for her blue house with a red barn, the first one after a right turn. She knew my GPS would certainly fail me once I hit back roads. I pulled into her driveway, disbelieving later that her home was once unlivable in the fall of 1997 when she first moved to the area with her family.

I followed Sheila to the greenhouse she rebuilt last spring after a snowstorm ruined their previous one. Like most farm visits, Sheila doesn�t stop her work just because I am there. This is an act I have come to appreciate because I find the farmers are more in their element. Sheila expressed her hopes to add heat to the greenhouse in the winter as she watered her vegetables because the farm is a zone 3 growing region, unlike the rest of the zone 4 Gouverneur area.

In 2006 after putting their home through a HGTV worthy makeover (I didn�t believe her until she showed me pictures of the transformation), Sheila�s husband brought home a few ewes that needed a rescue home. This was the second time he did this; the first time was over 35 years ago when he got her a ewe for mother�s day in NJ. That ewe was on the plump side, but Sheila assumed the mass of wool covering the presumably nimble frame was the reason. A few days later, the ewe dropped a lamb. Some might say Sheila had the wool pulled over her eyes! Fast forward, to Sawyer Creek Farm in NY and Sheila has been raising sheep ever since. She got back into raising sheep. Starting with the Hampshire rescued ewes, then Dorset�s, then Katahadin hair sheep and finally her favorite, Finnsheep! She has had Finnsheep for 4 years and loves them!!

Sheep jokes aside, Sheila also raises meat/egg chickens, turkeys and pigs. Like many of the farms I�ve visited (Fuller and Smith), the chickens began as a way to save money. Soon friends and family via word of mouth began contacting Sheila for a few chickens and eggs. As she puts it, �As people want[ed] more, I expanded.�

When Sheila first began her meat operation, she knew she didn�t want to have a middleman. Sheila genuinely cares about the product she delivers- ensuring customers get what they pay for without the added markup price stores typically add. As a solution, Sheila does most of the gopher work. In the spring, she calls her regular customers to pre-order an exact amount of chickens/turkeys/pigs/lamb needed (about 150 chickens/season to give an idea). Then, she picks up the animals, raises them to maturation, and personally brings them to a Mennonite butcher who does the processing. From there, she delivers meat directly to customers. The pork and lamb are butchered by USDA certified Red Barn Meats in Croghan. This is repeated three times before October; Sheila understands the want for both fresh meat and freezer space�doing so also divides the labor for her. Sheila charges $3.50/lb. for whole and $4.00/lb. for cut chickens, with the weight ranging from 4 to 9 lbs., although customers can request sizes. Unlike many butchers, Sheila charges by the pound instead of the hanging weight. Again, this practice is for the customers� benefit.

One point Sheila stressed is how Sawyer Creek Farm came to its 95-acre glory. She is proud of what her family has accomplished in such a short amount of time�a feat she attributes to the amount of sweat equity poured into each crevice of the land. Farming aside, Sheila also works as a full-time bus driver during the school year. After working a full workweek, remembering to weed the summer squash or move the portable fence for rotational grazing can be a nuisance. Sheila does it all, but looks forward to the summer when she can focus solely on her animals and plants.

Like Smith Chicken Farm, Sheila strengthens the local food system. The cost to buy, mature, and deliver the small-scale meat does make her prices higher than WalMart or Aldi�s. However, this calls into question of how a local farmer can make a livelihood when they are constantly outcompeted by larger markets. At GardenShare, we stress the importance of buying locally by promoting farmers markets and CSA programs. For every $10 spent at the farmers market, ~$6.20 goes back into the local economy and ~$9.90 out of $10 stays in the state. Contrasting, ~$2.50 remains regional when that same $10 is spent at the aforementioned grocery stores. The need for healthy, accessible food applies to farmers too as they try to create a standard of living while supporting the local community. This is one statement GardenShare seeks to underscore.

Come visit Sheila at the Canton Farmer�s market most Tuesdays and Fridays. There you can buy everything wool in many forms from a raw fleece, yarn, knit items and processed lamb pelts. Also, homemade soap from pork lard and seasonal vegetables. Meat orders taken, but due to food safety the meat will be set up for a scheduled pickup so it will remain cold as long as possible.

healthy food - Farmer Friday - Sweetcore Farm - SIBEJO

It's Farmer Friday again and this time, intern Amanda profiled Dave Rice of Sweetcore Farm.  Dave has a long association with Garden Share, having served three years on the Board of Directors, and still serving on our Fund Development Committee.

As a young adult, I am told the world is at my feet. My career options are endless; I need only to pick a direction of and interest and pursue the path. At times the possibilities are overwhelming, but I find comfort in the garden.  One garden I particularly found solace was on a visit to David and Kathy Rice who live what I aspire to one day do. Stories like David�s, however, are what reassures me when I wonder how I will achieve the same end result.

Dave and Kathy working in the field

David Rice grew up on an eight-acre orchard in New Hampshire with a family vegetable garden and pigs. David�s first job was at Friendly�s, although he helped press cider, work retail, and pack as well as deliver orders on the farm. Because there wasn�t much to learn, David distinguished himself by attending New Hampshire University to major in horticulture with a focus on fruit science. In 1989, David began work-study where he met Kathy. When Dave decided there wasn�t room for expanding, he moved with Kathy to work on a 100-acre farm. Dave was the supervisor to the farm, which profited $24,000 in sales and employed nine full-time employees.

Moving on to the next stage in their life, Dave and Kathy relocated to Madbury, New Hampshire after Dave boldly sent a letter asking for paid employment and housing. The farm had 30 tilled acres: 1,200 apple trees, 2000 blueberry bushes, 1 acre of peaches, 1 acre of pears - for a fruit lover like David this place was a sticky sweet deal. Dave had been offered to pay the farm owner for lease at a percent of the sales and equipment after two years. Meanwhile, Kathy worked in childcare to help make ends meet. As farmers, we know farming is a seasonal job in terms of income; like Dave, most farmers work July-Sept seven days a week. Kathy�s income supplemented the small family during the winter/spring months.

Fast-forward four years. David (now age 35) and Kathy are ready for a change once more. David didn�t like the quantity of pesticides used; economically, the management practice cost him around $3000 a year. What is more, Dave questioned how healthy personal exposure to pesticides actually was as he pulled on a full-body suit every day to spray the fruits. �It�s more of a risk to the applicator than to the consumer�I was always worried,� he commented to me. For a short while, David and Kathy agreed to help a couple operate an eighty-acre farm. He grew wholesale pumpkins (his favorite vegetable to cultivate). He also ran a CSA program, which grew to support 50 families. Yet, the David and Kathy could not see raising a family or living their life there, despite their success. David�s dream of homesteading could not be squandered.

At this point some may call Dave picky. Why not just pick a strip of land, cultivate the soil and raise a family? Farming is simple, right? He clearly had the experience, knowledge, mindset and work ethic to make his vision reality. I respect David and Kathy for not settling; they were unstoppable in their quest for the right location, home and community.

2005 marked the year Dave and Kathy committed to the North Country. Dave and Kathy Rice had bought twelve aces adjacent to a long-time 200-acre dairy farm. Six acres were open for tillage, the other six deemed as unusable wetlands. Their custom built home was cleverly designed not only to comfortably fit a family of four, but also to efficiently burn only 8 cords of wood a NoCo winter. The former owner, Rich Douglass, used the land for pasture, leaving the area extremely fertile and chemical free with very minimal compaction. �I noticed the silt clay loam makes for better fall crops,� Dave said as he knelt down to give the cracked soil a poke. To boost the fertility of his soil further, Dave relies heavily on cover cropping. While many farmers worry about over-tilling the land, which eventually creates a hardpan, Dave believes his organic practices ensure the health of the soil. In fact, he once had Cornell Cooperative Extension survey the soil for compaction, but they thought the meter was broken because no compaction was measured!

Student interns help Dave get the produce
ready for the farmers market

By July they bought a rototiller and were selling at the farmers market. Kathy worked part-time at Birdsfoot Farm. In 2006, Dave became certified organic and a member of the Finger Lakes Organic Co-Op. One year later, he was the biggest producer for North Country Grown Cooperative and served as the vice president. Marketing wise, Dave sells at the farmers market, the former Blackbird Caf�, the 1844 House as well as his new farm stand, which had just been delivered when I arrived for a visit.

Basil, thyme, parsley, dill, chives and storage cilantro, cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, cauliflower, spring kale, zucchini, pot turro pie pumpkins, Adirondack red potatoes, blue potatoes, delacotta, squash, cucumbers, and red onions are just a few herbs and vegetables cultivated with a single walking tractor on Sweetcore farm.

Some of the apple trees

These annual crops, however, leave no legacy for future generations save on the land they grow. The average age of a farmer is 65, and that statistic isn�t getting any younger. Recognizing this national problem, David planted apple orchards. "Liberty, Freedoms, Honey crisp, Gala, Crimson Crisp, Duchess Oldenburg, Macintosh, Cortland, Mantet, Nova Spies, Red-fry:��David rattled off names of apples like mothers do children. His personal relationship with the apples mirrors his connection to the land. I was amazed by how much he knew about each tree.

After giving me a tour, the most extensive one I have been on yet, David invited me into his home for a drink of water. He pays $400 for fuel a year, which accounts for 100 gallons of propane required to heat the water. They use a wood fire oven in winter months. The solar panel, with eight batteries, is their main source of electricity. In hindsight, Dave said he has not saved money using solar energy. In fact, the solar setup was a quarter of the cost to build his house.

Looking at David�s current lifestyle, I was curious. This man has solar energy, a composting toilet system, and minimal waste; He is practically self-sufficient. What does sustainability mean to Sweetcore? David�s answer seemed like not one at all, �We are participating in the food system, we all go to the grocery store.� Even Dave and Kathy, who personify my future goals, admit to feeding into the system of consumerism. I then wanted to know how sustainable he believes GardenShare to be. Is our vision of  �Healthy Food. Healthy Farms. Everybody Eats.� really attainable? In short, yes. David replied, �In order to survive we have to get food to people- healthy and local food.� Dave caters to all customers by �not trying to limit access�. He offers a wide range of products and prices. Growing and selling vegetables is one way he �beats� the food system.