On May 17th I awoke from my slumber in order to examine a local farm which, from what I had heard, still practiced the "old ways". This was not one of the big farms where much of my produce came from. Nor was it a farm located somewhere in Chile where my food had to be traverse distant lands through various modes of transportation. No, this was a small local farm which I have always believed to be an expensive venture into environmentally conscious eating.
When we reached the farm we were greeted by a student who also attended the same college as myself. This really showed how locally supported the farm was. This student who also worked on the farm gave us a tour of the various components which comprised the farm. Much of what the student reiterated was that this farm was indeed one which the local residents would come and work in. Local restaurants would purchase their produce in order to supply their customers with fresh produce. The chickens were not kept in small cages where they had to have their claws removed to prevent from injuring each other. Instead, they were allowed to roam within an enclosed area. There were even some that were free range.
One of the biggest surprises for me was the various types of pigs which were present. I had assumed that all pigs which were used for consumption were the big pink ones. However, there were pigs of different pigmentation and different sizes abound at the farm. There were also various types of cows some from milking and some which would be for consumption. The tour guide clarified that if a cow is for milking it is not slaughtered for consumption.
Some of the practices that the farm engaged in included composting. The dead waste products of the produce and the manure of the live animals was reused to fertilize the soil. This component was one of the aspects which made the farm so sustainable. In comparison to big farms where they use pesticides and herbicides to kill insects and other pests, at Amy's farm they actually wanted more insects to be present in the farm. Insects determined the healthiness of farms.
The owner attempted to be as sustainable as possible. He avoided using plastic to help the plants grow and instead experimented different ways to promote healthy agriculture. The farm also planted certain crops at different times in the year according to the seasons. This was a natural way of growing and did not require excess resources for a product which was not meant to grow at that time. Some sustainable methods which the farm had not implemented as of date was a system to reuse water.
As someone who is always curious about the finances of a situation decided to look at how the farm was able to sustain itself financially. The farm was not subsidized by the government unlike big farms. To compensate for this the farm sold its own produce to local residents at a higher price. One way that the farm did save money was by using volunteer labor. As stated by our tour guide these volunteers were given an abundance of food that they helped grow to compensate them for their efforts. Another way was having locals pitch in to take care of some of the livestock such as cows. Their would be about 16 people who would collectively take care of a cow financially, and in the end they would receive some of the produce from the cow.
In all aspects Amy's farm is a sustainable farm which is able to thrive by remaining local. The work they do reduces the amount of pollution produced drastically since they do not use harmful chemicals and their produce does not have to travel hundreds of miles and touch numerous hands to finally get on a plate. After visiting this farm I am more interested in volunteering at a local farm and even being a part of a local CSA.
When we reached the farm we were greeted by a student who also attended the same college as myself. This really showed how locally supported the farm was. This student who also worked on the farm gave us a tour of the various components which comprised the farm. Much of what the student reiterated was that this farm was indeed one which the local residents would come and work in. Local restaurants would purchase their produce in order to supply their customers with fresh produce. The chickens were not kept in small cages where they had to have their claws removed to prevent from injuring each other. Instead, they were allowed to roam within an enclosed area. There were even some that were free range.
One of the biggest surprises for me was the various types of pigs which were present. I had assumed that all pigs which were used for consumption were the big pink ones. However, there were pigs of different pigmentation and different sizes abound at the farm. There were also various types of cows some from milking and some which would be for consumption. The tour guide clarified that if a cow is for milking it is not slaughtered for consumption.
Some of the practices that the farm engaged in included composting. The dead waste products of the produce and the manure of the live animals was reused to fertilize the soil. This component was one of the aspects which made the farm so sustainable. In comparison to big farms where they use pesticides and herbicides to kill insects and other pests, at Amy's farm they actually wanted more insects to be present in the farm. Insects determined the healthiness of farms.
The owner attempted to be as sustainable as possible. He avoided using plastic to help the plants grow and instead experimented different ways to promote healthy agriculture. The farm also planted certain crops at different times in the year according to the seasons. This was a natural way of growing and did not require excess resources for a product which was not meant to grow at that time. Some sustainable methods which the farm had not implemented as of date was a system to reuse water.
As someone who is always curious about the finances of a situation decided to look at how the farm was able to sustain itself financially. The farm was not subsidized by the government unlike big farms. To compensate for this the farm sold its own produce to local residents at a higher price. One way that the farm did save money was by using volunteer labor. As stated by our tour guide these volunteers were given an abundance of food that they helped grow to compensate them for their efforts. Another way was having locals pitch in to take care of some of the livestock such as cows. Their would be about 16 people who would collectively take care of a cow financially, and in the end they would receive some of the produce from the cow.
In all aspects Amy's farm is a sustainable farm which is able to thrive by remaining local. The work they do reduces the amount of pollution produced drastically since they do not use harmful chemicals and their produce does not have to travel hundreds of miles and touch numerous hands to finally get on a plate. After visiting this farm I am more interested in volunteering at a local farm and even being a part of a local CSA.
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