Tag Archive for farming

The Sustainable Versus The Chain, Presented At Kiwanis

August 16, 2011 Around Madison Comments Off
It takes several people to illustrate the typical long chain between customer and farmer for a processed food product. Left to right: Willie Gamalero, Tara Orlowski, Jo Willis, Lucille Day, Kimberly Halfhill, Jerome Wyche, Doug Freer and Claire Mitchell.

It takes several people to illustrate the typical long chain between customer and farmer for a processed food product. Left to right: Willie Gamalero, Tara Orlowski, Jo Willis, Lucille Day, Kimberly Halfhill, Jerome Wyche, Doug Freer and Claire Mitchell.

By Lynette Norris
Greene Publishing, Inc.

Oliver Bradley took first place in the Kiwanis Club’s recent citrus-selling fundraiser, selling over $2300 worth of fruit.  Roy Ellis took second place with $1275 in sales and George Willis came in third with $1060.

For the Club’s Aug. 11 presentation, Claire Mitchell, of Green Industries in Monticello, spoke on another agricultural topic – sustainable farming and the importance of eating locally grown food.

To illustrate what happens when people buy highly processed foods like soda, Mitchell called on people one by one to come up front and play different parts of the “chain” between the farmer (Doug Freer) who grows the corn, and the customer (Willie Gamalero) who buys the highly processed, sugary soda.  Once the farmer’s corn is harvested, it needs a warehouse (Jerome Wyche) and a truck to get it there; after the warehouse, it needs a factory (Kimberly Halfhill) to turn it into high fructose corn syrup, and another truck to get it there; after the factory, it needs a wholesaler (Lucille Day) and another truck; after the wholesaler, a distributor (Jo Willis) and yet another truck; finally, the product (soda) needs to be trucked to a retailer (Tara Orlowski) who sells it to Gamalero, the customer, for a sheet of green paper.

The green paper was then passed back along the chain and each person tore off what they thought their services were worth, until a very small portion reached Freer.  After Mitchell tore off even more for taxes, fuel, labor, fertilizer and other expenses, Farmer Freer was left with a bit of green not much bigger than a kernel of his corn.

Mitchell then demonstrated the alternative, buying and eating locally grown produce.  The middle links – warehouse (Wyche), factory (Halfhill), wholesaler (Day), distributor (Willis) and retailer (Orlowski) – were taken out of the chain to create a more direct line between the farmer and the customer, reducing the amount of fossil fuel required to transport a processed product all over the country, and putting more profit in the farmer’s hand.

It is also healthier to eat locally, said Mitchell, because even if produce isn’t turned into processed food, the more time that passes after it is harvested, the more nutrients it loses.

Direct-buy farmer’s markets are the most well known sources of fresh produce, but some areas are also taking advantage of online buying and selling.  Local farmers upload what they have to offer, and customers order produce online.  The farmer receives a “pick ticket” and knows exactly how much to pick to fill the orders.  Less harvest goes to waste, and the farmer does not spend hours at a market hoping to sell what he has brought; instead, he drops the orders off at a pick-up center, where customers can come get their purchases.

Mitchell, a native of Tallahassee and a graduate of the University of Florida, came to Green Industries in February of 2011, and said she was “happy to be able to build a career around all these things I care about.”

She will also be conducting a series of workshops for people interested in various sustainable gardening topics, out at Green Industries on Highway 90 in Monticello, three miles west of the Courthouse.

The workshops are $25, require pre-registration, and run every third Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to noon.  The next one is August 20, and deals with cool weather crop planting.  For more information or to register, call 850-973-1702 or visit the website at www.nfcc.edu/green-industries.

 

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G1 Ranch: A True Example Of Organic Farming

June 2, 2011 Around Madison Comments Off
Edward and Penny Green are the owners and operators for G1 Ranch in Madison.

By Kristin Finney
Greene Publishing, Inc.

Edward and Penny Green are the owners and operators for G1 Ranch in Madison.

For those who don’t know, be warned, you are being poisoned! The person poisoning you…is yourself. Nearly all of the foods that you eat, whether it is meat, vegetables, fruits or dairy products, are full of chemicals, growth hormones and other poisons that we, as humans, should not consume. These hormones are given to the animals or plants from the day they are born/planted and are continuously pumped into them until they are ready for processing.
G1 (standing for God 1st) Ranch in Madison is offering another option: A healthier option. Owners Edward and Penny Green have been married since 1974, and moved to their 240-acre ranch in 2000. They have always grown their animals organically. Their cows are grass fed. Edward explained, “A cow isn’t supposed to eat corn or soybeans, it isn’t part of their natural diet. Most of the big beef producers feed their cows corn that is pumped with growth hormones, and then pump their own growth hormones into the cows.” This means that then the consumer is not only eating the unhealthy cow, they are eating the hormones.
The Greens’ cows are born in the spring, and kept until they are around two years old. From the time they are born they are raised the way God intended them to be. They are weaned off of their mothers at between 7-10 months, and then feed off the grass in the fields. The cows are not under stress in this environment like they are in a processing plant. Their cows are not given hormones, antibiotics or shots. They are also not de-wormed with chemical de-wormers. “We grow them like nature would have it,” said Edward.
Though they are just getting into the business of selling their beef, they have done a lot of research into the health benefits of it. They wanted to encourage people to buy their meats and vegetables locally. Not only is it healthier, it helps out the community. “However,” the Greens explained, “Some local growers still feed their cows corn or use chemicals. While buying locally is healthier than buying it from the store, it still isn’t as healthy as it could be if they do that.” This type of farming removes a lot of the Omega 3 and nutrients from the food. “What we do [without chemicals and by not feeding their cows corn] allows for the healthiest product possible.”
The Greens also have a garden that they get most of their produce from. “We believe that produce should be eaten when it is in season, not year around.” They grow peas, corn, tomatoes, watermelon, squash, peppers, potatoes, peanuts, eggplant, okra, cucumbers and onions in their garden. “We still go to the grocery store, but we don’t buy near as much as what most consumers buy.”
They encourage the community to become more aware of what they are eating. As Penny explained, “Knowledge is power, and ignorance is bliss. Most people don’t know what all they are eating. If the ingredient list is three paragraphs long, that is a good indicator that it isn’t healthy. It should have two to three ingredients, maybe salt or oil, but that is about it.”
When asked what got him interested in organic farming, Edward explained, “I began doing research on all of the health issues that people are facing now, as well as seeing my own health declining when I was eating like that. Though I have only scratched the surface on what all there is to it, I began to see just how much poison was going into the foods that we eat. I would love to see more people become educated on what all is going into their foods.”
“We are tied to the Earth from the time we are born,” explained Edward. Penny then laughingly added, “And eventually we go back to the Earth.” Edward continued, “All that we do and eat comes from the Earth. Natural is just healthier. So many people are afraid to try this because it isn’t what they are used to. But it is so much healthier.”
The Greens are just beginning their business and hope to be able to grow and eventually live off their farming. They are also trying to get into pork growing, “Last year we raised four hogs and sold them all to one lady. We hope to be able to grow more and do that again this year, depending on the price of corn.” They also have a few chickens that they harvest eggs from.
If anyone is interested in getting more information on G1 Ranch or the Greens feel free to contact them at (352) 303-0384. Their ranch is located just out of town at 1546 SW Bryan Earnhart Rd.

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