SOUTHERN SUSTAINABLE FARMING # 19
SUMMER 1998
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Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group
P.O. Box 324, Elkins, AR 72727
Phone (501) 587-0888; E-mail: ssfarm@juno.com
Keith Richards, Editor
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SOUTHERN SUSTAINABLE FARMING is the quarterly
voice of the Southern SAWG, 50 member organizations
working for more sustainable agriculture in 13 Southern
states. The electronic version contains excerpts from the
printed version, and is not complete. Hard copy subscriptions
via U. S. postal service: $15 per year or $25 for two years
=========================================
CONTENTS:
* SSAWG Announces 1999 Conference
* Pastured Poultry in Southern Mississippi
* CFSA Tours Raise Awareness
* Small Farms are Losing Access to Credit
* Calendar of Events
=========================================
SOUTHERN SAWG ANNOUNCES DATES FOR THEIR
1999 CONFERENCE
"Revitalizing Family Farms," the 8th Annual Southern
Sustainable Farming Conference will be held January 15-17,
1999 at Jekyll Island, GA. The 40-plus workshops, childrens
program, trade show, banquet dinner, organic and alternative
fiber fashion show, food tasting, and beautiful setting on the
beach make this a great event. For general information,
contact Jean Mills at 205-333-8504 or e-mail to:
jeanmills@aol.com. For information on trade show
participation, contact Marty Mesh at 352-377-6345 or e-mail
to: fogoffice@aol.com.
==========================================
PASTURED POULTRY PROVIDES CORNERSTONE
FOR SOUTH MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY
by Hollis Watkins and Keith Richards
NEW MEDINA, Mississippi--Having moved from Chicago
nearly ten years ago in search of a better environment for
their families, Rosa and Alvin Shareef, along with Judith and
Abdul Mahmoud, have helped themselves and inspired their
neighbors in this southern Mississippi community through the
development of small family farms.
After buying land and building their own modest homes, the
Shareefs and Mahmouds organized the Marion County Self
Help Organization, a group of low- and moderate-income
Muslim and Christian families who work together to improve
their lives using sustainable agriculture. In the past two years,
with the help of both Heifer Project International (HPI) and
Southern Echo, members have begun grazing a small flock of
St. Croix sheep in a rotational system, are experimenting with
vegetable production, and have researched the growing of cut
flowers. In addition, they have been approved to receive one
male and six female goats from HPI later this year. Each of
these enterprises will help them reach their goal of a diverse,
sustainable farm; but the cornerstone of their plan is pastured
poultry.
Low-Input Operation Allows Easier Entry to Farming
The low-input method of raising chickens on pasture has
allowed these families to begin farming without a large
capital investment, and to expand at their own pace as they
gain expertise. In 1996, when they decided to go into
pastured poultry production for meat and eggs, the Shareefs
and Mahmouds traveled to Virginia for an HPI-sponsored
training. After receiving valuable experience in every aspect
of production from the building of brooders and pens to
preparing the birds for market, they returned to Mississippi
and set up their own operations.
According to Rosa, it takes 6-8 weeks to raise day-old
chicks into tasty, lean meals. Baby chicks are started off in
brooders, then transferred to 10’x12’ pens that can be moved
by a single person. These structures were built by the
Shareefs and Mahmouds from low-cost materials; about
$100-150 worth of lumber, chicken wire, nails, and tin for
the brooder and another $100 in materials for each pen. The
pens are rolled to a different patch of grass each day where
the birds can scratch around for insects and deposit their
manure on the field. Water and non-medicated feed
supplement the birds’ diets.
When they reach a weight of about 3 to 3-1/2 pounds, the
birds are sold live to local customers, then slaughtered and
processed for free. Sales are arranged this way to meet health
regulations. Most of their customers pick up the birds on the
day of slaughter to get the absolute freshest, best quality
meat. In fact, Rosa says a lot of people come by to watch the
slaughtering process, often bringing their children. The
Shareefs and Mahmouds also freeze a few of the birds to hold
for customers who can’t come out right away.
Rosa estimates that each bird costs about $2.50-3.00 to
produce, depending on the fluctuations in the cost of feed.
They are sold for $1.50 per pound.
Because of the high quality of their products, the two
families say their biggest problem is meeting the demand.
After initially posting flyers on area bulletin boards, their sole
advertising is now by word of mouth. According to Rosa,
phone calls constantly come in from families requesting meat
birds. She says, “I tell customers to just try one bird, and I
know they will come back for more. I know I’ll never buy a
supermarket bird again. They just can’t compare to ours in
taste!”
Trials and Errors
As with any new farming enterprise, there have been a few
trials and errors to test the families’ faith. The very first batch
of 100 birds that the Mahmouds raised and processed were
ruined by a malfunctioning freezer, and a neighbor’s dog got
into the pen and killed the Shareefs first 50 layers. According
to Rosa and Judith, these set-backs were really heartbreaking,
but they didn’t deter them from continuing towards their
goals. The Mahmouds obtained a new freezer, the Shareefs
received payment for their loss from the owner of the dog,
and both families bought more birds.
Over the past two years, they have steadily expanded their
expertise and production. Each family raised approximately
1000 birds in 1997. This year the Shareefs are producing 300
birds per month and the Mahmouds have raised about 100
per month. Both families have a goal of raising and
marketing 1000 meat birds per month, the maximum allowed
under state regulations by an individual farm. When they
reach that goal, they hope to be fully sustained from farm
operations.
Bringing People Closer Together
The income hasn’t been the only benefit from their farming
operations. Rosa says, “Working with the chickens has
brought family members closer together.” The children of
both families have shared in the responsibilities of producing
and processing the birds.
Additionally, involvement in the Marion County Self Help
Organization has helped them form a community and reach
out to others. With assistance from HPI and Southern Echo,
members of the Organization attended the last two Southern
SAWG annual conferences where they were able to
participate in workshops and talk with other farm families
like themselves. Back home, the families have shown
neighbors and visitors how to produce pastured poultry, and
in keeping with HPI philosophy, will give away the first kids
born to their goats to others who need a start. As the Shareefs
and Mahmouds pioneer the way with each successful,
sustainable farming enterprise, their whole community is sure
to be enriched.
==========================================
CFSA TOURS RAISE AWARENESS FOR LOCAL
FARMS AND RAISE FUNDS FOR THE ORGANIZATION
By Alyx Perry
Over 1,800 people hit the back roads of North Carolina to
tour small sustainable farms on April 25-26. Organized by
the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA), the
Third Annual Piedmont Farm Tour allowed curious
consumers to visit up to 14 farms in this area just west of
Raleigh-Durham, and see the amazing array of local products
being produced in their back yard.
Begun by a member of CFSA who had farmed in the area
for more than 15 years, the event was started in 1996 to raise
funds for CFSA, and generate publicity for both area farms
and the organization. Organizers also wanted to raise the
awareness about regional sustainability -- to get consumers
out to the farms to meet the farmers with hopes that they
would make an effort to buy more local products in the
future.
The Tour immediately became a community event when
Weaver Street Market, a community-owned grocery with a
reputation for supporting local farmers, signed on as a
sponsor and took an active role in organizing. That first Tour
brought out 750 visitors and raised $4,500 for CFSA; this
year’s Tour raised more than $7,000. The Piedmont Tour has
also spawned tours in the Mountain, Coastal and Triad
regions of the state.
Planning the Event
Tour planning by CFSA staff, members, and Tour sponsors
begins months in advance. Each year after Tour sites are
selected, a brochure including a map with farm locations and
descriptions of the farms is printed. Brochures are distributed
at area natural food stores and farmers' markets. Tour
organizers also send press releases to local newspapers,
magazines, television stations, and radio stations. Newspapers
always feature several of the farms in stories before the Tour,
generating a huge amount of publicity. In addition, ads are
run in CFSA's newsletter, Weaver Street Market's newsletter,
and in local newspapers.
The Piedmont and Triad Tours are held on a Saturday and
Sunday in April to coincide with Earth Day. The other two
Tours are held in the Summer and Fall. Farms are open to
visitors from 1-5 pm with a suggested donation of $5 per
farm or $20 for two days of unlimited touring. Prices are
charged per vehicle to encourage carpooling. Visitors who
pay $20 receive a "Support Local Farms" button to show at
other farms. The Tour is self-guided so that people can visit
as many or as few farms as they like at their own pace, and
signs are posted along roadsides and at the driveways of the
farms in order to help visitors find their way.
At each farm there is a check-in where a volunteer signs
visitors in and answers questions. Many farmers lead
organized tours through their farms, while others let visitors
wander and make themselves available to answer questions.
There are countless opportunities for consumers to learn more
about how their food is produced, for children to meet farm
animals for the first time, and for beginning farmers to learn
from these seasoned growers. The experiences are as
distinctive as the farms. Most farmers take advantage of this
opportunity to sell their products to visitors. Everyone takes
advantage of the opportunity to learn.
This fall, as a thank-you to the farmers, CFSA is organizing
a "Farmer's Tour" so that the farmers on the Piedmont Tour
will have the opportunity to visit each others' farms. They
will tour as a group in a rented van, also giving them an
opportunity to re-evaluate how the Tour is organized.
Although it is difficult to estimate how much of an impact
this event has had on the consumption of local products, it is
clear that consumers have embraced this opportunity to learn
more about farming and our food system. Whether their
interest stems from a goal to live sustainably, trends in
natural product markets, or simply the desire to see a farm;
these visitors offer farmers new markets and hope for the
future. Farmers offer the visitors a glimpse at farm life and
hopefully a stronger connection to the land. As more and
more of these consumers embrace the ideas of preserving
rural areas and promoting sustainability through local food
systems, we hope to find more local farm products on our
shelves and a few more farms on the map.
CFSA is a non-profit membership organization of
farmers, gardeners, consumers, and agricultural
professionals committed to preserving farming as a way of
life and promoting sustainable lifestyles in North and South
Carolina. CFSA has a membership of 500 and also
organizes three regional organic gardening workshops in
NC as well as the Annual Sustainable Agriculture
Conference. If you would like to know more about their
Farm Tours so you can plan a similar event in your area,
contact Alyx Perry, Education Coordinator, CFSA, PO Box
448, Pittsboro, NC 27312; 919- 542-2402;
cfsa@sunsite.unc.edu; www.sunsite.unc.edu/cfsa/index.htm.
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SMALL FARMS ARE LOSING ACCESS TO CREDIT
by Renee A. I. Price
Small and minority farmers throughout the South, as well
as in other regions of the nation, are at risk of losing their
farms and livelihoods unless the Clinton Administration
removes the barriers necessary to restore their access to credit.
Because of existing provisions in the 1996 Farm Bill and the
Equal Credit Opportunities Act, growers and producers
affected by weather-related disasters or the lack of settlement
of outstanding civil rights cases currently are ineligible for
new Farm Services Agency loans for the 1998 planting
season.
According to the 1996 Farm Bill, the Farm Service Agency
must deny any new direct or guaranteed loans to farmers who
have received single debt write-down -- i.e., debt forgiveness
under the 1987 Agricultural Credit Act or though
bankruptcy. This prohibition, which is more restrictive than
virtually all consumer lending practices, is precluding over
50,000 farmers from receiving new credit for the 1998 spring
planting season. Southern SAWG members along small farm
advocates nationwide are pressuring the US Department of
Agriculture to remove the bureaucratic barriers to new loans
for farmers who have had a single debt write-down, both
retroactively and on future loans.
The dilemma is compounded for limited-resource minority
farmers. Recently the US Justice Department issued a
determination barring USDA from settling alleged civil rights
cases more than two years old under the Equal Credit
Opportunities Act. Minority farmers and civil rights activists
subsequently are seeking a waiver of the statute of limitations
for all unresolved civil rights complaints filed during the
period when USDA failed to conduct investigations or resolve
cases. USDA has admitted to discriminatory practices and is
at fault for the delays. The issue hinges on a stipulation in the
Act that the agency can in no way benefit from its own
negligence.
Urgent action is needed if USDA is to remain the agency
that many farmers rely on for assistance as the lender of last
resort. Secretary Dan Glickman, Attorney General Janet
Reno, President Bill Clinton, and US Congress must
cooperate: 1] to waive the statute of limitations so that USDA
can proceed to settle outstanding civil rights cases, and 2] to
remove the single write-down provision so that USDA can
restore access to credit for small and minority farmers.
For further information, contact the Rural
Coalition/Coalcion Rural at: 202-544-9611, or
ruralco@aol.com.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
July 9-12: 4th Annual Mississippi River Conference,
University of Missouri at St. Louis, MO. Contact Mississippi
River Basin Alliance at 314-822-4114 or e-mail to:
mrba@igc.apc.org.
July 19: Virginia Association for Biological Farming
Annual Meeting, Tufton Farm, Monticello, VA. Contact
VABF at 540-967-9212.
Sept 14-18: Working at a Watershed Level, Lexington,
KY. Training course on watershed ecology, system dynamics,
assessment, planning, management and socioeconomic issues.
Contact Barry Tonning, The Council of State Governments at
606-244-8228 or e-mail to: btonning@csg.org.
Sept 18-20: Biodynamic and Organic Gardening
Conference, Red Boiling Springs, TN. Contact Jeff Poppen,
Box 163, Red Boiling Springs, TN 37150; 615-699-2703.
Sept 20: Virginia Harvest Celebration, Richmond, VA.
Contact Eugenia Anderson-Ellis at BuyGreen Virginia,
804-643-3915 or e-mail to: anderellis@aol.com.
** END **
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