Children Play With Earth

My ongoing quest to enjoy a more local & sustainable lifestyle continues, albeit in fits and starts. Here are a few updates...

The quest to exempt small farms from huge licencing fees and facilities will be a long, ugly battle, unfortunately. Mr. Casson had his meeting in Tallahassee bumped back a week, and then learned all about how laws are combined, seemingly to confuse and delay all parties involved. Ultimately, so far it seems that "we, the people" want to be protected more than we want freedom of choice. If you feel otherwise, please let your representatives know. At present, local farms can provide food "for animal consumption only" unless they build & maintain large, expensive processing facilities. If you've visited a local farm, and your kids' cafeteria, you know Fido's getting the better deal!

Speaking of visiting farms, my family will be enjoying an upcoming Saturday at Green Acres Farm in Walnut Hill, Florida. I'm really looking forward to showing my kids happy, healthy animals on a working farm. When I was growing up in rural Maine, farms like this were common; now I have to seek one out just to show my kids a real chicken. No worries, though - I'll share our day trip with you here.

My family has started our own little farm. We planted herbs in containers (we're in military housing, so no "real" gardens allowed). In addition to the herb seedlings, we also planted the seeds of several other herbs. Out of curiosity, we planted both organic and regular commercial seeds of both thyme and chives. It will be interesting to see if there's any difference in the seeds, since the organic seeds were literally twice the price. Everything was planted in organic soil in water-retaining pots. Water shortages are a huge problem here in Florida (usually, not at the moment), so I thought the pots would be an important part of our sustainable garden. Although the pots are plastic, they're reusable and recyclable.

Now that the first herbs and flowers are in, the kids are clamoring for a vegetable garden. I've been considering the Earthbox for a while (again, we need a container garden), but I can't find a local dealer. Josh Mandel has generously posted detailed, step-by-step instructions to make your own container garden here. It still looks like a lot of plastic to me, and I'm not sure my homeowners' association will allow them. If I were the crafty type, maybe I could make oilcloth skirts for them or something, but alas, I'm not. I'm also still toying with the idea of an Aerogarden. The thing that really attracts me to that particular gadget is that I really want to try hydroponics someday. At present, I'm hindered by my housing restrictions, my brown thumbs, and very limited knowledge on the subject. However, what I do know about hydroponic gardening is that it can be done organically, it uses less water than conventional gardening, it provides superior produce, and, done right, it actually improves the environment. How could I not be tempted by that?

In the meantime, I'm loving the dirt under my kids tiny fingernails. I love that they already talk to their little seedlings, coaxing and encouraging them to grow. I love that my kids love their veggies. I love that they get plenty of fresh air and exercise, sunshine and play, and of course, dirt.

"Dig your hands in the dirt, Children play with Earth" ~ Arrested Development

Florida Food Freedom Act - Act Now!

The Florida Food Freedom Act would allow local farms to sell their produce and products directly to us without requiring them to build an expensive "processing" facility, as is currently required. Please read the following description of the bill, as provided by the good people at Green Acres Farm in Walnut Hill, Florida. Hopefully, you will be moved to contact your state legislators and let them know you WANT the option to support local farms, to buy natural produce and products directly from the hands who raise them.

There is a Bill in the Florida Senate, Bill S1900- Florida Food Freedom Act. The purpose of this bill is to exempt small farms, who sell directly to consumers, from some current regulation requirements that are cost prohibitive. Currently to sell any "processed food" (washed eggs, cracked pecans, honey...) in the state of Florida a farmer has to build a facility that meets the Florida Department of Consumer Services- Minimum Construction Requirements. My estimation to build such a facility is about $25,000. That's a hell of a lot of eggs. This bill exempts farmers selling directly to the consumer from this requirement as well as some of the other permit fees currently required. By enacting this bill we will be opening up the availability of locally produced food to Florida Consumers as well as strengthening the stability of Florida's economy. When you buy food from a chain store, much of that money leaves the state, going to the producers in other states and countries as well as going to the chain owners. As we constantly shipping that money out of our community, we are constantly faced with the question of how we can get others to spend their money in our community. This sets up a continually stress economic situation. When you buy locally produced foods and other products, the money you spend continues to circulate in your community thus adding stability to your local economy. This bill effectively reinstates some of our rights by allowing small farmers to once again produce and sell within their own community, begins to strengthen our local economy while encouraging more environmentally sound commerce by reducing the amount of fuel involved to get food to consumers and does all that without requiring the government to spend a dime of taxpayer money. Please don't let this slip through the cracks.

For more information on this Bill and Green Acres Farm, check out their page on Facebook. Your support is greatly appreciated! Farms like Green Acres provide a healthy, sustainable food source that benefit our families, our communities and the environment.