Organic inspection time!
Last week we had the pleasure of hosting Rachel Myers, an organic inspector. She came to survey our land, review our practices, and look through all of our records. She was amazing! Kind, informative, and very thorough. We are pursing Organic Certification through the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association. So far we have been really impressed with their responsiveness, educational resources and general organization.
As stewards of the land first and foremost we really appreciate working with peers who understand and value the importance of sustainable agricultural. Sustainable practices allow us to not only produce delicious food but also create a lasting, positive impact on our land.
Rachel spent at least three hours touring the farm and pouring over our records. We track everything! Everything we do is recorded (there are binders full of excel sheets spilling out all over the farm!). This way we can really see what happens from seed to market. The records help the inspector ensure that we are complying with the National Organic Program standards, but more importantly, they helps us understand what is working and what needs improvement over time. With careful attention and dedication to our land I feel like we are on a path to build a farm that can serve this community for years and years to come.
We are also Certified Naturally Grown (CNG). This is another way for us to distinguish our produce and it is another organization that we believe in - it is helping to promote healthy land use practices and small-scale sustainable agriculture. Today I had the pleasure of discussing the virtues of CNG with our new farm friends at Patchwork Farm. Amy and Bryan are awesome! If you don't know them already, I highly recommend checking them out. They sell at the Grandin Community Market with us on Saturdays so next week from 8am to noon is a great time to meet them!
ALSO the weather is finally warming up and things are really starting to get going out in the field. Broccoli, scallions, all kinds of new kale, CUCUMBERS!, tomatoes and much more coming your way soon! This makes me very happy :)