Insights From One Of Americas Top Organic Farmers

Touch the Soil: What thoughts would you like to share with the public about organics?

Redmond: There is lots of discussion of how organics has started to be industrialized. The USDA definition of organic is simple farming absent of chemicals. Current organic rules don't encompass important social and environmental issues. These excluded issues include the economic importance of buying locally produced food, farm labor conditions, soil erosion, wildlife habitat, and biodiversity.

Touch the Soil: Many family farms have been lost over the last couple of decades, giving rise to a concern about where our future farmers will come from. What can be done?

Redmond: It's not just the farmland that we're losing, it's the farmers as well! Many of these exiting farmers take with them skills and knowledge important for our future. In light of this flight from the American farm, Full Belly Farm has adopted a policy to grow not only food, but to grow new farmers as well.

Touch the Soil: Do you have any trouble finding new apprentices?

Redmond: On the contrary. Every year Full Belly Farm receives over 100 good applications. This far exceeds the five apprentice positions we have to offer. Applications come in from all over the world. Most of the applications, however, are from prospects within the United States, with heavy concentrations from the East and West coasts. Because of the number of applications received, Full Belly Farm is able to take only apprentices with prior experience. This helps not only the apprentices who are called upon to do more at the farm, but helps the farm continue in its real-world setting.

Touch the Soil;: What can people do about rising food costs and health concerns arising out of poor diets?

Redmond: While there is a perception that local and organic foods are more costly, this can be materially mitigated. Full Belly Farm offers a weekly box of organic produce for only $15 and participates at a farmers market in a lower-income neighborhood. One of the important principles of stretching your food dollar is to buy food in-season. People should accustom themselves to the natural cycles of the various foods and buy in bulk when the season is at its peak and prices most reasonable. Some crops are sold by the bunch or head. These crops in season can be much larger (getting more pounds for the dollar) than during off-season. Buying in bulk during a particular crop's season also lends itself to canning and preserving those foods for later use, adding additional savings. Another important principle is to learn how to cook and prepare foods at home. Ready-made foods are expensive. Learning to cook with foods that are in-season allows households to really stretch their food dollars.

[The full interview appears in the Jan/Feb 2007 issue of Touch the Soil™ magazine.]