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DEAR NEW FARM:
I'm considering moving far south and buying a small organic
fruit farm. Are there any books or organizations that may
be able to help me understand all the ups and downs of organic
farming? I currently read a lot about raw vegan nutrition
but need to be more knowledgeable about soil and climates,
etc.
Thank you,
Ari
DEAR ARI:
“All the ups and downs of organic farming” would
fill volumes (in fact it does; just browse
our online bookstore). While the best teacher is experience,
thousands of books and dozens of organizations exist to help
you grow and market produce in your region successfully.
Out of print but available online from the Center for New
Crops and Plant Products at Purdue University, you’ll
find the indispensable Fruits
of Warm Climates by Julia F. Morton (Florida Flair Books,
1987), which gives comprehensive cultural information for
124 types of fruits suitable for tropical regions. (Also available
on CD-ROM at ECHO: Networking Global Hunger Solutions, www.echonet.org;
ECHO offers other excellent resources for tropical farmers
in warmer climates.) For sheer inspiration, pick up Four
Seasons in Five Senses: Things Worth Savoring, by organic
peach farmer and philosopher David Mas Masumoto (W.W. Norton
& Company, 2003). A host of other titles in our online
bookstore address the specific topics of fruit propagation,
organic farming and soil building, and growing your small-farm
business.
You’ll also find a valuable support network at the
Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group www.ssawg.org,
where members have pledged to create “an agricultural
system that is ecologically sound, economically viable, socially
just, and humane.” The New Farm recently covered the
group’s annual Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining
Family Farms Conference in Southern
SAWG conference offers practical tools and solutions for sustaining
family farms. Heifer International www.heifer.org
has also developed programs to assists Southern farmers, and
you will find links to other regional resources on the Heifer
website.
And in addition to all the other ways you can benefit from
our website, we’ll soon be rolling out The New Farm
Resource Page, where you can link to other organizations,
websites, and printed materials geared toward helping new
farmers like you. Finally, our new Beginning Farmer series—focusing
on practical issues from buying land to purchasing equipment—will
begin late this spring.
NF
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