Day 2-Day 7

The next few days I started researching organic gardens.  I started out determining where and how many organic farms exist in Collier County.  It appears there are only two.  Eden of Naples, a charity organization benefiting children and adults with Autism and Oaks Organic Farm, a 5 ac. farm in Corkscrew Island, a Rural Fringe area and located near some very environmentally sensitive lands.

Second I queried organic farming and community gardens (since this was also an interest of mine) and came up with a couple of good potential contacts, members of the Collier Fruit Growers Association and advocates of community and organic gardening.  I sent them e-mails asking for advise on how to start a community garden (this is pertinent to organic gardening)- worth a try right?  Still no reply 4 days later...  perseverance is something I have quite a lot of!

On the first Monday I did a couple of things: First, I put a few ads on Craigslist asking if there were people who might be interested in helping me start a community garden in one of the County parks.. and another ad to see if anyone was interested in partnering with me in researching and starting an organic farm.  Second, I enjoyed a bit of market research-- a bit premature but no less fun!  I visited Oaks Market on 41 in the hopes of meeting Mr. Oakes and trying a bit of food from their organic Cafe... I made lots of notes!  Everything I could think of I made notes on.. price of vegetables, number of customers, time of day (noon-time, off-season, Monday), type of customers (generally middle-to upper class clientele), layout and organization of store, etc..


I met with one of the managers and she gave me a lot of good information ranging from the number of people who were needed to manage the 5 ac. property, the type of farming method, the kind of fertilizers used, the crops in production, and a bit of information on the history of Mr. Oakes.  Unfortunately however RH and I were not able to meet with Mr. Oakes so that will have to be saved for another day. 

After that I went to Starbucks and placed a phone call into Eden.. got a lot of info including some info about their farm and farm manager (who happens to also be involved in a bunch of other interests similar to farming and sustainable living!).  Unfortunately the farm was closed for the season.  During my online research, a Natural Awakenings story indicated they were hoping to do a 12-month growing period called permaculture... no luck yet I guess : (

Tuesday I found out the USDA provides loans to new and small business farms, provided they have 3 years experience working on a farm.  I guess I am going to be working VERY closely with one of the two local organic farms!  Also, this is where I got the idea to start a "test" farm on my own property and catalog the progress, what and how I learned, and document my methods and success rates!  Likely will not provide the requisite experience but sure will provide real experience and perhaps some capital?  Also found out there is no need to apply for CERTIFIED USDA ORGANIC when a farm makes less then 5K a year... great start!  Also, RH and I chose a name for the farm.  Green River Organic Farm.  Named after our son and his green eyes!  (Thanks for the idea K!)

Wednesday RH called me at work to tell me about a radio show on the local local radio station (PRI-NPR).  The show called Gulf-Coast live, was having a discussion about gardening in SW Florida!  Perfect!  I ended up being one of those people that actually call-in!  First time for everything!   Got a lot of great information from listening to that show and promised my next goal was to make contact with a few of the presenters for some more information to aid in my quest to start an organic farm!

July 13th 2011: Day 1

Well, actually, it may have been the day before, but I am not into numerology anyway! Around this time my husband and I (finally) agreed:  Something needed to change and we were either going to be a part of it or we weren't- so why not try.  My husband had been obsessing on and off about solar energy solutions, ORC systems, green building technology and starting a new business for a few years now.  Neither he nor I had actually made any real commitment towards starting anything and I had my doubts about changing careers.  My education and training lies in Biology and Environmental Resource Permitting, while my husband owns his own carpentry business.  My husband RH has a plethora of interests stemming from electrical conversions, mechanics, engineering, physics, and cosmology to name a few, while I stick to cultural, social and environmental based interests.  We are both in our late 20's, and our financial situation is, well, to be frankly honest- anemic..  Changing careers sounded expensive, especially for two people who can not afford to work and not make an income, even if it is for only a short time.  Still, something in me just clicked the night he got on his soap box and ranted about why we need to change what we are doing (for the 100th time!).  Something clicked.  I knew it was crazy but somehow it finally made sense, in my heart, at the most basic level.  Sometimes though, they say you just have to be a bit crazy to do do crazy things.  Did I mention this is the first time I have ever blogged and my second-ever post?

   

The Beginnings

As with many endeavors by people, the path that leads them to their future is mostly just plain luck.  In my case, I was lucky enough to be born to parents who have a strong appreciation for both the environment and for society's overall well-being.  I was also lucky enough to be given the opportunity to experience local Florida nature in some of its most verdant, virgin splendor before being changed by what will likely be the perpetual expansion of our human impact- most notably the progress of development for shopping centers, planned unit developments, and high-rise condominiums.   These experiences allowed me to form a strong appreciation for something that forms the bases of our existence: Food.  Where our food comes from and how it is generated affects the earth and all of her inhabitants.  Humans have altered the genetic diversity of planet earth more then any other species and where and how we sustain our existence via our food and farming is the primary juncture between our wild environment and our domesticated world.  My goal:  To greatest extent practicable, lower human's environmental impact upon this earth and increase man-kinds social well-being!  Not too lofty a goal, right? 

I make no promises to anyone and I must accept the possibility of defeat, since humility is one of the most important traits I can imagine, when without it, you can never truly see the environment for what it is: beautiful, ugly, and natural. 

Well, this is my journey!