Cultivating Connections: How CFSA Membership Can Benefit Your Farm
Dec/120
Cultivating Connections: How CFSA Membership Can Benefit Your Farm
by Meredith Mizell, Farm Manager, Red Fern Farm
photos provided by Red Fern Farm
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of posts by current CFSA members during our Winter Membership Drive.
Farming is a great life: you can be your own boss, build community, connect with nature daily, and know that your work is meaningful and important. But small, sustainable farming also presents challenges for both new and experienced growers. When you’re growing and guiding your own farm, sometimes you need additional training in aspects of production or marketing. Sometimes you need help finding new markets. Sometimes that big blue sky and those long rows stretching out in front of you get a little lonely and isolated. And sometimes you just need a little reassurance that yes, all that hard work really does mean something!
That’s where an organization like the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) can make a substantial difference in the life of a farmer.
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s the manager of a small family farm– Red Fern Farm in Gray Court, SC — I am constantly amazed and encouraged by CFSA’s work. My first experience with CFSA was at the 2008 Sustainable Agriculture Conference in Anderson, SC. I was 11 when my family moved to 100 acres south of Greenville in 1996, and throughout my teenage years I was just counting the days until I could leave for college. I graduated with a BFA in graphic design in late 2006, but by 2008 had decided a long-term career in graphic design just wasn’t for me. Working in a cubicle farm was hell. But maybe a real farm would be just the thing…
I attended the entire 3-day conference that year armed with pen and paper, determined to absorb as much information as possible. It was a memorable weekend; I enjoyed seeing Joel Salatin deliver the keynote, and I’ll never forget going to Tradd Cotter’s standing-room-only mushroom workshop on Sunday morning. There was so much to see and do, and so many like-minded people surrounding me. The possibilities were endless! What I learned at my first SAC helped form the foundation of my farming knowledge, and has definitely informed my journey.
Since 2008, I’ve been involved in a variety of CFSA events as a member–often as an attendee, and occasionally as a host or presenter. One of the most visible ways our farm has been a part of CFSA events is by participating in the Upstate Farm Tour for the past three years. It’s a lot of work (I admit that I’m something of a perfectionist leading up to a big event like that) but it’s a tremendous opportunity. We average about 300 visitors each year, most of whom are not regular customers. Through their efforts to organize and promote the tour, CFSA puts us in touch with a group that we might not otherwise reach. We get a nice revenue boost during that weekend from on-farm sales, and some of those visitors have become regulars. It’s a win for both us, the farmers, and for the consumers as they have a chance to connect one-on-one with local producers. It’s especially gratifying seeing parents with their children coming out on the tour, because that’s our future!
Speaking of organizing and promoting, I’ve discovered that CFSA is staffed by a cadre of extremely enthusiastic and very hard-working folks. Diana Vossbrinck, our regional coordinator, is a tireless champion of local farms; I love working with her because it’s obvious she cares very much about the people behind the movement. Her many connections–with farmers, chefs, retailers, the media, and consumers–are more than just names and phone numbers, they’re real relationships that benefit everyone involved. That kind of authenticity is a rare commodity, and I’m glad that people like her are a part of CFSA.
My CFSA membership not only connects me to educational opportunities, to potential customers, and to supportive staff members, but also to other member farms. The Sustainable Agriculture Conference is an excellent opportunity to meet other Carolina farmers and to exchange ideas and experiences, but even something as simple as the quarterly CFSA newsletter keeps me feeling like part of the community with farm profiles, an “ask the experts” column, interviews, and sustainable agriculture news. The member listserv also plays a vital role in keeping me up-to-date on training and grant opportunities, regional and national news, special events, and more.
These are all concrete benefits of my CFSA membership. But the value I get from my membership is more than the sum of its parts. Being a part of CFSA reminds me that we’re all in this together and we’re all working towards a better future–for farmers and consumers. Like anyone, I have moments of doubt and worry and insecurity. I get discouraged and wonder if pursuing the life of a farmer and herbalist will pan out for me. But then I remember that I’m not alone in this endeavor. While I cultivate the soil, CFSA is out there working to cultivate a more favorable economic and philosophical environment for small, sustainable farms. Knowing that there is an organization that is advocating on the behalf of farmers, working to help educate consumers, and believing strongly in this movement is reassuring to me.
I’m planning on being a member of CFSA for many years to come, and I’m looking forward to seeing what great things will continue to happen as a result of sustainable agriculture in the Carolinas. I hope you’ll consider becoming a member yourself or, if you’re already a member, telling your friends, family, and customers about CFSA!
Meredith Mizell is a graphic design artist turned full-time farm manager. While she loves growing and cooking our own produce, her real passion is herbs and she is currently studying to become an herbalist. Find out more about Meredith & Red Fern Farm: www.redfernfarms.com.
Cooking up Some Local Food Magic
Nov/120
SAC 2012 Workshop – Cooking with Local Ingredients
by Jacqueline Venner Senske, conference blogger
Listening to speakers who are deeply passionate about what they do is magic. Both Chef Patrick Wagner of the Culinary Institute of the Carolinas and Meredith Mizell of Red Fern Farm glow with passion for what they do and they beamed at the opportunity to share it with others.
Chef Patrick delivered his presentation, “Cooking with Local Ingredients with a Focus on Herbs,” with the skill and clarity of an experienced teacher. And, as any good food professional knows, a taste of something delicious to accompany a presentation ensures a positive reaction. On Saturday afternoon, we got to sample Slow Roasted Beef Short Ribs with Mustard Greens, Melted Onions, Roasted Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes, and Apple Chutney. In a word, YUM.
His presentation offered exactly what you would expect – useful cooking tips and techniques from a pro, along with recipes and suggested flavor combinations. One of the most intriguing suggestions was the combination of lavender and black pepper as a rub for beef and game. He also mentioned adding rosemary to the mix.
A few of my favorite highlights from Chef Wagner…
- The flavors of dry herbs are twice as concentrated as that of fresh herbs.
- Be careful when cooking meat seasoned with a dry rub, a paste, or a marinade. Excess seasoning may stick and burn.
- High acid marinades will cook the proteins in the meat. Cook marinated meats at t lower temp.
- When cooking grains, stirring releases starch. This very useful when making a risotto as you want the start to create a sort of sauce. To get fluffy rice, however, resist the urge to stir! In fact, Chef Wagner recommends starting in on the stove but finishing it for the last 10 minutes to so in the oven to remove the temptation to stir.
- Kosher salt for cooking and seasoning. Sea salt for finishing.
Next up in the session was Meredith Mizell of Red Fern Farm, where she specializes in culinary and medicinal herbs. Meredith pur
sued a graphic design career for several years before returning to her family’s farm. Since then, her passion for herbs has led her to become an expert on growing, drying, and product development. Besides selling fresh and dried herbs, Meredith makes baked goods containing herbs, herb butters, herb-infused vinegars, salves, dream pillows, and more. She hopes to add teas to her produce list very soon as well.
Meredith has learned from her customers that the biggest barrier to using more herbs is storage. Toward that end, she provided Storage Tips for 15 Fresh Herbs. The general theme is to treat them like fresh cut flowers – trim the ends and store upright in a mason jar with fresh water. It’s also helpful to pull an open plastic bag over the top of the upright herbs.
These two presenters spoke about a similar topic from different but equally interesting perspectives, and I left excited to try much of what I’d learned. As Chef Wagner pointed out, knowing the story of your food imbues it with meaning, and having a relationship with the people growing it adds value. Those of us growing and producing food know this perhaps better than anyone. But understanding how to get the most out of that food, how to make its flavors come alive, is one of the most compelling arguments for eating local.
