Good Food for Thought: Culture and Connections—Farmer Organizing the SAAFON Way

By Kayla Williams

Kayla Williams is a Farmer Services Coordinator at Georgia Organics.

In this series, we’re revisiting our most recent Good Food for Thought conversations. To register for Georgia Organics’ upcoming Good Food for Thought events, visit gfft.georgiaorganics.org/virtual-events.

On February 10, the Southeastern African American Organic Farmers’ Network (SAAFON) partnered with Georgia Organics for a Good Food for Thought Webinar. Dr. Jahi Chappell, the new Executive Director of SAAFON, along with Tammy Harris, the Agroecology & Education Resource Coordinator. SAAFON focuses on supporting black farmers in the southeast, with member affiliates from Maryland to the US Virgin Islands, through direct services, community building and resource sharing.

Dr. Chappell shared his background in the world of sustainable agriculture that led him to SAAFON, the organizations’ values and its history. Tammy shared the ways in which those values are implemented into SAAFON’s programmatic work and more about specific initiatives they are currently working on.

I’m not going to spend time summarizing the content of the webinar, because it would be doing Dr. Chappell and Tammy Harris a disservice to the knowledge they shared about SAAFON. Instead, you’re encouraged to watch the recorded webinar, click below!

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Want to learn more about SAAFON’s programming or become a member? Visit saafon.org, follow on Instagram @saafon_grows, and on Facebook at facebook.com/SAAFONgrows Want to support SAAFON’s work? Donate at saafon.org/donate.

Join us for upcoming Good Food for Thought sessions in our Winter Webinar series for farmers! Upcoming dates and registration links at gfft.georgiaorganics.org/virtual-events.

Good Food for Thought: Continuing Towards Deep Sustainability

By Porter Mitchell

Porter Mitchell is a Farmer Services Coordinator at Georgia Organics.

In this series, we’re revisiting our most recent Good Food for Thought conversation Continuing Towards Deep Sustainability led by Mark Cain of Dripping Springs Garden. To register for Georgia Organics’ upcoming Good Food for Thought events, visit gfft.georgiaorganics.org/virtual-events.

Mark Cain (front) and partner Michael Crane (behind) tend tulips Courtesy Beth Hall Photography.

Mark Cain and his partner Mike Crane chose the property for the creek. It was 1984 and the young couple wanted to reconnect with the land and begin their own farm. Like so many young farmers that came before them and like so many that would come after, they left the city and settled in a rural nook of the country to live out their dream of having their own farm.

Dry Fork Creek weaves through the back of the seven-acre property, located in a small valley nestled in the spectacular beauty of the Arkansas Ozarks.

“Mike and I used to set up a hammock by the creek on warm afternoons,” remembers Mark. It was one of the most special parts of their new lives as farmers. They would walk down to the creek together and relax in the hammock, enjoying the beauty and peace of their surroundings.

Creek Courtesy of Dripping Springs Garden.

But slowly the afternoons in the hammock became less and less frequent, and then they stopped altogether. There is endless work on a farm and no spare moments for laying in hammocks. There is irrigation to lay, tractors to fix, storms to recover from. There are hundreds of feet of onions to plant, thousands of pounds of greens to wash, and farmers market days that begin at three in the morning. “There’s no end to the work,” notes Mark. “You have to work incredibly hard to even earn a modest living.”

Photo Courtesy Dripping Springs Garden.

A few years went by. The farm was successful and growing a loyal customer base. But the work didn’t get any easier. A friend came to visit the farm and Mark took her on a tour of the property. They came to the creek. Mark explained how he and Mike used to love spending afternoons together in the hammock and how special the creek was to them. “When’s the last time you did that?” the friend asked. Mark couldn’t remember. It had been years.

Mark couldn’t stop thinking about the interaction. The very reason he and Mike began farming—to connect with the natural world and spend more time together—was totally lost in the farm’s whirlwind of constant work and stress.

He couldn’t keep going like this anymore. He was putting off enjoying his life—his hobbies, his friends, his interests—his whole life was consumed by the farm.

And he was getting older too. There wasn’t endless time to finally get around to enjoying himself.

“You don’t want to die wishing you had experienced all of these aspects of life,” reflects Mark. “How can we take time to enjoy what's important to you and still build up the farm?”

He realized that for his farm to be sustainable—to last and keep going—he needed to take care of himself. There is no sustainable farm without a happy and healthy farmer.

Mark began to change his relationship to work. He began to focus on training others and delegating so less was on his shoulders. He instituted a new farm schedule with a mid-afternoon yoga break to care for his (and his staff’s) minds and bodies. He began to focus on ease of movement in his work to put less strain on his body. He devoted himself to following routines, creating rhythms at the farm, and staying organized to reduce stress. He began practicing mindfulness to ground himself in the present and enjoy a cool breeze or the beautiful color of a flower instead of worrying about the work. And he created time for the rest of his life.

Dripping Springs Garden staff, photo courtesy of Dripping Springs Garden.

“We need to set boundaries around what’s important to us so the farm doesn’t eat all of it,” explains Mark. Farmers are not just farmers—they are people with hobbies, interests, friends, and families. Mark stresses how important it is to a farmer’s health and wellbeing to take time for activities outside of farming. 

“Your attention is a precious resource and we need to use it wisely. Remember what makes you feel good—spending time with your kids, taking a walk, playing guitar—these things can be worked into your schedule,” encourages Mark. 

“Farming is a big hog that will gobble up all of your time, so you need to build a fence around the things that are important to you and protect it.”

And take time to remember why you began it all in the first place.

“This is it! This is farming. Farming is beautiful harvests and a mountain of work that’s never done. Come to terms with that to learn how to enjoy what’s happening now.”

Check out the full recording of Mark Cain’s talk here: Continuing Towards Deep Sustainability

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Learn more about Mark Cain and Dripping Springs at drippingspringsgarden.com/our-story

And check out regular tips from Mark Cain on our farmer newsletter, Grower News! Click below.

Reflections on Employee Management and Retention with Hearts of Harvest Farm

By Kayla Williams 

Kayla Williams is a Farmer Services Coordinator at Georgia Organics.

Aluma Farm staff harvesting together. Photo credit Bailey Garrot. (photo taken pre-pandemic)

Running a farm business requires more than just an ability to grow food. If you want to create a business that requires employees, you suddenly jump into managing people, payroll, and human resources. Managing employees can be overwhelming, from training people to fit into your systems to fitting them into the social fabric of your farm. Paul and Lindsey Sorah along with Mark Golden, co-owners/operators of Hearts of Harvest farm in Arnoldsville, GA, have prioritized employee management over the past three years of running their mixed fruit & vegetable, cut flower and mushroom operation.

Paul and Lindsey Sorah of Hearts of Harvest Farm. Courtesy of Hearts of Harvest Farm.

On Wednesday February 3, Paul shared some of his best practices for employee management and retention on a Good Food For Thought webinar.  

The conversation focused on the importance of communicating with your employees – not only do folks have different learning styles and may need to be given directions through multiple different mediums. For example, if you are trying to train three employees on how to wash and pack for market, one may synthesize that information best through demonstration, another may want the process to be written down, and someone else may appreciate being told through conversation.

Giving context to why you are doing what you are doing also can help folks process and internalize material. Paul begins each morning with tasks for the day written on the whiteboard, so all of the employees are on the same page about what the plans are – giving folks their tasks in advance rather than one at a time both allows the employees to manage their time and feel a sense of investment in the day. He has regular check ins with his staff – making sure they know that they can feel comfortable and empowered to give him feedback and lets them know that he cares about their experience working for him.  

Mark Golden of Hearts of Harvest Farm harvesting broccoli. Photo credit Bailey Garrot. (photo taken pre-pandemic)

When looking for employees, Paul emphasizes that “good vibes” is just as if not more important than having a lot of farm experience. Farming is an incredibly intimate job – from long hard days to deep conversations in the field, you want your employees to mesh with each other and with you. Hearts of Harvest gives new hires a 30-day trial period to figure out if they are a good fit – most folks have ended up staying, but some new hires spend two weeks and realize it’s not working for them.

Paul also recommended some “low to no cost morale boosters” regularly expressing gratitude for staff, hosting regular team potlucks, buying staff lunch on a particularly hard day, giving birthday cards. His staff also gets paid time off and flexibility around the holidays.  

It’s all of these practices and more that encourages Heart of Harvests’ employees to come back for multiple seasons.  

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To support Hearts of Harvest Farm visit their website here, and follow them on Instagram @heartsofharvestfarm and at www.facebook.com/heartsofharvestfarm. 

Our Good Food for Thought Winter Webinar for farmers series continues, learn more and register at gfft.georgiaorganics.org/virtual-events.

The Rise and Fall of ‘Farm to Table’ and through it all, our Farmer Champions

By Lauren Cox

Lauren Cox leads Georgia Organics’ Farm to Restaurant and Farmer Champion campaigns as Organic Procurement Coordinator at Georgia Organics. She is also a former farmer.

Blazer of Farmer Champion Gunshow. Photo credit: Bailey Garrot. (photo taken pre-pandemic)

Farm to Table restaurant dining has had its ups and downs as popularity goes. From becoming a hallmark of California cuisine in the 1970s to reaching its zenith and broader accessibility in the early 2000s, the farm to table narrative of freshly cut greens brought in from bucolic fields to clean kitchens and hip restaurants was all the rage. Chalkboards went up, farm names were thrown around, and eaters felt empowered in thinking they knew where their money went.

Then, sadly, came greenwashing. Fad started to come before fact and some restaurants who said they were farm to table -but really weren’t- got called out.* The resulting sour taste left in everyone’s mouth, from restaurant clients to chefs and restaurateurs themselves, has unfortunately endured, in some form or fashion, to today- the street cred of publicly labeling oneself ‘farm to table’ all but vanished.    

Nowadays, when you see locally-sourced food at restaurants, it’s often quietly tucked into the menu rather than spotlighted for all to see. A discerning eye may notice a pickled summer vegetable accompanying a main dish, a cured meat and local cheese board, and almost always the telltale ever-changing daily menu. The chefs and restaurants who sourced from these farms, foragers, and artisanal cheese makers back in the day have continued to do so despite the lack of faith and marketability ‘farm to table’ now holds The challenge now, however,  with being less vocal about this sourcing is that it’s even harder for local-food-loving customers to find out where to go.

For those who may not know, truth is, there are many flavors of ‘farm to table’. Some restaurants will choose to support farmers through seasonal, ‘one-off’ purchasing. Take, for example, the neighborhood pizzeria that only changes its menu, once a year, for tomatoes. Then there are highly visible, highly marketable, pre-pandemic farm to table dinners featuring a prix-fixe ‘journey’ through a local farm’s walk-in cooler, steep price point, and the always exciting chance to eat dinner seated next to an honest to goodness, dirt under the nails, Canadian tuxedo-wearing farmer. There are those fundraising events that ham up chef-farm partnerships and even those restaurants that find themselves having crossed over into the farmer world through rotating chef demos and food tents at a local weekly market.

Nathan Brett of DaySpring Farms and Chris Wilkins of Farmer Champion Root Baking Co. Photo credit: Bailey Garrot. (photo taken pre-pandemic)

All these  examples are valid ways for restaurants to support the local food movement , but if you were to ask a farmer where it counts, they’ll likely tell you that it’s those restaurants that buy from them week to week and month over month, that truly represent the farm to table ethos. 

Quite often, the weekly flow for a farm to restaurant sourcing relationship looks something like this: The farmer walks out to their field on Monday morning and checks what’s ready for harvest. They then send a list of what’s available to whoever leads weekly ordering at the restaurant; often this is done directly with the executive chef, their chef de cuisine, or sous chef. Within a 24-hour window, the farmer receives the restaurant’s order and harvesting begins. One day passes then the farmer pulls fresh produce, meat, grain, etc. from a post-harvest temporary home, loads everything into a van, and makes the drive to deliver. Sounds pretty straight forward right? Well, not exactly. 

West Georgia Farmers Cooperative farmer dropping weekly orders at Miller Union. Photo credit: Bailey Garrot. (photo taken pre-pandemic).

Many factors determine what a successful (and therefore long-lived) farm to restaurant relationship looks like. First off, does the price point work for the farmer AND the chef, and is the farmer growing something the chef wants? What about a chef that is unwilling to work with different products in place of an ingredient they originally planned for? Let’s be honest, folks, some things just don’t grow well in Georgia.

And what about supply? Some farmers may not individually have enough of one thing to supply a high-volume restaurant so is the effort in training and retraining the kitchen to switch dishes and the servers to remember the substitutes even worth it? Where is that farmer who sells unripe, green strawberries anyway?? And most importantly, will people show up to eat at these restaurants or order take out in the middle of a pandemic? 

Chipping away at the mythical meaning of ‘farm to restaurant’ is valuable so that eaters can support restaurants that support farmers if they so choose. Having the knowledge to make thoughtful dining choices is more important than ever, as we’ve seen restaurants both big and small, locally owned and corporate alike, forced to permanently close their doors during the pandemic.

The takeaway is that without a doubt, where you spend your money as a consumer counts. 

Aluma Farm owners Andy Friedberg and Andrea Ness with Chef Terry Koval of Farmer Champion The Deer and The Dove. Photo credit: Bailey Garrot. (photo taken pre-pandemic)

In 2019 Georgia Organics created the Farmer Champion campaign based on hearing from chefs and farmers what it looks like when restaurants source locally, day in and day out. Many of the aforementioned questions came up, but none of them deterred the restaurants that were committed to their Georgia farmers. Weekly purchasing of local products and these conversations helped inform the creation of a tiered, quantifiable scoring system based on the percentage of a restaurant’s total food costs going towards in-state and Certified Organic producers. Learn more about this system and our Farm to Restaurant program at farmtorestaurant.georgiaorganics.org/.

To date, 20 restaurants are part of this campaign, hailing from Atlanta, Athens, and Macon with their contact info listed on the Restaurants page of Georgia Organics’ Good Food Guide at gfg.georgiaorganics.org/restaurants.

In the realm of ‘farm to restaurant’, there is no doubt that relationships reign supreme so as you think about where to eat, consider supporting these connections and what they mean by eating with our Farmer Champions.

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Find Farmer Champions near you on the Restaurants page of The Good Food Guide at gfg.georgiaorganics.org/restaurants

Learn more about the Farm to Restaurant program at farmtorestaurant.georgiaorganics.org/

*In 2016 the Tampa Bay Times released an investigative article titled Farm To Fable, that exposed instances of green-washing by popular Tampa Bay restaurants. Georgia Organics’ Farmer Champion campaign seeks to create transparency in sourcing and be a resource for eaters who are interested in supporting chefs and restaurants that buy from Georgia farmers while the Farm to Restaurant program works with Georgia farm to help them become restaurant ready. 

Good Food for Thought: Accessing NRCS Programs for Your Livestock Operation

By Kayla Williams 

Photo credit: Deep Grass Graziers  

Looking to create a rotational grazing plan or add fencing to your pastured cattle operation? Improve your water quality by creating stream barriers to prevent your pigs from getting into the water? The NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) is here to help! On Wednesday January 27, Good Food for Thought hosted a webinar featuring Bryan Hager of Crager Hager Farm, Ricky Dollison of Dollison Farms, and Jose Pagan from the NRCS to share resources and advice on accessing NRCS support for livestock operations. The NRCS is not a regulatory agency, and they work with private landowners on a voluntary basis.  

Ricky Dollison of Dollison Farms

Bryan Hager of Crager Hager Farm 

After verifying that you are registered with the FSA (Farm Service Agency), an NRCS agent from your region will help you first create a map of your property and then, a conservation plan based on your land and needs from land use on specific fields to soils maps. 

The NRCS has soil scientists, biologists, grazing land specialists, engineers and more, all to help you evaluate your land and create a conservation plan that works for your operation, so we encourage you to be expansive in the questions that you ask NRCS–you may be surprised with what they can help you with.  

Photo credit: Ricky Dollison of Dollison Farms 

From planting trees and shrubs along streams to watering facilities for your livestock to forage planting and creating a rotational grazing plan, there are many projects that the NRCS can assist you with. The majority of these NRCS conservation programs are funded by EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program). 

To incentivize and support these conservation projects, the NRCS will reimburse you based on the volume of activity like acreage of field seeded, linear feet of fencing installed or number of watering stations. They do have advanced reimbursement funding available for folks from underserved communities, so it doesn’t hurt to ask if that’s applicable to you!

Ask your NRCS representative about “Land Conservation Initiatives” – they have special pools of funding for specific projects they are working on, like establishing long leaf pines and protecting gopher tortoise populations in South Georgia.   

Infographic from NRCS 

Ready to contact your local NRCS office? Here are some tips to keep in mind! 

Not all projects will be funded, and the most funding is available at the beginning of the federal government’s fiscal year in early October, so keep that in mind when you are planning when to begin the process with NRCS. If you’re hoping to build a barn, purchase equipment or build perimeter fencing with funds from the NRCS, think again. Their role is to support existing farm businesses, not to put your business into initial operation. 

When you sign a contract, they set aside funds to reimburse you for, so don’t sign up for more projects than you can realistically implement! Be sure to keep records of everything relating to the project. You are expected to complete the contract in two years and when you do complete your contract, contact NRCS to receive your payment.

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Join us for upcoming Good Food for Thought sessions in our Winter Webinar series for farmers! Upcoming dates and registration links at gfft.georgiaorganics.org/virtual-events.

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Kayla Williams is a Farmer Services Coordinator at Georgia Organics. To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit www.georgiaorganics.org and follow us on Instagram @GeorgiaOrganics, Twitter @GeorgiaOrganics, and at www.Facebook.com/GeorgiaOrganics. 

Learning Beyond the Classroom: Fulton County School Nutrition Celebrates Black History Month

Kimberly Della Donna in conversation with Denielle Saitta

Kimberly Della Donna is the Farm to School Director at Georgia Organics. Denielle Saitta is the Project Manager of Marketing & Communications for Fulton County School Nutrition Program.

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Denielle Saitta, the Fulton County School Nutrition Program Project Manager of Marketing and Communications, is affectionately known by her team as “the School Nutrition Cheerleader.” She is part of an entire team that loves to celebrate. In addition to providing nutritious breakfast and lunch daily to over 96,000 students, Café Managers implement seven marketing promotions each school year that incorporate nutrition education, special holidays, and school-sponsored events. 

Each month Fulton cafes recognize a different cultural cuisine to explore nutrition, culture, and culinary traditions while marketing the offerings of their menus. This initiative celebrates the many cultural backgrounds that make up Fulton County Schools’ students, teachers, and staff. This month they are celebrating Black History Month, honoring black culture and remembering those who have made great strides throughout history. 

Denielle sees the month-long celebration as an educational opportunity to fill in the gaps not found in textbooks or classrooms. “By exploring different heritages and cuisines, we honor and celebrate different cultures. From something as simple as an ice cream scoop or as commonplace as refrigerated trucking, African Americans have always been vital creators and inventors and have helped shape food industries.” 

A Fulton County School Nutrition education display, courtesy of Denielle Saitta. All images are from pre-pandemic celebrations.

Fulton County School Nutrition has celebrated Black History Month since Denielle started in 2016. “Every year, we provide Café Managers promotional resources and nutrition education material. Some café Managers have conducted nutrition education lessons on influential African Americans in food and George Washington Carver. We offer a limited-time Southern Fare menu to students and the school community. The menu may include southern breaded chicken, locally grown collard greens, black-eyed peas, peach or apple crisp, and fresh fruit. The celebration provides students the opportunity to examine the connection between food and nutrition with African American culture and history.”  

Denielle notes that the Black History Month celebration is just one of many Fulton County Schools promotions that bring learning beyond the classroom and into the cafeteria. “Our cafes have always been an extension of the classroom! The Fulton School Nutrition Program helps set goals for nutrition education, physical activity, and other school-sponsored activities. All 95 Café Managers plan and implement two classroom-based nutrition education related promotions each school year. Café Managers visit student classrooms for the lesson or will have the students come to their ‘classrooms’ – the kitchen! Inviting students into the kitchen gives Café Managers a chance to show students all tools and equipment they use when preparing their school food.” 

Although 2021 celebrations and promotions are happening virtually and school meals are picked up curbside and enjoyed while social distancing, the Fulton County School Nutrition Program remains dedicated to serving all students nutritious, safe, and customer acceptable meals in support of academic achievement.  “For many families, schools are the one place their children can get a nutritious meal,” said Alyssia Wright, Executive Director of the Fulton County School Nutrition Program. “While the location and meal service method might be different, our students and families can count on us for nutritious and safe school meals.” This month, students can enjoy the cultural exploration and culinary celebration of Black History Month along with a delicious meal!

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Danielle Saitta is the Project Manager of Marketing & Communications for Fulton County Schools Nutrition Program. To learn more about the Fulton County School Nutrition Program, please visit, https://nutrition.fultonschools.org/ and follow us on Instagram @FCSNutrition, Twitter @FCSNutrition, and at https://www.facebook.com/FCSNutrition

Kimberly Della Donna is the Farm to School Director at Georgia Organics. To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit www.georgiaorganics.org and follow us on Instagram @GeorgiaOrganics, Twitter @GeorgiaOrganics, and at www.Facebook.com/GeorgiaOrganics.

Three Locally-Inspired Winter Recipes from Recent Guests of The Atlanta Foodcast

By Mary Elizabeth Kidd

We’re sharing some warming recipes from our recent Foodcast and blog guests to keep you cozy this winter and to make great use of the season’s produce.

The following recipes were provided by guests of our recent episode of the Atlanta Foodcast, which featured leaders from three independent Georgia co-ops and groceries: Ahzjah Simons of Atlanta’s Sevananda Natural Foods Co-Op, Kara Brown and Theo Horne of Athens’ Daily Groceries Co-op, and Kristin Russell of Savannah’s Brighter Day Natural Foods and the Sentient Bean.

You can read more about these stores and listen to the episode at ATLfoodcast.com.

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RECIPES FROM THREE GEORGIA NATURAL GROCERS

Graphic courtesy of Daily Groceries Co-Op

Local independent and cooperative grocers, particularly health-driven food stores, fill a special role in nurturing a holistic, connected, nourished community, so we were excited to talk to them about their role in their respective communities of Atlanta, Athens, and Savannah.

We explored how they’ve each braved the ever-changing pandemic economy and engaged with their neighbors during the ongoing pursuit for racial justice. For this episode, we also spoke to Bilal Sarwari, Membership & Communications Manager at National Young Farmers Coalition. Bilal will be joining the Atlanta Foodcast as a guest host soon, stay tuned!

You can listen and subscribe to the Atlanta Foodcast wherever you access podcasts, links and show notes are available at ATLfoodcast.com.

Enjoy the following recipes…bon appetit and remember to #StayLocal with Georgia Organics!

DAILY’S VEGETABLE SOUP

Courtesy of Theo Horne, outreach & marketing manager at Daily Groceries Co-op in Athens (dailygroceries.org/), via the Daily’s Fresh Manager, who adds: “This is a great recipe for tossing in all those veggies sitting in your fridge that are getting a little past their prime.”

Vegan, Gluten Free

INGREDIENTS

Veggies to add some heart:

• Carrots

• Onion

• Celery

• Green bell pepper

• Potatoes

• Zucchini

• Curly kale

• Cherry tomatoes

• Approx. 1.5 Tablespoons of tomato paste

• 2-3 Veggie bouillon cubes

• We’ve also been known to also toss in cauliflower, radishes, shallots, etc.

Herbs & spices to keep you warm:

Start with a teaspoon of each, add more to taste:

• Turmeric

• Ginger

• Curry Powder

• Basil

• Oregano

• Garlic granules

• + 1 tablespoon of sugar

 DIRECTIONS: Click here to view full cooking directions on Daily’s blog!

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Savannah’s Brighter Day Natural Foods. By Mary Elizabeth Kidd.

HARVEST VEGGIE BOWL

Courtesy of Kristin Russell, owner of Brighter Day Natural Foods (brighterdayfoods.com) and founder & owner of the Sentient Bean (Savannah)

Makes 4-5 servings. Vegan, Gluten Free

INGREDIENTS

1 small butternut squash

1 lb. Turnips

½ lb. Brussels sprouts

1 medium sweet onion

2 cups black rice

4½ cup water or broth

2 Tbsp. fresh chopped sage (dry works in a pinch, but reduce to 4 tsps.)

6 cloves garlic - peeled

Approx. 3 cups almond milk

1 cup cashews

Salt to taste 

Pepper to taste 

Olive Oil 

Fresh chopped parsley - optional

DIRECTIONS

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.

Securing the base of the squash on a cutting board, cut top-to-bottom down the middle. Remove seeds. Lay on the pan with the inside facing up.  Pour olive oil and sage into the bowl of the squash and rub olive oil on the rest of the squash face.  

Peel turnips (optional), then chop turnips and brussel sprouts into bite sized pieces. Toss in olive oil and spread out evenly on a second baking pan. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Roast whole garlic cloves on the same pan.

Roast all veggies for 45 minutes. Check the turnips and brussels and shake the pan about every 15 minutes to prevent uneven browning. If the squash is still too firm, roast for 10-15 more minutes.

After the veggies are in the oven, start black rice in a rice maker or on the stove top. Combine water, black rice, and salt to taste. If using the stove top - over medium-high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt, reduce heat, cover, and cook for about 30-35 minutes.

Spread out cashews on another pan, seasoning optional, and roast for 10 minutes. 

After veggies are done, scoop the squash meat out of the skin into a bowl. Add cashews, garlic and small amounts of almond milk incrementally until your texture is smooth and thick but able to pour.  (Almond milk varies depending on the size of the squash)

Layer the rice and roasted veggies in a bowl and top with the butternut puree. 

Great to garnish with some of the toasted cashews and fresh parsley.

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Ahzjah Simons of Sevananda Natural Foods.

Golden Buddah Bowl

Courtesy of General Manager and Co-Op Director Ahzjah Simons of Sevananda Natural Foods (sevananda.coop/) via Kitchen Manager Michelle Taber, who adds: “This is a great warm and filling soup recipe…not to mention one of our favorites here at Sevananda.”
Serving size 6. Vegan

INGREDIENTS
One 15 oz. earth balance spread, tub
1/3 cups celery, diced
Two 4.5 oz. jars ginger, chopped or minced
3/4 cups carrots, coined
3/4 cups onions, diced
1/3 quarts potatoes, frozen or Yukon gold, diced
Four 108 oz. cans garbanzo beans, with liquid
1/8 cup curry powder
2/3 Tbsp. cumin powder
1/4 Tbsp. black pepper
2/3 cups unchicken broth powder
1/3 quarts water
1-108 can coconut milk
1/4 Tbsp. salt

DIRECTIONS
1. Melt Earth Balance in pot
2. Sauté onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes with spices
3. Dissolve unchicken broth in water and add to pot
4. Add chickpeas, salt, and coconut milk
5. Simmer 30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through.

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Good Food for Thought: Planting an Indoor Garden with Children

By Kimberly Kooger

We enjoyed some much-needed, light fun in our virtual Good Food for Thought farm to school workshop last Wednesday, which was all about indoor gardening activities you can do with children, especially during the winter. We started with a mindful moment, in which we considered what we would like to cultivate in our students over the next few months. Answers to this prompt were varied, thoughtful, and inspiring, including the desire to cultivate “trust”, “a sense of empowerment”, “curiosity”, “impermanence”, “good caretakers”, “consistency and seeing things through”, and many others.

Teacher and farm to school extraordinaire, Jenna Mobley led us through a brief overview of a seed’s basic needs with a catchy song to go along, as well as what is possible to direct-seed outdoors when it’s cold. Then she took us on a deeper dive into practical and innovative ways you can start seeds indoors, as well as other gardening explorations you can do with kids inside, connecting all of these ideas to Georgia education standards and real, practical lessons.

We ended the workshop with comments about what indoor gardening activities folks are excited to try over the next couple of months with their students, and we gave away googly eyes and seed starting mix to one of the “most spirited” participants. Some takeaways in case you missed it:  

• You can start seeds in almost anything, as long as it has the ability to drain excess water, which means you don’t have to go out and buy a bunch of new stuff! We even learned how to make a simple seed starting pot with an empty toilet paper roll. 

• Just with the simple activity of starting seeds inside, you can teach students about nurturing living things and responsibility, math, and science, and even instill in them a sense of hope for the future.  

• When it’s cold outside, in addition to starting seedlings, there are many fun and creative garden prep tasks you can do inside in anticipation of spring planting, as well as garden-themed center activities.

  Check out some of these great ideas in the below webinar recording.

  You can sign up for upcoming Good Food for Thought sessions at gfft.georgiaorganics.org/virtual-events.

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Kimberly Koogler is the Farm to School Coordinator at Georgia Organics. To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit www.georgiaorganics.org and follow us on Instagram @GeorgiaOrganics, Twitter @GeorgiaOrganics, and at www.Facebook.com/GeorgiaOrganics.

The Poor People’s Campaign Demanded Just Treatment of Small Farmers

By Porter Mitchell

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spent the last months of his life working with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to organize the Poor People’s Campaign, also known as the Poor People’s March on Washington.  

Poor People's Campaign

The campaign sought to unite poor Americans of all backgrounds to demand economic and human rights. The campaign demanded an end to economic exploitation, a universal basic income, opportunities for employment, and guaranteed food and housing. In the midst of organizing the campaign and supporting the Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike, Dr. King was assassinated on April 3, 1968.  

Ralph David Abernathy Sr. and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In the wake of King’s assassination, Ralph David Abernathy took on leadership of the campaign. The Poor People’s Campaign made organized sets of demands of multiple government agencies, including the USDA at the end of April 1968.  

The campaign’s demands of the USDA centered on eliminating hunger, ending the USDA’s favoritism to large scale growers, supporting farm workers, supporting the formation of farmer cooperatives, and ending the USDA’s pervasive and flagrant practices of racial discrimination, particularly towards Black farmers.  

The campaign’s demands of the USDA were largely ignored, especially the call to end the USDA’s disgraceful practices of racial discrimination. This would again come to a head during the Pickman vs. Glickman lawsuits of the 1990s and early 2000s.  

In remembrance of King’s legacy and the countless activists who have worked for food justice and the fair treatment of small farmers, we encourage you to read the campaign’s demands of the USDA and hold time and space for reflection: bit.ly/sclcppcdemands  

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Porter Mitchell is a Farmer Services Coordinator at Georgia Organics. To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit www.georgiaorganics.org and follow us on Instagram @GeorgiaOrganics, Twitter @GeorgiaOrganics, and at www.Facebook.com/GeorgiaOrganics.

Good Food for Thought: Winter Webinar Series with Georgia Organics Farmer Services

We are excited to host a Good Food for Thought Winter Webinar Series dedicated to topics and opportunities for convening for farmers! Registration is open for several of the following sessions, learn more below.

We will be offering these farmer-focused sessions weekly from January 20 through February 25. Topics include:

• Employee management and fair-labor practices

• Farm Systems

• Regenerative Agriculture Practices for Livestock producers

• Stress management tools

• Wholesale & Restaurant Sales Readiness

While we wish we could convene for our annual Conference and Expo, Georgia Organics aims to continue to foster connection and educational opportunities for farmers across the state and beyond, while removing the geographic and financial barriers presented by traditional, in-person events.

To find out more and register for these sessions, visit: gfft.georgiaorganics.org/virtual-events. Hope to see you there!

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WINTER WEBINAR SESSIONS, DATES & DESCRIPTIONS

Wednesday, January 20th, 4:00 - 5:40 p.m.

Continuing Towards Deep Sustainability

Presenters: Mark Cain, Dripping Springs Garden

Managing relationships, stress, and a farm business is more than enough to overwhelm many growers. Many of us run from one crisis to another, never quite enjoying any job as we rush out of fear to the next. Together we will take a look at how we create these stress patterns, and how we can work to transform them into skillful management that includes satisfaction, shared happiness, creative time-outs, and remembering why we came to this work in the first place.

Price: Donation based

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 Wednesday, January 27th, , 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Pasture Progress: A Closer Look at NRCS Programs for Livestock Farmers

Presenters: Bryan Hager, Crager Hager Farm. Ricky Dollison, Dollison Farms

Curious about livestock management systems that can save you money, build soil health, and improve your farm? From rotational grazing, seeding pastures, wells and watering to native forages and shade enclosures, choosing what to incorporate into your management system seems like a headache. Fortunately, The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is there to help! NRCS provides free technical services and financial assistance to help farmers and ranchers improve their operations. In this session, learn how you can access NRCS programs for your livestock operation and hear from farmers with real experience working with the NRCS. While this session has a Georgia focus, the NRCS is a federal program located in every state so tune in!

Price: Member Price - $5.00 | General Farmer - $10.00| Non Farmer - $15.00

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Wednesday, February 3rd, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Farm Proven Strategies for Employee Management and Retention

Presenters: Paul and Lindsey Sorah of Hearts of Harvest Farm

Presenting: Paul and Lindsey Sorah of Hearts of Harvest Farm. This session will cover: The Sorah’s workflow for managing staff including check-ins and employee reviews Cultivating employees that are invested in your farm’s success The real cost of staff turnover and why investing in staff actually saves you money Management strategies to encourage retention Planning for payroll, balancing cash flow for payroll between peak season and slow season What qualities to look for when hiring While this session will have a farm focus, techniques and methods discussed apply to any manager or small business owner.

Price: Member Price - $5.00 | General Farmer - $10.00| Non Farmer - $15.00

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Tuesday, February 23rd, 4:00 - 5:40 p.m.

Part 1: Choosing Markets & Managing Revenue Streams

Presenters: Lauren Cox, Georgia Organics

Join Lauren Cox, of Georgia Organics for this strategy-focused session that will help you think explicitly about the different revenue streams your farm business can access, what that means for your annual workflow, and how to pinpoint opportunities for expanding these markets or tightening them up. This session is best for diversified producers, beginning, intermediate, advanced farmers, and growers interested in diversifying revenue streams.

Price: Member Price - $10.00 | General Farmer - $15.00 | Non Farmer - $20.00

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Thursday, February 25th, 4:00 - 5:40 p.m.

Part 2: Dish Dive into Wholesale and High-End Wholesale

Presenters: Lauren Cox, Georgia Organics, Neil Ringer, Common Market Southeast and Zac Harrison, Fresh Harvest

Are you interested in expanding your farm sales to restaurants, local aggregators, or CSA styled box programs but don’t know where to start? Lauren Cox, a former farmer who now runs Georgia Organics’ Farm to Restaurant program, will help you unpack some of the issues and barriers in getting your food from farm to restaurant along with key considerations for becoming ‘restaurant or wholesale ready.’ Topics include time/profitability assessment, successive planting techniques, ideal crop varieties, availability lists, and packaging strategies, along with a task-oriented breakout session.

Price: Member Price - $5.00 | General Farmer - $10.00| Non Farmer - $15.00

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PRICING & DETAILS

Pricing:

We acknowledge the financial constraints the pandemic has caused for many folks, as such, Georgia Organics will offer a tiered pricing scale, donation- based, or free admission to this year's Good Food for Thought workshops. We want to ensure everyone who wants to attend a workshop will be able to do so!

Tiered Admission Cost:

·         Georgia Organics Farmer Member: $5.00

·         Non- Member Farmer: $10.00

·         Non- Farmer: $15.00

** You must apply the Georgia Organics Farmer Member Promo Code at check out to the discounted rate. ** To request this promo code, email info.georgiaorganics@gmail.com.

We hope, with funds generated from these virtual workshops, that we can continue to provide educational and convening opportunities while offering scholarship funds to cover the cost of admissions when needed. Please contact Ashley Dowling at ashley@georgiaorganics.org with any questions or requests you may have regarding scholarship opportunities to attend the session at a further discounted rate.

If you have questions about the status of your Farmer Membership, please email contact Caroline Croland at carolinec@georgiaorganics.org. To receive the Farmer Member discount code please contact Porter Mitchell at porter@georgiaorganics.org.

To support our work, please consider becoming a member or making a one-time donation by clicking here.

Refund Policy:

Due to the virtual nature of this event, no refunds will be given. Ticket purchasers will have access to the session's recording following the live event.

Community Commitments:

Georgia Organics encourages attendees to actively participate and engage with our programming. Our organization values creating accessible and inclusive opportunities for convening and learning. We expect attendees to commit to participating in that same spirit.

We agree to honor the following community commitments when participating in a Georgia Organics organized workshop, training, or convening. We commit to:

·         Fostering collaborative discussion

·         Respecting the experiences and opinions of others that may diverge from our own

·         Creating a space that is free from harassment of any kind including offensive, divisive, and profane language

·         Willingness to step back after making a contribution so others can participate

·         Speaking for yourself and from your own experience

·         Being patient as technical issues may arise

Staff, speakers, and attendees are expected to honor these commitments. Georgia Organics reserves the right to revoke live event access if Community Commitments are broken. No refunds will be given to attendees who are removed from the event for violation of these standards.

Love is Love Farm at Gaia Gardens

The Atlanta Foodcast Returns: In Conversation with Twisted Soul & Ellijay Mushrooms and Crystal Organic Farm

By Mary Elizabeth Kidd

Welcome back to another year of conversations with farmers, chefs, community activists, and other food leaders around Georgia!

The year has been and continues to challenge, but our hope with the Atlanta Foodcast is that hearing from these incredible people will bring you inspiration. These are the leaders working hard to establish an equitable, regenerative food system for all Georgians.

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On today’s episode, we’re connecting with a farmer-chef duo who participated in our Farm to Restaurant program’s Food Fight GA initiative: Chef Deborah VanTrece of Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours (www.twistedsoulcookhouseandpours.com/) and Howard Berk of Ellijay Mushrooms (ellijaymushrooms.com/).

Chef Deborah VanTrece of Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours and Howard Berk of Ellijay Mushrooms.

Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours is located on the Westside of Atlanta and serves “globally-inspired Soul food with an emphasis on farm to table.” Chef VanTrece’s goal is to serve food that evokes memories and reflects comfort foods from around the world, inspired by her extensive travels. 

Howard Berk, co-owner of Ellijay Mushrooms, where they grow Shiitake and Oyster mushrooms and are currently developing Lion’s Main and other varieties. 

They discuss how a partnership like theirs—relatively close to home—was essential as the global food chain essentially broke down at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

For Chef VanTrece and the Twisted Soul team, this was an essential time not only for the relationship with Ellijay Mushrooms, but also to work with additional farmers as the availability and proximity just made sense and has continued so to this day.  

“Now I use more local farmers than ever before…this was the system that actually saved us, the relationship with farmers. We went through all sorts of different pivots, but one that was most important was being able to offer fresh, locally-grown vegetables; it was of major importance...It’s made me understand that my relationships have to continue to be strong with our local farmers. It’s a win-win for both sides when that happens. We as restauranteurs have learned how important our farmers are to the food chain of America.” 

Chef VanTrece has a cookbook is on the horizon: “The Twisted Soul Cookbook: Modern Soul Food with Global Flavors,” available for pre-order now. To view the Twisted Soul menu and order pick-up, visit: www.twistedsoulcookhouseandpours.com/. Follow on social media at facebook.com/twistedsoulcookhouse/ and @twistedsoulcookhouse.  

On the horizon for Ellijay Mushrooms: they are moving towards a zero-waste operations with composting for local farmers and, in the next few years, a U-Pick mushroom  program, yoga at the farm, and more. Visit ellijaymushrooms.com/ to view their offerings and order for safe pick-up. Howard’s main ask? Support the restaurants that are buying from Ellijay Mushrooms (list available here). Follow on social media at www.facebook.com/EllijayMushrooms and @ellijaymushrooms.  

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Jeni Jarrard & Nicolas Donck of Crystal Organic Farm.

In our second segment, we’re talking to Nicolas Donck & Jeni Jarrard of Crystal Organic Farm. Nicolas established Crystal Organic Farm over 27 years ago and the 175 acre farm, located about an hour outside of Atlanta, has been certified organic ever since.

We talk about how their business’ continual evolution, from serving some of Atlanta most renowned chefs such as Chef Gunter Seeger, to helping establish the Morningside Market, to now offering COVID-safe on-farm pickups, homeopathic remedies, and stress-relieving farm tours.

Throughout the farm’s existence, they have also committed to giving back as much and often as possible. They currently operate the Crystal Organic Farm Food Assistance Program, providing weekly fresh produce bags, at no cost, for members of their community. If you or someone you know is in need of food, contact Crystal Organic Farm (link here) or send them a message on social media.

To learn more about Crystal Organic Farm and shop, visit crystalorganicfarm.com/. Follow them on social media at facebook.com/crystalorganicfarm/ and @crystalorganicfarm.

For our recurring Gardening with Farmers, Nicolas is sharing his expertise on winter gardening for the cold months. 

Thank you for joining us for another season of The Atlanta Foodcast! Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review us wherever you listen to podcasts. We also encourage you to Stay Local this year and support their work. You can learn more about the Georgia Organics Stay Local campaign at georgiaorganics.org/staylocal.

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Mary Elizabeth Kidd is the Communications Director at Georgia Organics. To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit www.georgiaorganics.org and follow us on Instagram @GeorgiaOrganics, Twitter @GeorgiaOrganics, and at www.Facebook.com/GeorgiaOrganics.

Guest Post: Holidays with Farm to School Partner Little One’s Learning Center

By Chef Shay at Little One’s Learning Center

Little Ones Learning Center is a model of Farm to ECE in Georgia. The school garden is a place of learning and exploration, where students gain the life skill of growing food and showing love and appreciation to Mother Earth. School meals and taste tests expose students to a variety of local fresh food to expand their palates, develop cultural awareness for where food comes from, and support brain development. This simply delicious sweet potato recipe is Little One's Learning Center Chef Shay's favorite holiday recipe, and it is sure to be one of yours. 
 

Photo courtesy of Little One’s Learning Center.

Best Mashed Sweet Potatoes 
 

Ingredients 

4 lbs. sweet potatoes (about 5 large or 4 extra large)*, such as red garnet, beauregard or jewel (not white or purple varieties) 

8 Tbsp salted butter, diced into 1 Tbsp pieces, plus more for serving if desired 

1 Tbsp real maple syrup, then more to taste for a sweeter option 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

How to Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes 

Making mashed sweet potatoes is really easy!  I make Baked Sweet Potatoes and scoop them out to make mashed potatoes. A quicker method is to boil the sweet potatoes but I prefer the consistency of baked if possible. 

Once cooked (either boiled or baked) and very well drained, the sweet potatoes can be mashed. 
Start by adding the butter and mixing it in using a hand masher. 

Heat the cream/milk and add a bit at a time while mashing. You can use an electric mixer for a creamier texture or mash by hand. 

Once mashed, season with salt and pepper and serve (with more butter  (LOTS MORE!). 

Sweet Potatoes, take a short amount of time to boil, 15-20 minutes or until tender when poked with a fork.  

How to Mash Sweet Potatoes 

You can mash sweet potatoes using a hand masher, this gives more of a rustic consistency. 

For a smoother consistency, you can use a hand mixer or an immersion blender.

Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of Cosmos Farm.