Friday, July 28, 2006
Iroquois Farm Today 07-25-2006
Thank You Lisbon
Events around here go about the same as anywhere, we get going and something comes along to put us back a couple of spaces. That is no never mind though, because I know we are fighting the good fight here, and we will win. A few have expressed their support and as long as it continues, we will know that we are in the right. We begin negotiations next week, and hopefully that will provide some sort of stability to the operations. The gardens this year were not what we would have liked them to be, but we have some stuff in and we are working towards finishing other objectives. With a stable income from the restaurant we will be able to afford the cost, and that will provide the stability we need to continue to fight through the entanglement. We have begun an advertising campaign and we will be getting an article out into the papers soon, so we will get wider exposure. Once we have negotiated a more favorable contract, we will then be able to progress into the development stages.
We appreciate the support everyone has given us, and we hope they will continue to watch what happens here, because this is just the beginning. A location such as this is more than just a farm in the community, but an institution of the community. We realize it belongs just as much to the St. Lawrence community as it does to Mahlon, or eventually us. Because of this we expect to create a community space, a place that not only remembers what it once was, but one that also projects an example of what is possible when the community puts their support into a project. We are planning to build a grist mill here next year, as well as install three or four (depending on the results of our studies) wind generators, all that will help us to make the farm truthfully sustainable (therefore a decrease in resource consumption), and a better neighbor. We are also working on re-building much of what was once part of the original farm, such as the sugar shack, and the Inn. We are seeking to bring in lots of period talent, including entertainment and educational events that will perhaps help others to become more sustainable.
I unfortunately have my own battles to fight about the concept of what Organic and sustainable means, but we use the word sustainable in that it sustains rather than as Mahlon has in the past, as a synonym for Organic. The term Organic is highly debatable, and I have done as much for quite some time, having co-owned a business with my wife that makes natural personal care products. Note that I said natural, not Organic, as members of the Organic Consumers Association and with adherence to their policies of disclosure, we have chosen only to identify those products that are 100% Organic by the IFOAM standards as Organic, and that we will continue to work to keep this standard meaningful. We have made this commitment, however it is easier to accept produce as Organic, as the very nature of it is easier to determine. Soil samples taken at regular intervals, as well as accurate records of amendments and other processes that occur on the farm can provide sufficient data that the produce produced from the farm can be termed Organic with a certainty that is backed by good records. However I know records can be falsified, and test results can be skewed, but we hope that the general consensus will believe that we have the right intentions and would not attempt to mislead. If for some reason our produce does not fulfill the criteria, we would sell it just the same (or use it), but we would not use the Certified Organic label, although I am certain that others might.
This is an awful lot of stuff, so I have to get on with the day, and hopefully achieve some improvement along the way. Stop by and just say hello, or have a cup of coffee with us, we would love to talk about your ideas, and pass a few minutes in remembering the past, so we might get a better picture of what the future could be. If we don't acknowledge the past we are doomed to repeat it, so help us to remember what was once, and we will do our best to honor it as it should be.
Thank you St. Lawrence for giving us this opportunity, and thank you especially to Lisbon, a fair town who has taken us into their numbers, now we will try to win their hearts.
-James-
Events around here go about the same as anywhere, we get going and something comes along to put us back a couple of spaces. That is no never mind though, because I know we are fighting the good fight here, and we will win. A few have expressed their support and as long as it continues, we will know that we are in the right. We begin negotiations next week, and hopefully that will provide some sort of stability to the operations. The gardens this year were not what we would have liked them to be, but we have some stuff in and we are working towards finishing other objectives. With a stable income from the restaurant we will be able to afford the cost, and that will provide the stability we need to continue to fight through the entanglement. We have begun an advertising campaign and we will be getting an article out into the papers soon, so we will get wider exposure. Once we have negotiated a more favorable contract, we will then be able to progress into the development stages.
We appreciate the support everyone has given us, and we hope they will continue to watch what happens here, because this is just the beginning. A location such as this is more than just a farm in the community, but an institution of the community. We realize it belongs just as much to the St. Lawrence community as it does to Mahlon, or eventually us. Because of this we expect to create a community space, a place that not only remembers what it once was, but one that also projects an example of what is possible when the community puts their support into a project. We are planning to build a grist mill here next year, as well as install three or four (depending on the results of our studies) wind generators, all that will help us to make the farm truthfully sustainable (therefore a decrease in resource consumption), and a better neighbor. We are also working on re-building much of what was once part of the original farm, such as the sugar shack, and the Inn. We are seeking to bring in lots of period talent, including entertainment and educational events that will perhaps help others to become more sustainable.
I unfortunately have my own battles to fight about the concept of what Organic and sustainable means, but we use the word sustainable in that it sustains rather than as Mahlon has in the past, as a synonym for Organic. The term Organic is highly debatable, and I have done as much for quite some time, having co-owned a business with my wife that makes natural personal care products. Note that I said natural, not Organic, as members of the Organic Consumers Association and with adherence to their policies of disclosure, we have chosen only to identify those products that are 100% Organic by the IFOAM standards as Organic, and that we will continue to work to keep this standard meaningful. We have made this commitment, however it is easier to accept produce as Organic, as the very nature of it is easier to determine. Soil samples taken at regular intervals, as well as accurate records of amendments and other processes that occur on the farm can provide sufficient data that the produce produced from the farm can be termed Organic with a certainty that is backed by good records. However I know records can be falsified, and test results can be skewed, but we hope that the general consensus will believe that we have the right intentions and would not attempt to mislead. If for some reason our produce does not fulfill the criteria, we would sell it just the same (or use it), but we would not use the Certified Organic label, although I am certain that others might.
This is an awful lot of stuff, so I have to get on with the day, and hopefully achieve some improvement along the way. Stop by and just say hello, or have a cup of coffee with us, we would love to talk about your ideas, and pass a few minutes in remembering the past, so we might get a better picture of what the future could be. If we don't acknowledge the past we are doomed to repeat it, so help us to remember what was once, and we will do our best to honor it as it should be.
Thank you St. Lawrence for giving us this opportunity, and thank you especially to Lisbon, a fair town who has taken us into their numbers, now we will try to win their hearts.
-James-
