savefarmfamilies.org

On September 15, 2011 The Wicomico County Young Farmers and Ranchers, the Maryland Farm Bureau, and Perdue announced the launch of SaveFarmFamilies.org, a group of agriculture interests who have come together to raise much-needed funds for the legal defense of a Berlin, Maryland farm family involved in a protracted and crippling lawsuit with the New York-based Waterkeeper Alliance since March 2010.

The Waterkeeper Alliance filed a federal lawsuit against Alan and Kristin Hudson accusing them of violating the Maryland Clean Water Act. At the heart of this suit is a pile of fertilizer, believed by the Waterkeepers to be poultry litter, which the activists identified from a small plane they flew over the
Hudson’s property.

Since the suit was filed, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) confirmed the pile was actually biosolids, which the Hudsons obtained from nearby Ocean City, as part of a successful environmental program to recycle municipal waste for agricultural purposes. MDE determined that no action was required other than to spread the biosolids on the farm’s crops.

However, the Waterkeepers have persisted with the suit, which has put a massive financial strain on the Hudson family and could force a settlement or bankruptcy while they wait to make their arguments in court sometime in 2012.

In their suit, the Waterkeeper Alliance contends the Hudsons are a “factory farm,” despite the fact that they have only two chicken houses and has been farmed by members of the Hudson family for four generations.

SaveFarmFamilies.org is concerned because, if successful, the Waterkeepers’ bankruptcy-by-litigation
tactic could be a damaging precedent for America’s family farmers, who could be dragged into court just for following every-day farming practices.

“The Waterkeepers litigation is a job killer for Maryland,” said Lee Richardson, a member of the Wicomico County Young Farmers and Ranchers and SaveFarmFamilies.org. “If this extremist group succeeds in forcing the Hudson family to settle or declare bankruptcy before arguments are even heard in court, they’ll do it to other family farmers here and across the country, just because we don’t conform to the Waterkeepers misguided image of how animals should be raised.”

The lawsuit marks a watershed moment for the agriculture community, particularly in Maryland, where the farming industry plays a large role in the state’s economy and is responsible for 14 percent of its workforce, the largest percentage of any sector in the state. Many local farmers believe that if this lawsuit proceeds it would open up the flood gate for more frivolous litigation.

“By pursuing this malicious lawsuit, this extremist group is sending a message to American farmers: if you raise chickens, hogs or cattle – and don’t do it their way – then the Waterkeeper Alliance is willing to use the courts to force you out of business,” said Val Connelly, with the Maryland Farm Bureau and SaveFarmFamilies.org.

SaveFarmFamilies.org encourages members of the agriculture community and those who care about sustaining family farming to visit www.savefarmfamilies.org, to learn about the threats and consequences of misguided environmental litigation and to make a donation to the Hudsons’ legal defense fund.“The Hudsons can’t do it alone, they need help,” said Richardson. “This lawsuit is just the start and we need to send a loud and clear signal to these radical groups, otherwise there will be dire consequences for family farms across the state of Maryland and around the country. We need to act now, or we could lose a great American asset – our farming community.”

For more information visit: www.savefarmfamilies.org

Sustainability Art Exhibit - Auction in Durham NC

Sustainability Art Exhibit - Auction at Watts Grocery

1116 Broad Street, Durham, NC, 27705

October 3, 2011, 5:00pm – 8:00pm

Hosted by: Walking Fish

Sponsors: Craven Allen Gallery, Eastern Carolina Organics, Elodie Farms, and Farmhand Foods

Walking Fish is hosting a Sustainability Art Exhibit and Auction at Watts Grocery Durham, NC on Monday, October 3rd. This one-night “pop-up” show features artwork by Douglas Gayeton paired with locally sourced hors d’oeuvres prepared by Amy Tornquist.

Twenty-four of Gayeton’s prints will be auctioned off to support other fishing communities design creative business plans that make local, healthy, high quality, low-impact seafood more accessible.

The Lexicon of Sustainability show is 1 of 100 shows taking place around the country. For the past two years Douglas Gayeton has been photographing some of the foremost practitioners of sustainability in food and farming. These insights have been translated into beautiful large format photo collages (24 x 38 inch).

To bring these important ideas to a national audience, the Lexicon Project is asking local groups from around the country to host temporary exhibits in their respective communities as a way to spur dialog about how people can have a positive impact on their local food systems.

Walking Fish invites friends to see Gayeton’s work, sample local hors d’peuvres, and participate in the silent auction.

Space is limited. RSVP required.  There will be a cash bar and locally sourced hors d'oeuvres prepared by Amy Tornquist, chef and owner of Watts Grocery.

RSVP to attend - Please send a note to info at walking-fish dot org with your name(s) and email address(es). A confirmation email will be sent.

Walking Fish is a community supported fishery (CSF) that links fishermen on the coast of North Carolina to consumers in the Triangle.

Spring Mid Atlantic Garden Planting Ideas

Roma Tomato

With food prices skyrocketing and food safety becoming more of an issue, more and more homeowners are turning to backyard gardens as a source of fresh fruits and vegetables.

This list provides a few ideas for early season plantings in Mid-Atlantic backyard vegetable gardens:

  - Onion sets are simple to plant, just dig a furrow as soon as the ground is workable, add a little fertilizer and place onions 3-4 inches apart, oriented up. Cover with soil and water lightly.

  - Mixed lettuce can be planted as early as April 1. Work the ground until smooth and then sow seeds an inch or 2 apart. Thin plants often and keep watered. Lettuce bolts quickly when weather warms, so harvest and share lettuce as soon as possible

  - Zucchini and straightneck yellow squash are both extremely simple to grow. Plant either type as soon as the danger of frost subsides.

  - Stringbeans are another easy to grow crop that matures quickly. Plant stringbeans a few inches apart, sowing several crops during the season. Stringbeans are a good mid to late season choice that can follow early season vegetables.

  - Roma tomatoes are among the simplest and most prolific vegetables for Mid Atlantic small gardens. Just a few plants are needed. These are remarkably easy to grow in beds by covering the ground with poly mulch or any of the many synthetic mulching materials. For all natural and organic gardening fanatics, mulching with wheat straw will ensure bountiful harvests, even during dry spells.

  - Herbs are an important addition to Mid Atlantic gardens. When space allows, sow a few annual herbs such as dill, basil, cilantro, and parsley. Perennial herbs are usually available as plants, with sage, oregano and chives being essentials.

Spring is a good time to start a compost pile. These simple garden additions allow hobbyists to dispose of excess debris while enriching the soil at the same time.