Sustainable agriculture initiatives

I've been attending a Carolina Farm Stewardship Association annual conference this weekend (my first time attending). This year, it's nearby, and it's been quite interesting. The CFSA's focus is to promote local food producers, sustainable agriculture, and local food (of all sorts). This is their 23th annual conference -- remarkable, really for our region, which is just now getting on the local food/sustainable agriculture/local farm & tailgate market 'bandwagon.'

But it's welcome, to be sure, and I'm heartened by the numbers of younger people involved, as well as passionate folks of all ages.

I haven't thought a great deal about food security issues, but it's an important thing to consider. Why not support local farmers when we can and grow more of our own vegetables and fruits, if we can? Or Plant a Row for the Hungry? (This is a Garden Writers Association initiative). Many of us have space to do so. Or, why not participate in 'gleaning' networks, which harvest otherwise unpicked produce for food banks and 'soup kitchens'?


There are so many possibilities for those of us who are gardeners to reconnect to producing more of what we eat.

I'm envious of this wonderful native persimmon tree that we saw on a local farm tour (to Greenbriar Farms) this afternoon.