Support Local

Every spring vibrant pink flowering crab-apple trees line the main road through town.  Proud American flags wave at passers-by in between each of the beautiful flowering trees, impressing on residents and visitors that this is a patriotic small town.  A town that respects its American heritage and history.  A town that is welcoming, and lovely, and a great place to live.

On sunny days, families enjoy a city park with an impressive Veterans Memorial, state-of-the-art playground equipment, a band shell, and accessible sidewalks which blend in with many established and well-maintained trees that provide respite and joy.  At the north edge of town, a community recreation park is home to a pool, baseball field, basketball court and tennis court.  On the eastern edge of town, a pond and large Forest Preserve park provide additional recreational enjoyment opportunities for residents and visitors alike.

Every item just mentioned – the trees, the American flags, and the parks – are in existence because of local businesses, local organizations, and tax revenue dollars.  When you shop local, the amount of tax you pay stays in the community, allowing the local government to distribute those tax dollars in a way that is best for the entire community.  At the very foundation of this ideal, rural community are its many businesses who not only provide tax revenue dollars, but also support the local organizations, school, fire departments, and tax-payers.

This small-town community I am referring to is Bement, Illinois.  We are lucky to have more than 20 locally owned and operated businesses in a town of 1,800.  Our local businesses provide a variety of services to consumers far greater than what chain stores can provide.

To get a better understanding of the quality of service, let’s look at the impact that local businesses have on a community.  Say you spend $100 at a local business.  That $100 is taxed at nearly 1% and $1 goes to the local government to support residential programs.  The remaining $99 goes to the local business to keep product on hand for consumers, to provide paychecks for their employees, and to donate back to the community.  Those dollars also help local homeowners to pay for homes, vehicles, and other needs.  This impact of locally owned businesses is often referred to as “the multiplier effect”.  This impact is indirect and is not easily recognized, and so we must educate ourselves and understand the importance of using and supporting local.  Dollars spent locally re-circulate into the local community.  According to the American Independent Business Alliance, local re-circulation of chain business revenue is 34.5%, where local re-circulation of locally owned businesses is double that at 65.4%.  It is important to understand that when we spend dollars outside of our own community, we are supporting that other town’s parks, programs, and schools.  When we spend dollars outside of our community, our own community loses an opportunity to support our own fire districts, schools, organizations, and programs.

Local businesses also impact local real estate.  One of the key factors that drive the real estate market is the local economy.  A healthy local economy translates into a healthy real estate market.  Essentially, when we spend money outside of our own community, we are supporting another community’s real estate market, allowing their property values to increase.

The Bement Village board is considering permission for a chain store, Dollar General, to open its doors.  According to Huffington Post, “once or twice every month, someone from a small town reaches out to ILSR (Institute for Local Self-Reliance) for help confronting a dollar store development.”  Dollar stores and other chains have the power and funding to keep their doors open in small towns for multiple years.  They bide their time until they have pushed smaller businesses to close their doors, leaving the chain store as the only option for small town residents.  ILSR has also noticed a trend that “if the town already has a grocery, that store will lose roughly 30 percent of its business.”  In the community of Bement, local supporters understand that the opening of a dollar store in Bement will not only negatively affect our local grocery store, but other local business owners as well.  If local owners lose business, that will turn in to less money that will circulate in the Bement community – less dollars to help support the schools, fire districts, organizations, and community programs.

Let’s remember how the patriotic rural town with blossoming crab-apple trees and community parks came to be.  It did not develop overnight, but over many years and many generations of a community that supports local.  We all have the power to influence your community with your dollars and decisions.  Use your power and make decisions that benefit the greater good.

Sources:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dollar-stores-small-town-businesses_us_5beefe6ae4b0f7192ca9342e

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/mortages-real-estate/11/factors-affecting-real-estate-market.asp

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dollar-stores-small-town-businesses_us_5beefe6ae4b0f7192ca9342e

Bunny Brew

“What is this tea thing?” Bri’s mom Jan had asked.  She was picking beans and I was digging carrots.  It was harvest day and there was a storm approaching.  We only had a few hours or so before it hit.

“T thing?  Ummmm I’m not sure.”  I replied.

She read from the text message on her phone.  “Tell Tab I’m going to do the tea thing and then plant that row of beans.  Can you have her bring the hoe back over here when you guys are done?”

“Oh!  That’s rabbit tea.  We use it on the garden.  It’s made out of rabbit poo mixed with water.  It’s a fertilizer and it….”

Jan interrupts.  “Ok!  That’s enough!  I don’t want to hear any more details.  You guys are crazy.  Rabbit tea….geesh,” she replied as she continued to pick beans.

I just laughed remembering when we brought the rabbit poo home.  Bri was so excited she yelled, “Yay!  Tea party!”

“Ha!  That’s hilarious.”  I replied.  “We are definitely doing a blog post about a rabbit poo tea party Alice in Wonderland style.”

If you know the Alice in Wonderland story, then you know how bizarre that tea party was too.  The Mad Hatter had gone crazy after being told “Off with his head!” by the Queen.  Ever since then the Mad Hatter and his friend the March Hare (weird right?!) had a tea party all day long with a sleeping Dormouse where they all told crazy stories that didn’t make any sense and asked riddles that had no answers.

We’d like to explain why our tea party isn’t as crazy as the Mad Hatter’s and that it actually makes sense.  Everyone knows you can use cow manure and horse manure to help fertilize crops.  Well, the fact is you can actually use all sorts of animal manures in the same way and rabbit poo is one of them.

Rabbit tea is a “cool” fertilizer that won’t burn plants.  Its properties are slow in releasing nitrogen making it less likely to burn the plants.  Rabbit manure contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and calcium with elements of essential minerals and micro nutrients.  We used the “bucket fermentation” method which, according to the ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture Program “dates back hundreds of years in Europe…”  (https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/viewhtml.php?id=125)

According to Rise and Shine Rabbitry in Maine, “Rabbit manure is one of the best manures for your organic gardens!  It will increase poor soil by improving soil structure and also improving the life cycle of the beneficial microorganisms in the soil. Rabbits are very good at producing an excellent source of manure. It is rich in many nutrients and very simple to use.”  (www.riseandshinerabbitry.com)

And improving soil structure is one of our main tasks at hand.  As you may have noted in previous posts, we are paying close attention to our soils attempting to create the perfect ecosystem.   Paying attention to the soils will help the overall Clean Acres operation since soils rich in organic matter suppresses weeds, provides higher yields, keeps pests at bay, keeps moisture in when plants need it and repels water when there’s too much.  In doing so, we should create that “ecological balance” that many organic experts speak of.

Still think we are crazy for making “bunny brew”?  It may sound a bit looney and maybe we do seem a bit nuts for getting so excited about sustainable agriculture.  Wonder what the conversation about “bunny brew” would be like at the Mad Hatter’s tea party.

#CleanAcresLLC #garden #womenwhofarm #ProtectTheEarth #SustainableLiving #RespectTheEarth #EatForthePlanet #stopfoodwaste #organiclife #stopthechemicals #jointheorganicmovement #biologicalpestcontrol

Submitted by Tabitha Elder

Farmers Brianne Santoli and Tabitha Elder are Central Illinois residents and managers of Clean Acres Produce.  Clean Acres encourages being knowledgeable about the foods that we eat, where they come from, and what was put into making them. By understanding the importance of this, we can take advantage of natural resources that allow the environment and its inhabitants to work together.  The beliefs and ideas posted by Clean Acres are not intended to offend any individuals.  Follow their journey of starting a Community Supported Agriculture program in the chemical free fresh food desert of rural Piatt County at http://www.cleanacresproduce.org, http://www.facebook.com/cleanacresproduce or @CleanAcres. 

White Ducks Can’t Jump

Or at least we don’t think they can. It was 7:30 or so Saturday morning and we met at one of our plot locations to start the task list for the day.  First up on the agenda…placing newspaper and then straw down between the rows.  The newspaper and straw method allows us to walk in the gardens when wet, keeps the soil moist after a rain, and kills weeds saving us a lot of time in our organic field.  Additionally, it has been raining quite a bit lately which is great for the garden.  Plants love rain water but weeds do too so we needed to get to this ASAP, making it first on the to-do list.  We would haul a load of 3 or 4 bales from the barn to the plot and then start chipping away at the 4,200 square foot garden.  After laying about 350 feet of newspaper and straw, our backs and knees needed a break so we sat at the edge of the garden, observing our work.  As we sat there, the flock was behind us pecking away at the bales eating whatever bugs they could find.  There’s a dark Muscovy, a white American Pekin duck, and a rooster.  All of a sudden the Muscovy stretches his wings out and jumps up onto the bale of straw.  It was the funniest thing to see a duck jump the same distance in the air as he is tall.

“That duck can jump!” said Bri. “Bet that white one can’t though,” we chuckled joking that white ducks can’t jump.

After a good laugh it was time to get back to work. It was going to be a nice weekend and we have to use that time to our advantage since we both work full-time and are the only two working on our CSA.  Farming an organic CSA is a lot of fun and a lot of work.  Helping those in Central Illinois have easier and cheaper access to organic produce is our passion and motivation and keeps us going.  Here’s some insight into the energy that went into Clean Acres CSA this past weekend to weekend.

You might remember from our last post that we planned to put 1,200 plants in the ground. Each weekend is loaded with so many tasks it’s hard to figure out where to start and of course, we always come across some things that need done that we had forgotten about.  For example, we realized we had some organic onion bulbs left that needed to go into the ground and some organic potatoes that were sprouted and ready to plant.  So….we thought we had better get to that before it’s too late.  Also, we had originally created the to-do list thinking the soil temp was too low for corn and beans however, we found out it was the ideal temp to plant.  You can see where this is going.  We ended up planting more than the planned 1,200 seeds and starts bringing our total to 2,360 in the ground from weekend to weekend.  It was busy but very productive.  We’ve been working pretty much from sunrise to beyond sunset every day making our CSA and full time job commitments, maintaining 3,027 plants in the ground and another few hundred pepper and tomato starts that we will plant soon.

Now we just need a little rain! Last night’s weather report said rain and it never rained, so it’s hard to tell if the forecast is going to be right or not.  Husband David who coaches track called a bit ago to say their meet was cancelled due to a storm.  They had tried to wait it out but as the storm produced hail and intensified, he called to warn me it’s heading our way.  Let’s hope our tiny plants survived!  Tune in next week to see.

Submitted by Tabitha Elder Tabitha is a Central Illinois resident and co-owner of Clean Acres Produce.  Follow their journey of starting a Community Supported Agriculture program in the chemical free fresh food desert of rural Piatt County at www.cleanacresproduce.org, www.facebook.com/cleanacresproduce or @CleanAcres.  

“Try organic food… or as your grandparents called it, food!”

Have you ever seen this magnet or eCard online? It’s true, what we now call organic food is what our grandparents and their grandparents before them and every person consumed since the beginning of time.

Chemicals didn’t become so widely accepted until the 1940s. “In the late 1940s, DDT became the “safe” chemical to use on the food we consume.  DDT, by the way, does the same thing that crop rotation and getting the correct microorganisms and pH levels into your soil does…..without the harmful side effects.  We’ve just forgotten this over time because we are used to buying a chemical that we can spray to eradicate these problems.  It’s easier and requires less work.” (Rodale’s Organic Life)

Until there were chemicals, a potato was a potato. A tomato was a tomato.  But now that chemicals are so widely accepted, the government requires farmers to label potatoes and tomatoes grown without chemicals as “organic.”  For a farmer to be able to carry an organic label, an operation must put multiple organic practices into place and pay fees.  All of the costs add up resulting in higher prices for organic products.  Some of these costs include a requirement to build barriers in order to prevent pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides from coming into contact with our chemical-free produce.  Additionally, water runoff from chemical farming operations is an issue which can also result in a costly expense.

Before chemical use became the norm, organic food was the only option on grocery store shelves. Now we must pay premium dollar for organic foods if we want to rid our diets from chemicals.  Food that isn’t really food or has no nutritional value is inexpensive and readily available.  But having food that is pure, without chemicals and full of nutritional value is difficult to find in our area and it is expensive.  The entire system seems a little backwards.  Why should we have to pay more for the food we really should be consuming?

So how do we get back on track….get back to our roots? Organic farmer Mary Jane Butters has it figured out.  “I think we need to take back our language.  I want to call my organic carrots ‘carrots’ and let other farmers call theirs a chemical carrot.  The other farmers can list all of the ingredients that they used instead of me having to be certified.  The burden is on us to prove something.  Let them prove that they used only 30 chemicals instead of 50 to produce an apple.”  Here at #CleanAcresLLC we say right on!

In order to “take back our language” we will need to go up against big corporations that have deep pockets. Leading a healthy lifestyle shouldn’t be motivated by money or politics or be a social or ethical debate.  Unfortunately that is the backwards way our current food system works.  We can turn it around with one simple decision.  Be informed, be educated, and make a stand to buy organic or chemical-free as often as you can.

Anyone who doesn’t buy organic believes they can’t afford it. But is it really that expensive when you take everything else into consideration?  There are so many hidden costs when it comes to purchasing and consuming processed/chemically-laden foods.  One major cost is the lack of nutritional value of processed foods.  Our health is increasingly at risk due to the way in which foods are packaged since chemicals used in packaging materials can leech into food.  Furthermore, the mechanization of processed foods means more handling and shipping causing greater risk for contaminated foods.

There are hidden medical costs associated with consuming non-organic and processed foods. It’s been documented that heart disease, diabetes, cancer, metabolic disorders, asthma, learning disabilities, neurological disorders and obesity cases have significantly increased over time.  “Google it” and you will find that many respected agencies have reported on links between chemicals in our foods to poor health.

Not only are chemicals negatively affecting our health, they are detrimental to the environment. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization conducted a study in 2007 and noted that 1.6 billion tons (approximately 40%) of food is wasted contributing to an equivalent of 3.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions.  Food waste sitting in landfills also “break down anaerobically and produces methane; methane is 21 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas.” (Environmental Protection Agency)  Other environmental concerns are loss of biodiversity, excessive use of water, and reduction of soil fertility.

There is strength in numbers and power in money. Join the movement in going back to our roots.  Government and industry is driven by consumer demand.  Together we can drive the price of organic down simply by applying the economic principle of supply and demand.  Be prudent in your food purchases.  Your own health and the health of your family, friends, and loved ones all depend on your decision to buy or grow chemical free and organic.

Submitted by Tabitha Elder Tabitha is a Central Illinois resident and co-owner of Clean Acres Produce.  Follow their journey of starting a Community Supported Agriculture program in the chemical free fresh food desert of rural Piatt County at www.cleanacresproduce.org, www.facebook.com/cleanacresproduce or @CleanAcres.

 

 

 

Coal Train

One Thursday evening I stopped by my parents after work.  As I’m telling my dad I need to get home pretty quick because I have plants to put in the cold frame, he says “A coal train?  What are you going to do with a coal train?”

Maybe it was the blaring radio he was jamming to while he readied his fishing boat for the next outing.  Or maybe those 35 years he worked in a factory really did make him hard of hearing (although we do find it curiously funny that he’s been tested and has no evidence of any issues with his audition).

I make a louder, clearer pronunciation.  “I have to go put my plants in a COLD FRAME.”

“A cold frame?” dad says.  “What’s a cold frame?”

And some of you may be wondering the same thing.  Cold frames have actually been around for thousands of years.  According to freelance writer Gwen Bruno, in Rome circa 30 A.D., “Royal physicians have warned the ailing emperor Tiberius that he must eat a cucumber every day. So begins construction of a specularium, a house dedicated to growing plants.” (Source: www.davesgarden.com)

A cold frame is a variation of a greenhouse in that it can retain heat, allowing gardeners to gradually acclimate their seed starts from indoor conditions to outdoor conditions in an effort to prevent plant shock.

We chose an unseasonably warm Saturday morning in February (it reached 70 degrees in Illinois that day) to make our cold frames.  One we made out of bales of straw and re-used windows making a box against the south side of the house.  Fifteen minutes or so and we were done and onto the next cold frame!

The next one we made was a bit tricky.  It involved quite a bit more muscle, time and energy.

You see, cold frames can be made out of any recycled material.  According to Webster’s Dictionary, a cold frame is “a small wooden or metal frame covered with glass or plastic that is used for growing and protecting plants in cold weather.”

So we decided to scavenge through the barns to see what we could find.  Armed with our dirty jeans, work boots and gardening gloves, we began the hunt.

Old windows were spotted on top of the hayloft.  While sifting through the “best” old windows, Bri came across an old sturdy wooden box about 3 foot deep, 3 foot wide, 7 foot long, and heavy…really heavy.  Probably about 75 to 100 pounds.  “This would make a great cold frame,” she says.  “But how will we get it down.”

At one point we even discussed getting some guys to help us but eventually realized we didn’t need dudes, just ingenuity.  After much deliberation, we came up with a plan to take three sturdy, long boards and placed them at a 45 degree angle from the edge of the loft to the floor.

Once we cleared the 1980s snowmobile and other items out of the way, we climbed back up the ladder onto the loft to figure out how to shimmy the box down these boards.  Not being strong enough to lift it above waste level onto the 45 degree angled planks, we quickly realized we needed some sort of leverage.  Two old tires were spotted and moved just beneath the boards.  These would work, we thought!

We lifted the 75ish pound box up on top of the two old tires and slid the box onto the 2 by 4s.  One of us balanced the box on top of the 2 by 4s while the other climbed back down to the ground.  It was the deciding moment….is the box going to stay on the boards?  Is it going to slide down so quickly it will smash into a bunch of pieces rendering it unusable?  Will it take me with it as is goes crashing down to the ground?  Will it slam into Bri down below?

To our surprise it slid down very slowly and stayed in place until we were both able to get on each side of it and carry it out of the barn.  Mission accomplished….without dudes.

#garden #recycle #CleanAcresLLC

Submitted by Tabitha Elder

Tabitha is a Central Illinois resident and co-owner of Clean Acres Produce.  Follow their journey of starting a Community Shared Agriculture program in the chemical free fresh food desert of rural Piatt County at www.cleanacresproduce.org, www.facebook.com/cleanacresproduce or @CleanAcres.   

 

We Got Worms!!!!

All Dumb and Dumber humor aside, Bri and I really do have worms and they are making 100% organic compost for our #cleanacres produce.

Worm compost, also known as vermicompost, is a natural organic aid in the garden. Its nutrients are more easily absorbed into the roots of plants.  It’s also hard to wash away during a rain or regular watering due to the mucus that forms inside the compost, aiding the plants in nutrient rich feeding over a longer period of time.

Vermicompost is an organic plant and pest disease prevention source. How?  As the worms digest scraps we feed them from our kitchens, the compost becomes enriched with helpful bacteria and microbes which assist in prevention efforts.

Additionally, built up hormones inside the compost give our plants an extra advantage making them stronger and healthier resulting in better yields.

There are other benefits to being mindful about food waste. According to a study done by the Journal of Consumer Affairs, Americans waste 55 million tons of food each year, or 40% of the food supply.  How is it that people in America go hungry with this much waste?!  In Illinois 1 in 7 people are food insecure (www.feedingamerica.org).  Even if you decide not to compost your food scraps, you can help fight back against hunger by making wise decisions when it comes to food.  The United National Environment Programme asks consumers to:

Plan your meals ahead of time. Be a smart shopper and think about how much of what you are buying will be eaten.

• Become a conscious eater by requesting smaller portions and taking leftovers home (preferably in a reusable container and not the common Styrofoam containers that contribute to hazardous landfill waste).
• And finally save your food, money and the environment by only purchasing what you/your family will consume.

By recycling our food scraps, not only are we fighting back against hunger and helping the produce at #cleanacres grow into optimum taste with optimum nutritional value, we are helping the environment. According to many studies, decomposition of food in our landfills releases lethal methane gas that is heating up the earth’s core, contributing to global warming.   Check out http://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food for more information on how you can help.

Want to start your own worm farm? We learned by taking a course through our local University of Illinois Extension office.  Thanks to Miss Karen Traum and Jennifer Shultz Nelson for teaching us about Herman the Worm, we have successfully made our own vermicompost at home for over a year now.  Check out the Extension website for upcoming courses and more information on vermicomposting.   http://web.extension.illinois.edu/dmp/palette/060205.html

No need for red wiggler worms at your house? There are other ways you can reuse your food scraps and reduce food waste!  Check out these links for ways to fight hunger, start saving money and start saving the environment today.

http://www.offthegridnews.com/how-to-2/5-clever-and-unique-ways-to-reuse-old-food-scraps/

http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/food-policy/save-money-reduce-food-waste-zwfz1212zkin.aspx?PageId=2#ArticleContent

http://www.sustainabletable.org/5664/food-waste

Submitted by Tabitha Elder Tabitha is a Central Illinois resident and co-owner of Clean Acres Produce.  Follow their journey of starting a Community Supported Agriculture program in the chemical free fresh food desert of rural Piatt County at www.cleanacresproduce.org, www.facebook.com/cleanacresproduce or @CleanAcres.  

 

Cold Frame Day

Okay, we did it! We built a cold frame out of bales of straw, recycled glass, old windows and whatever else was laying around in the old barn. You might be wondering what is the purpose of a cold frame. It is a simple structure, generally low to the ground, that utilizes solar energy which creates a microclimate for your seedlings/plants. We will be utilizing these to prevent shock in our transplants. The idea is to slowly introduce your plants from the grow lights to sunlight.

It wasn’t difficult. We used the south side of the house as one part of the insulation. Next we set the bales of straw and placed the glass right on top! We will be using 2x4s to allow for ventilation once it really starts to heat up this spring!