IMPORTANT JEFF POPPEN UPDATE!
Long Hungry Creek Farm will officially be offering a CSA for 2013, and is now taking members. As we mentioned earlier and as reported in the Tennessean, USA today, and other large publications, Jeff was forced to close down operations on his main farm due to the pollution caused by his neighbor's chicken houses. He wants people to know he is NOT throwing in the towel, however, and will still be farming next year!Whew.Here is the link to his farm's Facebook Page to learn more.We've been unsure of what Jeff's plans were, but figured there was no way he wouldn't be farming. At least we hoped. This news, however, makes us happy and sad at the same time. Ecstatic Jeff will still be farming and feeding hundreds of families next year, teaching several young aspiring farmers how to grow food; devastated he has to move and leave behind one of our favorite farms in Tennessee.We have to protect our small farms. Healthy land is something becoming increasingly less common, but conversely, increasingly more important. Save a farm, buy local.Jesse.
Photo of the gardens at Long Hungry Creek from their Facebook page.
WENDELL WEDNESDAY.
One of the best things about living in Nashville this winter has been the amazing little pet store a few blocks from our house. Wags & Whiskers is a local holistic pet food and supply shop. We buy our dog food there, but it is also just a fun place to take Wendell while we are out on a walk.
We have been wanting to give Wendell a bath for a long time now, but the thought of chasing him around the backyard with a garden hose just wasn't super appealing. When we found out that Wags & Whiskers had a self-service dog washing station - we were pretty excited. They even had a giant, Wendell-sized tub! The shop provided the shampoo, aprons, scrub brushes, towels - everything we needed.
Wendell did so well! He was a little nervous walking up the ramp to the tub, but he stood still for the entire bath....I think he even enjoyed it! He was so fluffy and clean on the walk home - just in time for his ELEVEN MONTH birthday today! Can you believe it? What happened to this little guy?- Hannah.
GOOD WORDS.
We are headed to Bugtussle tomorrow...to make and install a door jamb, to build a staircase for the porch, and to water the lettuce and swiss chard in the high tunnel. It is still amazing to me that Bugtussle is actually our home now. Eventually, we are going to live there. As Jesse and my first anniversary is coming up, I can't help but think about our insane past year. I saw this on pinterest today - it might just be the most appropriate way to illustrate the lessons we have learned (and are still learning!) about all that we have gone through. It is a good bit of wisdom to remember - especially the next time we hit a bump in the road or an unexpected turn.- Hannah.
AND.... ACTION.
Photo of Jeff Poppen by Tim Harris.
As we mentioned yesterday, Jeff Poppen is closing down operations at Long Hungry Creek Farm––after 40 years of organic farming––because the pollution from a neighbor's chicken houses has started to leak into his farm, his water, his air, and the integrity of his vegetables.To a small farmer, this is horror story, and everything about it scares me––for Jeff, for us, for everyone.But there are plenty of things we can do to change it! First, we have to stop eating commercially-produced chicken. Period. There is no greater protest than eliminating demand. If there is no market for factory food, there will no longer be factory farms. If the market continues to grow, however, and millions of chickens are still processed every day, Jeff's story will become an increasingly more common one. Maybe become ours.Commercial farmers are generally not bad people either––quite the opposite really––but if the demand is there, they will work to meet it. We determine where the money is every time we eat.Next, share Jeff's story. I've already seen how galvanizing this story is and we need to sustain that momentum. Please blog it, Tweet it, Facebook THIS picture and get the word out. Make shirts with the photo, posters with catchy lines (my obligatory and free examples: "Chicken Little Meets Chicken Monster"; "Tyson KO'd my Farmer"; etc., etc., etc..), hand out fliers, postcards, and send letters to important publications and people. Make videos, make art, appeal to every possible personality. Anyone could care about this if presented in the right way––use every way you can think of.Those little things could make a world of difference. Those little things could simultaneously save the world, and one very special small farm.- Jesse.