Southern SOIL
Small Farm
Spotlight
I n t h is series, g et t o kn o w mo re a b o u t t h e sma ll far m o p era t io n s t h a t a re u sin g su st a in a b le met h o d s t o help meet t h e lo ca l d ema n d f o r f resh f o o d . An d meet the f a rmers t h a t a re ma kin g it h a p p en !
Crossroads Farm and Garden, LLC, located just
the position of being about to make the decision
outside of Alma, is a Certified Naturally Grown
myself. It’s been a good transition period.”
operation with approximately 1/3 acre of growing space currently in use. Andy Douglas recently transitioned into full time farming earlier this year. For the past three years, he has been farming part time, slowly building up the infrastructure, tools and experience he needed in order to be able to make the shift. Having grown tired of the corporate world and presented with the idea that farming could be 16
profitable, Andy began building the farm with the
“I really got started farming toward the end of last
intention of eventually leaving his job with the
year ... making sure things are going to grow and
railroad. In April of this year, Andy was laid off -
making enough to sell, that kind of thing … and that
providing him the opportunity to make his move
got us to where we are now. I’m really enjoying it.”
into full time farming. Andy has started out small with plans to expand the farm in the coming years. Ultimately, he plans to grow crops on two to three acres and there are plans to expand the chicken operation, as well as, adding pastures for larger livestock down the road. “Initially (farming) started out about the money,” Andy said. “I have a family, I have bills to pay, so I need the money. But then the more I realized how ‘dirty’ your conventional food is - it kind of changed course to ... we’ve got to get some better food to “I was laid off at the end of April,” Andy explained.
people. To my family, first of all, and then to my
“I’ve been enjoying every minute of it! I was in
community and everyone else.”
