Southern Soil Issue #5 2019

Issue

5

2019

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

Photo courtesy of Tara Ruby

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Contents 20 14

a growing food movement

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SIMPLY FARMING WITH PECKING ORDER BRANDON CHONKO

WAYGREEN

PAGE 08 \ GROWING A HEALTHIER COMMUNITY

PAGE 14 \ ADVICE FROM A FARMER ON GROWING FOOD

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PAGE 20 \ UNDERSTANDING KEY NATURAL BEHAVIORS IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE HIGH-WELFARE MANAGEMENT OF PASTURE-RAISED POULTRY

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TARA RUBY PAGE 22 \ PRESERVING FOOD TRADITIONS

04....... EDITORIAL

NATIVE PLANT HIGHLIGHT

PAGE 30 \ SHINY BLUEBERRY

34....... SOME KINDA GOOD

SMALL FARM SPOTLIGHT

PAGE 38 \ THE BASICS OF AQUAPONICS WITH BILLY’S BOTANICALS

44...... BUSINESS INDEX

Aboutthe Cover A local sustainable food system is the ideal to which we aspire. It is the bullseye, if you will. But on our journey from our current food system which is highly industrialized, not sustainable and far from local, we need to acknowledge the steps along the way.

While not losing sight of our ultimate target, let’s not take for granted the choices that may not be “best” but are certainly “better”. Sometimes “good” and “better” is as small an action as planting a few vegetables and some herbs in a pot, relying less on processed foods, or choosing something ISSUE ~ 5 ~ 2019 produced locally even if it doesn’t meet the highest standards of sustainability.

Just because we can’t yet reach “best”, let’s keep aiming to improve!

Southern SOIL

Editorial There is a battle being waged today over the future of our planet and the battleground is our dinner plates.

It seems like the obvious one. And I hope it will seem that way to most people, but I’m not willing to take that for granted.

For some of us the choice is so simple it’s laughable. But this is no laughing matter.

There is a path that leads to natural foods vegetables, fruits and meats - produced from more vibrant soils. This path leads to better health, cleaner environments, more nutritious food, more freedom and greater independence.

As it becomes more and more obvious that our current dependency on industrial agriculture is not sustainable over the long term, two divergent choices are emerging.

One choice will lead us down a path of continued and growing dependence on biotechnology.

Science (the kind that can only take place in a lab) will be held up as the answer to all of our problems.

“Food” can be created for us with little to no impact on the health of the planet with the added bonus of being “cruelty free” because no animals will be needed.

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Down this path, food consists of “impossible” “meats” made from genetically modified vegetables or “grown” from the chicken’s DNA found in a feather. These are actual products making their way on the market today that sound much more like Science fiction than something the FDA has or will actually approve for human consumption.

This is also the path that leads to further dependence on corporations for our food. This is a path toward corporations - people who make a profit - controlling what goes into our bodies, deciding what is “healthy”, what will be available to eat, and how much we will be required to pay to have access to it.

This is a top-down system where a very few will profit and those few will have immense power. This move for power over our very life-giving sources seeds and water - has already begun.

But thankfully, there is another choice.

This path winds its way through healthy pastures without chemicals and with greater biodiversity - more plant, animal and microbial life. It passes through smaller and more localized farms taking advantage of organic, sustainable and regenerative practices.

This is a path that focuses on the lessons that nature can teach us (also Science, by the way).

Down this path, we acknowledge that everything on this planet is part of a system. We understand that regeneration, death and rebirth are natural processes that we can “exploit” for our own good in harmony with the earth.

This is a path that goes in circles - closing loops in systems so that “waste” from one participant becomes the needed inputs of another - thereby creating waste-free systems where everything has a use.

The time to choose which path we take is now.

The good news is that as consumers, we have the power to choose our own future. We can choose the kind of world we want to live in and the kind of world we want to leave for future generations to inherit.

Shop wisely.

LeeAnna Tatum

LEEANNA TATUM, Editor

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SOIL a growing food

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Southern SOIL

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Pictured from left to right: Roger and April Westover, Connie Oliver (president of WayGreen and the heart and soul of the organization), Debby and Andy Thigpen. All are actively involved WayGreen volunteers and participants in the interview from which this article is derived!

a growing food movement

WayGreen:

growing a healthier community

by LeeAnna Tatum

What started out as a homesteading guild for

And that’s what they’re all about. Building.

a group of individuals in the Waycross area has

Encouraging. Educating. Promoting. Providing.

grown into a nonprofit organization making a

Giving. Growing. Whether it’s at their market, or one

regional impact promoting local food systems and

of the cooking demonstrations, or a workshop, or

access to fresh foods. Recently named as Georgia

just sitting around a table talking about food; this is

Organics’ newest food hub by Georgia Food Oasis,

a group of people that exude generosity and a spirit

WayGreen is earning its reputation as a catalyst for

of community.

the local, sustainable food movement.

WayGreen first began its transition from a The grassroots movement that is taking place

homesteading guild into something more

in Waycross, Ware County and the broader

community-minded by creating a local fare market.

region of South Georgia is something that is not only remarkable on its own, but also something that could provide a blueprint for other rural communities in Georgia to follow.

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WayGreen is more than simply an organization. It is a group of like-minded individuals who are not only passionate about promoting local food but deeply dedicated to the betterment of their entire community. A group of farmers, consumers and producers; they’re all striving for the same result - a healthier food system within the local community

“We started as a homestead guild because we had

that is accessible to all.

people who wanted to get back to living the sort of the way we did a hundred years ago. So we began it

Connie Oliver heads up this tribe, as they refer to

as that,” Connie explained. “But it became apparent

themselves. I met Connie early on as I was getting

we had farmers who were trying to grow food and

Southern Soil off the ground and she was one of

they needed an outlet for that food … we knew all

the first people who really got what it was I was

along we wanted to do a farmers market but we

trying to achieve. She and WayGreen have been

also knew we had only three farmers at that time.”

advertisers and cheerleaders and supporters of the magazine since the beginning.

Knowing that three vendors would not be enough of (con tinued on page 10)

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a draw to make a successful market, they set about

Thigpen, WayGreen volunteer and market organizer.

creating a local fare market instead of strictly a

“And it has to do with this tribe mentality that we’ve

farmers market. This opened up the vendor options

cultivated. We really are in this all together and

to other producers and artisans.

we have this passion and we know they have this passion. That, to me, is one of our successes -

“That was the model that we followed. That’s really

when people are happy to come to market.”

what I think our success is,” Connie said. “I think if we had just started with three farmers, we would

In two years, the market grew to about 35 vendors

have never seen that success.”

with up to 750 potential shoppers coming through the gates. At this time, they are operating once a

Another key to WayGreen’s successful growth of

month on a seasonal basis at their location at the

the market was creating a welcoming community

Okefenokee Heritage Center.

atmosphere. The local market wasn’t just a place to shop, it became a place to belong.

The market is restricted to vendors located within a 100 mile radius and vendors must be growers,

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“The other success I think is because the local fare

producers and/or makers of the products they

market caused a sense of community and a sense

are selling. Though the core group is dedicated to

of place,” Connie described. “We watched people

sustainable, organic, and beyond organic growing

stop and talk … there’s nowhere to do that in a

methods; those are not specific requirements for

town anymore … so it became a sense of place and

the vendors. The greater emphasis is on supporting

community.”

local foods for local people grown by local farmers.

“We hear from vendors at the market all the

“Our name, WayGreen, represents that we are

time who say, ‘Wow, I’ve been to other markets

seeking a greener lifestyle,” Connie explained, “

and never felt this much at home.’, added Debby

… that’s our personal stance. We know that’s the

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better food, but local is still better than having it shipped in. That’s why we encourage sustainable, non-toxic growing, but only require that it be local.”

Through the market, WayGreen has developed strong relationships with the farmers who take the time to travel to the market and make their products available to the people of Waycross. This is an important aspect of the market’s success and that of the vendors.

Another key to success at the market has been

“When I first got involved … we have all these

the contribution of Chef Andy who brings to

farmers who grow such beautiful, wonderful

the table his love of fresh food and cooking. By

produce, and I like to cook. So, I asked if there was

cooking up samples that are given out to market

anyone making samples,” Andy Thigpen explained.

attendees, Andy is able to help make fresh produce

“To me it seems like a no-brainer. If you have

more appealing and perhaps less intimidating to

samples, especially of things that people aren’t

shoppers.

used to seeing, then they will sell better.” (con tinued on page 12)

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“I really enjoy doing what we call the Pop Up Chef

began to grow food, the market provided him with a

there (at the market),” he continued. “And one of

potential customer base.

the things about cooking fresh vegetables, a lot of people don’t know how to get them on the table

“I’ve had a pull to grow for a long time,” Roger

quickly. I’m out there with either a camp stove or

described, “but I didn’t want to grow the way I grew

two-burner electric top. And I tell people, ‘if I can do

up growing (with conventional methods) … I’m from

this here and get it ready to eat in 15 minutes, you

Indiana… I knew I wanted to grow, but not like that.

can do it at home’.”

Roger produces micro-greens and other vegetables

WayGreen is dedicated to helping area farmers

on his small farm, Greenway Garden, using

succeed, in part by providing them with an outlet

intensive planting and other growing methods he

for their produce. For some farmers, like Roger

refers to as “beyond organic”. Through WayGreen,

Westover, the WayGreen local fare market provided

he has been able to sell directly to the public and

their first opportunity to sell to the public.

was also able to connect with restaurants that purchase his produce.

Roger and his wife April had joined WayGreen when it was a homestead guild because they were

Building connections, relationships and

interested in that type of lifestyle and wanted to

partnerships with other individuals and

connect with like-minded individuals. As Roger

organizations has been a key to WayGreen’s

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success. From partnerships with the local schools

other market to a new location,” Connie said. “That’s

and library to collaboration with other nonprofits

one of the things that we’re passionate about. That

in Georgia, WayGreen has been able to have an

the good product we’re providing gets to all the

impact on their community beyond the market.

people … we want everybody to be able to get these products that have been given such focus and such

Andy’s cooking at the market led to an opportunity

care.”

to do regular cooking demonstrations at the local library, introducing a whole new clientele to the

Waycross, like many towns in rural Georgia, has

value of fresh produce. The demonstrations are

population groups that lack access to fresh,

an opportunity to educate about the nutritional

local produce even when it may be being grown

value of certain foods and to demystify the cooking

all around. This was one of the issues that first

process.

compelled Connie and the others to begin the important work of establishing a market so farmers

In addition to the demo, participants are also given

could sell their local produce to local consumers.

some of the produce which was cooked to be able to take it home and prepare it for themselves. This

“People largely think that food justice and not

goes to the heart of WayGreen’s mission to help

having access to fresh food is a big urban and

ensure that healthy food options are available to

inner-city problem, and it is,” Andy said, “but when

everyone.

our Harvey’s over here closed down, we had a significant portion of people who had no easy

“In November, we’ll be starting a new market at

access to fresh vegetables. But they’re close

the library called the Parkit Market, located in the

enough that this market will help give them access

parking lot (of the Waycross Ware County Public

to it. Healthy eating should not be restricted to

Library). Bringing the same produce we have at our

people with means.”

WayGreen views education as a key factor in improving the local food system and they are active in the community teaching about nutrition, food preparation and growing food.

In addition to the cooking demos, they have held workshops on (con tinued on page 1 4)

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Southern SOIL (con tinued f r om page 13)

gardening, and given talks at local schools.

their first cooking demos involved carrots, over 2,000 pounds of which had been recovered through

As previously mentioned, one of the keys to

gleaning. The gleaned produce cannot be sold and

the success that WayGreen has had over the

must be given away.

years is that it’s president Connie Oliver and the core members of the organization are all about

Moving forward, WayGreen hopes to continue

cooperation and collaboration, not competition.

to grow its presence in the community. They are working to attract more farmers and producers to join their market. They are also looking at ways of making the market more convenient for the vendors with greater accessibility to local consumers as well.

They are looking forward to seeing where their new partnership with Georgia Organics through the Georgia Food Oasis program will take them as they continue to move forward to a healthier, more sustainable food system for their community in South Georgia.

14 They have developed strong partnerships with organizations like Southeast Health District, Ware Children’s Initiative, Slow Food South Georgia and the Okefenokee Heritage Center that have helped them connect with the community around them and join forces for common goals.

They have also partnered with the Society of St. Andrews to become part of their gleaning network in South Georgia. Through this partnership WayGreen members learned about the process of gleaning and how to connect with area farmers in order to salvage produce that otherwise would be turned under or left to rot in the field.

This provides them with yet another avenue of bringing local food into the community. One of

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Photo courtesy of Brandon Chonko

a growing food movement

Simply Farming with Brandon Chonko advice from a farmer on growing food

by Brandon Chonko

Here’s the thing. I honestly don’t have many regrets

rain that so often conspire to thwart even the most

when it comes to making the decision to farm

stalwart of summer gardening ambitions.

for money. Sure. It’s taxing. Exhausting even. An occupation full of dizzying highs and terrifying lows. A real rush.

Keep it simple. Keep it fun.

Till a plot and plant some greens. Maybe some

I enjoy getting my hands dirty and growing food

salad mix. Enjoy it over the next few months. It’ll

for profit. But, if I’m being completely honest, I’d

be way easier to keep weed free than any summer

have to say that growing food for cold, hard, cash

garden. Then, when spring rolls around you’ll hit

definitely comes with a sacrifice. The business of

the ground running with the usual veggie suspects.

staying in business, of constantly trying to turn a

Your garden will be better for it. Weed pressure will

profit, saps a lot of the magical moments right out

be reduced and you’ll begin to notice a cycle within

of farming. It doesn’t leave much, if any, time to sit

the seasons.

back and smell the proverbial roses. To enjoy the literal fruits of your labor.

The key to a garden is activity.

If I had but one piece of advice to the budding food

Being present and doing things in the dirt. Whether

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grower, I’d offer this: enjoy the ride.

weeding, planting, harvesting, or just piddling. Don’t

Maybe think twice before putting much financial

sort of fertilizer will produce a bounty. And at those

strain on yourself and your garden or farm. Grow

rare times throughout the year when Mother Nature

some things just for yourself and your friends and

retakes her lot and the garden becomes too much

family. Your coworkers at the office will probably

to contend with, just let her have it and start anew.

erect a statue of you next to the water cooler as a homage to all the backyard honey or okra or

overthink it. Dirt plus sun, plus water, plus some

Another option to consider is adding some protein

tomatoes that you brought in for everyone to enjoy.

into your mix. Yes, that’s right. Add some animals.

Take a garden for example. In the south you can

Even in a neighborhood backyard you could pretty

pretty much garden year round. Sure we always

easily grow enough birds to keep you in meat and

get romantic notions of summer tomatoes and

eggs year round. Plus they produce wonderful

watermelon but honestly the best, most rewarding

manure and if you play your cards right they can

gardening can be done in the cooler months.

help keep that garden humming like a song.

Chickens are a fantastic “gateway” farm animal.

Autumn brings a respite from the heat, insects, and (con tinued on page 18)

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In those times where the maintenance of the

peaceful. You can while away your afternoons

garden is simply too much and weeds threaten to

lounging in the nurturing bosom of tranquility

overtake the whole thing, turn those birds loose in

and be well fed to boot. Heck in no time you’ll be

there. They’ll love the bugs and their foot traffic and

producing so much that you’ll be struck with the

scratching will knock the weeds down and all the

brilliant idea that you could sell this stuff.

while they’ll be injecting organic nutrients right back into the soil.

Resist this thought like a whack-a-mole game at the county fair! Push that thought down! At least for

Bees are another option to produce food in an

a while.

enjoyable way. A few hives will produce more honey than you can eat and the best part is the bees do

Keep it enjoyable. You might even find some time

most of the work. They’ll also benefit the garden.

to sit back and admire it all. No rushing from

Which will benefit the birds. Which will benefit you.

restaurant to restaurant delivering food. No time spent away from your family toiling at a farmers

See where I’m going here?

market. No pressure to produce. Just simple and honest food.

Think circular. Everything benefits everything.

Gosh, thinking about it now that sounds downright

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Have fun.

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PECKING ORDER Southern SOIL

(con tinued f r om page 1 7)

Understanding key natural behaviors is essential for the high-welfare management of pasture-raised poultry to allow birds to easily move between them and other equipment. To minimize risk of injury and aid movement, the angle between perches at different heights should be no more than 45 degrees.

Groups and flocking

Dustbathing

The main affiliative behavior shown by poultry is flocking. Birds in large outdoor areas normally stay together in a group, an activity thought to have evolved primarily as protection against predators.

Dustbathing shows a clear diurnal rhythm and, under unrestricted conditions, hens dust bathe about every two days. Birds deprived of litter show a rebound in dustbathing behavior when litter is again made available, which suggests increased motivation after deprivation. A suitable substrate is an important stimulus for eliciting dustbathing.

Hens seem to prefer substrates with a fine structure, such as sand.

Domestic fowl naturally live in small groups, with a dominance hierarchy or pecking order based on establishment fights, followed by remembered assessment of status involving individual recognition. Individual recognition is limited to groups of up to 80 birds; hens in small groups have been shown to discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar subjects by showing more aggression towards unfamiliar hens. In larger groups, this system is thought to breakdown, 20and hens may adapt by becoming less aggressive or by restricting their movements to defined ‘territories’ and sub-flocks may emerge.

Within flocks, birds of high rank peck or displace others, while those of low rank will be displaced by others. In small, stable flocks, this hierarchy should not result in excessive aggression unless other factors, such as lack of feeding space, encourage it.

Rest and sleep

Nesting Within the flock hierarchical structure, subordinate hens are often bullied, particularly when seeking nest boxes. Researchers found that social factors —and the restriction of these—have an impact on the period of time a hen spends nesting. In high-welfare systems, laying hens must have access to at least one individual nest box for every five birds, or at least 20 sq. inches per laying hen where communal nests are used.

FREE RANGE Wide open fields are not ideal habitats. Chickens prefer areas with trees or natural or man-made cover, in order to hide from predators.

Semi-wild jungle fowl spend up to 60% of their time actively pecking the ground, even when not hungry, and domesticated free-range birds will spend time pecking for food even when poultry feeds are provided.

MIKE SUAREZ

The provision of an environment that enables birds to conduct their natural behavior is key to delivering high welfare. An understanding of the birds’ behavioral needs is integral to the success of all pasture-based production systems.

Article adapted from Farm Health Online.

For more information about practical, science-based advice on high-welfare livestock management, visit farmhealthonline.com

The main pattern of rest and sleep in poultry is set by the light-dark cycle. Chickens are generally inactive at night and the strength of the natural diurnal rhythm is enhanced if houses are completely dark at night. Birds also rest during daytime and this is normally synchronized within a group; hence the importance of allowing social grouping in promoting “natural” behavior.

Perching Perching, particularly at dusk, is another strongly motivated behavior pattern and birds become unsettled if there is no perch site available.

However, poorly designed perches can also result in pain and injury. Birds should have access to low perches at a young age so they learn to safely negotiate them. Perches should be arranged • SUSTAINABLE • SPRING 18 FARMING This article first appeared in2019 A Greener

Image credit: Mike Suarez/A Greener World.

World’s Sustainable Farming magazine, Spring 2019, page 10. Reproduced here with kind permission. For more information about A Greener World—home of the world’s leading labels—visit www.agreenerworld.org

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Southern SOIL

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a growing food movement

Tara Ruby:

preserving food traditions by LeeAnna Tatum Photos by Tara Ruby Editor’s Note: Tara Ruby is a fine art portrait and event photographer who currently has a studio in Hinesville. She is a veteran, a military spouse and a mother of three. She has won multiple awards for her ground-breaking photography which focuses on motherhood and the military. Often combining those two.

I met Tara (though somewhat indirectly) when we both attended the Boucherie Festival held at Comfort Farms earlier this year and she has since done some of the photography for Southern Soil, sharing her gift with all of us!

But this isn’t an article about photography.

This is an article about food. Catching food.

required a joint effort. Whether it was fishing,

Hunting food. Growing food. Preparing food.

hunting, butchering chickens, working in the garden

And maybe, most importantly, creating shared

or foraging; there was a lot more involved to meal

experiences around food.

preparation than simply making a quick run to the grocery store with a list of items to buy.

Tara Ruby is a modern woman with a successful

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career, her own business and a husband who serves in the Army. Even with a busy life, she devotes a great deal of time and attention to sourcing and preparing food for herself and her family.

This lifestyle choice is one that Tara makes because of the many benefits she receives through it. Not only does it afford her the opportunity to enjoy good food that is prepared well, but it also connects her with nature, provides many health benefits, builds community and keeps family ties

“Looking back now as an adult,” Tara explained,

strong.

“I’m pretty sure we did it because it was just

Raised by her grandparents, William and Amelia Berry, in Maryland, Tara grew up in an environment where food was the center of family activities; in large part because getting food on the table

cheaper. But it’s also better. Everything in my house growing up was centered around the table. Normal, everyday life was around the table.”

It may have been a practical way of life for a (con tinued on page 24)

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Depression-era couple to feed their family, but

with her grandmother, they also got a literal hands-

it also served as the basis for many of Tara’s

on experience with sausage making.

childhood memories. Sure, some of those memories were of experiences not fully appreciated at the time, but they are things for which she is grateful today.

“We lived on a deadend street, we would walk down to the very end of the street where we had a plot sized garden. I remember carrying 5 gallon buckets down to water the stupid garden,” Tara recalled with

“My uncle is the meat guy in the family. He put in

a laugh, “and when you’re a kid you don’t really pay

100 pounds of deer and we put in 100 pounds of

attention to it, it’s just another chore.”

pig (wild hog) and we made our own sausages together. But we did that with my kids. So it was

But now, as a mom herself, she appreciates those

me and (husband) Gary and my two younger ones

shared memories that were created around food

and we spent all day … and we learned how to do it,”

and hopes to keep some of those traditions alive

Tara said.

for future generations.

“My kids got their hands in there … you have to 24

On a recent trip back to Maryland to visit family,

teach kids to really get their hands in there because

Tara was able to create new memories with her

of that initial reaction, ‘oh my god, I have dead pig

kids around food while also teaching them new

on my fingers’, you have to get past that thought

skills and strengthening family connections. In

process,” she laughed. “And then we cooked it right

addition to foraging for wild berries and making jelly

there. So we were actually eating it while we were

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making it so we could see what it tasted like. And

buy meat is usually beef. And that’s just because I

we talked about all kinds of stuff. So, it’s back to

cannot raise a cow in my backyard. I tried,” she said

that family thing of communication.”

after a brief pause, “Gary won’t let me.”

“And when your fingers are dirty, you can’t have your

(con tinued on page 26)

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cellphones,” She added. “So everybody had their cellphones off for the day!”

“Above and beyond what we’re eating,” Tara said, “I’m very protective of our time together.”

But it’s more than making memories that compels Tara to be more involved in providing her own food, it’s also about the quality of the food - tastier and healthier!

“This tastes better and I know where it comes from, I know when it was killed,” Tara said of eating meat that she and husband Gary have caught or processed themselves.

“The more we do it, the more that’s what we want,” Tara said. “Now, I think the only time we go and

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26 She may not be able to raise and slaughter her

Unlike her childhood experience, however, Tara

own cow, living with neighbors nearby and all, but

learned through Jon Jackson and her experience at

she does keep some chickens. The chickens not

the bucherie how to butcher the chickens without

only provide her with a steady stream of eggs, but

causing them undue stress.

she will also harvest them for meat when their egg production falls off.

“I remember going to my uncle’s and cleaning (chickens). The main thing I remember is cutting

“My uncles had chickens, cows, pigs, ducks. My

their heads off and they’d flap everywhere,” Tara

grandfather actually had rabbits. We were never

recalled. “But then, going to Jon’s (Comfort Farms)

allowed to name them, you weren’t allowed to pick

and watching them through the process and

them up and cuddle them. You went out, you fed

keeping the animal more calm and contained, that

them, you watered them, you cleaned the cage

was when I thought, ‘I can do this!’.”

and then you went back inside. Because there was never that emotional attachment and I think

“We just believe if we can do it ourselves and save

you have to have that. I don’t have any attachment

money doing it, it’s just so much better,” Tara said.

to mine. If they quit laying, they’re done,” Tara

“I have Gary help me a lot of times, because what

explained.

I find is that I’m not strong enough, physically.

a growing food movement

Sometimes it’s not that easy. There’s a process to

that military life doesn’t always facilitate.

doing it and doing it the right way.”

Whether it’s fishing with the “regulars” on the pier Tara is not afraid to learn new skills. Whether

and learning from their years of experience, sharing

it’s finding a mentor or watching how-to videos

an overabundance of eggs or preparing a meal for

on YouTube (which is how she learned to skin

others; food has a way of bringing people together.

and butcher hogs), she’s always expanding her knowledge base and learning new skills.

“We’ve given eggs to all of our neighbors, we give eggs to post, we do bartering now,” Tara explained.

“When we clean a pig, I skin it and butcher it, Gary’s

“The lady who makes all my onesies for my studio

there for the strength because it takes a lot of

… they have three boys, so they go through eggs

physical strength sometimes to do this and I just

like crazy. So, we’ll trade services.”

can’t,” Tara said. “And he’s really good at coming home and cutting it up and then he does all the

“We still do a big Thanksgiving,” Tara said. “We’ll

grinding, because he’s just better at it. So, it’s

invite single soldiers over to the house. We have

learning what you’re good at and what you’re not

had quite a few guys come over who had never had

good at doing is part of the process.”

fresh carrots or even a home-cooked meal!”

Food also connects Tara to community, something

(con tinued on page 28)

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and fruit orchard, it’s impractical at this time. Tara makes do with a small garden and some potted herbs that she can harvest fresh when she needs them.

Food plays a vital role in every person’s life. It is life-sustaining and necessary. But not everyone embraces that fact as wholeheartedly as Tara and others like her who choose to be so closely “I make all my veggies from fresh and they’re

connected to the food they eat. But the benefits to

mind-blown that something could taste this way,”

live this way are undeniable.

Tara said of the young soldiers who visit. “I feel bad for this whole generation that was just so used to processed everything. How could you have gone your entire life without a true home cooked meal?”

Just as military life can make it difficult for families to have strong community connections, it also makes it difficult to put down literal roots as well.

Though she would love to have a large garden 28

By choosing to source her own food directly and prepare it from scratch, Tara is actively involved with the natural world - sunlight, earth, fresh air, animals, vegetation. These are all proven to be essential for our mental and physical health.

Bringing food to the table in this way is inherently more active than relying on processed foods.

It’s also inherently more social and conducive to developing relationships and building community.

By making food preparation a shared experience, memories are made and ties are strengthened.

There was a time in our shared history when it was necessary to make these choices in order to eat. Today, we have a sometimes overwhelming number of easier, cheaper and much more convenient options available to us. But what’s the trade off?

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Photo by Heather Brasell.

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Native Plant Highlight: Shiny Blueberry Vaccinium myrsinites: hedge trimmers not necessary.

by Amy Bowen Carter, University of Georgia, Tifton Campus Are you looking for a low growing, fine textured, evergreen shrub, suitable for large or small garden landscapes? Shiny blueberry may be just the plant for you. Find a space with very good drainage and sun to part shade, and Vaccinium myrsinites will thrive: hedge trimmers are not wanted and not necessary.

Description.

Vaccinium myrsinites is hardy in zones 8-10. The small, fine textured, glossy leaves are

mostly evergreen, alternately arranged, and are ovate to elliptic, with entire margins. A strong magnifying lens is required to see the fine hairs on the stems and red glands on the underside of the leaves. Clusters of white to light pink flowers appear in spring. Serious botanists would describe the lovely cylindrical flowers as urceolate, or urn shaped, typical of vaccinium species. Fruits are shiny, dark blue or black round berries, about one fourth to one third inch in diameter. Mature height is about 1 to 3 feet; the width increases as the plants colonize, spreading by robust underground rhizomes.

Natural habitats.

31

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture and

U.S. Forest Service, distribution of shiny blueberry, aka dwarf blueberry, ground blueberry, and Florida evergreen blueberry, is in the coastal plain regions of Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina and the entire state

Photo by Heather Brasell.

of Florida. The plant is a prominent component of scrubby, xeric pine flatwoods, oak-palmetto scrub, pine-oak scrub and scrub palmetto communities (Tirmenstein, 1990).

Wildlife value.

Perhaps due to the limited natural range in the U.S., wildlife uses are not well

documented. The berries are sweet and rich in vitamin C and energy content, making it “highly palatable to a wide variety of birds and mammals� (Tirmenstein, 1990). It is known that raccoon, black bear, mice, fox, and squirrel feed on the fruit of many Vaccinium species; it is likely that those mammals would find the fruit of shiny blueberry enticing. The structure of the low growing, multistemmed, colonizing plants could provide cover for small birds and mammals.

Considerations for your garden.

Vaccinium myrsinites performs well in acidic soils. Good drainage is

an essential requirement. The colonizing habit of the plants could be used to advantage in the landscape: to stabilize a slope, to fill an awkward space created by walkways, to provide a fine-textured element in the design. (con tinued on page 32)

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The photo below shows Vaccinium myrsinites in

that V. darrowii tolerates more moisture, while V.

the Coastal Plain Research Arboretum, located at

myrsinites tolerates more drought.” Wasowski’s

University of Georgia Tifton Campus. Two plants

words sum up her appreciation of the plant in

were installed on the sandy site twelve years ago.

the landscape. “Use them wherever you need a

32

Photo by Dana Cheekp Today, the plants cover an area measuring about 16 feet by 8 feet. To say “minimal care has been given to the plants” is an understatement! They were

small evergreen shrub. They can border a flower

planted and left to fend for themselves. As you can

bed or substitute for a boxwood hedge… Or, you

see from the photograph, the plants are thriving in

could plant masses of them as a groundcover to

the location.

eliminate expanses of lawn, both for aesthetic and environmental reasons. A groundcover of

Author Sally Wasowski compares and combines

blueberries will prevent runoff, hold moisture in the

Vaccinium myrsinites and V. darrowii on the same

soil, and provide a feast of berries for songbirds.”

page. The main difference between the two

From this landscaper’s perspective, that is high

species, “as far as landscapers are concerned is

praise for a relatively unknown plant.

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An interesting contradiction to note, Tirmenstein wrote in an article on the Fire Effects Information System website, “This rhizomatous shrub commonly forms extensive colonies. Colonies approximately 0.6 mile across and at least 1,000

References Miller, James H. and Karl V. Miller. Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Forest Uses, Revised Edition; The University of Georgia Press, 2005.

years of age have been reported.” Yet, another

“Shiny blueberry,” Florida Wildflower Foundation,

author/authors on a frequented website wrote that

2017, www.flawildflowers.org.

Vaccinium myrsinites is a “short-lived perennial….. best used as a wildflower as it has a relatively short

Tirmenstein, D., 1990. Vaccinium myrsinites.

lifespan.”

In; Fire Effects Information System, [Online].

If you garden in zones 8 or 9, Vaccinium myrsinities

Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences

is certainly worth a try. The success of the plants in the Coastal Plain Research Arboretum allow me to make the strong recommendation. Acid soil, sun to part shade, and excellent drainage required; hedge trimmers not necessary.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Laboratory (Producer). www.fs.fed.us “Vaccinium myrsinites, shiny blueberry,” Florida Native Plant Society, 2013, www.fnps.org.

Wasowski, Sally. Gardening with Native Plants of the South; Taylor Trade Publishing, 2010.

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Photo courtesy of Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser

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Some Kinda Good in the Neighborhood

by Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser Food Network Star finalist Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser is a food enthusiast and writer. Her blog, Some Kinda Good, features local, in-season recipes with Southern coastal influences. A Georgia Southern University alumna, she also attended Savannah Technical College’s Culinary Institute of Savannah. Like Some Kinda Good on Facebook, follow @SKGFoodBlog on Twitter and Instagram or visit RebekahLingenfelser.com.

Kurt’s Favorite Pot Roast When the weather starts to feel like fall in

countertop. When you lift the lid of the slow cooker,

Savannah, it isn’t long before my husband Kurt

the meat literally falls apart with the touch of a

starts requesting pot roast for dinner. When we

fork, and it’s all I can do to finish making the gravy.

were dating, I needed a tire changed on my car.

If I’m being honest, sometimes we just eat it right

When Kurt came to the rescue, I said, “What do I

away. Tender meat, sweet carrots and the soothing

owe you?” With that sweet Southern boy charm, he

warmth of the beef broth is the perfect dish to

smiled and said, “Three pot roast dinners will do it.”

enjoy when there’s a chill in the air.

That was a challenge I could meet. He has always loved pot roast. On Friday, we celebrated six years

A note on this classic comfort food dish: Seasoning

together, and I’m still cooking him his favorite dish.

is key. Pot roast can be really bland if not seasoned well with salt and pepper. Also, you can bump up

When it comes to using the slow cooker, you may

the flavor using aromatics. I throw in a bay leaf and

have heard the expression, “Set it and forget it.”

fresh rosemary to perfume the beef broth. I love to

Well, that has never been the case for me. When

use red wine to create depth of flavor as well. After

I “set it,” I haven’t forgotten a thing. In fact, I’m

searing the chuck roast, don’t forget to add the pan

thinking about that slow cooker all day long! After

juices from the skillet into your slow cooker. For a

working all day, there is nothing better than walking

well-rounded meal, serve it with fresh bread and a

in the house and being greeted by the aroma

garden salad.

of beef and potatoes simmering away on the (con tinued on page 36)

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Kurt’s Favorite Pot Roast Serves 4-6

36

•

2.5 – 3 pound Chuck Roast

•

1 bay leaf

•

1 pounds of carrots, chopped

•

2 stems fresh rosemary

•

2 pounds of potatoes, peeled, chopped

•

1 cup reduced sodium beef broth

•

1 large onion, sliced

•

1 cup red wine, such as Merlot or Cabernet

•

2 cloves of garlic minced

Sauvignon •

Salt and Pepper

Season the chuck roast well with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large cast iron skillet over high heat, sear the chuck roast on all sides until browned. Meanwhile, place the onions, carrots and potatoes in the slow cooker. Add the seared chuck roast over the top of the vegetables. Top the meat with the minced garlic. Add in the bay leaf and fresh rosemary. Pour the red wine and beef broth over the meat. Cover and cook for 8-10 hours. If you’re patient enough to do this step, strain the liquid into a saucepan and add a cornstarch slurry–2 teaspoons of cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons of water. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce heat to low. Let simmer 5 minutes until thickened. Pour the gravy over the meat and vegetables, and enjoy!

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a growing food movement

Small Farm Spotlight:

The Basics of Aquaponics with Billy’s Botanicals

by LeeAnna Tatum

Billy Dugger is not a typical farmer and Billy’s

correlation between America’s industrialized

Botanicals is not a typical farm. Located in

agricultural system, the reliance on pesticides and

Richmond Hill is a small farm without a tractor, no

other chemicals, and the increase in cancer rates.

row crops, no cows, not a barn in sight. No tilling, no adding of fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides, but

“We’re not supposed to be eating pesticides,” Billy

this greenhouse-enclosed ecosystem generates a

stated. “Pesticides were designed to kill or prevent

steady supply of greens, herbs and vegetables. Oh

organic creatures from eating that food, right?

… and an edible by-product to boot!

So, when we eat trace elements of that pesticide, to me, there’s a clear connection between that

Billy didn’t set out to become a farmer, atypical

and all the rise in rates of cancer over the past

or otherwise, but did have a lifelong interest in

30, 40 years. It seems to be correlated with the

aquariums and keeping fish. That hobby and

agricultural world and when we started using all

his interest in foods produced without harmful

these pesticides. So if you can create food without

chemicals eventually led him to the world of

using these inorganic elements and fertilizers and

aquaponics.

certainly no pesticides, your body will reward you 39

with great health,” he concluded.

When Billy’s father William Dugger II was diagnosed with cancer, he began to seriously consider the

“Cancer runs strongly in my father’s side of the family,” Billy explained, “so it seemed like the only thing I could do was live proactively and live a healthy lifestyle and eat as much pesticide-free food as I could.”

Around that same time, Billy received an aquarium as a graduation gift. Not a fan of the filtration systems he was used to having to deal with in the saltwater aquariums he had kept as a child, he started researching other ways to filter. What he stumbled upon was aquaponics.

“Aquaponics is the merger of aquaculture (farmraising fish) and hydroponics to form a closed-loop recirculation system where all the nutrients plants (con tinued on page 4 0)

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Billy Dugger, his wife Ana and their son Billy

40

thrive from derive from this interaction between

system is food for the fish and additional oxygen,

freshwater fish and bacteria,” Billy explained.

much like one would need in a fish aquarium.

He went on to describe the naturally occurring

“It’s a living, breathing ecosystem, everything in

bacteria in the water commonly referred to as

here has a job to do. The fish provide the nutrients

nitrifying bacteria of which there are two types.

the beneficial bacteria need to thrive, the beneficial bacteria provide the nutrients that the plants need

“You colonize this bacteria and they work in

to survive, the plants filter the water for the fish.

conjunction with one another. The first one eats

The only thing you really need to do to keep this

the dissolved fish waste in the form of ammonia

thing going is pump a bunch of oxygen in the

and then excretes nitrites. The second beneficial

system to keep the fish alive. And when the roots

bacteria actually eats those nitrites and excretes nitrates, which then the plants can use as fertilizer.”

“In this cycle,” he continued, “both ammonia and nitrites are toxic to fish and plants but that beneficial bacteria colony constantly eating the ammonia and nitrites and ultimately excreting the nitrates keeps a healthy environment for the fish and plants.”

The only thing that has to be added to this closed

a growing food movement

producing clean food he was able to take that concept and expand it to a much larger scale.

He had some help with the process, getting an education on aquaponics from Friendly Aquaponics, the first aquaponics system in the world to receive organic certification.

That wasn’t the only education Billy received. He refers to much of his experience as an aquaponics farmer as an “educational endeavor”, but each challenge has been a lesson learned and a move toward a better system of growing.

Part of that education was moving from the initial setup of an outdoor system to the current are submerged under the water, you need a lot of

greenhouse operation. Within the greenhouse

oxygen to sustain the plants.”

environment, the regulated temperature of the

Billy started out with just a couple of small fish

water in the tanks acts as a natural insulator

tanks, but when he got serious about the idea of

(con tinued on page 4 2)

41

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42

keeping the temperatures relatively moderated

In addition to produce, a few times a year it

during the heat of summer and the cold of winter.

becomes necessary to reduce the number of tilapia living in the tanks. Those fish are harvested and

Billy’s Botanicals produces a regular supply of

sold for meat.

lettuce, bok choy, wasabi, mint, kale cucumbers and more. They also regularly produce an edible

As the fileting of the fish required Billy to have a

flower mix that includes: ginger lily, passion flower,

USDA approved seafood processing facility which

chrysanthemum, pansies, cucumber flowers,

he was only using periodically, he reached out to

begonias … depending on the time of year.

local fishermen and shrimpers and uses that facility in order to bring fresh seafood to his customers as well.

“This (the seafood processing facility) opened the door for wild caught Georgia seafood,” Billy explained. “We started networking with fishermen and shrimpers and now we bring offshore fish and shrimp to the market and to certain restaurants as well. We network mainly with Philips Seafood down in Townsend. Our shrimper ... is Captain Johnny Woods off the Papa T shrimp boat.”

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Nothing at Billy’s Botanicals goes to waste. It is a closed-loop system where, to put it simply, one organism’s waste is another’s treasure! Even the solid waste from the fish that is cleared from the system periodically does not go unused as it makes an excellent fertilizer for their more traditional outdoor garden. Likewise, the fish carcasses left after the filets are removed become a nutrient rich fertilizer that is sold or used on the farm.

The nutrient-rich, chemical-free food that is grown is as much an homage to Billy’s late father as the name of the farm itself. Billy’s Botanicals also serves as a tribute to his grandfather, and represents a healthier future for his son, William Dugger ... the fourth.

Billy’s Botanicals currently provides produce to many Savannah restaurants including Prohibition and Husk on a weekly basis. You can purchase produce from Billy’s Botanicals, as well as a selection of fresh wild-caught Georgia seafood, at Forsyth Farmers Market on most Saturdays.

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Business Index

m

E ARE WORKING TO BE THE DEFINITIVE PLATFORM FOR LOCALLY SOURCED AND SUSTAINABLY PRODUCED FOOD HERE IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. THIS LIST INCLUDES BUSINESSES AND FARMS THAT, AT LEAST IN PART, STRIVE TO MEET STANDARDS HIGHER THAN THOSE SET IN CONVENTIONAL AGRICULTURE. WE HOPE THAT THIS LIST WILL HELP MINDFUL CONSUMERS CONNECT WITH PRODUCERS AND PURVEYORS OF SUSTAINABLE LOCAL FOOD. THOUGH WE HAVE ENDEAVORED TO MAKE A GOOD START, WE ADVISE CONSUMERS TO GET TO KNOW THEIR FARMERS, CHEFS, RESTAURANTEURS AND RETAILERS: ASK QUESTIONS AND LEARN ABOUT WHERE YOUR FOOD IS SOURCED AND HOW IT IS PRODUCED.

Alma

The Douglas Farm

Alston

Laurent Farm

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Bartow

Midnight Run Distillary The Hancock Farm, LLC

Brooklet

Hunter Cattle

Brunswick

Gilliard Farms Richland Rum Sage’s Larder Strong Roots Provisions

Cobbtown

Dig In Farms

Baxley

Miles Berry Farm (Organic and Conventional) Ten Mile Creek Farm

Blackshear

Southern Press and Packing

Cumberland Island Greyfield Inn

Darien

Canewater Farm Turnip Greens

Bloomingdale Ottawa Farms

Douglas

Red Brick Farm

Blythe Island Potlikker Farm

Bristol and Brunswick Rabiteye Winery

Dublin

Dublin Farm and Ristorante de Maria Local Lands Organically Grown Gardens Market on Madison

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Eastman

Midway

Dodge County Farmers Market

Foods of the Farm

Eden

Milledgeville

Garden Botanicals

Comfort Farms Green Market Milledgeville Salamander Springs

Fitzgerald

El Capitan Longhorns

Mt. Vernon

Hardeman Apiaries

Glennville

Watermelon Creek Vinyard

Glenwood

Nahunta

Hands Indigo Farm Walnright and Son

Lola’s Organic Farm

Newington

Guyton

Better Fresh Farms Greenbridge Farm Heritage Organic Farms

Longwood Plantation Southern Native Plantings

Odem

Mickey’s Farm, Inc. (Organic Pure Cane Syrup)

Hinesville

The Hinesville Downtown Farmers Market

Jesup

Garden of Eatn Health Food Store

Pooler

Polks Plus and Polks Plus on the Go Savannah Sauce Company The Salt Table Two Addison Place Farmers Market

Kingsland

Vacuna Farms

Portal

Clark & Sons Organics

Lakeland

Gayla Grits Georgia Olive Farms

Lyons

Rackettown Wildlife Club

Register

B & G Honey Farms

Reidsville

Grassroots Farm Swampy Appleseed Mushrooms

Midville

Wildhaven Farm

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Richmond Hill

Billy Botanicals The Ford Plantation Hardwicke Farms Swallow Tail Farms

Rocky Ford

Jacob’s Produce

Sandersville

Downtown Sandersville Market

South Islands Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market Southbound Brewing Company The Fat Radish The Grey The Olde Pink House Restaurant The Salt Table The Sentient Bean Thrive Catering Vertu Farm Victory Gardens Wilmington Island Farmers Market

Springfield

Bootleg Farm, LLC

Savannah

46

1540 Room 22 Square Restaurant Alligator Soul Back in the Day Bakery B & D Burgers Brighter Day Byrd’s Famous Cookies Cha Bella: Farm to Table Cotton and Rye East End Provisions Economy Feed and Seed Elizabeth on 37th Forsyth Farmers Market Fox and Fig Cafe Frali Gourmet Friendship Coffee Georgia Land and Cattle Gratitude Gardens Grow. Eat. Repeat.

Husk Kayak Kafe Downtown Kayak Kafe Midtown Kitchen 320 Local 11ten Local Farmbag Lucky’s Market Moon River Brewing Company Ogeechee Meat Market Pacci Italian Kitchen Prohibitions Russo’s Seafood Savannah Bee Company Savannah Bee Company: Wilmington Island Showroom Service Brewing Company

St. Mary’s

Saint Mary’s Community Market

St. Simons Island

Georgia Sea Grill Halyards Restaurant Little St. Simons Island B&B Savannah Bee Company Sea Island Resort The Market Sea Island Uncle Don’s Market

Statesboro

920 Cattle & Co. Anthony’s Roots HL Franklin’s Healthy Honey Main Street Farmers Market Scratch Made Catering Sugar Magnolia Three Tree Roasters

Swainsboro

Pinetucky Country Meats The Sugar Bowl

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Sylvania

Waycross

4and20 Bakers Boddiford’s Deer Processing Hammons Flatland Farm Old Freeman Family Farm (Danny Anderson’s Real Feed, non-GMO) Savannah River Farms Victory Garden General Store Walker Organic Farms

Hickox Family Farm Waygreen Homestead Guild Waygreen Local Fare Market

Waynesboro Byne Blueberry Farms Pineland Bakery Southern Swiss Dairy

Townsend

Brothers in Farms, LLC Georgia Buffalo Ranch McCurdy Berries Sapelo Sea Farms The Fish Dock ZNL Farm

Woodbine Morning Belle Farms (Organic) Woodbine Farmers Market

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