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Wood
Prairie Farm
In This
Issue of The Seed Piece:
Seed
Piece Newsletter
'Harvest' A Book by Richard Horan
Organic
News
and
Commentary
Join Wood Prairie Farm in NYC for Four
Events.
Two Valuable Prop 37 Info Posters.
Recipe: Tomato Tarte Tatin.
Special Offer: FREE Copy of "Harvest"
Mailbox: Good Seed, Good Eating, Good
Fertilizer and Good Life.
Harvest the Reality;
'Harvest' the Book.
Richard Horan's Harvest Released
This Week.
Our 2012 potato harvest continues in high gear with good mostly dry
weather so far. It was last October that author Richard Horan and
his daughter
Kat spent three days on our Maine farm helping us harvest organic seed
potatoes. What we knew was that he was writing a book with 'harvest' as
the central theme. What we didn't know was that his collection of
farm-harvesting-experiences was having a transformational effect that
would have a deep impact upon both him and the book he expected to be
writing. The
result is a wonderful work that you will have a hard time putting down.
The healthy dose of hope this book inspires means you will want to put
reading Harvest
at the top of your To Do List.
Jim &
Megan Gerritsen & Family
Wood
Prairie Farm
Bridgewater,
Maine
Click here for the
Wood Prairie Farm Home Page
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Harvest
- An Adventure into the Heart of America's Family Farms. A
Book By Richard Horan.
It is fitting that this week, amidst the busy
Fall harvest season, that
Richard Horan’s wonderful book, Harvest,
has been released by Harper Collins. In this work filled with depth,
warmth and humor, well-grounded and talented author Richard Horan
discovers and shares the quintessential authentic dynamic behind the
country’s growing family farm movement. Traveling from one end of
America to the other, he writes and takes part in gritty harvests
ranging from Maine potatoes to Kansas wheat to Michigan wild rice to
Cape Cod cranberries to California walnuts and more. Deserving of
becoming an American classic, this book stands as a tribute to the
institution of the family farm, the place that offers not only the good
life but the promise of healing for wounded souls and a troubled
world. Horan extends his tribute to the hardworking farmers and
farm hands behind the farms. With respect and literary deftness
in his search for the genuine – and not afraid to delve into the
ecological and political challenges of our times - Horan generates a
convincing narrative that rebuilding a sane world begins with the
family
farm. This is a book you will want to read and you will want
others to read. The world needs family farms and family farms
have found themselves a new capable advocate.
Jim & Megan
Here is an except from Harvest’s Chapter
8 – Potatoes - Wood Prairie Farm, Bridgewater, Maine, October 2011.
"And so it began. With Jim at the helm, seated
behind the wheel of the tractor, he gave a great shout-out and the
harvester began to churn. It was a deep, clanking, grinding, bass-noted
drone. Then the conveyor commenced moving, making a metalic noise,
reminiscent of a chain being dragged across a floor like something out
of a Poe story. The tractor crawled slowly forward. It took a few
moments, but eventually the potatoes began to appear, along with some
rocks, on the conveyor. I was the last man at the end on the tractor
side. It was my job to pluck rocks out, and if there were any large
potatoes, I was to pull them out and set them aside in a special bin at
my elbow. They would be placed in a different category for sale later
on. Kather was on the other side of the conveyor, in the middle.
At first it was an occasional rock that came
my way and an occasional big potato, but fifty yards down the line,
rocks began to overwhelm us. The harvester rattled woefully and choked
and barked as we struggled to remove the extra burden. And at the point
when we couldn't keep up - the rocks being ten times more numerous than
the potatoes - the first girl on my side of the line, a redheaded
teenager with a solid neck and amazingly fast hands, hollered out, and
Jim stopped immediately, idling...
"Whenever we came to the end of a row, the
entire gang would jump off the tractor and romp with alacrity across
the field, hopping, skipping, and gleaning potatoes. The dirt was so
soft and rich that you felt like you were sinking down in it as you
trudged across. Often, Sarah and Amy and some of the other high school
kids would perform gymnastics, doing back handsprings and cartwheels in
the loamy soil. It certainly set the mood. There was such a sense of
purpose and team spirit to this work, as loud and mechanized and as
monotonous as it first appeared to be, that every face sported a
contented smile. This was a magical place, this organic potato farm in
rural Maine, run and operated by a man and his wife and family. As Jim
himself put it, 'The essence, the real value of life, comes from what
we're doing, the work of our lives, the people we're interacting with,
and it doesn't come from the amassing of goods.' "
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Author Richard
Horan. Writer of Harvest, advocate of the family
farm, messenger of hope.
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Wood Prairie Farm Heading to NYC
October 22 & 23
Next
month after harvest is complete, Wood Prairie Farmer Jim Gerritsen will
be returning to New York City. Jim will attend several speaking and
good food fundraising events discussing the challenges and celebrating
the important bonds between rural family farmers and their urban
brethren seeking authentic organic food for their families and
communities. Jim’s presentation, Farmer Fight On: Family
Farming, Good Food and Its Genetically Engineered Opposite, will
explore local agriculture the OSGATA
et al v. Monsanto lawsuit and focus on what
each person needs to know to protect their family’s health, the
environment, small farmers, and the public right of access to good
clean food.
"Harvest" author Richard Horan will
join Jim on the Monday night and Tuesday morning events. In
addition to a couple of book signings, Richard will do a reading
from Harvest
at Jimmy's No43 and discuss the journey which led him to write the
insightful book
about America’s dynamic family farming movement.
Selected
prints from documentary photographer Lottie Hedley’s “Rural Harvest”
series about Wood Prairie Farm will be on display at the two
dining
events.
We hope that if you are in the area you will be
able to attend some of the NYC
events listed below. Event proceeds will go towards
supporting Wood Prairie Farm's continuing outreach activities
Please
make your
reservation now for any of the four events below! Thanks! For further
info call our friend and event organizer Aimee Good (718.797.3693)
Jim & Megan
Events #1 & #2.
Date:
Monday, October 22, 2012
6:30 to 8 PM GERRITSEN TALK & HORAN
READING from "Harvest"
8:30 to 10 PM DINNER with Jim Gerritsen &
Richard Horan
Place: Jimmy’s No43, 43 East 7th Street,
NY, NY
Tickets: $10 TALK, suggested
donation at door. $25 DINNER, drinks and gratuity not included, advance
reservations requested.
For Information: https://jimmysno43.com/
To purchase tickets: email Foodkarma@gmail.com or call 212 982
3006.
Event #3.
Date:
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
10 to 11 AM
Talk, walk the farm and share a cup of coffee or herbal tea with Ben
Flanner , Jim Gerritsen and "Harvest"
author Richard Horan.
Place:
Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm, Brooklyn Navy
Yard, Building No. 3
Tickets:
$10, suggested donation at door
For Information and
directions: email info@brooklyngrangefarm.com or call 347 670 3660
Maximum attendance: 24.
First come, first serve.
Event #4.
Date:
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
6 to 9 PM Farmer’s Dinner Fundraiser
Place:
Rucola, 190 Dean Street, Brooklyn, NY
Tickets:
$90 cost includes wine, 3-course dinner built around Wood Prairie Farm
and Brooklyn Grange harvest, presentation, dessert with Q and A.
For Information: https://www.rucolabrooklyn.com/
To purchase tickets: email julian@rucolabrooklyn.com or call
718.576.3209
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Smoking Gun: Explosive New French
Study Sinks
Monsanto's GE Crop Ship
A landmark
peer-reviewed two-year-long study has just been published in the
journal “Food and Chemical Toxicology.” A team of researchers led
by Dr. Gilles-Eric Seralini of the University of Caen documented
shocking health problems which has shattered the concocted biotech
image of GE crops and their joined-at-the-hip-partner ‘Roundup’ as
safe. An article about the study posted on
SustainablePulse.com
notes "In the first ever study to examine the long-term effects of
Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide and the NK603 Roundup-resistant GM maize
also developed by Monsanto, the CRIIGEN scientists found that rats
exposed to even the smallest amounts, developed mammary tumors and
severe liver and kidney damage as early as four months in males, and
seven months for females... 'This is the most thorough research ever
published into the health effects of GM food crops and the herbicide
Roundup on rats. It shows an extraordinary number of cancers developing
earlier and more aggressively – particularly in female animals. I am
shocked by the extreme negative health impacts.'"
A must watch video (12:50) “GMO: THE MOMENT
OF TRUTH" has been produced which delves into the
methodology, explosive results and ramifications of the pivotal
Seralini team study.
If history is any judge we can now expect that
biotech will deploy a full bore smear campaign in an effort to
discredit this important study and to assassinate the character of
those
courageous scientists who performed the research.
Jim
Click for Wood
Prarie Organic Seed Potatoes – Free of Monsanto Control and GE Content.
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CRIIGEN Study Rats.
Explosive results contradict biotech claims of safety.
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Two Valuable Prop 37 Info
Posters
Our friends at Cornucopia
Institute in Wisconsin
have produced two good informational posters (click on the images to
enlarge) - one an update - in support of Prop 37, the
Right-To-Know GMO Labeling initiative which Californians will vote on
November
6.
Honest
and dedicated organic community companies are supporting the people’s
interest
and funding the pro-Prop 37 grassroots campaign. Meanwhile,
other notable large organic
corporations are absent. Why? And,
incredibly, some Big Food corporations
which have bought their way into the organic industry have actually
been helping
Monsanto and their biotech cronies raise over $32 million to fund
the
massive disinformation campaign designed to confuse and fool voters.
Monsanto
has hired former tobacco industry lobbyists who are up to their old
tricks to
conjure doubt, this time whether Americans should have the
Right-To-Know if a
food item has been genetically engineered or not.
As a state, California represents the world’s 8th
largest economy. If the people can pass
Prop 37, the reverberations throughout the entire food industry will be
felt
from sea to shining sea. It is this
potential transparency and access to information which has misanthropic
Monsanto so worried about. If you live in California
please vote Yes on Prop 37. If you live
outside
of California please encourage your Cal friends to
vote Yes, and please contribute to the
grassroots campaign working on behalf of the peoples’
interest.
Meanwhile, in breaking news, a LA Times poll out today
indicates that California voters favor Prop 37 by more than a 2:1
margin. Of registered voters 61% favor Prop 37; 25% are
opposed; and 14% are undecided.
Jim
Click
here for our Wood Prairie Organic Seed Section – Free From Monsanto
Control and Free From GE.
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Recipe: Tomato Tarte Tatin
Rye
Pie Crust
3/4
c all-purpose flour
1/2
c salted butter, cut into cubes
3
- 4 T cold water
Pulse
ingredients together in food processor or mix by hand, cutting in the
butter. Drizzle cold water and mix until dough comes together.
Wrap
in plastic and refrigerate while preparing tomato filling.
Filling:
2
T extra-virgin olive oil
2
tsp balsamic vinegar
a
bit of flour
zest
of one lemon
Preheat
the oven to 400 F.
Heat
a large skillet over medium heat to saute' the onions and a couple
pinches of salt in the oil. Cook, stirring regularly, until the onions
are deeply golden and caramelized, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.
While
the onions are cooking, cut any larger tomatoes in half and leave the
smaller ones whole. Add tomatoes to the caramelized onions along with
the sea salt and balsamic vinegar. Transfer to a deep pie dish. If you
get the sense that the tomatoes are quite juicy and might release a lot
of liquid, you can toss the mixture with a tablespoon or two of flour
at this point. Sprinkle mixture with lemon zest.
Roll
out the pie dough, and use it to cover the tomato mixture, tucking in
the sides a bit. Cut a few slits in the crust and bake in the top third
of the oven until the crust is deeply golden and the tomatoes are
bubbling a bit at the sides, 25-30 minutes.
Serves
6-8
Megan
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Tomato Tarte Tatin. Late
season treat. Photo by Angela Wotton.
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FREE Copy of "Harvest" by Richard
Horan
We
know you will enjoy Richard
Horan’s new memorable book “Harvest – An
Adventure into the Heart of America’s
Family Farms.”
Now
here's your chance
to earn a FREE copy of “Harvest” ($14.99
value) with your next purchase of $75
or more. FREE “Harvest”
book
offer ends Monday, October 1.
Please use Promo Code
WPF1129. Your order must ship by 5/3/13 and “Harvest” when sent with
that order
is FREE. If you want your order later and your “Harvest” now, we can
immediately ship your copy of “Harvest” separately for a charge of
$5.00. Offer
may not be combined with other offers. Please call or click today!
Click
here for
our Wood Prairie Farm Essential Books Section.
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Our Mailbox: Good Seed, Good
Eating, Good Fertilizer and a Good Life
Avoiding Monsanto
Dear WPF.
On the Occupy
Monsanto Facebook page, I think a lot of our fans would be particularly
interested in your heirloom varieties.
FK
Tulsa, OK
WPF Replies.
Thanks for thinking of us. Here's the best listing that we are aware
of
that lists seed companies that have nothing to do with Monsanto. Many
of those of us on this list also do sell organic and heirloom seed.
Jim
Food Strategy
Dear WPF.
I
have an allergy doctor friend at a major medical research university,
and I asked him and a famous researcher about GMO. Both of these guys
are ultra nerd and probably lean towards conservatives. Both of them,
without hesitation, said, "Oh, for sure--definitely". They told me to
avoid GMO products as much as I can.
That's really difficult unless you grow your
own stuff or buy from a farmer that conciously uses GMO-free seeds.
According to the USDA almost 90% of the commercial corn and soy
products along with cooking oils are made from GMO crops.
If you don't buy from a good farmer, the next
best thing, I guess, is to move to France.
BS
World Wide Web
WPF Replies.
Processed products are where people consume GE
content - that's where to begin the weaning process. Select certified
organic. If on a budget, start cooking more from scratch and choose
organic rice, wheat, potatoes, sunflower oil, and vegetables as
foundation ingredients. Growing an organic garden has many benefits not
the least of which is getting great quality at low out-of-pocket
expense. Don't expect the change to occur overnight. But start today
and commit yourself to making steady progress. This is life changing
work and worth the effort.
Jim
Good Fertilizer
Dear WPF.
Is your organic
Potato Fertilizer free of genetic enginerring?
OY
Nantucket, MA
WPF Replies.
Yes. Our Potato
Fertilizermeets
the requirements for certified organic producers and we use it on
our MOFGA certified organic farm. All of the ingredients (Dried Fish
Meal, Sul-Po-Mag, Vol-Cana-Phos and Meneafee Hummates are on the
USDA NOP National List and are not Genetically Engineered .
Jim
Choosing The Good Life
Dear WPF.
Thought you
might like to see this article 'Farm
Fresh: New Generation of Farmers Feed A Demand', I spent part of my
childhood in Newington, Connecticut.
HD
Taftville, CT
WPF Replies.
Thanks. This story describes the new
generation of American farmers - determined, highly educated, sometimes
farming on the urban edge. The 'Greenhorns' is a central organization
developed by and for these new young farmers. https://www.thegreenhorns.net/
Jim
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Wood Prairie Farm Quick
Links
Jim
& Megan Gerritsen
Wood
Prairie Farm
49
Kinney Road
Bridgewater,
Maine 04735
(800)829-9765
Certified Organic, Direct from the Farm
www.woodprairie.com
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