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"In America, the Promised Land has
always been over the next ridge, never under our feet."
- Scott Russell Sanders
We have developed a deep love and gratitude for "the land under
our feet." Our farm provides our home, a living for our family, and work for people
growing food for others. You Should Know... During the 1980's,
California grew by 6 million people - a growth rate twice that of the rest of the nation.
Fresno and San Joaquin Counties are expected to grow by over 40% in the next 13 years. |
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California absorbs 1,643 people per day - 600,000 per year. California
loses 100,000 acres of farmland to urban uses each year. That's 274 Acres Each Day!
The breakneck pace of California's growth may create an urban
"promised land" for some, but it destroys farms like ours. Join hands with our
farming neighbors to protect the future bounty of the agricultural jewels that God has
entrusted to our stewardship.
American Farmland Trust
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"The reconstruction of a people
and of a life in the United States depends, in large part, on the willingness of people,
neighborhood by neighborhood, county by county, deciding to stick it out and make it work
where they are, rather than flee."
- Gary Synder |
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Today, family farms are
disappearing by the thousands as they face increasing pressure from the industrialization
of agriculture and from the treadmill of chemical use. As the public becomes more
concerned about the negative effects of chemical agriculture on our environment and our
health, the demand for sustainably produced, safe food is growing rapidly.
Organic agriculture offers family farmers
and consumers an economically and environmentally healthy alternative. The prominence of
organic agriculture in the marketplace is reflected by the 275,000 comments sent to the
USDA in the spring of 1998 -- farmers, activists and consumers alike wrote to demand a
stringent, sound national standard for organically produced foods and fibers. (Organic Farming Research Foundation handout)
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