Loose Leaf Notes

~ The following was published in The Floyd Press on April 21, 2011.

Land’s Sake, Floyd’s first annual Earth Day event, featured student poster and essay contest winners, over 30 booth displays, local food vendors, keynote speakers and a panel of farmers discussing the challenges and opportunities of small farming in Floyd.

Attendees of the all day Saturday conference, sponsored by the Partnership for Floyd at the Floyd County High School, could sign up for a walking club, participate in a seed exchange, have a BBQ meal and learn about the latest local initiatives in agriculture, alternative energy and more.

In spite of the rainy weather, crowds arrived to browse through the cafeteria exhibitions and fill seats in the auditorium to hear a line-up of speakers.   Barbara Pleasant, author and gardening editor for Mother Earth News, shared a wealth of information on home gardening.  Author and photographer Fred First presented a slide show of his nature photography and shared his writings on “A Sense of Place.”

Ricky Cox, who teaches Appalachian folklore and American literature at Radford University, spoke on Floyd’s farming heritage.  He reported that in 1940 144 tons of butter was churned in Floyd. There were over 3,000 hogs and 80,000 chickens and turkeys. Turkey and eggs weren’t eaten but were commodities to be sold.   “In it’s hey day, 55,000 bushels of potatoes were grown in Floyd for home consumption and sale,” he said, adding with humor that Floyd was the “green bean capital.”

Cox recommended that people speak to members of the community who were living here 70 years ago to learn more about Floyd’s farming history.  He talked about the social aspects of a farming community and joked that a slide-projected image of a sign from the late 1800’s that read “corn and rye whiskey” was a “value added farm product.”

Lydeana Martin presented the Floyd County Comprehensive Plan, which she said was a plan for future land use that focused on the common good and the effective use of public funds.  Of the 30-plus items of interest cited by those who participated in planning meetings and write-in surveys, the top two common priorities listed were preserving agriculture and forests areas and protecting agricultural land and water resources through zoning.  “Farming is what gives Floyd its character,” Martin said.

SustainFloyd director Mike Burton gave an update on the group’s progress with the Farm to School Program, educational programs and film series, and the Floyd Farmer’s Market.  He reviewed upcoming projects related to local agriculture, creative economy, energy, land use, waste and education and reported that SustainFloyd recently received grant funding to study the feasibility of a food processing plant in Floyd.

Burton spoke enthusiastically about the group’s plan to launch a farmer incubator program, in which SustainFloyd would give an acre of land to a prospective farmer and educate and mentor him/her in the process of creating a working farm.  “We have the skills and we have the land.   If we don’t use the land we’re going to lose it,” he said, referring to the fact that more and more farm land is being divided for residential development.

Perseverance and community involvement was mentioned by several speakers as being important to preserving local agriculture. When an audience member asked Burton how we can get more local food in the nursing home and in the schools, he replied with humor, “I have a committee for you.”

A panel discussion, facilitated by Burton, included Mark Sowers of Huckleberry Dairy and Beef Farm, Jon Paul Houston of Sweet Providence Farm, County agriculture extension agent Jon Vest, Polly Hieser of Seven Springs CSA (community supported agriculture) and Tenley Weaver of Good Food Good People, an aggregator of local foods that links over 30 small farmers with consumers and markets.

The panel agreed that there is a great demand for local food and that more farmers are needed to meet those demands.  “People want healthier and safer foods.  The trends are there. We need to get up to speed with the structure,” Houston said.   Vest, who acts as a liaison between universities and farmers, commented that Floyd is gaining a state-wide reputation as a local food producer.

Panel members discussed how government food producing standards are expensive and difficult for small farmers to meet.  They agreed that Floyd farmers need to work together to persevere local agriculture and Floyd’s natural resources.

At the close of the discussion Burton posed a question to the panelists, ‘what do you see that is hopeful for the future?’  Weaver’s response drew audience applause. “We’re doing it. We are feeding 100’s and 100’s of people out of Floyd County. We are a can-do group. We still have the land. We have the clean water and an incredible farming tradition,” she said.  ~ Colleen Redman

Photos:  1. Featured speaker, Floyd Community & Economic Development Director Lydeana Martin, pictured with her husband and daughter Shaley.  Shaley was one of the student contest winners who read her poem to an audience at the event.2. Teresa Sweeney, Education and Training Coordinator of the Montgomery Regional Solid Waste Authority Education and Training Coordinator, represented the Floyd County Recycling Center.  3. Authors and university teachers Ricky Cox and Fred First both gave slide slow presentations. 4. Floyd County Woman’s Club member, Deedee McGarth presented a display of her hand crocheted totes and bags made with recycled plastic.   5. Ed Cohn of Miracle Farm, a local B& B and sustainable living center and animal sanctuary, presented a demonstration on worm composting. 6. SustainFloyd director Mike Burton facilitated the farmer’s panel that consisted of (from left to right) Mark Sowers, John Houston, Jon Vest, Polly Hieser and Tenley Weaver. 7. Five Penny farmer Brett Nichols’ sold his locally made organic berry, ginger and root-beer sodas. 8. Hundreds of people came throughout the day and visited the booth presentations.