Full Belly farm
illustrates highly productive organic farming with most of crop output
marketed directly to consumers and generating many social, and
environmental benefits. Although farmers in many regions do not have
California’s year round field production, they could utilize
greenhouses using energy and nutrients from manure processing in order
to approach this level of productivity.
Four
partners operate the 200 acre
Full Belly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) organic farm in Copay
Valley, northwest of Sacramento, California. The farm supplies a wide
variety of fruit, herbs, flowers, vegetables and animal products to 600
families each week (through drop-sites in urban neighborhoods) as well
as to three farmers markets, organic wholesale distributors, stores,
restaurants and a clinic for low-income women with cancer. Several
restaurants put the farm’s name on their menu when they are
using an item from it: "Full Belly Farm Yellow Finn potato salad." At
the height of a season, costs for the organic produce often rival the
cost of non-organic food from supermarkets.
Soil fertility is maintained through cover crops, composting and pasturing of farm animals. The farm has a flock of 100 ewes who usually drop at least 100 lambs each Spring. A few cows and a flock of chickens complete the animal population. Full Belly's grows and markets over 80 different crops; uses cover crops that fix nitrogen and provide organic matter for the soil; and plants habitat areas for beneficial insects and wildlife. This set of strategies allows the farm to integrate farm production with longer-term environmental goals
The
farm hires 25-30 full-time farm workers (mostly immigrant workers form
Mexico) and 4-5 interns year round. Employees receive compensation
above the usual wages paid to farm workers and the farm partners have
helped several finance their own homes in California.
The environmental benefits
from Full Belly Farm's mode of operation include reduction of demand on
non-renewable petrochemical resources; elimination of pollution from
chemical pesticides and herbicides; recycling of nearly all farm
"wastes"; preservation of biodiversity in farm plants and animals,
regeneration and preservation of soil; preservation of wildlife
habitats through hedgerows and native plantings; and enhanced
healthfulness of diet for consumers.
Fully
Belly offers many social and economic
benefits for the local and
regional community. Its style of farming and marketing strengthens the
connections between food, land and people. It provides higher
productivity and steady employment to a much larger group of employees
than industrialized farming on a similar acreage would offer. (Up to 50
people, including children, are supported on 200 acres!) Full Belly
contributes to a support network of other organic farms in the area,
exchanging surplus crops for marketing.
Many
organic farmers in the US and Canada are working in the model of
Community Supported Agriculture that Full Belly reflects, demonstrating
the business, social, and ecological value of organic farming. (Based
on personal communications from Full Belly Farm partner, Judith Redmond
and www.fullbelly.com )
The Tekei System
Japanese
organic food movements have formed a similar system for consumer
support of organic farming, called the Tekei system, linking producer
groups in villages and consumer groups in the cities. The producer
groups pack up their products for collection by the consumer
groups. This is an organized, long-term relationship. There
is good cooperation between the two: if the producers have
too much cucumber they inform the consumers to eat more of
that kind. They also invite consumers to visit their farms and work
with them as a farm vacation. This innovation in
the marketing structure is a beneficial model for the future
for domestic marketing structures.
back to agro-eco-industrial park overview