This organization continues to help and support beginning farmers!

Hello friends,

This message is to discuss an issue I have been thinking about as well as a call to support NSAS by signing up to be a member here.

The farmers of Big Muddy Urban Farm are placed in the 25-34 age group in the ag census, considering us to be young farmers (although I think it is not time that defines youth, more as to action). Sometimes I feel like a better descriptor of where my number should be placed in the statistical data would be in a made up category called the 'mad' young farmer. A primary issue that gets my madness stirring and the reason I support NSAS - when looking out at a landscape that is vastly agricultural there is a sufficient lack of opportunities in sustainable agriculture education. To communicate this in numbers, 91% of Nebraskan land is reported as agricultural and for all this agricultural land, there are only two Nebraskan sources listed in a pretty out-dated directory of sustainable agriculture education and training.

Surveying the scene currently, there are a number of organizations in Nebraska that promote sustainable agriculture, and should not be dismissed. SARE is doing quite a lot in these efforts and there are opportunities active at Community Crops, UNL and the extensions. The number of these organizations are not many compared to the agricultural passion of our state. The number may be counted on the fingers of two hands (maybe less, but I want to be optimistic) and this does not set-up a good space for many young people, who are presently in the middle of experiences, having accumulated a couple of chapters of past experiences to pull from and having much more that they envision for in their future experiences. This demographic may not think of sustainable agriculture as a good situation in Nebraska and may send their passions elsewhere.

It is not all dark in Nebraska, the door to sustainable agriculture is not closed and thankfully I have a way of mellowing out my madness. From my point of view, I can say Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society has and is very important to Big Muddy as it has helped to provide a great deal of knowledge and resources when we were first starting up from Common Good Farm's presentation of their CSA model at the annual conference charging us with a guiding energy and the sharing activity from its members, like when Billene and Richard Nemec responded to our need of garlic seed. This organization continues to help and support beginning farmers entering into this way of life and thank goodness for it!

The support Big Muddy has received comes from the members of NSAS and not one sole person in the organization, this is because NSAS is a membership organization. If you find NSAS to be important, I ask you to please consider becoming a member or renewing your membership, because after all NSAS is stronger with you than without you. If you would like to join the membership please follow the link here.

Thank you!

Brent Lubbert

NSAS Secretary

CSA Farms Celebrate National CSA Sign-up Day on February 28th

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CSA FARMS CELEBRATE NATIONAL CSA SIGN-UP DAY FEBRUARY 28

PITTSBURGH, PA (February 23, 2015): Farms from around the country are celebrating National CSA Sign-Up Day on February 28. The day encourages food consumers to buy a share of their local farm’s harvest for the 2015 season, a buying model known as Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA.

CSA has become an important model to support local agriculture since it was introduced to the United States in the 1980s and since grown to over 6,000 farms across the country. To join a CSA, members buy a share of the harvest in the Winter and Spring and then get a box of local produce each week throughout the growing season.

“CSAs are the most authentic connection between a farmer and eater available. CSA members get the freshest, high quality, seasonal local produce, but they also get a direct connection to their farmer. This model is economically important to farmers, especially small and beginning farmers, because they can grow with confidence knowing that they have a market for their produce ahead of time.”, says Simon Huntley from Small Farm Central, a technology company that works with CSA farms across the country, and the creator of National CSA Sign-up Day.

February 28th was chosen as National CSA Sign-up Day because this day is the most popular day to sign up for CSA shares according to the 2014 CSA Farming Report. Buying a CSA share in late winter is important because farmers are making the capital investments for this year’s harvest now and the CSA model means they do not need to finance these costs with costly credit.

"The CSA model was what allowed me to start my own farm business at age 23. Without the sale of CSA shares, I would not have been able to buy seeds, potting soil, fertilizer, or anything else. Six years later, my business is still going strong, and it's because of the CSA. Access to capital in the off-season; the meaningful connections between farmers and CSA members; the sense of ownership and pride members feel about their CSA farms--all these things add up to healthy farms, businesses, and communities. The CSA model is good for everybody," says Laura Olive Sackton, owner of First Root Farm in Concord, Massachusetts.

For eaters looking to join a CSA, a searchable database of CSA farms is available at localharvest.org.

To learn more about National CSA Sign-Up Day and the CSA model, visit www.csasignupday.com.  

To find a CSA in Nebraska, contact William @ healthyfarms@gmail.com

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