Working for a new farm and real food

by Kathryn Gardow, Executive Director
PCC Farmland Trust

This article was originally published in February 2009

Many of us already know the value of what I call “real food.” Real food is more nutritious than chemically farmed food because it’s grown in soil nourished by natural ingredients rather than petroleum-based fertilizers. Real food grown on local land also nurtures our souls and protects the beautiful farmland that is our heritage.

Much will have happened by the time you read this article, written in December. Our country will have new leadership and more economic changes may have unfolded. Here at the PCC Farmland Trust, our 2008 Annual Campaign will be complete.

Regardless of the season or news, what brings joy to us on the trust’s staff is receiving comments from donors about the work being done to preserve the farmland that makes real food possible.

One story we heard recently was from Steve Brogan, a donor who grew up visiting his grandparents’ farm in Nebraska. Steve’s connection with his food was severed when he moved to the city.

Since living in Seattle, however, he has found ways of reconnecting to his food and its sources. He can tell you exactly where his broccoli is grown or who picked his raspberries. He says, “For our planet, for our future, and for ourselves, we need organizations such as PCC Farmland Trust that preserve farmland in organic production.”

The Puget Ridge Cohousing Association is another example. It raised money by getting creative, auctioning off services among community members. It was “with great joy and community spirit” that they donated to the trust.

Thank you to each and every one of you who support the work — by making a donation, seeking out real food, or spreading the word on the importance of local, organic farms and farmers.

Also in this issue

Letters to the editor, February 2009

New Secretary of Ag, U.S. vs. Chinese honey, Raw milk, and more

News bites, February 2009

Washington farm statistics, Weight gain linked to recession?, Color additives from insects, and more

Life in the margins

The Willits farm in Washington’s Dungeness Valley encompasses many components of a native environment. Despite appearances, this environment is largely the result of human effort. John Willits planted his willows and the windbreaks that guard the limits of his beet field. He dug his pond, broadened the margins between his fields, and let them go wild. Not long ago, some might have questioned the wisdom of surrendering productive farmland.