Farm Friends, Brighton Academy!

To celebrate our wedding anniversary, we spent the day with a herd of super-fun 1st and 2nd grade kiddos, sharing with them what we love most - the farm! Teacher Chanel Brown of Brighton Academy and a handful of awesome parents chaperoned 16 kids as they ditched class to learn a about organic garden principles, the importance of honey bees, medicinal herbs and seed saving.  There were baby chicks too ogle at, nursing piglets to giggle at, muddy sows to ponder and a shady creek to practice rock throwing.

 We were joyfully surprised at how much the children already knew about why organic practices are best for people and the planet.  When asked why pesticides and herbicides are bad choices, we heard answers of "it's bad for the plants and the earth", "it will make us sick", "it hurts the bees."  Our youngest farm friends are on their path to making a better planet already as awareness is the first step for change.

Brighton Academy is a private school in Grants Pass that encourages children to "learn from their inner-promptings and natural curiosity and to approach school with joyful expectations, open-minded inquiry, and a spirit of adventure."  We chose this school for our daughter for these principles and around every corner have been impressed with the teacher's dedication and willingness to uphold these guidelines.



At Brighton, they have shown their commitment to helping children learn about organics through their own organic school garden.  Each week students work in their garden with Ms. Cheryl and even harvest salad greens for the school's lunches.  In the science room at school they have their own bee hive to learn from.  We look to the school's leadership to continue exploring opportunities to teach students environmental responsibility.  To learn more about why we love our farm friends at Brighton Academy, click here.

Secret Facebook Recipe!

We couldn't resist sharing this recipe, straight from one of  Ma Mosa's proprietors and finest chefs!  You know I'm going to be whipping up a batch of this today!  Thanks, Carrie!!  ;)

Farm Friend Karen!

If you're a local, you've probably already met our farm friend Karen Daggett Austin, as she's a mover and a shaker here in Josephine County. If you know her, you know that she's an intelligent and creative leader with vision and direction. But to us, she's more than that – she's our dear friend who encourages our farm dreams and inspires us to keep keepin' it real.

So, what does “Keep Keepin' It Real” mean? To us, it means to keep digging in the dirt, to keep planting and keep believing that the principles in organic farming are more than noble sentiments – they are our community's lifeline. To quote Karen, “True health begins with organic, GMO-free food.” And time and time again, she has walked her talk by sharing our farm with family, friends, local restaurants and anyone who would listen. She goes out of her way to drive to our farm and buy anything we can sell her that comes from the farm – produce, chickens, a ½ a pig, prepared food and for two years in a row, a yearly CSA share. She is our advocate and we are grateful for her friendship and support.

For those of you who don't know Karen, she is known in the local as well as national food movement as the True Food Coach. She offers practical and knowledgeable advice and support to those seeking out a healthful life. Healthy living is her passion and you will immediately notice that she is driven to share this with everyone. Last year she championed the GMO-Free movement here in Josephine county as we became one of few communities across the nation who voted to preserve local GMO-Free agriculture. She also coordinated the Food Integrity Project which educates and promotes local restaurants that serve GMO-Free food. As a Health Coach, she mentors individuals and organizations on how they can affect healthy change. She also owns and directs All That Jazz, a contemporary dance studio in Grants Pass (this is where we first met Karen, in Daisy's first dance class.)

You will not find a more dedicated advocate for health and if you need any mentoring, I encourage you to seek her out. To read more about Karen, check out website here and follow her on Facebook.

“The heart has its reasons which reason knows not.” - Pascal

Last night a piglet slept in our bed. This is how we roll at Kittleson Family Farm.

Dan and I have been reading a book called Restoration Agriculture by Mark Shepard. It's about a lot of things but the gist is how farming took a sharp turn last century and what use to be sustainable went 180 and became counter-productive and destructive. He offers some simple and profound insights into what happened and what is needed to restore our food systems.

One of the ideas he shares for farm success is the less-than-secret notion of survival of the fittest. He applies this across the board on his farm, from animals to plants to systems. He focuses less on nurturing everything, but more on creating hearty systems and letting them thrive. If a plant or animal can not take care of itself, he doesn't want it to be part of his farm.

Harsh.

As I type this, I've got a little hypothermic and abandoned piglet nestled in my shirt. I understand the principles of the strong are what keep us strong, but I struggle with my own nature to nurture the weak, the needy, the ones who struggle to keep up. I want to be part of benevolent nature that intercedes and cradles and gives pause to harsh reality. If I see a glimmer of hope, I hold on and fight. I want the weak to succeed. I want the weak to grow strong and triumph.


And yet I know that this does not a strong farm make. I am willing to work harder – maybe less smarter – at times. I know that this is my own weakness and strength.