Health begins with the quality of our food, which can only be provided by "small" producers - who in turn are the only ones that can realistically provide any type of "food security". Unfortunately disinformation on food production is widespread. Therefore this page contains links to some of the very best - and often very hard to find - information available to and about gardeners and REAL farmers (and the uphill battle these farmers face).
If you value your right to choose CLEAN and NUTRITIOUS food please take time to learn how so-called "free" trade agreements undermines food and product safety. If you have not done so already, familiarize yourself with each of the current and proposed "free" trade agreements and consider joining the effort to reverse the trend toward a globalized food supply.
Factory farms are part and parcel of the "free" trade agenda. If you have not done so already, please educate yourself about the monumental problems created by today's "factory farms" whose livestock is specifically EXCLUDED from Animal Welfare laws. See this "factory farm map" and explore introductory information. For more information on the devastating effects of such "farms" and ideas on fighting factory farms visit the SRA Project of Illinois.
Last but not least, please also consider joining the current consumer-based fight against the commercial dairy industry and its affiliates who seek to destroy small farmers by prohibiting their ability to provide raw, unprocessed milk from healthy, pastured cows to consumers who have taken the time to educate themselves on the health-giving, environmentally sustainable value of such milk. Explore information and links provided by the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense fund. Once you understand the urgency of this fight as it directly affects small farm survival you might even feel moved to contribute.
Some Farm and garden Websites:
Family Farm Defenders is a Wisconsin based activist group that seeks to expose how industrial agribusiness operations are taking over small farms and ruining food security and the environment.
At Four Season Farm you will find ideas for small farms in cold climates, and lots of good gardening articles and books. The farm itself produces vegetables year-round "and has become a nationally recognized model of small-scale sustainable agriculture". An excerpted portion of “Beyond Organic”, available as a pdf file at the website, is at the bottom of our "Buy REAL Food Locally" page.
Acres USA provides invaluable information on eco-agriculture and sustainable agriculture, plus it holds annual conferences and has an excellent online store. Be sure to explore the online articles archives.
The Soil and Health Library provides free e-books, mainly about holistic agriculture, holistic health and self-sufficient homestead living. Be sure to check out titles by William Albrecht, the great soil scientist whose work was overshadowed by the well-financed, Nobel prize winning Norman Borlaug, considered by many to be the father of the mis-named, misunderstood "Green Revolution" - and GMOs.
Food First seeks to "forge food sovereignty for human rights and sustainable livelihoods."
Grain "promotes the sustainable management and use of biodiversity based on people's control over genetic resources and local knowledge." Tons of articles on how the food system is rigged - and ruined - by the "money power".
Journey to Forever provides excellent information for small farmers, gardeners and family farmers, some of which is very hard to find elsewhere. Our main concern with this group is their unfortunate support of biofuels, about which you can read at the Family Farm Defenders and Grain websites above.