Dan Bertram and Jacqui Fulcomer live in Sustainable Paradise – its called ‘Willoway Farm’ in Wisconsin.
They use natural farming methods to produce organic foods on one and a half acres. And produce a variety of vegetables from certified organic or heirloom seeds including cucumbers, edible flowers, herbs, leeks, lettuce, onions, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes growing happily amongst a myriad of busy insects, including gorgeous butterflies and busy bees.
They’ve taken Sustainable Development and Permaculture to the nth degree by working with nature instead of against it. In their design they’ve made the most of capturing water runoff, planned vegetation locations, respected the soil, considered the movement of the sun (light and shade), and encourage the role of insects (nature’s pollinators and pest managers).
Willoway Farm sells its vegetables at the Farmer’s Market and has gained a reputation for delicious produce. As with most Organic Produce – the taste testers favour organic everytime.
You have to admire the Organic Farmers for their persistance and passion for sustainability. In the marketplace they compete with large agricultural companies who show little respect for the environment through the use of chemicals, fertilizers, genetically modified crops and poor farming methods that lead to soil degradation. Their use of herbicides and pesticides deplete the soil’s nutrients, and then more chemicals are needed to continue growing vegetation. The thing we as the consumers of that vegetation need to remember, is that the fruit or vegetable takes in those chemicals and poisons – and so do we in turn.
But as the larger agricultural companies are ‘in’ with the supermarkets with cheaper product and genetically modified produce, consumers continue to buy. Remember, Genetically Modified Produce is only a relatively new product, and we have no idea of the long-term effects. Someone said that ‘surely it can’t do that much harm’ – my reply, ‘they probably said the same thing about Agent Orange way back when’.
Willoway Farms plans to put aside an area for goats to graze. They will then use the milk to drink and make soap.
Here’s the official thumbs up to the Willoway Farm People… they’re my type of Sustainability Nuts!