Fall is Coming Fast!

We had a great few weeks of vacation, got in a quick trip to the mountains, and are back into full swing now. We are still harvesting okra and peppers but are excited about our own little "planting party" we will be having in mid September.
As summer season ends and fall is just around the corner, we are reminded again how important it is for our health and the health of the planet for us to eat and feed our families organically grown food.
There is no substitute- not local, not sustainable, not natural.  When you buy products labeled USDA organic you greatly reduce your exposure to persistent, toxic herbicides and pesticides, which have been linked to birth defects, cancer, and other serious health problems.

September is Organic Food Month!!
 
Below is the first in a series of articles we will be posting on the benefits of organically grown food.
Protecting Children
  Few parents have time in their busy days to keep up with the latest research on children's health.  There are two recent studies, though, of which all parents should be aware.  The first was published in May 2010 by the prestigious President's Cancer Panel, which monitors and executes activities of the National Cancer program and reports directly to President Obama.
   The report, entitled "Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now," found that exposure to environmental contaminants, such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides, as well as the overuse of antibiotics and growth hormones in the food chain, can be harmful to human health and increase the risk of contracting cancer.  It went on to note that "children can be exposed to toxins in utero via placental transfer and/or after birth via breast milk."
   On May 17, 2010, a similarly compelling study published in the journal Pediatrics concluded that exposure to organophosphate pesticides (compounds used in agriculture to kill pests) at levels common among U.S. children may contribute to a prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in these children.  Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the study analyzed the levels of pesticide metabolites in the urine of 1,139 children ages 8 to 15, and found children with above-average levels had roughly twice the odds of being diagnosed with ADHD.
   Both of these studies highlight the importance of minimizing young children's exposure to even low levels of chemical pesticides.  In doing so, they also implicitly speak to the importance of choosing organic products. 
   By law, products bearing the USDA organic label are prohibited from being grown and processed using toxic and persistent pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.  In fact, organic food production and processing is the only system that uses certification and inspection to verify that these chemicals are not used.
   When your children's health is on the line, Organic.  It is worth it!

by: Rose, Jennifer. "Protecting Children." Buyorganic!


*Also, we added a peanuts dry roasted recipe to our Nutritional Notes and Recipes page on the right so make sure and check it out if you want to enjoy a simple snack. Just be sure and get organic peanuts of course. :)

Water Galore

Ag Engineers came out yesterday to survey at Heritage Farm to design an irrigation system for 2 of the 7 fields. The other 5 are already irrigated.  This is exciting! More produce on the way!!


Thought you might want to see too that our babies are growing up fast and sure are pretty!

Heritage's Angels

Members of the box club volunteer as field hands to cut okra and flowers and pick peas...temperature 99 degrees!!!!

Our annual inspection of our farm by USDA and QCS to maintain organic certification took place yesterday and as usual we passed the inspection with flying colors. This is our 20th year of certification! First farm in Georgia to be certified!

Olive oil and high hopes

Hi there! 1/4 of a dropper of olive oil has been added to each corn ear in the garden to hopefully prevent ear worms. Just an experiement but we sure hope it works! Our corn will be ready in about 3 weeks. We are still harvesting peas, okra, cucumbers, basil and tomatoes. We're saving all our big green peppers so they will turn red. They're just beginning to get a tinge of red on them!
Wishing you all a happy week!

Flowers and Fun!

At Heritage, we plant flowers not just for beauty but to attract beneficial insects and also to provide nectar for our honey bees!

Shirley's great grandsons had a blast "working"(so they say) on the farm Monday. They took a break to enjoy some yummy organic lemonade and grapes!

Harvesting in the Heat

We are currently harvesting broccoli leaves, tomatoes, okra, peas, kale, zucchini, red potatoes, basil, daikon, cucumbers, and green peppers. The first field of corn is over now but the second field planted with corn and pumpkins interspersed will be ready in the next few months. Butternut squash will be ready then too! This heat is brutal and unfortunately it never gets too hot for weeds!!

New home for the babies

We moved the baby chickens out of the brooder into their larger home yesterday. My how they have grown! One was rolling around in the dirt, so excited to be in larger quarters.

We had to pull out the beach umbrella to help shade the big girls in the chicken tractor but they sure love eating that pasture grass!

Hope you have a blessed day!