Hi Perry,
I would greatly appreciate you sending me that file. At this time I have
Cooperative Extension, Edgewood Soil and Water Conservation District, NCSS,
USDA, Sandia Labs, Farm to Table, NM Farmer's Markets Association, NM Organic
Commodity Board and a number of other organizations helping me put everything
together. I love the Head Start community garden ideas mentioned in the article
you sent and hope to implement a like program here.
The incubation program for kitchen use is a great idea. Right now, I've
been cataloguing all the organizations who have certified kitchens for use for
farmers' market participants and the associated costs. Also collecting names and
numbers of people who have awesome reps for their products that would be an
asset to the market or co-op.
My biggest problem now, is finding the people with equal enthusiasim to my
own to aid in all of this. Most people have no idea of what can be done, so I've
had to be careful in talking with people so not to overwhelm them.
I'm in the process of getting a number of interesting technologies brought
here to aid in all of this process, and as I get them lined up will share them.
An example is a simple sustainable system such as a large dairy producer
producing his own green matter for his livestock; the manure being used in a
methane digesting system, which once the manure is digested and the methane is
"scrubbed" and has split off the CO2-- can be used to heat the greenhouse
growing the green stuff. The CO2 is used to aid in plant growth and thus
completes the nearly closed system. This is just one example of what I'm
bringing here. I have no desire to put the hay guy out of business, just want to
eliminate a horrendous problem with manure lagoons that poison our environment.
This may not sit with some people well, but I for one don't care for the stench
or the water table being contaminatd--and I come from a dairy farming family!
Many thanks Perry,
Pat
