From the Fields April 28th 2007

Solar noon: 1:20pm

Moonrise and Moonset: 3:10pm/ 3:42am

On Thursday April 26^th there will be 13 hours and 56 minutes of visible light.

Field Notes

Flora
The fruits of mango and avocado continue to expand. Fresh orange blossoms permeate our days with their sweetly intoxicating scent. The cherry tomatoes plants are nearing their season’s end – looking heavily burdened under their own weight. Yet many of the medium sized heirlooms seem to have gained a second wind from these warming days. We have pulled many of the brassicas – last week’s broccoli and this week’s cabbage – as we expect the days (and nights) to continually heat up beyond their comfort zone.

Fauna
The most amazing caterpillars can be found around the farm these days. In the process of morphing into butterfly and moth, these larval forms perfectly resemble creamy coffee colored bird droppings; bring to the imagination fuzzy black bears with bright red boas; and capture the eye in their translucent beautiful green tones. Resembling mutant red and black gators, lady bug larvae can be seen alongside their adult counterparts munching on aphids. Many of our feathered friends have headed north – the cedar waxwings not before they ate up the last of the mulberries! A juvenile hawk often rests on the grand branches of the one hundred year old avocado tree. White ibis, lovingly referred to as native chickens, peruse the fields looking for invertebrates that conceal themselves just below the soil surface. Black swallowtail butterflies can be seen flitting about. The young hares occasionally catch our eyes as they dash between the coverage of tomato plant and bush.

Vegetable Spotlight – Jalapeño Pepper
Favored for its characteristic taste and not too hot yet not too mild heat the jalapeño is a popular pepper that can be found as both minor ingredient and as the main dish: from salsas that burn from the inclusion of seeds and ribs (the hottest parts of a pepper) to much more mild, seeded and stuffed appetizers like “poppers” and “armadillo eggs”.

With its history rooted in the central eastern State of Veracruz , Mexico the jalapeno developed in the dry soil and humid air along the Gulf of Mexico . With some of these similar climatic characteristics, we have found jalapeños to grow very well here in central eastern Florida. Named after the city of Xalapa, this feisty little pepper is also known as cuaresmenos, huachinangos and chiles gordos.

Although the many varieties are generally eaten green, jalapeños do ripen bright red. These mature peppers are generally used for making chipotle, smoke-dried jalapeño. If you are excited about jalapeños the following site offers detailed information on their history, cultivation, recipes, and cookbooks: www.jalapenomadness.com

Eco-Agri-Food Definition of the Week – Fair Trade and Consumer Consciousness
Fair trade refers to the socio-economic welfare of trade partners, particularly those on the production side of commerce. Although fair trade is a term used to describe a particular certification process that follows certain guidelines (outlined below), fair trade also refers to a level of consumer consciousness that takes into account the welfare of those creating what is sold on the market. In general, fair trade involves the following principles, whether in regards to economic trade or consumer ethics.

• Producers receive a fair price - a living wage
• Forced labor and exploitative child labor are not allowed
• Buyers and producers trade under direct long-term relationships
• Producers have access to financial and technical assistance
• Ecologically sustainable production techniques are encouraged
• Working conditions are healthy and safe
• Equal employment opportunities are provided for all
• All aspects of trade and production are open to public accountability

Fair trade seeks to maintain a direct link between producer and consumer by offering small-scale producers and artisans direct participation in the bargaining and sales processes (essentially cutting out any greedy middlemen). This ensures that the producer is treated fairly and the consumer can have confidence in buying a socially just product.

The roots of the fair trade movement grew from concerned religious missionaries and development workers working in less-developed countries. Chief considerations included human rights and welfare considerations of third world farm workers. Concern initially focused on growers of coffee, cacao (for chocolate), and cotton due to the inherently tough working conditions, unfair wages, and minimal profit distribution to those doing the majority of work.

In most countries, coffee is a colonial crop; it is a cash crop that was imposed on a country and its people. This is a really important thing for people to understand, because in every country in the world other than Ethiopia, the people who grow the coffee do not drink it. They do not know anything about it, other than [having] a profound understanding of the horticultural aspects. They know about the diseases that affect it, and what the appearance should be like, but they have never tasted their own coffee. The nature of the crop is as a cash crop for export; the high-grades have gone and continue to go to the First World, where they fetch high prices. The dregs, the leftovers, are what are kept for domestic consumption…coffee served on a plantation in Guatemala or Antigua will more than likely be Nescafe (Bitter Harvest by Anne Cooper: pp117).

Fair trade addresses the social, economic, and ecological challenges surrounding the multi-faceted environment of production. “Even at its best, farming is extractive. It consumes resources; both natural and human. Sustainable agriculture is often discussed in terms of the soils, air, and water. It rightfully addresses the distance food must travel and impacts of farming on the environment. We must also look at how well it sustains the people who do the work. It is a struggle to provide good wages, quality housing, health benefits, and a sense of ownership from a business that earns its annual budget by the pound” (Michael Ableman in Bitter Harvest: p53).

The ethics and sale of fair trade products seek to directly support artisans and producers of value-added products (such as jams and roasted coffee), as well as farmers. The need to care for the welfare of producers and artisans is continuously made evident as the world becomes more socially and economically interdependent. For example, the application of USA-banned pesticides (such as DDT) in other countries’ fields endangers not only the people applying them, but also the consumers eating them in countries where they are later imported (such as back into the United Sates).

Although no product can be guaranteed unless you have direct contact with its producer, you can seek to support the best for others as well as yourself by seeking fairly trade products. Certified by international organizations, some products such as coffee, chocolate, and handmade art and craft are advertised with a small “Fair Trade” label or other indication that the welfare of the producer has been considered.

Recommended Readings and Pertinent Websites
For more information on all aspects of fair trade (including its challenges and where to purchase fairly traded products) please visit the Florida Fair Trade Coalition at flfairtrade.org and TransFair USA at http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade

If you are interested in purchasing coffee directly from communities in Guatemala, please visit the website of Café Conciencia (Conscious Coffee) at www.cafeconciencia.org. If you are interested in placing an order with others (there is a ten pound minimum), please contact Farmer Mandy at mandybaily@hotmail.com. Four Hands Farm has had the pleasure of meeting Tim Kantz, director of Café Conciencia, who can attest to the respect and direct support given to farmers where the coffee is produced. We can also confirm the wonderful flavor of the coffee.

Locally, the Serendipity store offers certified fair trade products from clothing to coffee. Located at 905 East New Haven Melbourne (upstairs) with store hours Tuesday through Saturday 11am-5pm. Owner and operator Mindy Stone offers both her knowledge and passion about fair trade and human respect. Online at serendipityfairtrade.com or phone (321) 729 6022.

The Fair Trade Federation at www.fairtradefederation.org offers listings of fair trade retail stores by state (click on “retail stores” and then choose state).

With Deeply Rooted Thanks,
Farmer Mandy Sunshine and Farmer Morgan