Food

Food sovereignty

Honouring diversity

For these reasons we are switching to local growing, storage and milling of NON GMO Grain.

We need $73 000.00 this year to make this 'correction' to our production system. It is a one time cost for the farm. 

We are asking you to consider donating what you can to support our farm in transitioning to growing, storing and milling NON GMO grain to feed our animals.

Funds rasied will help us to pay for:

• Growing grain: $60,000.00 (directly to farmer Chris to cover his costs of production)
• Feed Storage Tanks: $3,000.00 (2nd hand tank installed)
• Milling cost: $10,000.00

"A just transition process, including financial and technical support, needs to be established to assist farmers to shift back to non-GM seed sources and to adopt ecological agricultural practices" Resetting the Table: A Peoples Food Policy for Canada - Page 25

Back Story

Three years ago at TapRoot Farms we started raising animals for the purpose of providing fertility to the soil for our vegetable crops and tilling of the soil by the pigs (working to establish more permaculture infrastructure). Up until now we have not been growing our own grains for the animals to eat. We have been sourcing certified organic grains for our hens (eggs) and non organic, GMO feed for the other animals. This is not how we have wanted it to be but because of the cost of certified organic grain we haven't switched all the animals to this feed and haven't found a source for non organic non GMO feed as of yet. And so, this year we decided to do something about it.

This Year

This year we set up an agreement with a young farmer (in his 30's with a young family) to contract grow non GMO corn and soy for us. He is also growing barley and wheat for the farm. These crops will provide us with all of the ingredients to mix feed for our pigs, chickens, ducks, turkeys, sheep, and cattle.

The challenge for us at TapRoot is that we need to cash flow the grain that the animals are eating now, at the same time as paying for the contract growing and set-up of the feed for this coming year. We agreed to pay the farmer $600 per tonne for what we expect to be 100 tonne of feed. The farmer was very concerned about a possible yield loss (we think this belief was based on propaganda) so we agreed to pay $30 000.00 in-advance to help with the costs of growing the crop and expect to pay the additional $30,000.00 when the crop is in storage. In addition to growing the crop, we also needed to put in storage tanks so that the non-GMO grains could be stored in isolation of GMO grains. This cost was $3000.00. We also expect to pay $100 per tonne for the milling fee when we take the feed to be turned into mash the animals can eat.

Basically, in this fiscal year (2014) we are cash flowing the shift from GMO feed to Non GMO feed of just over $73,000.00. Now we find ourselves needing to ask for support in making this shift.

Here is what normally happens (for farms without their own storage and milling equipment): A farmer grows a crop of grain. They hire or own a combine to harvest the grain. The grain is then hauled to a common storage (big huge bins that hold multiple farmers grains). In this situation, you never get your own grain back, because it is in one big bin together. You know you have harvested for example 10 tonnes and then throughout the year as you need to make feed you go and take out from the storage what you need. You let the grain centre know what you need and then they will mill the feed for you into the ration you ask for. This system works well if the production systems and quality are all equal. When you want start doing something different,  for example, growing non-gmo grain, then it gets more complicated and expensive.

We are doing this because we trust and honour nature, diversity and our ecosystem. We are now growing the grains that feed our animals close to home in a way that provides opportunities to local farmers, and honours the integrity of organic agriculture systems.   

Why

Why help us? Because cash is required for taking care of this planet through our agricultural practices and the amount needed in this region of the world is rather tremendous. It is a values based decision, not a monetary return on investment business model. Most farmers we know who are transitioning to a system of agriculture that is based on a deeply held value of taking care of the earth are not getting a return on investment they require, basically they struggle. We need to make this shift as a collective. You may wonder, why not just increase the cost of the meat. If we were to down load the full cost of this transition to the people who purchase our meat via our meat shares, then again, we would be unloading an unfair amount of cost to a few people for a shift that we hope will benefit many. It feels rather complicated and hard to explain, but if you will, consider this a donation in support of a system change - a system change in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia for this farm to grow, store, and feed non GMO feed to our animals and to possibly set in motion a way forward for our friends and neighbours. You are welcome to visit the farm any time, to ask questions and see for yourself what we are all about. 

Some Context

Resetting the Table A People's Food Policy for Canada  :

"Genetically-Modified Organisms (GMOs) are living pollution that self-replicate. They cannot be recalled or controlled once they have been released and can spread and interbreed with other organisms, thereby contaminating ecosystems and affecting future generations in unforeseeable and uncontrollable ways. Genetically- Modified (GM) crops threaten agro-biodiversity which is fundamental to global food security, as well as threaten the future of organic food and farming through contamination. Existing GM crops should be phased out and there should be no further approvals of GM crops and animals. A just transition process, including financial and technical support, needs to be established to assist farmers to shift back to non-GM seed sources and to adopt ecological agricultural practices." (http://foodsecurecanada.org/sites/foodsecurecanada.org/files/FSC-resetting2012-8half11-lowres-EN.pdf, page 25)

Non-GMO Project

Lil MacPherson: Earth Hour Tour

National Farmers Union GM Food Policy

More about us at TapRoot

Josh grew up in Hants County Nova Scotia. Patricia grew up in Greenwich Nova Scotia. We met at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. We started farming in 2004 with the purchase of 144 acres in Canard Nova Scotia. In 2007 we took out another loan to purchase a homestead, 22 acres, certified organic in Port Williams. This began our organic farming journey. Basically, we care a whole lot about growing good food for families, taking care of the soil and ecosystem and respecting and caring for the people who make it all happen. We now have 60 acres in certified organic production and 40 acres in transition to organic. Izaak (12), Lily (8) and Frank (7) are along with us on this journey. We also share this journey with Justine, Nathan, Gilbery, Falicia, Jon, Jocelyn, Louise, Gerald, Calvin, Pheobe, Melvin, Amy, Tim, Teri, Tim, Valarie, Michael, Garfield, Sylvan, Jem, Meagan, Malcolm, Patrick, Betty, Evelyn, Kingsley, Bolo, Wesley, Cournelius, Bobby, Cocotee, Ashley, Martel, Patrick, Aliah, Chris, Steve, Richard, Jillian, Karen and Cecil, Jenn, and all of our families.

TapRoot Farms Guiding Values

1. Deep organic (local production for local consumption)

2. Honour and respect (for our ecosystem (people, animals, land))

3. Stewardship

4. Financial sustainability and stability

5. Quality and dependability (of service and production and experience)

6. Innovation, adaptability and education
   

7. Creating community and sharing, connected to food, family and environment

5-Year Goals (Social, Cultural, Environmental, Financial)

The big results we are trying to achieve:

1. The farm is a successful and replicable model

2. Happy animals, happy staff, happy CSA members, and happy owners

3. Highly engaged staff and CSA membership

4. Increased number of people accessing local, healthy food

5. People are educated about local and organic farming in Nova Scotia

6. 100% organic production and processing

7. Improved soil quality (Improved micro-organism population in soil,Improved organic matter in soil)

8. Reduced ecological footprint (Reduced dependency on power and gas, Reduced water usage, & Reduced off farm fertility)

9. The farm is financially sustainable