Category: Organic Farming

Read news about organic farming, our practices and values.

  • Frog Song Food Safety

    We’ve had a few inquiries from customers about food safety related to the Cyclospora outbreak, so we wanted to share this information with you about our farm and our practices to reassure our customers. We believe that the shorter the supply chain between you and your food, the less risk you have of being exposed to a large food recall or illness outbreak. 

    To Date: We have not been notified of any food safety concerns involving our farm’s fresh produce, and we are not aware of any connection between Frog Song Organics and the current Cyclospora outbreak.

    At Frog Song Organics…

    We use only well water for irrigation, which is tested quarterly to meet drinking water safety standards. We drink out of the same well that we use for irrigation, and do not use any surface water (such as ponds or ditches) for irrigation. All staff members are trained in basic food safety: washing your hands after using the restroom, and staying home from work if you exhibit certain symptoms of illness. We provide paid sick leave to our production team to be able to take the time off if needed to maintain our food safety program.

    For our cut greens, we use a non-chlorine water treatment called Sanidate. This helps to reduce microbes that may be naturally occurring due to our practices of growing our food directly in the soil and out in the natural environment where contact with wildlife and microbes can happen. 

    We also source directly from partner growers who are all located in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The sources are always labeled transparently with the grower identified at our farmers markets and in our online store so you know exactly where it is coming from. We do not source any produce from Mexico, California or Arizona. 

    Cleaning Practices at Home

    We recommend thoroughly washing all vegetables and fruits before consuming.

    Wash all leafy greens in 2-3 water changes to remove sand, debris, insects or microbes that may be present due to natural growing methods. Make sure to wash produce that requires cutting into with soap and water before you cut into them to remove bacteria that comes directly from the soil.

    Cyclospora Prevention

    To avoid the Cyclospora parasite, it is suggested to peel the skin off of fruits and vegetables, and to cook your ingredients when possible to an internal temperature of 158 F or higher.

  • Utilizing Cover Crops in Organic Florida Farming

    Cover crops on our regenerative farm in Alachua County, FL benefit us and our farm, and our planet. They improve the physical, chemical and biological properties of our soil. Cover crops are crops that we plant for reasons besides selling them. We do not harvest cover crops or sell them (as opposed to “cash crops”). The benefits include:

    • Protecting soil from erosion during heavy rains
    • Suppressing weeds by blocking sunlight and out-competing weeds
    • Building soil by growing biomass, which helps increase organic matter in the soil over time
    • Sequestering carbon as they grow (and absorb CO2 from the atmosphere)
    • Serving as forage for our livestock which we rotate around the farm
    • Serving as a food source (nectar and pollen) for native pollinator species and also cultivated honeybees
    • Providing recreation opportunities in the form of crop mazes

    Varieties of cover crops that we grow on our farm include:

    • Sunnhemp
    • Buckwheat
    • Winter rye
    • Oats
    • Millet

  • Food for Thought: Diverse Land Stewardship in Florida

    This article was written by Candace Jones-Herreros (pictured above, left) as part of her studies in Human Geography & Agriculture Education at the University of Florida. Her studies included an internship with Frog Song Organics. Candace met Amy Van Scoik, Frog Song co-owner (pictured above, right) at the 441 Alachua County Farmers Market back in 2013, and became involved with the farm through cooking classes, a work-trade CSA membership, farmers markets, events and education. She has also collaborated with Frog Song on educational programming through the Free Mulch, Inc. 501c3 non-profit, which she founded in 2010 in Atlanta, GA.

    Visit www.freemulch.org for more information on micro-grants for your agricultural projects in Florida.

    Inspiration

    Last year, I read We are Each Other’s Harvest by Natalie Baszile with my then 14-year-old daughter as part of her homeschool studies. We’d just finished reading The Personal Librarian by Heather Terrell and it felt like an opportunity to continue the conversation about ethnic and cultural identities in America.

    We are a multi-cultural family in the Southeast and often find ourselves amidst heated discussions on policy, identity, equal opportunity, etc..

    Finding productive ways to communicate difficult viewpoints is essential.  Author’s often take the lead in articulating what others may only feel. We are Each Other’s Harvest was a narrative field trip through rural America from the perspective of black farmers. It was my entry point into the conversation of who’s farming American land.

    Food For Thought

    In 2021, less than 2% of farm producers in the United States identified as Black, compared to 14% in 1910. According to the United States Department of Agriculture in 2017, Black farm owners were a mere 48,697 among 3,400,000 (3.4 million) producers in the United States (USDA NASS, 2019}. 

    According to a recent 5-year study of almost 400 Indigenous American tribes over a period of 300 years, Indigenous peoples’ have been dispossessed of “98.9% of their historical lands, or 93.9% of the total geographic area they once occupied” in the Contiguous United States (Wade, 2021). 

    Our concept of land/property ownership is often skewed by economic and political practices rooted in the historical practices of colonization and enslavement. 

    Many people of color are still haunted by feelings of fear and distrust in rural spaces. The American story of land injustice is hundreds of years old. Full restoration of people and land cannot be expected to happen overnight, but conscious consistent efforts will make a difference. 

    While interning with Frog Song Organics, I paid more than usual attention to the number of black and brown people attending farm tour events, farmers’ markets in Alachua County, and participating in work trade, CSA, and EBT opportunities. The United States Census Bureau reports that Alachua County, FL has roughly 284,030 residents who identify as follows; 60% White, 20% Black, 11% Hispanic/Latino, 6% Asian, and 3% mixed race (US Census Bureau, 2022).  Based on my rough estimates and novice head counts at three different farmer’s markets in Alachua County, less than 8% of market participants (vendors and patrons) were non-white. This figure is far less than the reported 40% of non-whites in Alachua County.  

    My personal goal is to leverage my graduate studies in agriculture education & communication to develop programs that target and teach marginalized youths the value of land and food sovereignty.  It is my hope that the future land stewards of America will develop ethnically diverse rural landscapes that build and nourish the community.

    Planting Positive Intentions

    In relationship with Frog Song Organics, I’ve observed many positive steps towards this endeavor. In 2012, they submitted their USDA application to accept EBT/SNAP payments for market produce. They doubled this effort in 2020 by joining Feeding Florida (Fresh Access Bucks) to match SNAP funds. This initiative makes fresh organic produce an accessible option for financially challenged families of any ethnicity.

    When I volunteered at Frog Song in 2013, about 1 in 9 farm crew members were nonwhite. A decade later and 12 out of 38 farm crew members identify as nonwhite. A lot of this diversity can be explained by the bureaucratic hoops Frog Song jumped in 2017 to create legal employment opportunities via the H2A visa program for seasonal workers. By recruiting local and foreign workers without regard to ethnicity, age, or sexual identity, Frog Song has created a safe working environment where people passionate about the land and organic food production can thrive.

    Every step toward socioeconomic equity and opportunity in rural development gets us closer to land and food sovereignty.  For the past decade, I have witnessed the Frog Song family increase in size, diversity, knowledge, and cultural appreciation. The dozens of Frog Song collaborations and initiatives I’ve either attended or participated in exemplify the sincerity of their mission to feed and nourish this region of Florida. As a black woman, I am inspired by the various roles of female leadership on the farm and value the rural safe space that has been created for people of diverse social and ethnic backgrounds. In addition to hands on training, I’ve gained a deep appreciation for the tenacious effort required to run an organic farm operation.

    The lessons I’ve gleaned in association with Frog Song Organics and its sister farm High Springs Orchard are helping to inform my path to land stewardship.  Thank you, Amy, John, and Jenny for being key players in this equalizing work by creating an inclusive environment for development and growth on your farms.  I cherish your friendship and mentorship.

    References:

    Ko, J. Y. (2021). An Examination of Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Program on Black Farmers in the United States. Academic Journal, 8(01), 502-513

    Reynolds, B. J. (2002). Black farmers in America, 1865-2000: the pursuit of independent farming and the role of cooperatives (Vol. 194). US Department of Agriculture, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.

    US Census Bureau. (2022). Quick Facts Alachua County Florida. United States Government.

    USDA NASS. (2019). 2017 Census of Agriculture Highlights: Black Producers. United States Department of Agriculture.

    Wade, L. (2021, October 28). Native tribes have lost 99% of their land in the United States: New data set quantifies Indigenous land dispossession and forced migration. Social Science. https://www.science.org/content/article/native-tribes-have-lost-99-their-land-united-states

    Photo Credits: Carol Tedesco

  • We want organic to become obsolete.

    This is a great step in the right direction. Please contact the FDA in support of removing these harmful chemicals from all foods and food packaging. People should be able to find safe and healthy food in the grocery store. Unfortunately that isn’t the case for a majority of products marketed as “food” in this country.

    Why do we work each day to produce healthy food for people? Because we each have a responsibility to create the world we want to live in.

    We hope that one day the word “certified organic” isn’t necessary. We’d like for ALL food to be produced without chemical fertilizers, without petroleum-based pesticides and herbicides, and with regard for ecosystems and natural resources. If we take away the crutches of the industrial and chemical food system, piece by piece, maybe we can eventually make organic obsolete.

    Reposted from Civil Eats:

    By on January 6, 2016
    Filed Under: Food Policy, Food Safety

    On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it will withdraw its approval for three chemicals used to make grease, stain, and water repelling food packaging and consider banning seven food additives used in both “artificial” and “natural” flavors. While the news may have gotten lost during the first post-holiday weekday, it’s worth noting. And it raises much larger questions about one of the agencies with the most control over the safety of what we eat. Here’s what you need to know.

    A Rare Response

    The ban, which goes into effect in February, comes in response to a petition filed with the FDA by a handful of environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Environmental Working Group (EWG), and others. What makes it significant, says Erik Olson, health and environment program director at NRDC, is the fact that, “It is the first time the FDA has actually banned a [chemical’s] use based on a petition” and done so “based on safety information.”

    But despite this unusual response on the part of an agency, the ban itself may be too little too late, say some environmental advocates.

    No-stick, No Guarantee of Safety

    The banned chemicals are all perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), a class of chemicals used to coat things like pizza boxes, pastry wrappers, take-out food containers, paper plates, and non-stick cookware. In other words, they’re the kind of chemical most of us might be ingesting without knowing it. PFCs have raised environmental and human health concerns because they last for a very long time in the environment and have been found in wildlife worldwide and in people—including newborns and nearly every American the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has tested.

    In lab studies, PFCs have been linked to adverse effects on hormones, reproductive, developmental, neurological and immune systems, and to certain cancers. Last year, a group of more than 200 scientists from 38 countries issued a statement expressing their concern about this type of chemical and calling for policies to limit their production and use.

    In its announcement this week, the FDA said the agency is taking this action because it can no longer say there is “a reasonably certainty of no harm” from use of these chemicals in food contact products. The FDA also acknowledged that it lacks adequate information about the chemicals’ migration from packaging into food itself as well as information about the chemicals’ developmental and reproductive toxicity.

    While this candor on the part of the agency might be refreshing to some, Olson says it “highlights concerns we have with the whole system that has approved chemicals for these uses without fundamental data.”

    And that’s not all. As EWG’s president Ken Cook said in a statement, “Industrial chemicals that pollute people’s blood clearly have no place in food packaging…But it has taken the FDA more than 10 years to figure that out, and it’s banning only three chemicals that aren’t even made anymore.”

    Bringing Imported Foods up to the Same Standards

    Indeed, the banned chemicals are three of what are known as “C8” or long-chain PFCs that the agency worked with manufacturers to voluntarily discontinue about five years ago. According to the Society of the Plastics Industry­—a major U.S. plastics industry trade group—these substance are no longer manufactured here for food-contact use.

    Yet, while U.S. production of these three chemicals has been shut down, they are produced in China and India. As Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) chemicals policy director Tom Neltner explained to Civil Eats, the FDA’s action, “prevents these additives from being used in the future,” and in packaging on the millions of pounds of food that is imported to the U.S. every year. Without this week’s ban, consumers would have to rely entirely on voluntary action to keep these chemicals out of food packaging.

    And while the FDA has focused on C8, it’s not clear that the shorter-chain chemicals that are being used to replace them are actually safe. The latter are also environmentally persistent and there’s a lack of information about their toxicity. “What is obviously worrisome is that there are a lot of other compounds out there and we don’t know what’s being used,” says Olson.

    Behind the Flavor

    At the same time the FDA announced this ban, it also agreed to review a petition from a similar group of environmental organizations asking that the agency bar the use of seven food flavoring chemicals that are classified as carcinogens. The substance names are mostly obscure: benzophenone, ethyl acrylate, eugenyl methyl ether, myrcene, pulegone, pyridine, and styrene.

    These are the compounds you don’t see listed in food because they’re often classified as “artificial” or “natural” flavors. But all have been found to be carcinogenic—either by the U.S. National Toxicology Program or the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). And all but one are listed as carcinogens under California’s Proposition 65.

    On paper, carcinogenic food additives are illegal in this country. But, as EDF’s Neltner explains, “There is no look back, there is no reassessment.” In fact, as an FDA spokesperson said to Civil Eats, “Our subject matter experts monitor scientific literature and take action as needed,” but the FDA has no structured program to review previously approved food additive or food contact chemicals.

    NRDC’s Olson says that “we’ve been banging on FDA’s door about for many years” about the agency’s lack of a formal review process for new science. When the FDA does review food additives it is usually in response to a petition from a public interest group, says Neltner. “I think there needs to be a reassessment system,” he says.

    According to the petition submitted by the environmental groups, these chemicals are used to flavor ice cream, candy, baked goods, jellies, and beverages. Civil Eats reached out to several major food manufacturers that are members of the Flavor & Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA, not to be confused with the Federal Emergency Management Agency) and did not receive a response about use of these substances.

    But FEMA’s executive director John Cox said in a statement that, “The substances are permitted for use by the FDA and have not been identified as carcinogens by the FDA,” and that these seven chemical are approved by the WHO’s food additive committee. Cox also added that these chemicals are “naturally occurring substances” found at higher levels in fruit, vegetables, and spices.

    Neltner disputes this assertion saying the chemicals in the petition may occur naturally, but not in the purified and manufactured form that get added to processed foods. “Is the industry actually arguing that styrene, pyridine, and benzophenone are natural flavors? It makes wonder what they call an ‘artificial’ flavor,” he wrote in an email.

    Since many of these chemicals are typically used in proprietary flavor blends—secret recipes not unlike perfume formulas—“if you’re a consumer, there’s no way of avoiding them” says NRDC’s Olson. Unless of course you want to spend your time scanning ingredients lists for all “added flavors.”

    The concerns about all of these chemicals—the flavor additives and the food packaging additives—highlight larger systemic problems at the FDA, say Neltner and Olson. Food companies are free to use a vast number of these chemicals without specific permission from the agency despite huge existing toxicity data gaps on the thousands of food additive and food contact chemicals in use. Take the example of these seven food flavorings. As Neltner explained, the FDA approved these substances in 1964 before it had evidence they were carcinogens, and the agency has not reevaluated its decisions since then.

    “FDA has such limited resources that it rarely looks back at old decisions even when its sister agency, the National Toxicology Program, demonstrates that they cause harm,” Neltner noted. “When it does look back, it is usually as a result of petitions submitted by the public interest community.”

    The FDA is accepting public comments on the food flavoring petition until March 4, 2016.

     

    The FDA Just Banned These Chemicals in Food. Are They the Tip of the Iceberg?

  • The Slow Farm Resurgence in Florida

    This story appears in the Spring 2015 issue of Eidé Magazine. Read it here, or click to read it in the issue below.

    See photos and the original post here
    http://www.eidemagazine.com/eidemagazine/slow-farm-resurgence-florida

    Story by JIMMY SHERFEY | Photography by NATE ROBINSON

    In an age conducted online, more are feeling that connection to something tangible wither away, are left pining for a lifestyle reminiscent of a couple generations back — one where we sit down to a meal sans mobile, enjoy food grown in our backyards and share stories a little more polished and less crude than the ones scrolling down a virtual feed. In the heart of Florida, the oft-maligned state regarded by many as little more than a spring break destination if not a major hub for America’s crazy altogether, some young souls spearhead this unlikely but growing down-to-earth movement.

    Three farms in Alachua County surrounding Gainesville and the University of Florida have found their livelihoods in the land. All breaking ground within the past five years, they’ve ditched monoculture for a more diverse crop base, working to gain a piece of the market currently monopolized by specialized producers operating on massive scales.

    Noah Shitama’s Swallowtail Farm is one of them. After studying religion at Emory University in Atlanta, like many fresh out of college, he was in search of his identity and a feeling of relevance. He speaks in a soft, measured tone pulled forward by a deep, Southern twang. “I was itching to do something practical,” Shitama recalls. “So I kind of reduced it to food and shelter, and resolved to pursue some capability and confidence.” This pursuit started with several years in construction. After building, he worked under a farm owner, learning the keys to developing a robust Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Drawn in by the neverending process of farm management, he started his own farm in collaboration with his wife, Emily Eckhardt. The first day of tilling the soil of his new land, he noticed a somewhat rare sight — a flock of Swallow-tailed Kite birds surveying the farm, likely on break from a long migratory haul. “They’ll travel a dozen together for the longest distance and then break out on their own or in pairs,” Shitama explains. “I felt like that was it: I’ll take an easy sign as a sign.”

    The concept of Community Supported Agriculture — paying for a farm’s produce typically before it is harvested — has proven huge for producers looking to shift the paradigm back to local. Swallowtail’s efforts to diversify their catalogue could gain a lot of ground in the hearts and minds of consumers that view small farmers as little more than their go-to source for kale.

    About an hour southeast of Swallowtail, Frog Song Organics rotates 10 acres of vegetables on 21 acres of farmland, adjacent to U.S. Highway 301. The entrance features a billboard depicting a small army of cartoon frogs working to bring in the harvest. Owner John Bitter talks in smiling tones, often tempering the raw facts of farm life with a chuckle. He worked with Amy Van Scoik on her first vegetable farm around the time they were finishing up school at UF (they are now a husband-and-wife duo). Since then, they’ve traveled together expanding their knowledge of sustainable agriculture. Spending time in Mexico, they found inspiration for their farming ethos as well as their operation’s name. “We love frogs,” Bitter says. “All throughout Mexico they’re known as an amulet for protection of health. Frogs are like the canary in the coal mine for chemical contamination.”

    Since inputs harmful to the soil and wildlife are verboten on his farm and all farmers are at the mercy of weather, abundant produce is not a guarantee. The plants need a close eye, as does the business side. The farm relies substantially on Community Supported Agriculture to grow, ensuring the loss from waste is minimal. Even in winter, when cold weather decreases the selection of produce available, Frog Song still has a robust CSA bushel featuring Tokyo turnips, arugula, mustard greens, Napa cabbage, sweet potatoes, sunchokes, broccoli and mizuna (seven to nine items each week).

    A smaller operation closer to Gainesville proper, Siembra Farm, has just begun the organic certification process that Frog Song achieved in 2012. Starting with a walk-behind tractor and a dozen CSA members, husband-and-wife farm owners Cody and Veronica (who plan to adopt “Siembra” as their surname) employ a small staff and sell weekly vegetable packages along a sliding scale from $25-35. “It’s just up to the consumer what they pay,” Cody says, speaking in the gentle bends of a beachy South Florida accent. “A lot of people are happy to pay $35, especially after they’ve gotten the basket and they’re like, ‘Hell yeah.’ There’s no pressure though, we have a lot of single moms and students, so with them it’s like, ‘Pay $25.’”

    Behind gorgeous rows of sprouting vegetable plants, before a barn outfitted with solar-panel roofing, an adopted wild boar dubbed “Pee-wee” runs alongside Cody as he loads up the truck for the night’s market. On the fringe of the surrounding forest, a young lady practices aerial silk acrobatics, dangling 20 feet above the ground from the branch of a sturdy live oak. Now in its fourth season, Siembra has used their CSA program to increase production every year according to demand. “Our market table sales and restaurant sales have grown steadily, but the CSA is still our bread-and-butter, what’s made it possible to help us grow and learn as a farm,” Cody says.

    Walking a different path than most monoculture producers, the paychecks for small, independent farmers are not guaranteed, requiring a measured approach when scaling up operations. In the southeastern United States, Alachua County is one of the northernmost places fruits and vegetables grow on a commercial scale year-round. To avoid damages caused by inclement weather, a sustainable producer will have to give a variety of crops tender loving care, all while being as resourceful as possible.

    Climate problems — of both the predictable and erratic varieties — add another layer of challenges to farming. “We got down to 20 degrees in early November and that’s like a couple thousand dollars gone overnight,” Cody says, adding that frost cloth placement and removal at Siembra can mean 10 hours of labor for the farm’s small staff. Still, they run a frugal operation, well-versed in cost-cutting measures. Siembra takes advantage of both the ample Florida sun and Gainesville’s utility incentive program, sending energy collected from their barn roof solar panels back into the grid. Because of solar feed-in tariffs, they are reimbursed more than the cost of conventional energy.

    Other elements in abundance can be harmful — not the least of which is the Florida rain. Small farms around Gainesville have to avoid becoming a swamp with clever irrigation practices. At Frog Song, Bitter digs out pathways to channel excess rainwater away from vulnerable planting beds.

    “When it just rained 3 inches and you don’t have any water stuck in these fur- rows you’re like, ‘Aw hell yeah,’” he says laughing. “The plants are happy; I’m happy. When I was a kid I used to play in the dirt and mud and get the water to run down the driveway. It really is the same thing on a larger level. I’ve just got cooler toys now.”

    Just as the rain is a double-edged sword, the same abundant sunshine, mentioned as a valuable source of energy for plants and now the power grid, can be a curse if not dealt with properly. With the potential to quite literally bake the land, Bitter covers topsoil with hay mulch beds to keep the ground moist and full of nutrients. He does this with strawberries as well, a crop requiring special attention. In addition to keeping the plants well-nourished, Bitter must plan against potential pests waiting in the soil, eager to take advantage of a vulnerable organic farm. In December, he grows onions amidst the strawberry plants, because the sun will release oils in the leaves of sprouted onions causing stress for any potential pests and borers looking to feast on young berries. This type of symbiotic play cuts down on the need for toxic, synthetic spray applications.

    At Swallowtail, Eckhardt cleverly introduced the practice of rotational grazing, setting up temporary fencing to pin free-range chickens up over the sections of the farm earmarked for growing. Recently they planted the beginnings of a peach orchard, where a flock of chickens cultivated the ground for several months. Bees are kept around to pollinate the flowers of fruiting plants. Pigs are sent to harvested sweet potato fields to eat leftovers and replenish the soil.

    “Same thing with the cows,” Shitama says. “We want their milk, but we also want them shitting over everything be- cause it’s wonderful for life.”

    Shitima wants their whole-diet CSA to demonstrate what a piece of land can do when it’s not subject to growing a single crop en masse. “It represents the fruits of a more whole, sustaining system, where there are cows, pigs, chickens and bees, and those things are being used as productive creatures — just like us but in a different way.” With all the moving pieces, it keeps the farm on its toes, but that doesn’t mean Swallowtail is a stressful environment. “Even during the day when we’re busting it, there is camaraderie and enjoyment,” Shitama says. “I feel like a lot of the relaxing is in the doing.”

    At Frog Song, the cowbell, vigorously rung by Van Scoik at lunch, signals an equally brisk working environment that is no less pleasant. The work is outdoors, and the packing facility is under the cover of a clear span roof which provides ample shade for produce and producers alike. “It’s got a deck upstairs for drinking,” Bitter says. “It’s the best use we’ve found for that deck. We store stuff there, of course, but it’s a really good spot to enjoy a beer.”

    Despite the hard work, farmers still know how to have a good time. Frog Song often invites the community to their property for potluck meals. Swallowtail’s monthly farm dinners bring acclaimed chefs to their grounds for a picturesque slow dinner, even offering a private bed-and-breakfast on their 30-acre property. Siembra Farm, too, wants to cultivate an element of leisure on-site, clueing visitors in on the fruits of a slower lifestyle. “It would be nice to do a farm-to-fork or maybe a dance party out here — like a farm-to-funk,” Cody says. (Siembra Farm is, in part, named after the 1978 salsa al- bum by Willie Colón & Rubén Blades.)

    If a dance party on a farm sounds too surreal, maybe just start by paying a visit to your local farmers market. Meet the people who grow your food and ask them what’s in season. They are not just friendly neighbors; they are pioneers re-blazing the trails back to our agricultural roots. To see their sincerity is to know that quality food is more than just a trend.

    “The demand for this stuff is not going away,” Bitter says, gesturing towards several newly planted rows of greens at Frog Song. “We’ve grown so much when the rest of the economy has said, ‘We can’t do anything.’ More people every day are waking up to what is good food. That’s why we do this: to bring good food to people.”