> FW, Could you update us on the Indian Springs effort. �What did you find
> out? �Are the farmers willing to grow the 2006 crop? �How are efforts to
> help them going and can you still use inputs from others?
Hi,
This is not going well. Communications in the Mississippi pine belt are still
impossible. We can't get much reliable information. The best estimate for
when rural pine belt phones will be working is now Nov 17. We can now talk
to only one grower with a cell phone in that area. We can't get the mailing
addresses of the 39 Indian Springs growers.
I am satisfied that the immediate human needs of the (now 39) Indian Springs
growers probably have been met.
I'm still convinced that small farmers will be the last to be touched by
government aide efforts, and that small black farmers will be on the end of
that list. I'm not willing to let that happen.
However, the best I can tell, it now seems as if most, but certainly not all,
will have the resources to put out some kind of a vegetable crop in 2006.
But is there a marketing structure so they can sell it?
It now appears that marketing will be their big problem rather than growing.
In other words, to keep them going, they need confidence that they can sell
what they grow.
Apparently the offshore casinos were buying about 50% of the Indian Springs
produce. At least for now, that's gone. The rest was apparently going to
New Orleans, Jackson, and Chicago.
I'm now thinking that our efforts will or should be directed more at
marketing.
I have already learned that monetary contributions will not be forthcoming for
such an abstract concept as marketing aide. It's going to be a hard sell to
possible donors.
It would be a lot easier if we were providing them crop inputs, (I want to
stress that we are not yet ruling out contributing crop inputs).
I'm not accepting any money until I can interview all 39 growers by phone.
I'm hoping that will be done by the end of November.
Other news:
We are winding up a record year for local grown produce sales here at Owenlea
Farm and the Homerville Wholesale Produce Auction. It will be at least a
35-40% increase in gross sales over 2004.
For example, in the last month, we have sold at auction 87,953 pumpkins,
16,324 fall mums, 25,456 cabbages, and 10,359 cauliflowers.
We just had our annual buyer/grower appreciation night here at the farm and
served 292 dinners. We seated our guests on stacks of pallets. That 292
count would be an fair estimate of the number of regular participants in the
auctions.
We've been pretty busy lately but things are easing up some. I am hoping for
a lot of activity soon on graze-l.
--
Kindest regards,
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F. W. Owen
Owenlea Holsteins
9430 Spencer Road
Homerville, Ohio 44235
e-mail fwo@bright.net
home page http://www.bright.net/~fwo
voice & fax 330.625.2369
cell 330.635.2287
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