THIS IS US

This quote was lifted from a 2012 article on The Atlantic.com. I had to chuckle – the four words they chose are very close to Market at Dothan’s four core values: Fresh, Local, Sustainable, & Year Round.

The word “organic” is pretty much a household word now and most people have a pretty good idea of what it means: crops grown without artificial pesticides, fertilizers, GMOs, irradiation, or sewage sludge, and animals raised without hormones or antibiotics. Organic food production can take place in a bucket on a balcony or a monstrous farm using tons of machinery on thousands of acres. As long as the production meets certain standards the food is considered organic with or without certification. Certification means an agency has examined the practices and bequethed the USDA stamp of approval. For small farms producing under 5k in revenue use of the word is allowed but without the green & white seal. Fines for claiming “organic” without following the guidelines are substantial for any size farm.

Sustainability goes beyond production methods focused primarily on the end result to consider the manner in which land, man and beast are treated. The grand goal of sustainable farming is that mankind will be able to continue living off the land without depleting natural resources and ruining the earth. Using cover crops and green manures to nurture the soil for the long haul is one example of sustainable methods. This the primary reason why Market at Dothan chooses to use the word “Sustainable” over “Organic.” You can grow organic without being sustainable, but you cannot be sustainable without utilizing organic practices.

One of the things that sets our Market at Dothan vendors apart from most local food sources is that all of our growers/vendors use sustainable methods, meaning we grow organically while tending to the welfare of the earth & animals and with human welfare in mind. This means we’ll probably never be a big business as so few growers are up to the extra work invoved, but it does mean that you can trust the food we offer to be clean . . . to be safe. Each of us nurture the land God has provided. We treat our animals with dignity. Some, as one recently shared, work family land with years of records knowing what has and has not been used in and on the soil. Others are working hard to transform urban plots with unknown history and most of us are somewhere in between.

A few weeks ago I shared with our growers that I plan to visit their farms. I’ve been to many but there are still a few that I’ve not had the privilege of seeing yet. This year we’re fixing that! I’ve seen the Richter’s Red Waddle pigs but I’ve not seen Smith’s Dexter cows or sheep yet. I’ve seen Mayim’s aquponics but not the mahaw trees down in Cottonwood where D’s Jellies are made. The plan is to share with you the unique ways your M@D growers balance organic methods with sustainability. Stay tuned – it will be fun!

FOOTNOTES

We would love to hear from you! If you have a favorite recipe, want to write a product review, have an idea or request for an article or information, let us know! You can reply to this newsletter or write marketatdothan@gmail.com.

We thank you for your interest and support of our efforts to bring you the healthiest, the freshest and the most delicious locally-produced foods possible!