In lecture we have been talking a lot commons, farming, and sustainability. Today specifically Prof. Pena's lecture about the community farm in Los Angeles got me thinking about my personal expieriences with agriculture of this nature. A few years ago when I was starting to work on my Eagle Scout project I came into contact with an organic farm, called Left Foot Organics, that was located about 4 miles away from my house in a rural area outside of Olympia. I had a wounderful expierience with this farm and I think it would be appropriate to talk about it and everything it does.
Me working on a kiwi arbor at LFO
Left Foot Organics is a small organic farm that employes people with devlopmental disabilities. The farm is able to employ 10 year round 'growers'. By hirering people with devlopmental disabilities they give these people an opprotunity to be involved and connected to the community. Because they are working in agriculture they, the people who are most often marginalized in our society, now find themselves in the pivitol role of food producers for the community around them. The growers at LFO are payed employees and with this comes responsibility of having a job and purpose which is well regarded as an important part of life for all people. The money they earn also gives them the opprotunity to contribute to their own financial lives.
A small bounty of crops grown at LFO
At Left Foot Organics they also strive to produce the finest crops. They are a USDA certified organic farm that produces healthy crops in ways that are healthy and sustainable for the earth. The farm often offers opprotunities for the the community to learn about the importance of sustainability in farming and the significance of growing food close to the market.
LFO also has several other employees that are present to assist in the farm work and help the growers. These employees are trained to work with the growers so that the farm can accomplish its many goal, both for production and helping to devlope the growers. The following link is to a video that shows how two of the employees work together in making potting soils for their young plants.
I think that Left Foot Organics is an excelent example of applied environmental anthropology because it is taking the ideals of sustainability and working with people who can benefit from all of EA's teachings. It is also another example of how EA can be used to show how important it is to our world. As farms like this and others that apply the lessons of EA become more common the public will become more aware of their existance and start to understand their importance in the culture of the people who participate in them.
The link to Left Foot Organics website
By: Aaron Talmage
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