Page 88 - Tattnall County

Florida, saw Janisse writing under the shade of a tree and asked if she was writing a song. She explained that she was writing a poem. A simple question. An effortless answer. Yet it began a conversation that let them know they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.

Two years ago Raven and Janisse bought an 1850 Federal-style farmhouse on a forty-six acre farm south of Reidsville in Tattnall County. Continued drought, tornados, and other anomalous changes in weather patterns led them to determine that they needed a place of their own where they could feed themselves and their neighbors. With a mission to live with

the land and from the land, Janisse and Raven began to practice sustainable agriculture.

According to the University of California, “Sustainability rests on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Therefore, stewardship of both natural and human resources is of prime importance” (www.sarep.ucdavis.edu). Janisse and Raven called their new home Red Earth Farm and began to grow “organic produce and heirloom seeds, as well as meat and eggs from grass-fed, antibiotic-free, hormone-free animals,” all without the use of a tractor. They also make “homemade sodas (birch beer, ginger ale, root beer, etc.), jams and jellies, lye soap, baked goods, and granola” (http://redearthfarm.weebly.com). A rise in obesity and other health related issues such as heart disease and diabetes have brought attention to the dangers of processed and fast foods. Such convenience has come with a high cost. Deborah Kotz wrote a review for U.S. News and World Report online about a recently published book entitled Real Food Has Curves . The title of the article is “Wean Yourself Off Processed Foods in 7 Steps.” Interestingly enough, authors Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough “each lost about 25 pounds by incorporating more ‘real’ and less ‘fake’ foods into their meals,” writes Kotz. “Every bite [of food] should be like a wine tasting," says food writer and Chef Bruce Weinstein.