As we advance our society we also become disconnected from the basics, especially our food. More than ever I think we are looking back to the basics of food, where it’s coming from, how it’s made, and most importantly, what’s in it. You cannot walk into a food store without seeing signs advertising organic, free range, fresh, etc… But what exactly do these phrases mean. Like a lot of people I was not sure, so when I had the opportunity to go and visit Glynwood Farms and Institute, I was really excited to dive into the subject further with the hopes of learning a bit more about what ends up on my plate.

Glynwood describes its purpose as “helping communities in the Northeast save farming. We work at the intersection of the needs of communities and the opportunities available to farmers and landowners. Our unique niche is to empower communities to support farming and conserve farmland, while also working our own land to demonstrate the economic viability of environmentally sustainable agriculture.” They have their hands in many aspects of agriculture and its preservation, however during my visit I really focused on the very basics of farming today and where it’s going.

Great care is taken in creating nutritional environmentally sustainable products, which means a lot of hard work starting early in the morning. I spent two days on the farm following around the interns and farmers on their daily routine. We started the day off in the green house where most of the crops get their start. Fertilizers made from fish based nutrients are mixed with other nutrients and soil in preparation for planting. After a few weeks they are transplanted into the main fields. These are harvested frequently and stored for the farms Community Supported Agriculture program or CSA. I should also mention their produce storage is cooled by an old air conditioner converted into a cool bot.

The cool bot is just one of the many great innovations used on the farm to conserve and innovate. All the animals are free range, and in order to keep them in their designated areas, solar energy is used to power the fences, which as I learned firsthand do a great job creating discomfort when touched, but not enough to really hurt. These areas require cleared fields. Instead of using tractors to clear them, herds of goats are used to clear and fertilize the areas. They work faster than you can imagine. They can also chew camera straps up with the same speed which makes covering them interesting.

There are a lot of animals kept on these fields and the chickens require most of the rotation. Large mobile chicken coops take care of this problem. The chickens are even trained to understand and attune to this proccess! When a field has been grazed and fertilized they will go into the coop, which is towed to a new area and then deployed with a ramp and feeding areas. Nesting areas built inside are accessed through outside trap doors which allow for quick egg collecting.

I was able to cover an awful lot for two days and this is really a very select summery of what Glynwood is doing. I would certainly encourage you to check out their website to really see everything they are involved in. There are more and more farms and organizations that realize we need to improve, reform, and really get back to the basics of food. Take the time to learn where your food is coming from and how you can be involved in its creation and selection. The food we have today is here because we support it.

Below is the gallery from my time at Glynwood, hope you enjoy!