MEMBER PROFILE –  Pilar Quintero, Rancho Alegre Farm

Farm to Feed the Mind

Learn more about the Quitereo’s farm here.

Why are you a member of Georgia Organics?

 I got exposed to Georgia Organics through my participation in the Farmer to Farmer Mentoring Program. That experience was very valuable. As a beginning farmer, all of the resources and tools made me feel more confident and knowledgeable about what, when, and how to grow. And if I ever had a question, the answers were an email or phone call away.

Was there a takeaway or lesson you learned from the annual conference that you are excited to employ or practice?

Yes, Farm to School. One of the things I struggle with the most and hope to advocate in my county, is to protect our farmland and agricultural heritage. Kids don’t have much within reach to see agriculture and farming firsthand. By exposing kids to the gratification of seeing something grow and then being able to eat it, they would value eating fresh fruits and veggies even more.

Tell us a little bit about Rancho Alegre.

We are a small farm on 21 acres in Gwinnett County that wants to be a model for self-sustainable farming. By that I mean using all the resources our land and animals provide to minimize waste and reuse organic matter to fertilize our soil. We want to host many things for the community so that in turn, we can be a resource for a hands-on experience of agriculture. Currently, we host a farmer’s market, an organic buyer’s club, field trips, and birthday parties, and we want to grow our workshops. We teach the kids how to milk a goat, how to make cheese, about the different kinds of laying hens and the color of eggs they provide, and about composting our horse manure and using worms. We also host a farm camp in the summer.

What is your favorite meal?

Sancocho, it’s a hen stock soup (lots of broth) with plantains, yucca, and potato, accompanied with a type of pico de gallo and arepa (corn patty). In my home country of Colombia, it’s very traditional to visit the family farm on a weekend, gather with lots of family members and have Sanchocho made over an open flame.