On a Farm, There’s Always Something New to Learn
Drivers on a nondescript back road in the ‘burbs outside Loganville can’t help but notice Ricky Brown’s front yard. Instead of a manicured lawn and the green grass that defines most single-family suburban houses, Brown’s front yard is actually Back River Farm – four acres of planted crops.
The fact that it’s thriving is the realization of years of hard work.
Brown grew up working on his uncle’s 500-acre farm and his father’s half-acre garden. “I grew harvesting produce from a very early age,” he says.
To make sure he was on the right track for a successful organic farm, Brown sought a lot of guidance. He participated in Lynn Pugh’s “Introduction to Organic Farming and Gardening Course,” which has helped close to 90 growers about organic production.
Brown also applied for and was accepted into the 2010 class of the Georgia Organics Farmer to Farmer Mentoring Program. He applied, he says, “to learn from experienced organic farmers that would give advice and provide a support system.”
His mentors, UGA Organic Certificate Program Coordinator Robert Tate and Sara Callaway from Roots Farm, helped Brown with crop rotation, drip irrigation, and soil amendments. He lists the personal visits to the mentor’s farms as one of the most important benefits he received from the program.
“With both of these incredible mentors, you could see their love for farming and their willingness to share their knowledge,” he says. “I can’t say enough about their honesty, their approachability and their knowledge. Robert was particularly knowledgeable about crop rotation, soil amendments and equipment. Sarah’s was overall knowledgeable about organic farming and marketing.”
And Brown says the personal support of Farmer Services Coordinator Jonathan Tescher was an important way that Georgia Organics was able to support him as a mentee.
“I cannot think of any improvements to this program and cannot say enough positive things about it,” Brown says.
Now, Brown is selling Back River Farm produce at the Snellville Farmers Market, a major milestone that establishes Brown, his farm, and his passion for organic growing.
Tescher, who operates the program with funding from the U.S.D.A., points out that applicants don’t have to be brand new farmers. “Even folks who’ve been farming for years can receive subsidized professional expertise from experienced farmers through structured consultations and support,” he says.
Applications to the mentoring program are accepted throughout the year on a rolling basis.
Learn more about the Georgia Organics Farmer to Farmer Mentoring Program here.