Are you organic?

"Organic" is a term now owned by the federal government, meaning that small family farms like Touch the Earth can no longer use the term without submitting to a lengthy and expensive certification process that caters to large factory farms. Here at Touch the Earth, we take pride in natural, sustainable management practices and work hard to produce healthy, whole, natural foods for our family's table as well as your own.

All our pastures and crops are managed without synthetic chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Our small-scale, pasture-based system means that our livestock stay healthy naturally by getting plenty of exercise, sunshine, and fresh air along with the naturally healthy proteins, minerals, and nutrients found in the pastures and hedges they graze and browse, eliminating the need for sub-therapeutic medications. Our animals receive most of their nourishment from food produced on-site and are supplemented with all organic feed products from Nature's Best.

Do you use animal by-products or GMO's in your feed?

The supplemental grains our animals eat contain no animal by-products, eliminating possible contamination with diseases such as mad cow disease, which is passed by ingesting contaminated animal bits. Nor do they contain gmo grains. Because we use only organic feed from Nature's Best, we know our animals are being supplemented with whole grains, naturally grown and milled.

Besides plenty of green pasture, insects, and supplemental grain, our poultry and pigs receive kitchen and garden goodies; only the freshest goat's milk from our own farm, which helps produce rich, moist, tender meat; and farm-fresh eggs to boost their protein intake without the overuse of soy additives, helping to ensure health, vigor, and muscle development.

Why do you raise heritage livestock?

Our commitment to raising heritage breeds stems from our commitment to environmental health and sustainable agriculture. Through good husbandry, our ancestors developed many different breeds suited to different environmental conditions. Animals were bred for cold-hardiness, foraging or mothering abilities, drought-tolerance, etc. The monoculture of factory farms has all but wiped out these various breeds in favor of single cross-breeds that put on weight quickly and require as little feed as possible to do so. Greed has outweighed good sense.

Biodiversity is an important part of sustainable agriculture, ensuring the health and vigor of the planet and the ability to weather large-scale epidemics. The American Livestock Breed Conservancy tracks the numbers of diverse breeds, telling a story of dwindling numbers on the verge of extinction. Factory-farm monoculture quite literally puts all of our eggs into one basket, threatening the survival of entire species. Without the commitment to raising heritage breeds by small farmers and hobbyists, specie diversity could be lost entirely.

What are heirloom seeds and how are they different from hybrids?

Heirloom seeds refer to those varieties of fruits and vegetables that have been around for decades, passed along traditionally by gathering and storing seeds. Heirloom varieties produce true, meaning that the seeds produce the same plant as the parent plant. Hybrid varieties do not produce true; rather, the seeds revert back to one of the parents or to an inferior variety. Hybrid seeds are not the same as GMO seeds, which are produced by the inexact science of gene splicing not traditional crossing or grafting.

Why do you buy only non-GMO seeds?

Whenever possible, Touch the Earth Farm purchases certified organic seed stock, bulbs and seedlings, which excludes GMO's. When we cannot buy organic, we purchase exclusively from non-GMO seed and plant sources in order to ensure the best quality hybrids for ourselves and our customers. Those plants are then managed without synthetic chemicals or pesticides. The heirloom seeds we save and the bulbs from this first crop then become a non-certified equivalent of organic planting stock.

Genetically Modified Organisms have had a profound impact on the health and diversity of crops, the extent of which we are only beginning to understand. To learn more about GMO foods visit http://www.organicconsumers.org/gelink.cfm

Why buy locally?

Buying locally ensures that the freshest food reaches your table. Produce begins to deteriorate and lose valuable nutrients from the moment it's picked, so the fresher the food, the more nutritional value it offers.

According to one watchdog organization, the average American meal travels 2000 miles from farm to table. Supermarket foods are less fresh and often picked before they're ripe, then sprayed with preservatives on top of the routine pesticide sprays they've already received and the chemical fertilizers that have fed them. Buying local, sustainably-produced food can save up to 17 times the gas costs of food you buy from the supermarket without chemical preservatives, pesticides or fertilizers.

Each year millions of gallons of petroleum are guzzled up by large-scale petrochemical farming and transport. Buying locally-grown, sustainably-produced food, you can make a significant difference in the environment, reducing petroleum consumption and green-house gasses that appear to be having a profound impact world wide. Buying locally-grown, sustainably-produced food, you can be confident that your choice is best for the environment and best for your family's health.

To learn more about the benefits of buying locally visit eatlocal.net

Do you deliver?

Touch the Earth Farm delivers to a limited area only, including a drop at NIST campus in Gaithersburg. Call or email to determine whether delivery is a possibility for you.

What's a CSA?

CSA stands for community supported agriculture and operates on a subscription basis. Buying a share in a CSA means that you get a seasonal variety of fresh, delicious fruits, herbs and vegetables throughout the growing season. It also means that Touch the Earth Farm is able to produce these crops by receiving share payments up front, enabling us to buy the best quality seeds, bulbs, plants and organic fertilizers. Perhaps the biggest benefit of CSAs are the mutual cooperation and community they create by bringing people together.

To learn more about Touch the Earth CSA visit our CSA information page.

Can I visit Touch the Earth Farm?

Of course! Visit the Contact Us page for our open house hours, directions and public events.