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Elevate Christian Network :: Environmental News

Michigan - Interest in purely organic farming growing in Ann Arbor

Organic Farming: Anne and Paul Bantel have made decisions at the farm keeping the next generation in mind. Four years ago, a group of ninth graders visited the farm for a weeklong field trip, which prompted Anne and Paul to create an internship program. | Image courtesy: (mlive.com)

Organic Farming: Anne and her husband, Paul Bantel, have worked as head farmers for the CFAA for 26 years. In 1988, the farm was established as the first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Michigan. January 2018 marks a shift in leadership, as Anne and Paul plan to move to California to live and work at the Mountain Sun Earth Meditation retreat.

Different from most modern farms, the CFAA runs entirely on a biodynamic system of agriculture. Anne explained,”This land has never had chemicals on it. It used to be a horse farm, and before that, a hundred years ago, it was a dairy farm. It’s just been a clean land.” The cow, Lucy is responsible for providing the fertilizer for all eight fields.

The Legacy Land Conservancy owns the development rights of the land and the CFAA rents the land for the next 80 years, meaning no chemicals will touch the land anytime soon.

Handing Over Organic Farm to the Next Generation

Though Anne is sad to be leaving the land she and her husband made into their home, she is “not at all nervous” about handing it over to Pete Simic and Marly Spieser-Schneider, both University of Michigan alumni. There is potential for a third head farmer to join them, but this decision has not yet been made.

Spieser-Schneider believes real work is something that “challenges and feeds you.”  As she individually washed heads of lettuce, she explained how her family has been involved with the farm every since she can remember. Her parents are good friends of Anne and Paul’s and worked together at the Wildflower Bakery years ago.

Combining Creative Work with Farming

Aside from her role at the farm, Spieser-Schneider is a dancer and video artist. She’s found a way to meld her creative life with the work she’ll be doing as a head farmer, as she plans to create a studio space on the second floor of the barn.

Food accessibility and unity are focus points for Spieser-Schneider as she enters her work at the CFAA.
“I’m interested in unifying elements in the world because there’s a lot of division. The fact of the matter is, everybody needs to eat.”  Read the full story…. mlive.com

 

One thing that hasn’t touched this land? Chemicals. | Organic Farming

Michigan: The Community Farm of Ann Arbor operates under a biodynamic agricultural system, meaning no chemicals have touched the land.

 

 

Community Farm of Ann Arbor, Michigan

Community Farm of Ann Arbor

Image courtesy: Community Farm of Ann Arbor

 

 

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Cee Harmon is the founder of Elevate Christian Network and Elevate Your Potential Magazine. He enjoys helping people improve the quality of their lives - spirit, soul, and body.
 
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