Lucky Leaf Farm
Website: www.luckyleaffarm.com
Certified Naturally Grown (more info)
At Lucky Leaf Farm we realize that every part counts! From the very first customer to the very last speck of dirt used to grow our produce! We know that how you grow it is just as important as what you grow. We take great care when dealing with our soil’s immediate and long term health. Whether it is a crop rotation plan to help stop pests and diseases or cover crops to help stop erosion and boost organic matter. This is our bottom line philosophy, “always take care of our soil and it will take care of us!”
THE FARM
“We are growing awesome tasting food in a way that is good for you and the earth!”
The farm is located at the base of the Baldwin Mountain in beautiful North Georgia. This farm was originally woodlands in the 1990’s when the Livingston Family retired here from New Jersey. They cleared about 7 acres that was used to pasture a few horses, goats, and a cow or two. The farm was purchased from the Livingston’s niece who had moved here to help and eventually inherited the farm. The farm is now owned by the Moerschel-Scott family which purchased the farm in February 2015. The goal being to build a viable and sustainable farm business, while creating a retirement retreat for themselves in the future!
At Lucky Leaf Farm, we use sustainable practices to produce the most nutritious food possible from our land. As a Certified Naturally Grown farm, we are using standards and practices that are based on the USDA Organic guidelines. As the farmer, my theory is “less is more.” This might mean losing a few crops to pests or disease versus spraying harsh chemicals on the food. I believe over time that what we are giving back to the soil now, will repay us ten fold during the future.
So our first and main goal at the farm is to build the soil through cover cropping, crop rotation, and good soil amendments such as healthy compost. Our farm land has never been farmed before on any type of large scale, this gives us a great advantage to start from a pretty good place.
What is Certified Naturally Grown? There are more than 750 CNG certified farmers and beekeepers at the heart of Certified Naturally Grown. They are committed to producing food without synthetic chemicals, in harmony with nature for their local communities. This is a pear to pear organization; this means farmers and like minded individuals hold each other accountable to adhere to the standards and practices set forth by this organization. Want to get involved? You don’t have to be a farmer to support this grassroots effort. Check out www.cngfarming.org/get_involved to find out how you can help! Of course supporting your local CNG farmer is a great start!
The Farmer
Growing up around the cornfields of Indiana, Joshua has seen farming from many different angles. He understands the effects that large conventional farming can have on the land, as well as, the people living around these types of practices. He was also privileged to have grandparents that enjoyed producing large gardens during the short, but productive growing season in the harsh Midwestern climate. As an adult, he has learned the importance of living the healthiest life style possible and what an important role food plays in this process.
Adopting a plant based diet over five years ago really sparked the interest into farming as a career and lifestyle. Noticing where the food was coming from and how it was grown while grocery shopping really fueled this fire. After reading countless books, watching numerous informative videos, and volunteering on several farms, Joshua decided to get back to his farming roots and jump off the deep end of the row. “I want to farm more like the way my grandparents gardened.” With a dream of the good life and definitely good food, we have now successfully begun this new life adventure that is Lucky Leaf Farm!