Farming for a Better World

By Dennis Linden

The anonymity of the farmer who grows produce for the fresh marketplace is like that of a stage-hand. Both are pretty much responsible for the Final Show, yet they are seldom seen by their audience and rarely get any applause for their efforts. Melissa's would like to acknowledge the expertise of these unheralded, hard-working producers by shining a spotlight on one of our loyal suppliers each month to take a bow. We appreciate their dedication to the science of working with nature to provide the fresh foods that we all too often take for granted.

The magnificent view of Morro Rock and the Pacific Ocean from the quaint bay town of Los Osos, California has probably not changed much since the town's Spanish Land Grant beginnings in the 1860s. However, there are two individuals working a plot of land in the hills above this quiet coastal community whose visions for a better world reach far beyond the ocean's horizon but start with lessons learned from the ground under their feet that they tend with a world view.

John Swift and farm manager, Will Stagg, seem to feed off each other's visionary viewpoints. The two men are living out their concepts of how to best balance the ecological needs of one piece of land so that it will support, in every way and with all its parts, an efficient and sustainable organic farming operation. The systems and methods practiced on the farm to grow some pretty exotic fruits flow to and from the world at large. These systems and methods help create solutions for the growing of more basic and nourishing crops as a path to a better life for some of the most forgotten tribes still living on the edges of civilization.

SWIFT SUBTROPICALS produces some of the most exotic and mouth-watering organic subtropical fruits found in the marketplace today. The crop plan is as unique as the farming operation that produces these delicacies such as feijoas, passion fruit, pepino melons and horned melons. These crops of exotic specialty fruits also serve as a working example of what is possible when a land owner with a global vision of international conservation meets a dedicated land manager with a holistic approach to farming. Together, they are trying to weave the organic cultivation of some very unusual fruits into the existing natural order of the California coastal ecology. They both are in agreement that the health of that natural order must occur within and around any cultivated plot for there to be long-term gains for man as well as the earth.

Will has a degree in ecology and prefers to label his farming efforts as "applied ecology". That phrase really does capture his approach to working the Swift Ranch. He respects the property as a whole piece of land with its own set of particular needs. It's a balance that he feels challenged to find and maintain if it is to produce crops that will be worth the labor it took to grow them in a holistic manner. Meaning, Will uses his formal training to work not only the cultivated portion of John's farm, but also to tend to the health of the much larger percentage of fallow land made up of magnificent California Oaks and grasses. "The ecological health and proper management of the whole property contributes immensely to the yield and vigor of the cultivated crops," explained Will, "This ranch is like our own bodies, it is working most efficiently when all the individual parts are in balance. I am working toward that balance every day; the balance between the feijoa crop and our oak trees; it's my applied ecology again."

Will has single-handedly taken on the huge challenge of transitioning over the farm's entire production to being certified organic by the state's main certifying body, California Certified Organic Farmers [CCOF]. His task is further complicated by the exotic nature of the crops being grown. For instance, there is no manual to be ordered through Amazon.com on growing organic horned melons! As a matter of fact, the farm happens to be the only producer in this country of that commodity; so I guess Will is writing his own book!

For Will, organic growing practices are simply his concept of applied ecology taken another step, using universally accepted protocols in a traceable format. He not only believes in the value of all the paperwork and records that are required in order to earn the right to use the term certified organic, but also he enjoys doing it. John readily admits to being extremely happy to delegate this tedious farm duty to a willing participant.

"Transitioning over to completely organic growing practices has not been without its marketing frustrations," said John, "we understand that the fruits we grow have a niche appeal and perhaps further limit our market share with our insistence on organic certification. But our marketing vision includes the health of the earth and so must stay forward-looking. It's a strategy that demands patience and time. We are confident that with the help and support of partner distributors like Melissa's we can continue to grow this category of certified organic exotic subtropical fruits. We are waiting for the marketplace to really discover the crops we grow. It's an interesting world of new tastes grown with a respect for maintaining a healthy, balanced earth."

With John's encouragement, Will has continued the logic of his applied ecology in the farm's workshop. The farm's machinery is now 90% bio-diesel powered. There is also a solar power system in place that supports the irrigation, packing and storage needs of each harvest. Will is resolute in his tireless efforts to develop and maintain more earth-friendly systems throughout the farm's entire ecosystem. No matter their financial relationship, there is dedicated pride of ownership in Will's voice when he talks about the ranch. His passion for what he is doing and his own sense of place in the land around him came through even in the telephone interview for this feature.

John Swift brings a global overview that mixes well with Will's practical applied approach to farming. John sees the world through his degree in International Conservation and real-time experiences as an Executive Committee Member of the World Neighbors organization. John travels to some of the most remote and marginalized communities in Asia, Africa and Latin America. These ecologically fragile communities are beyond the end of the road, where people live in absolute poverty. John works to set up sustainable agriculture and conservation programs as practical tools to support the organization's goal of eradicating hunger, poverty and disease throughout the world. [For more info see http://www.wn.net/ ].

From these travels come new fruit varieties, as well as new challenges and solutions that are turned over to Will's talent of being able to convert ideas into real moving parts. Once those ideas have been developed and applied successfully on his own land, John takes them back out on the road to contribute to his efforts in the World Neighbor program; thus becoming a world neighbor through meaningful action. I am sure that fund-raising events have their place in World Neighbors, but these men are up to their knees in the earth figuring out a better way to do things for themselves, their immediate environment and those in distant lands. Both John and Will hope to improve how people can work within the environment and earth-friendly growing techniques through a concentrated effort on their own small plot along the California coast. The one with a view beyond the horizon that is already a little clearer now than when they first found it.