The Flynns + Forest Glen Farm, Frazee Minnesota

(Scottish Highlander Bull)

Inspired is how we feel after spending time at Forest Glen Farm in Frazee, Minnesota with Dallas and Mary Flynn. We also feel very lucky as they are quite busy with many projects and appreciate them taking time to show us around. Thanks Dallas and Mary!

Forest Glen Farm is "Certified Naturally Grown" - which is just as good as produce that is "Certified Organic"- possibly even better.

Why? CNG's Certification Standards take as their starting point the USDA Organic Standards, but Certified Naturally Grown is an independent program not accredited by or in any way affiliated with USDA's National Organic Program. It is a non-profit tailored for small-scale and direct market farmers, and the plus is it removes the financial barriers, while preserving high standards for natural production methods.

(A Happy Chicken)

Financial Barriers? When USDA's Organic program was implemented in 2002, many farms earning more than $5,000 per year were forced to make a difficult choice: either pay high certification fees and complete mounds of paperwork to become Certified Organic, or else give up using the word "organic" to describe their produce and/or livestock.

So look out for this certification as well. I hope we see more of it!

(Inside a Hoop House)

Forest Glen Farm produces tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, chickens, Highland cattle, lettuce, leeks, garlic, and more. They have outside gardens and also hoop houses to extend the growing season. Just recently they started to heat the high tunnels with solar energy (solar panels) which store the heat and then pump warm air back into the soil when necessary.

(Featured in Going Green)

The Flynn's were recently featured in the, Going Green section of the Detroit Lakes Tribune. This image is the best I could do to share it with you as I cannot locate it online, but there are a couple of quotes from Dallas, I'd like to close with...

"Buying locally is more important than organic. Local organic, if possible is the ideal way to go."

"Over the years, I've found there are two types of people - those who want quality food and those who want cheap food. Now they're going to quality."

Thank Goodness! :)