Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on June 7, 2010
What if every Latino/a family in Southern MN were given the opportunity to contribute their real skills, knowledge, entrepreneurship spirit, hard working ethic, and all the many other great assets to the regional food and agriculture sector? We could actually build a new system that is fair to workers, profitable for the small companies (farming enterprises or small farms), creates wealth for the region by keeping the resources multiplying and growing locally, improve our production efficiency (through richer, more stable, protected and improved soils, waterways and reduction of inputs), and build a regional ecology capable of turning around the way we think about farming, food, economic development, the role of new immigrants, and the ecology.
As long as we keep thinking just about job creation, instead of investing in competitive advantages as a strategy for economic development, we will continue to think of people like Mercedez as cheap labor for farm fields and meat processors and other factories, while missing the real potential these folks represent for the region. When we mismanage the people’s potential, we miss the larger potential to turn our regional food and agriculture into something we can sustain for the long haul. We have to keep in mind that conventional agriculture does not create competitive advantages, but keeps talent and opportunity from emerging through the forces that it generates in terms policies, subsidies for unsustainable systems, the flow of resources from the public to fields and factories and then out of the communities, eroding our natural and material resources while further creating economic and intellectual poverty and with it, the incapacity of building systems outside the of track of dead ideas.
Mercedez story is part of a series of articles, this is the second and many more are on their way, stay tuned. Click here to see the story published by the Northfield News.
Here are some photos of Mercedez’ operation. In a chronological account, we first we take the open fields and place free range poultry units in quarter of an acre plots, these birds are fed and live outdoors, they include a combination of meat birds and heritage breeds, most of the heritage breeds are 
picked live at the farms by families who like to butcher their own birds, as they like to use every part of the bird, the rest are taken to inspected processors for market distribution. From the fields, we remove excess composted manure and cure it to turn it into clean finished soil.
Then vegetable production can start, as these field composted manure is rich in all of the nutrients needed to grow vegetables. In the future there will be a story about this as well as further explanations are in line as to how we manage the micro and macro ecology that includes flora and fauna, organic matter, sun, water, etc, to its maximum potential for net energy yields in the form of food.
Mercedez has operated his poultry at the Rural Enterprise Center’s experimental farm in Northfield and grows his vegetables at his newly secured land in partnership with Greg Carlson on the South side of Northfield. He is now starting to think about strategies for land ownership. One step at the time, 
from the aspiring dreamy farmer living in poverty, to introduction to MN’s farming conditions, specialized training, to systems development, to land ownership, to the full launch as a new farmer working under a new ecology of food, that is Mercedez story, one that will still take many more years to finish telling, and his is only one of many we will be telling as we build a regional competitive advantage by building the systems, support infrastructure and programs needed to make Southern MN a hub of a new way of doing agriculture at a large scale without compromising the efficiency of the small scale farming systems and the contributions of new immigrants to this new ecology of food.
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on June 1, 2010
Last week and Monday this week, two fields of black turtle beans were planted ahead of the predicted rains. The first plot is in Cannon Falls, where one of our main ecological farm operations is being deployed. Although the plot is just 4.5 acres, the seeds planted there have been selected for a specific growing period, resistance to deceases and drought, productivity, size of plants, pods and beans and characteristics needed to achieve an excellent bean quality while keeping its genetic diversity improving.
What is important of these black beans is that as the poultry production system grows, our fields are also fertilized and improved with the manure from the barns and fields, the beans are but one in a series of enterprises being developed as part of our new approach to the whole ecology of food production and distribution. Dry edible beans are important for families like Maria Sosa’s, her husband and two kids. Saving this crop as a regular source of protein and basic amino-acids and vitamins is easy and inexpensive, but it is also a product that we have built a market for so it can be turned into a agripreneurship opportunity.
For a family living in poverty, getting their foot in the door of the vast food and agriculture industry is impossible, unless of course it is as cheap labor in a field or at an animal factory or processing plant. One process that is showing solid promise is the clustering of small farm enterprises, mostly part-time opportunities for people in poverty looking for a good source of food but also farther ahead into a possible farming opportunity.
Clustering allows for each farmer to become a highly efficient producer while staying small. For example, one family that produces free range poultry partners with another that produces grains, both can partner with another that grinds and mixes the grain into feed. After the poultry is produced an opportunity emerges for meat processing, marketing, distribution and value added. Manure from free ranging fields is full of a multitude of nutrients that do not get captured through confinement facilities and it is more stable and complete straight from the fields. This allows for vegetable and dry edible bean operations as well as grain production to reduce cash flow needs for inputs. A simple machine to turn manure into pellets is enough to create a large scale way of managing such valuable by-product and efficiently apply to regular row crops.
Back to the black bean operation, it can be combined with a garlic production operation as the two crops are distant genetic pools and are not affected by the same deceases or pests, while one fixes atmospheric nitrogen, the other needs it, while one is harvested in September, the other is harvested in July, one needs planting in the spring, while the other until November.
Finding the right crop combinations for people with economic difficulties is as important for creating a path to success as it is in being good stewards of the natural resources that make a new ecology of food possible and a sustainable food and agriculture system viable. When each of these crops are developed into production units that can be scaled or multiplied to meet market demand, consumers can get all the food they need and poor families can have a new opportunity.
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on January 23, 2010
With the recent publicity that we have received, many of you reading the materials may be wondering where our products may be available.
Our production systems are being tested and production is limited by many factors, primarily the lack of processing infrastructure for poultry in our region, although we are close to solving this issue production will be limited for a while. On other products, we are setting up production as demand increases. Products are available directly from the farms in Cannon Falls and Northfield and through drop-sites in the Twin Cities.
To receive information on products, drop-sites and buying our products you must first sign-up to one of our mailing lists. Once signed-up, you will receive weekly updates and instructions.
If you live outside of the areas below, send us an e-mail and we will get in touch with you. Otherwise, just click the link according to which general area you live in and enter your e-mail and name.
NORTFIELD
CANNON FALLS
TWIN CITIES
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on January 19, 2010
The Center for Rural Entrepreneurship just released a report on our efforts to incorporate Latino families into the Southern Minnesota economy. The system is based on engaging existing farmers, local resources, and national and regional support networks. The system aims to provide families with a path out of poverty through a replicable and scalable system that follows a step-by-step approach. This approach is designed to build capacity, long-term engagement, is compatible with the rural economic landscape and the realities of struggling small farms, and on the engagement immigrant Latino families as net contributors to strong partnerships for broad-based community success. To read the whole report, click here.
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on December 7, 2009
Here is a link to a recent article by Edible Twin Cities about our emerging Hillside Farmers Cooperative that we started this year to unite the farmers entering free range poultry, grains and vegetable production supported through our program for the Northfield, Cannon Falls and Red Wing region.
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on November 12, 2009
We posed this question to a group of farmers, food business owners, building/metal contractors, and low-income families in the Northfield/Faribault area. Their response was a solid “YES, it can work.” Of course, if you have ever been at a rally where an energetic speaker gets everyone motivated about something, it is easy to chant “yes, we can.” And even if one does not completely understand whether one actually “can,” it still feels good. Our challenge was to move beyond possibilities and excitement, and figure out how we could turn everyone’s aspirations — especially those of the low-income families (all Latino) — into a successful partnership.
Here is how we made that happen:
First, we worked on a plan for a two-week project to process over 3,000 free range chickens from our two start-up farms in Northfield and Cannon Falls (please don’t try this at home). For the plan to work, we had to secure a physical site on one of the farms, find basic processing equipment, fully pre-train one or two of us on the whole system, design a layout, and complete many other tasks associated with organizing the project and the people. We also needed some cash to purchase basic supplies (boxes, packaging material, ice, LP gas, etc.).
Thousand Hills Cattle Company lent our cooperative (Hillside Farmers Cooperative) the money to purchase the basic processing equipment. Prink Oakridge Farm in Cannon Falls figured out the freezer truck with Thousand Hills, driving and operating the unit, and unloading at the storage facility. Cannon River Machine, figured out the layout and basic processing skills needed so that a team could be trained on the specifics of each aspect of the processing. They also built a large 2 by 8 foot steel platform so we could build a fire under it and heat a large tub of water (saving time and LP gas).
Our program found financial support to cover some of the supplies and materials. Both farms contributed part of their production to compensate each individual who participated in the processing, providing them with a supply of poultry that will feed their families all winter.
A community organizer in Faribault worked to organize 14 individuals to do the processing. In the course of one and a half weeks, we all took turns loading chickens into cages, bringing them over to the site, switching jobs when someone got too tired, wet, cold or all of the above. All this happened during the two weeks that it rained non-stop and got really cold as well. It was physically demanding work under miserable conditions. It was almost as if some higher power was seeing if we would give up on the whole project.
When we finished, all of the birds had been processed and 12 individuals had learned how to do this work efficiently and cost effectively, achieving very competitive production levels. They worked happily and in a relaxed atmosphere. Some children came and played, observed their parents working together, and watched a mix of people of different skin color and backgrounds interact as if issues of race had never existed. Much more happened while this community enterprise took shape. Of course, one part we did not hold back on was the enjoyment of the best chicken stews and grilled chicken you have ever tried.
These families will be ready to start again next spring when the production season begins. Going forward, more families in our region will 
learn that community supported agriculture includes growing chickens, but also processing them right on the farm for freshness and health. Perhaps most importantly, we’ll have more opportunities to connect with each other as a community, while supporting those who have been left behind in our current economic system.
Here are some photos of Mercedez’ operation. In a chronological account, we first we take the open fields and place free range poultry units in quarter of an acre plots, these birds are fed and live outdoors, they include a combination of meat birds and heritage breeds, most of the heritage breeds are 
picked live at the farms by families who like to butcher their own birds, as they like to use every part of the bird, the rest are taken to inspected processors for market distribution. From the fields, we remove excess composted manure and cure it to turn it into clean finished soil.
Then vegetable production can start, as these field composted manure is rich in all of the nutrients needed to grow vegetables. In the future there will be a story about this as well as further explanations are in line as to how we manage the micro and macro ecology that includes flora and fauna, organic matter, sun, water, etc, to its maximum potential for net energy yields in the form of food.
from the aspiring dreamy farmer living in poverty, to introduction to MN’s farming conditions, specialized training, to systems development, to land ownership, to the full launch as a new farmer working under a new ecology of food, that is Mercedez story, one that will still take many more years to finish telling, and his is only one of many we will be telling as we build a regional competitive advantage by building the systems, support infrastructure and programs needed to make Southern MN a hub of a new way of doing agriculture at a large scale without compromising the efficiency of the small scale farming systems and the contributions of new immigrants to this new ecology of food.
