Up-Close and Off the Grid with South Winds Farm

Farmer, Joe Marlow’s Southwinds Farm grows using organic permaculture principles and sustainable methods.  Permaculture practices incorporate all things ecologically driven including food, water, soil, shelter, energy, ethics and climate.  Southwinds Farm works off the grid–utilizing solar power, water harvesting and organic growing practices.
When Joe first called the Heirloom offices, he grilled me on the HFM policies and procedures used in curating our vendors.  We spoke about the number of farmers we supported, what our marketing support looked like, my background (farmer’s daughter) and other topics directly related to his committing to supporting our efforts.  It was not only me interviewing him, but he was also vetting us, and that is how we began our relationship.  Perhaps it does all boil down to permaculture – I offer him a place of community to connect not only to customers, but to his fellow farmers and vendors and he, in turn, offers up his bounty – delicate greens, soil-laden beets and carrots, and sun-kissed tomatoes.

All the farming is done by Joe, along with interns and volunteers part of the WWOOF, World Wide Opportunities for Organic Farm- USA program.  The development of interns into future farmers and involvement of volunteers not only helps with the harvesting but also promotes permaculture practices. You can take a peek into a life of a WWOOF by reading the additional blog written by the farm’s newest intern Hallie Hayes.

So the next time you are meandering the shaded aisles of the Rillito Park Farmers Market Pavilion, stop by Southwinds Farm. Joe will be educating his customers on the seasonal availability and presenting his produce which is carefully cultivated to align with his passion.   They also offer CSA shares, so that those customers who invest in him, become a priority when it comes to fresh, local, ethically grown produce.

Photo Credits: ©2015 Pedrography – Pedro Romano

Want to know more? Read up on Southwinds Farm’s blog!

New Interns take Root – written by Intern Hallie Hayes from Southwinds Farm

After spending two days on a bus ride from my hometown in Iowa, I hopped in a manual-shift truck and headed out to the farm where I would intern for the next three to six months. On our way there, Joe—the farm’s owner, Kristen—the other intern, and I stopped at a burrito joint before piling back into the truck, bound for a few miles of bumpy dirt road that crossed paths… [Read more here]