What steps is JFF taking to be environmentally friendly?
We at Janzen Family Farms are making an effort to move increasingly toward more sustainability and eco-friendly farming: Currently, our cropland is in transition to organic. We anticipate certification in 2010. Our virgin prairie was certified organic in 2008 by the Oklahoma State Department of Agriculture. We also use crop rotation, green manure, cover crops, organic fertilizer, and a system of movable electric fence and rotational grazing to help protect the land and feed the soil. In addition, we renovated our farm pond to improve our water management. Also, by allowing animals to forage, we are maximizing the potential of the prairie’s natural gifts, minimizing costly inputs that can pollute the environment, and decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels. In our effort to sell locally, we are keeping down the fuel-use associated with long-distance transportation and refrigeration.
