Amys Farm | Food Production and Preservation | Forums

Randy's personal journey began when he had realized managing a cattle farm was unproductive. He reached a fork in his life where he was deciding what to do because he had realized that managing a cattle farm in Pomona was counterproductive to nature and its environment. While attending church one day, he heard of a drive by-shooting where a young man was shot and killed.

That's where he decided to create a program which helped kids learn about sustainable farming. This new method is called Small Plot Intensive Nature Farming (SPIN) where someone could manage a one-half acre farm or two feet by twenty-five long parcel of land and grow radishes, spinach, peas, or beans. Amy's Farm is a non-profit 501c3 organization, his mission is to teach and promote an urban farming method promoted through the methodology of Mr. E. P. Schumocker. His books include Small is Beautiful and Good Work.

Randy feels that this farming method can be taught to youth or anyone who is interested in becoming an urban farmer. This economic model is challenging at first due to ones' level of experience, however, one's ability could improve over time where one could create a co-operative. The challenge one would face is the notion that food is cheap, however if one is interested in growing good fruits and vegetables then the mindset needs to shift. People would rather pay $5 for a Starbucks Coffee than pay for organically grown vegetables. The SPIN method provides a means to create a healthy diet as well as means to wean oneself away from eating fast food. Eventually one could create a means in which to sustain oneself and provide an alternative form of economic sustainability.

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