Honor your dad: help save farmland
by Jody Aliesan, Director Farmland Fund
This article was originally published in June 2004
(June 2004)
Honor your father with a gift in his name; he’ll be proud that you’re saving farmland.
Man on a Tractor Far Away (excerpt)
In twilight the farmer, clad in clean coveralls, strolled westward into the field immediately beyond the yard. He paused. He stood in silhouette, the deep green sky framing his body with such precision that I could see the toothpick twiddling between his lips. His hair was as stiff and wild as a thicket, the great blade of his nose majestic.
Soon Martin knelt on one knee. He reached down and gathered a handful of dirt. He lifted it, then sifted the lumpish dust through his fingers onto the palm of his other hand. Suddenly he brought both hands to his face and inhaled. The toothpick got switched to the side; Martin touched the tip of his tongue to the earth. Then he rose again. He softly clapped his two hands clean, then slipped them behind the bib of his coveralls, and there he stood, straight up, gazing across the field, his form as black as iron in the gloaming, his elbows forming the joints of folded wings — and I thought: how peaceful! How completely peaceful is this man.
— Walter Wangerin, Jr.
From In Praise of Fertile Land, winner of the 2003 Bumbershoot Literary Award. Special thanks go to the non-profit Whit Press for creating this anthology to benefit the Farmland Fund. All proceeds from sales of the book in PCC stores go to the Bennington Place. Poetry saves farmland!
Big Sky gives $1 on every case sold at PCC during June
Big Sky Brewing takes water and makes it fun! Our company has a blast making quality beers with names like “Moose Drool Brown Ale” and “Scape Goat Pale Ale,” a reflection of our personalities.
We call Missoula, Montana home. It’s an area rich in natural beauty and unlimited recreational possibilities.
At Big Sky Brewing, we have fun, but we also do the right thing. Want to take great beer into the backcountry, where glass just isn’t an option? We are the first brewery in North and South America to use the 100 percent recyclable Aluma-Bottle.
Big Sky Brewing is donating $1 on every case sold at PCC in June to help save the Bennington Place. We encourage everyone to contribute to the Farmland Fund so we can preserve more organic farmland. A strong commitment to our environment is just another facet of Big Sky Brewing Company’s philosophy.
Working today for a better tomorrow.
— The Folks at Big Sky Brewing Company www.bigskybrew.com
Bennington Place Update
The Farmland Fund has saved another farm — 174 acres in the Walla Walla Valley called the Bennington Place. Now we’re raising $250,000 to repay the loan for the down payment. Every dollar contributed will be matched by Leona Bronstein and the Quixote Foundation up to a combined total of $70,000. For more information, see The Farmland Fund steps over the mountains to save a new farm (Sound Consumer, March 2004).
Farmland Fund T-shirts
Made of 100 percent organic cotton, unbleached and undyed. Find them in the Farmland Fund displays at all PCC stores. They’re $12.95 each ($3.45 goes to save farmland).
Donor Roster (April 1-31, 2004)
Anonymous: 11
Jack & Judy Albrecht
Bill & Petra Barclay
Elaine Boehmer
Mackenzie Brennan & Marty Brennan
Mari Brockhaus
Cathy Buller & John Veith
Michael B. Carrick
Michele & John Fawcett-Long
Cheryl D. Fleming
Edward W. Geller
Lucy Hadac
Bernice Harris
Scott J. Havel
Susan Henderson
Tony & Carol Henderson
Michael Hilty
Aaron Katz
Virginia A. Kelley
Eric Krauss
Jacquie La Plante
Ronald D. Long
Valerie Markus
Kerry McKean
Bob Messina
Pamela Murphy
Courtenay Newton
Starr Niego
Elaine Nonneman
Julia Paulsen & Kevin O’Connor
Rita Pfeifer
Virginia Pflueger
Ruth Pickering
Erin H. Riley
Rollie & Susan C. Roberts
Alexandra Rust
Ron and Sandy Ryder
Sally Salget
Kelly Sanderbeck & Brent Ewing
Kimberly Sims
Amy C. Theobald
Gretchen Thomas
Nancy J. Waligory
Peter Wallis
Karen Wasserman
Jacob Wegelin
Duane & Bertha White
Laurie Yamamura
Sadie & Frank Yamasaki
PCC Staff
More than 100 PCC staff members make voluntary payroll deductions twice a month.
Businesses and Organizations
A Moveable Feast
Choice Organic Teas
Clean Earth/PureAyre
Resources 2 Inc.
Starbucks Matching Gifts Program
TalkingRain Beverage Company
Velocipede Architects
Vineyard Brands
Whit Press
Wildwood Harvest Foods
The PCC Farmland Fund works to secure and preserve threatened farmland in Washington State and move it into organic production. For more information, see the PCC Farmland Fund web page.