Code,518017
Speaker,Eric and Heather Walters
Date,3/23/11
Interviewer,Jason Fritsch
Abstract,"This oral history interview looks at Basket of Life Farm, a small farm in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The farm is run by Eric and Heather Walters who have a sixty year lease on the land. The farm is part of the Countryside Conservation Initiative and is a Community Supported Agriculture farm where individuals buy a membership and are given a share of whatever is grown."
Tags,"Cuyahoga Valley National Park, farming, Basket of Life Farm, Countryside Conservation Initiative, Community Supported Agriculture"
Special Notes,oral
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0,"Introductions  - Eric Walters, operates Basket of Life Farm a C.S.A. in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, grew up in Columbia Station on a small farm"
1,"Erics talks about early farming experience/picking blueberries. Introduction of Heather Walters, grew up in Indianapolis, born in Connecticut, Heather had no background in farming started farming in 2001 with Eric. Eric startes talking about moving to Cuyahoga Valley."
2,"Moved to Cuyahoga Valley in 2006. Eric talks about Countryside Conservancy Initiative, goal to bring agriculture back to Cuyahoga Valley, restoring and maintaining small farms."
3,Heather talks about how Conservancy Initiative brought small farms/farmers back to Cuyahoga Valley and restore historical culture. Eric talks about their previous farm in Columbia Station.
4,"Continues to talk about previous farm, how it was too expensive to expand. Eric and Heather talk about being direct marketers and why their current location is ideal for their business."
5,Heather talks about why Cuyahoga Valley location is ideal for business and how land was made affordable to them through Countryside Conservancy Initiative.  Heather begins to describe what they grow on their farm.
6,Heather continues to detail what types of foods they grow on their farm. Eric begins to explain the principles of Community Supported Agriculture.
7,"Eric continues to explain C.S.A.’s , how it works on their farm and how costumers assume some risk/reward of the farm."
8,Eric and Heather talk about CSA’s in Northeast Ohio in terms of overall numbers of CSA farms.
9,Heather talks about plans to create a roadside stand and go to farmer's market. Eric and Heather talk about other CSA's in the Cuyahoga Valley.
10,Eric and Heather talk about crop planting patterns/schedule and how that changes from season to season.
11,Heather talks about role member preferences and tastes influence what is grown and how it effects decisions on what to plant.
12,Heather discusses the practice of genetic diversity in their planting and why they feel it is an important practice.
13,Heather continues to discuss why they believe in genetic diversity and why they find it to be a beneficial practice on their farm.
14,Heather continues to talk about genetic diversity and briefly talks about open pollinated planting. Starts to discuss the use of organic/natural practices on their farm.
15,"Continues to talk about the use of natural practices on the farm, gives the example of using baking soda as a fungicide. Then discusses other organic principles they practice, like crop rotation."
16,"Eric talks about how genetic diversity is mainly a small farm practice, compares small farm practicesto larger farm practices."
17,Heather talks about how small farms grow a wider variety of crops then a larger farm would.
18,Eric talks about “great debate” which is modern agricultural practices versus the organic/natural practice.
19,Heather talks about profitability of different farming practices and economics of growing the farm and employees to work it. Begins to talk about practices they use.
20,Heather talks about practices they use on the farm. Talks about micro nutrients.
21,Heather talks about natural farming practices they employ. Eric talks about growth of farm and impact of being a CSA on growing.
22,Talks about growing crops for the Shaker Market compared to growing for a CSA community. Heather talks about learning to farm.
23,Heather discusses early farming experiences and the growth of their knowledge about farming. Eric refers to this as gardening versus farming.
24,"Eric talks about his typical day/the current day. Starts with checking on chicks, moves to checking a variety of aspects in the greenhouse, farm maintenance, and building a new “hoop”? house. Says there is no typical day."
25,Eric talks about the differences in his day that exist between seasons. Details a day during the summer season. Details the picking process. Heather states that she still has a day job outside of the farm.
26,"Heather talks about her typical day, blogs about the farm or works on a newsletter for members on lunch break, comes home around 4-4:30 and helps out on farm."
27,"Heather talks about handling e-mails, financing, and special projects on the farm."
28,"Eric talks about who works on farm, they have no employees, members volunteer and get discount on their produce. They discuss the cost of labor and how it would hurt profitability."
29,"Eric and Heather talk about tasks members are assigned when they volunteer, mainly picking. Talk about perks for volunteers."
30,Eric and Heather talk about how technology/equipment they use has changed as the farm has grown.
31,Eric and Heather continue to talk about how equipment and practices have changed as the farm has grown. Eric talks about using a backpack sprayer and the challenges involved.
32,Eric and Heather continue to discuss the changes in equipment and practices as the farm has grown and discuss the changes they want to make going forward.
33,Heather and Eric talk about the progression of equipment in farming as a step-by-step progression.
34,"Eric and Heather talk about where they would like the farm to be in five years; 250 members, active roadside stand, participation in two farmer’s markets. Wants to automate more and more, talks about finances of farming."
35,Eric talks about equipment upgrades he would like to see the farm make in the next five years and the money issues that surround these upgrades.
36,"Talks about the concerns around labor, especially the expense of it. Heather talks about other expenses and issues surrounding their farm."
37,Heather talks about their other goal is to not have to work a day job in five years. States that they can only grow so much and grow to a certain point before they are no longer a small farm and cost of labor rises.
38,"Talk about how their ten year goal is to increase profitability, and improve product so hopefully they can charge more for membership. Eric talks about previous practices used on the land and how it effects their farm today."
39,Eric talks about one of the goals of the program being to give farmers a stake in the land and how their sixty year lease works to promote that goal. Eric and Heather talk about plans for their farm after their lease on the land ends.
40,"Heather talks about children maybe taking over farm or a member of the CSA, they plan on overseeing farm but no longer being active in running it."
41,"Heather talks about their farm lease being transferable by gift or sale, pending park approval and maybe going one of those routes prior to the expiration of their lease. Eric starts to discuss his feelings on his children taking over the farm."
42,Eric discusses what he would tell his children in regards to taking over the farm.  Both of them state their goal is to make farm successful enough for their children taking it over to be an option for them.
43,"Heather talks about even if children don’t take over farm they want the children to have a sense of entrepreneurship. Talks about farmer conversion, for example switching their farm to a soy bean only farm."
44,Eric continues to talk about farm conversion and how it has saved farms. States that any parent who creates a business hopes their children take it over.
45,"The Walters talk about the lifetime investment that a farm is and how children become a part of that at a very early age. For example, at eight or nine picking on the farm."
46,Eric talks about one of the benefits of farming is being your own boss and talks about the perks of that role.
47,"Talk about the use of technology like social media to promote farm. They use Facebook, blogs, and their own website. The Walters talk about why it is important for their farm to be involved in these forms of technology. Tells story of doing business with someone in England that found him through his website."
48,Eric and Heather continue to discuss why using technology is important. Heather starts to talk about building a sense of community through this technology.
49,Heather talks about events they try to plan to build sense of community with members and members are busy and may not be able to make these events so social media and other technology allows them to try to build this same sense of community with their members.
50,Continues to talk about building a sense of community with its members through technology/social media.
51,Heather and Eric talk about the use of e-mail in their farm and business.
52,Eric talks about using PayPal in their business which allows them to accept credit cards. Says next step in technology for them is Iphone credit card reader so they can accept debit and credit cards at the farm.
53,"Continue to talk about the importance of using technology, like using credit card reader at roadside stand."
54,"Eric starts talking about why he is a farmer and is in the business he is in. Heather starts to give history of their growth and involvement in farming, says it started as a weekend hobby."
55,"Heather continues to talk about their growing involvement in farming, how they used their jobs to bankroll farm."
56,"Eric talks about becoming a full-time farmer, Heather talks about medical insurance being their biggest concern and the affordability of it is why she still has an outside job."
57,The Walters talk about events they hold on their farm to build sense of community with their members.
58,"Heather talks about a gardening class they hold, pot luck dinners for members, Kids Day on the farm which is open to the public, a canning class as events the farm holds."
59,Heather and Eric talk about the success of the canning class and other events they hold on the farm.
60,"Heather talks about why they are in the Cuyahoga Valley, and focuses on the beauty of the natural landscape."
61,Heather tells story about Eric mowing fields and a swarm of indigo buntings as a special moment of why she loves being in the park. Eric starts talking about the wide spectrum of wildlife and starts comparing it to where he grew up.
62,The Walters continue discussing the wide variety of wildlife they come in contact with and observe in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
63,"Eric talks about changes he has seen in the park, states it has gotten busier with more people coming in. Heather sees the area becoming more important in the future as a lot of areas do not have anything like it."
64,Heather continues to talk about how the park brings people in and how a lot of areas do not have anything like it.
65,Eric and Heather state they want their legacy to be that they left land in better condition than they found it in. Say that is the main goal of all farmers.
66,Heather talks about making small agriculture work being a goal. Eric starts discussing history of his farm.
67,Eric says their farm used to be an orchard and house may have been a rental. Says they occasionally find piece of old equipment on the farm. Talks about an old building that was used to sort apples and the writings on the wall of that building.
68,Heather talks about how their land was being used for cattle to graze prior to their arrival. Eric talks about the rise of CSA’s over the last couple of years.
69,Eric talks about how they became a CSA.
70,Eric discusses the resurgence of small farmers and organic food. He states that he believes it was caused by a disconnect between people and the source of their food.
71,Eric talks about various rises in the organic food movement. Heather talks about people liking to know the people that are growing their food and knowing where that food comes from.
72,Heather continues to talk about the connection between the people buying and growing the food. The Walters start to discuss what will be sold on their roadside stand.
73,"The Walters talk about selling the more mainstream items on their roadside stand, like lettuce for example. Talk about growing sweet corn and why they don’t grow it."
74,The Walters talk about their expectations for their roadside stand and are thanked you for coming in and conducting the interview.
75,