Interviews

Amy Duggan and Olga Schifani: Organic gardners and founders of Whistling Winds Farm

Note: Whistling Winds has gone out of business since this interview. We leave the interview in place for others to read and be inspired. Perhaps a new vegan organic farm may sprout from it. ~ Editor, VegFamily

What is Whistling Winds?
Whistling Winds is a place to "Grow the Soul." We are a vegan organic farm & education center. We are in our 3rd year with our vegan organic subscription farm (or CSA). Education is a key component to all the work we do and is reflected in the activities we take on such as community workshops, publishing a newsletter, and training interns and volunteers to grow food with vegan organic methods. We are guided by the idea that a health conscious, environmentally aware, and spiritually connected life begins with your fork. We are also the USA branch of the Vegan Organic Network (VON), based in Manchester, England. VON is an international organization committed to developing, promoting, teaching and networking on vegan agriculture.

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Where is Whistling Winds located?
We are located on Vashon Island, in Washington State, just a short ferry ride from Seattle. We are on a five-acre site that includes the farm, our home, and a Douglas Fir and Madrone forest, with a salal and huckleberry understory.

corn

What makes Whistling Winds unique?
We have followed a vegan diet for a number of years and these values are also reflected in the way we grow food. We are one of only three commercial farms in the USA (that we know of) using vegan organic growing methods. Vegan organics means cultivation that avoids artificial chemicals and livestock manures and animal remains from slaughterhouses and fisheries. Our key reasons for growing vegan organic are: sustainability, food safety, and compassion.

The effect of using farm animal manures and slaughterhouse by-products (blood meal, bone meal, etc.) is damaging our health, the environment, and very clearly the animals. Here is some "food for thought" on the impact of animal agriculture:

Livestock in the US produce 230,000 pounds of manure per second and nitrogen from these wastes is converted into ammonia and nitrates which leach into ground and surface water causing contamination of wells, rivers, and streams (North American Vegetarian Society)
Mad Cow Disease may lead to Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease in humans via bone meal used in agricultural production of fruits, vegetables, and grains for human consumption (Richard Rhodes)
Dairy cows are forced to maintain a pregnancy-lactation cycle, their male babies are taken at birth and sold to veal producers, when the mama cow is no longer considered economically viable she is slaughtered for her skin and flesh (adapted from Why Vegan? By Rollin)
Vegan organics just makes sense. It is the most humane and sustainable way to grow food. Our soil and plants are healthy! We use cover cropping, compost, crop rotation, and vegetable and mineral supplements (including nettle and comfrey teas).

What is Community Supported Agriculture?
CSA is a concept that came originally from Japan. It is a subscription farm, where customers pay the farmer up front for a seasonal share of produce. Each week during harvest, in our area usually from early June until early October, our customers pick up a bag of in-season freshly harvested produce. This is a win-win situation in which the farmer receives capital up front and the subscribers have a chance to develop a relationship with their farmer, see their food being grown and have a chance for input into the process. It provides a virtual reconnect for the consumer with their food source and with the way their food is grown. CSAs are growing nationwide - both in semi-rural and urban areas.

How have you involved the community in Whistling Winds?
Our subscribers are basically our neighbors, they all live on Vashon Island. We have offered a variety of classes at the farm and will continue to do so. This year we are planning to offer a number of workshops on vegan organic growing. We have hosted Howard Lyman author of the Mad Cowboy for two community events on Vashon, one that was a fundraiser for Vashon Island Pet Protectors. We also coordinate quarterly vegan potlucks with guest speakers. This year we will have four interns from the University of Washington, Tacoma working with us on the farm. We have recently established an Advisory Board for Whistling Winds, with over half of the members from Vashon. The Advisory Board assists us in strategic planning and the members share their expertise whether it is in small business development or fundraising. We�re pleased that Howard Lyman has joined our Advisory Board.

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What made you decide to go vegan yourselves?
Both of us had been vegetarian for years when we made the switch to vegan. A turning point for us was attending the International Vegetarian Union's conference in 1993. We felt a tremendous amount of support and were inspired by the presenters and participants. One of the workshops we attended was taught by Michael Klaper, M.D., one of the founders of EarthSave. After listening to his compelling reasons for become vegan (and his referral to cow's milk as bovine mammary secretions) we left the workshop as vegans and never looked back. That was nearly seven years ago and we have never felt better.

How did that affect the way you do business?
As many folks will attest to, following a vegan diet is only one aspect of the vegan path. As we moved further down this path and integrated more vegan values, beliefs, and philosophy into our lives it was only natural for us to grow food the vegan organic way. We were aware of the decimating environmental impact of raising animals for human consumption and we recognized that if we used animal products we were supporting this decimation. We also discovered an emerging body of evidence that suggests that growing food in animal manures and slaughterhouse wastes can be harmful to your health. We are committed to growing food in a compassionate way, one that embraces love and respects living creatures. We don't want to be surrounded by an industry of death. We believe that food grown in a cruelty free environment can only be enhance your mind, soul., and clearly warm your heart.

How can other organic farmers learn from you?
Certainly by reflecting on our story and then examining their own growing methods and their values. Whether a conventional or organic grower we advocate for people to make the transition to vegan organic.

We encourage farmers to learn about the misuse of animal products on the farm. Plants have grown for centuries before manures and blood and bone products were introduced. We must not become a pawn of the beef and dairy industries. These polluting industries need to cheaply rid themselves of waste products that would be exorbitantly expensive to dispose of if they were not able to dump them on growers. It is possible to grow healthy food, in a sustainable manner, without the use of animal products. We encourage farmer to do the research and contact us for information and support.

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What programs do you have set up or in the works to further promote Whistling Winds style of agriculture?
Education is a large part of our work. We will be offering a number of vegan organic growing classes in our local area and we will continue to teach interns who want to learn on our farm. We are also available as consultants for folks who want to learn how (and why) to grow this way. Our consulting services include hands-on training, phone consultation, speaking at conferences, and developing workshops to meet the needs of specific communities or organizations. We will continue to network with farmers and gardeners throughout the US. Our role as the Vegan Organic Network (VON), USA will enable us to strengthen the web of people who are interested in vegan agriculture.

Do you have any suggestions for home gardeners to help them farm organically and veganically?
Become a member of VON, USA. Network. Attend classes. Read books (not gardening books but environmental, health, and animal rights). Look for our educational materials on vegan organic growing, currently under development. Intern with us. Learn all you can, experiment, be willing to not have all of the answers, take some risks, live out your values

We encourage Veg Family readers to contact your local organic growers to see if they are using animal products, if they are let them know that you, as a consumer, want to support vegan organic growing and if you have a garden then grow your food the vegan organic way!

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