Sometimes the people who brighten your day each time you see them need your help. Many of you know farmer Greg Brown from GreenLeaf Farms in Barnesville, GA. Whether you’ve purchased enormous produce from him (he is, after all, the compost master) at one of the city’s farmer’s markets or have had the fortune to learn from him, Greg has an amazing ability to make everyone around him happy, at ease, and better educated about sustainable growth.

But now Greg needs our help. He has a health condition that has not only resulted in some very high medical bills, it’s also taken him out of commission on the farm for a bit. One of the risks sustainable farmers take to provide the rest of us with clean food is forgoing any sort of benefits package, so when the hard times hit, sometimes they hit very hard.

That’s why we’re trying to raise money to help Greg keep GreenLeaf Farms. Whether you know Greg personally, have enjoyed his delicious produce or simply want to make sure that our sustainable farmers like him have the help they deserve when they need it most, please consider donating $10 — or whatever you can.

As many of you know, it’s hard to endure any sort of physical ailment that keeps you from doing what you love. But sadly, in Greg’s case, being unable to do what you love means it may no longer be there once you’re recovered and able. That’s why we’re all pitching in, both financially and physically, to help one of our favorite local, sustainable farmers when he needs it most. As a dedicated member of Crop Mob Atlanta, as well as an outstanding friend to farmers and consumers alike, Greg is always there for others. We’re happy to repay the favor.

Please join us in helping Greg. For more info — or if you’d be interested in helping on the farm — please contact Mike at mike@cropmobatl.com

Local filmmaker Ramsey Yount put together a new video on Crop Mob! Check it out and let us know what you think.

If you’d like to contact Ramsey you can do so at ramsey (at) 2600productions.com or 404.514.4944

Our last mob of 2010 at Truly Living Well went…well…WELL! It was a fantastic time at two of Rashid’s properties right around the corner from one another. It was a really unique experience to get to see how much can be grown in an urban space with very little. As Rashid said, everything done on his urban farm can be done with nothing more than a hoe, a rake and a shovel (some quality compost sure doesn’t hurt either!). We separated and planted garlic, transplanted kale, cleaned up existing beds and created some new ones, spread lots of compost and mulch, and decimated some mobber-high brambles. Once we had tuckered out and were slowing down before a veggie feast from Miller Union (with some seriously delicious pear crisp to boot), Rashid told us a bit more about his experiences, how his efforts have been received, current issues in the urban farming world around Atlanta, and generally inspired mobbers that we’re on the right track to help not only farmers but also folks in the city by helping provide access to quality foods.

If you’ve never visited Truly Living Well, be sure to put it on your to-do list. And great news: Rashid just broke ground on a new, 4-acre farm in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, so even more Atlantans will be able to eat healthy, natural foods grown close to them. At Crop Mob Atlanta, we hope to see more urban farms springing up and look forward to helping many folks get them up and running or maintain them. Our first large urban farm visit was a definite success, and we hope to keep helping Rashid as he turns more vacant spaces into thriving, life-sustaining farms.

Click Here to RSVP

There’s still time to join us for the mini-mob this Saturday at Whippoorwill Hollow Farm. If you’d like to come out and help lay the foundation for the Hilda Byrd Memorial Garden and get the farm ready for Field of Greens then Register Here.

If you can’t make it on Saturday we hope to see you at the big mob of the month! We’ll be heading to Cane Creek Farm on October 17 to spend some time with the amazing Lynn Pugh, organic gardening guru extraordinaire. Looks like we’ll be putting up a hoophouse (since that’s our area of expertise now), as well as planting strawberries and garlic, some general farm cleanup, and maybe digging a few sweet potatoes.

Cane Creek is in Cumming which is only about 45 minutes north of the city, so we can actually get up at reasonable times for a 9AM arrival. We’re capping this mob at 50, and it’s bound to be a good one, so be sure and reserve your space! And, now that it’s cooling down, it’d be the perfect time to invite a friend!

Click Here to Register

Field of Greens is a family festival taking place at Whippoorwill Hollow Farm, a 74-acre certified organic farm that sells at farmers markets in Atlanta, on October 3. The farm is located in Walnut Grove, 35 miles east of downtown Atlanta.

Festival activities include a chefs’ tent featuring tastings from Atlanta and Athens’ celebrity farm-to-table chefs (from noon to 3pm), live music, and an on-site market that mixes educational exhibits with vendors. An expanded kids’ area features farm-based activities for children of all ages. Proceeds benefit local sustainable farms through Slow Food Atlanta.

There are 3 ways that you can participate in this event: Attend the pre-event Crop Mob, volunteer the day of the festival, and attend the festival. You can find details about all these options below.

Attend the pre-event Crop Mob on October 2

The day before Field of Greens, the Crop Mob will be descending on Whippoorwill Hollow Farm to help prepare for the event. Tasks will include general farm cleanup and some typical small chores. Lunch will be provided.

Crop Mob attendees are welcome to hang around after lunch to walk the farm’s trails, visit the animals, check out the fruit trees and see what’s growing in the fields.

We are capping this one at 25 people so make sure to register early!

Click Here to Register

Where:

Whippoorwill Hollow Farm
3905 Hwy 138
Covington, GA 30014

When:

October 2 from 9AM-2PM

Volunteer the day of Field of Greens

Help out with the Crop Mob Atlanta table or help keep the event running smoothly by filling one of the volunteer positions listed below.

Below you will find the different festival areas and the two (sometimes 3) shifts that are available for volunteers in each area.  Please email your top 3 shift preferences (e.g. the second shift for the Children’s Area would be “5b”) to bsmilesjr (at) yahoo.com.

We can’t promise that you will get your preference but we will try.  They will inform you of your shift at least 10 days prior to the event and you can always decline AT THAT TIME (i.e. please try to avoid canceling at last second) if you don’t like your assignment.

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Well, it’s about that time again. Our sore muscles are all limbered up and our sunburns have faded, and that can only mean one thing: time for another mob! This month we’re heading to Burnell Farm in Royston, GA to do a variety of fun things. For those of you who helped out at Tewksbury, you can experience hoophouse construction from beginning to end, since we’ll be helping Tammy finish up her hoophouses as well as do some weeding, seeding and pulling out fence line. I don’t *think* we’ll be needing any special tools or equipment, but you can always feel free to throw what you’ve got in terms of shovels and such in your trunk just in case! Be sure to remember gloves, water, sunscreen, bugspray, boots, and plates and utensils for lunch! (We haven’t confirmed yet, but are pretty sure we’ll be getting a Miller Union visit. Get excited!)