About the Farm...
History
Prairie Birthday Farm is a small scale family farm in west central Missouri that supplies sustainably produced fruit, vegetables, herbs, eggs, honey and edible flowers to area residents and local chefs. In addition, the farm is a sustainable research and land stewardship effort, which strives to mimic nature with a resilient permaculture design. At Prairie Birthday Farm, we are dedicated to:
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Producing food that preserves and protects humans, other species, and planet health.
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Discovering/coaxing exquisite flavors from the Earth.
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Educating others about the plants and animals that sustain our lives.
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Inspiring others to produce habitat and food in their own communities.
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Sharing the artistic beauty of sustainable food growing.
Our story began back in 1993, when Farm Steward Linda and her spouse Richard Moore purchased a small, degraded property. Previous owners had practiced intense, row crop cultivation and benign neglect, which caused topsoil erosion and generally poor soil health. Linda is a career nurse and educator, having received a master's degree in nursing and a doctoral degree in education. She believes that growing and eating nutrient dense, organic (without synthetic poison) food and teaching others to do the same is a most fundamental nursing practice. None of us can be well without nutritious food.
Over the years, the Farm has seen a regeneration because of efforts to reconstruct native prairie and reintroduce other native plants, promote biodiversity, practice ecologically based farming, and resurrect a regional, food-based heritage. Learn more about this evolution by visiting our blog.
In the News...
NPR Presents
Going There in Kansas City: How We Eat
New York Times
New Ingredients Sprout From the Cracks
Feast Magazine
Native and Wild Edible Plants Take Root at Prairie Birthday Farm
Northland Lifestyle
Farmer Linda Hezel Feeds Others Through Artisan Foods and Knowledge
Philosophy
Plants and seeds are sourced with the following basic principles in mind:
Adherence to the Safe Seed Pledge:
"Agriculture and seeds provide the basis upon which our lives depend. We must protect this foundation as a safe and genetically stable source for future generations. For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners and consumers who want an alternative, we pledge that we do not knowingly buy, sell or trade genetically engineered seeds or plants. The mechanical transfer of genetic material outside of natural reproductive methods and between genera, families or kingdoms poses great biological risks as well as economic, political, and cultural threats. We feel that genetically engineered varieties have been insufficiently tested prior to public release. More research and testing is necessary to further assess the potential risks of genetically engineered seeds. Further, we wish to support agricultural progress that leads to healthier soils, genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems and ultimately healthy people and communities."
Adherence to the Open Source Seed Initiative:
A pledge to preserve the unencumbered exchange of plant germplasm for breeding purposes and the right of farmers to save and replant seed.
“… man's endeavors to control nature by his powers to alter and to destroy would inevitably evolve into a war against himself, a war he would lose unless he came to terms with nature." Rachel Carson