Tooth of the Lion

 On Tuesday, March 8, I had the pleasure of touring the Tooth of the Lion Farm in Orwigsburg on Red Dale Rd. The farm grows herbs and has one cow for enjoyment. The cow’s name is Reba after the country star singer Reba McEntire. I learned that they use vermiculite to prevent algae from growing on top of the soil. Katyln Melvin, the founder of Tooth of the Lion Farm is from Philadelphia and purchased the farm a few years ago. Katelyn is a self-taught farmer, like many millennials and gen z, who didn’t go to school for agriculture. They sell their products at farmer's markets in Philadelphia and online. Their herbs are used for aromatherapy products and teas which can be found on their online store. They get their supplies at Nolts which is the same place where we buy our supplies for the greenhouse. Their greenhouses cost about 5,000 to build. While I was touring the field I saw garlic and chamomile which is used to make tea. The farm saw an increase in sales as covid hit as people were wanting ways to cope with the pandemic by using aromatherapy. The farm is certified naturally grown which is a stepping stone for being organic. In the near future, they plan to become organic once they finish filling out the paperwork. Once Maple Leaf, an ice cream shop, closed, they obtained use of the kitchen and land to use for farming and making their products. You didn’t hear this from me but they will be selling a line of ready-to-drink beverages soon so be on the lookout. 

PASA

 On Saturday, February 12 I went to PASA, a sustainable agriculture conference in downtown Lancaster. At the conference, I attended 2 and a half workshops. For the first hour, I went to the youth in agriculture workshop and split my second hour between law and college farms. In the law session, they talked about labels on food and agri-tourism. In the college farms session, they mentioned that the best way to start a campus farm is to gather individuals in environmental and agriculture majors. Additionally, they noted that gardening is therapeutic for those that struggle with mental health. In youth in agriculture I learned about LEAF (Leadership Education and Farming). The mission of LEAF is to cultivate youth leaders from diverse backgrounds through meaningful work in the food system. LEAF offers students the opportunity to work on farms and learn all kinds of valuable skills.