When the farm was just a dreaming , Steve and Mandy O’Shea — proprietor and hustler of 3 Porch Farm — knew that they require to apply their business to do as much good in the world as potential . Now , with more than 10 age of farming under their swath , the couple ’s dedication to sustainability is evident in everything they do on the farm .
“ Anytime we go forth the farm , we do back inspired by places we have visited , and that gives us ideas on how we can do things differently or better than we were doing , ” said Mandy O’Shea , UGA gardening alum and co - owner of 3 Porch Farm in Comer , Georgia .
The pair first met in 2003 . Mandy O’Shea is a graduate of the University of Georgia ’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Steve O’Shea has an all-embracing background in environmental sustainability and renewable fuels . They combine her horticultural Department of Education and honey of develop things with his passion for sustainable living to create 3 Porch Farm , a nine - Akka flower farm on the outskirt of Comer , Georgia , with a culture of sustainability .
Eco - friendly ethosTheir first major investment towards making the farm sustainable was instal the use of solar panels , an obvious pick for a peak farm in Georgia , where sunlight is rich year - round .
“ I knew that if we did n’t make that priority No . 1 , then betting odds were gamey that we would not have the funds to do so for years to come , and it was not something we were willing to compromise on , ” said Steve O’Shea , who research and installed all of 3 Porch Farm ’s solar gore himself . Every few years , they total more panels as the farm ’s DOE demands expand . To date , there are 150 panel around the farm , which allow for more than enough energy for everyday farm operation and bring the farm as close to C - neutral as potential .
When starting 3 Porch Farm , installing solar panels for energy was anteriority No . 1 .
All of the farm ’s vehicles are modify to incline on veggie oil colour . The duo partners with local eating house to get their used oil , which they then inflame and filter to turn it into a usable fuel informant on - website . convince their vehicles , processing the used petroleum , and world-wide maintenance are all passing metre and labor - intensive , but the mates take in this as a necessary commitment to the farm ’s sustainability .
“ We ca n’t save the earthly concern , but we can observe the integrity by doing what we can to minimize our negative encroachment on the world , ” Steve O’Shea enounce .
Supporting the workforceTheir sustainability efforts stretch tothe farm ’s employeesas well . The duad invested in their employee from the scratch line , giving them live reward , paid days off , and bonuses . They are also constantly incorporating their employee ’ cognition and skills into the inner working of the farm . As a issue , employees describe being felicitous and engaged at work and overturn is down .
Steve O’Shea , Colorado - owner and wheeler dealer of 3 Porch Farm , discusses the sustainability effort across the farm .
The couple is stretch out that practice of sustainability to themselves as well . In the root , they were figure out around the clock , then they realized that choose rift is vital for their well - being as well as the succeeder of the farm .
“ It took us old age to realize the grandness of lead a break from the farm , ” Mandy O’Shea said . “ We would often fear that , if we left for a few days , the farm would fall aside . However , as time go on , we actualize thatwewere the ones that were going to fall apart if we did n’t take the gaolbreak . ” These much - demand pause often swear out as a source of inspiration for the farm .
“ Anytime we leave the farm , we occur back inspired by places we have visited , and that give us ideas on how we can do things differently or better than we were doing , ” Mandy O’Shea said .
Embracing change during COVIDWhen the world turned upside - down with the onset of Covid-19 , the O’Sheas quickly change their commercial enterprise modeling to keep the farm run and their employees dependable .
CAES alum Mandy O’Shea bundles flowers for local customer .
Prior to the pandemic , most of their efflorescence were sold locally at farmers ' markets . When everything exclude down , they start shipping their blossom countrywide , something they had avoided because it is difficult to ship flowers sustainably and price - effectively .
The flower market in the U.S. has a heavy ecologic footprint , but the mates work indefatigably to make their fiddling corner of the industry as sustainable as potential .
They practice 100 % compostable shipping materials — from the boxes to the tape measure to the labels is plant - ground . They also traverse every sea mile that each heyday package travel , purchasing credits to offset the atomic number 6 farm by their parcel .
They also opened a self - servefarm storeand packed it full of flower , handmade goods from Mandy O’Shea ’s parent , Linda and Tony Rovolis , and other mostly woman - own small businesses . Local client can place an purchase order online and pick upbouquetsand other goods at a fixed time for a socially distanced shopping experience .
Organic evolutionThroughout the years , the O’Sheas have work to blend old - school agriculture with more groundbreaking methods to continuously meliorate 3 Porch farm ’s sustainability . The couple is forever researching and experiment to determine what sustainable systems work most in effect in the north Georgia area .
They shape their flower bed with a tractor , then put down a plant - base bioplastic to curb weeds , retain body of water and minimize erosion . The tractor also helps them to move a large amount of waste plant life material into their compost bins . This compost service as food for the next genesis of plants grow on the farm .
A 100 % organic farm , they do not use synthetic pesticide or fungicides , so timing is central when it make out to pest management — they plant their flowers during periods when pestilence will do the least amount of wrong . This is an art manikin , peculiarly in Georgia where pests are a continual problem .
“ Learning how to identify insects , as well as to detect disease and nutrient issues , is something I learned during my fourth dimension at CAES in the gardening department , ” Mandy O’Shea said . The mates take reward of beneficial insects as a lower-ranking layer of protective covering against harmful pests , and only employ organic sprays as a last resort .
In fact , they made the determination to get rid of their yield orchard a few long time ago because the trees were so susceptible to pathogens in the humid Georgia climate — and constitutive control method were not working . The atomic number 47 liner behind that decision ? More elbow room for flowers .
For more entropy : University of Georgiawww.uga.edu
