⇁ Where Great Things Grow ⇁
Help Stay Green with Us!
One Earth...One Chance.
We are thrilled to announce our latest “Go Green” project here at Milburn’s! KW Solar Solutions has installed solar panels on the roof of our Farm Market and Cold Storage building, which has offset a huge amount of our electricity usage!
"GREEN" Projects We Have Implemented on the Farm Through the Years
1. We welcome you to help us STAY green with your purchase of a reusable shopping bag (made from recycled materials) from our farm market. This will greatly reduce the need for plastic shopping bags. We are selling the bags at our cost of $1.50 (tax included). We also encourage you to bring back your plastic shopping bags for re-use.
2. Wind Mill-Powered Irrigation System in our U-Pick Berry patch.
3. Our 4 Forklifts powered by clean burning propane, instead of the older gas powered engines. Also, our ovens in our Bake Shoppe are propane powered.
4. Leaf compost from the city of Newark used for soil improvements in fields. This builds organic matter, improves water holding capacities, raises the soil Ph, and supplies a slow, steady release of natural nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.
5. Our cold storage is run with ammonia systems, not Freon.
6. IPM practices (Integrated Pest Management) have been used on the farm since the 1980’s, greatly lessening the need for chemicals in our farming practices. To learn more about IPM, please visit the FAQ page of our website.
7. Local tree service companies drop off their wood chips for use as mulch in the blueberry patch, instead of plastic mulch. Whenever plastic mulch is used, it is now bio-degradable.
8. All of our used oil from any farm equipment is sent to a used oil recovery company.
9. All scrap metals from construction, workshop projects, and old equipment are stored & hauled away for recycling, including aluminum soda cans.
10. Wood from tree pruning in orchards is chipped on site and stays on orchard floors and continues to improve the soil naturally, instead of burning. Large limbs that cannot be mulched are used for heating in our workshops and at our Bonfire Hayride sites.
11. Extensive grass water-way systems in orchards and constant pond maintenance keep soil erosion and water run off to a minimum.
12. Our harvest systems use reusable containers; baskets for peaches and bins for apples. All wooden containers are repaired, not replaced. No plastic jugs or bins are used.
13. Around our farm and orchards you will see dozens of bird houses. The encouragement for birds to live on our farm (and eat lots of bugs!) reduces the need for pesticides.
14. In 2010, we implemented a price incentive plan in our U-Pick berry fields encouraging our customers to re-use their berry picking containers.
15. In 2010, we made the switch to bio-degradable shopping bags!
16. In 2013, we added a new cardboard & paper compactor to send TONS of paper products to recycling, rather than the land fill.
17. In August of 2016 we installed all new energy efficiency upgrades including LED lighting and soft starts on our Cold Storage Blowers in order to reduce the surge of energy created when the system kicks on.
But the number one way you can help the Milburns to “Stay Green” is to “Buy Local”
Local food tastes better. Food imported from far away is older, has traveled on trucks or planes, and stored in warehouses before it finally gets to your table.
Local produce is better for you. Theshorter the time between the farm and table, the fewer nutrients will be lost.
Local food preserves genetic diversity. In the modern agricultural system, plant varieties are chosen for their ability to ripen uniformly, withstand harvesting, tolerate packing and last on the shelf so there is limited genetic diversity in large scale production. Smaller local farms often grow many varieties in an array of colors and flavors.
Local food is safe. Local farmers aren’t anonymous and they take their responsibility to the consumer seriously.
Local food supports local families. Wholesale prices are low, often near the cost of production. Local farmers who sell directly to consumers cut out the middleman and get full retail price for their food, which helps farm families stay on the land.
Local food builds community. When you buy direct from a farmer, you’re engaging in a time-honored connection. Knowing farmers gives you insight into the seasons, the land,and your food. It gives you access to a place where your children and grandchildren can learn about nature and agriculture.
Local food preserves open space. When farmers get paid more, they’re less likely to sell their farmland for development. When you buy locally grown food, you’re doing something proactive to preserve our agriculture landscape.
Local food keeps taxes down. According to several studies, farms contribute more in taxes than they require in services, whereas most other kinds of development contribute less in taxes than the cost of the services they require.
Local food benefits the environment and wildlife. Well-managed farms conserve fertile soil and clean water in a patchwork of fields, meadows, woods, ponds, and buildings that provide habitat for wildlife.
Local food is an investment in the future. By supporting localfarmers, today you help ensure that there will be farms in your community tomorrow.
“10 Reasons to Buy Local” Reprinted from “With an Ear to the Ground”
– Vern Grubinger
