Growing for the Future
At Lazy Summer Farm, sustainability is taken into account in every aspect of what we do. An early love for the natural world is what originally pushed me toward agriculture and farming, but through this journey my understanding of sustainability has broadened and deepened. So, we are always evaluating and reevaluating how and why we do things here at the farm with an idea towards learning and improving.
Lazy Summer Farm is Certified Naturally Grown (CNG), meaning in the simplest of terms that we don’t use any synthetic herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms. More importantly than what it excludes, it means we actively make efforts to improve the soil, water, and habitat on and adjacent to the farm. The CNG model is geared toward small-scale farmers like us who seek to connect directly with their customers as well as other CNG farmers through a grassroots peer-certification model that builds accountability and provides transparency. Visit www.cngfarming.org for more information about the program.
Ordering farm products online is not always the most sustainable option and your local sustainable flower grower deserves your business. However, realistically many times a local option may not be realistic, available, or even environmentally friendly. Flowers shipped from overseas have a large carbon footprint and are often heavily treated with pesticides and fungicides to prevent international movement of pests and pathogens. Providing a certified naturally grown and sustainably shipped option is one way Lazy Summer can try and have a wider impact. At Lazy Summer, we purchase carbon offsets on all of our shipped orders by utilizing tracking numbers and rounding up mileage to ensure carbon neutral shipping. We minimize marketing materials and eliminate non-recyclable plastic and foam packaging within shipped orders that would simply end up in the trash. Everything from our paper packaging tape and zero waste packaging labels to our post-consumer void-fill and compostable plant-based wet baggies are an effort to enhance the sustainability of our shipped products.
Beyond farming and shipping practices, our sustainability efforts include increasing the sustainability of our community through efforts at addressing food insecurity. These include regular participation in food recovery and donation programs through local non-for-profit organizations and market collaborations.
Lazy Summer Farm is still a brand new farm about to begin its second year of operations. We are excited to explore new ways to enhance sustainability efforts moving forwards. Follow us on social media to see how we will continue growing for the future!