Community Focused Farming in Idaho

As the sun peeks out from behind the clouds, young campers scurry over to the awaiting picnic tables with baskets of fresh-picked peppers, broccoli, kale and carrots. A wood-fired pizza oven is smoking and ready for a farm-fresh pizza lunch, thanks to Josie.

Josie Erskine and her husband, Clay, owners of Peaceful Belly Farm in Caldwell, Idaho, are leading a Conservation Summer Camp, in association with the Ada County Soil and Water Conservation District. From water quality to sustainable farming practices, campers will learn the basics of all aspects of conservation over the course of four weeks.

Josie leads two groups per day, with younger children in the morning and older children and pre-teens in the afternoon. Using her pollinator habitat, numerous high tunnels, organically grown crops and community-based kitchen, Josie is teaching the farmers of tomorrow how to be friendly to the Earth and its smallest inhabitants.

Founded in 2002, Peaceful Belly Farm works to provide healthy, fresh vegetables to the community. While not raised as farmers, Josie and Clay found their passion for farming after caring for the Polly Bemis Ranch on the Salmon River, where they were first introduced to growing vegetables. Shortly thereafter, they moved to the Treasure Valley and began growing organic vegetables full-time.

Eight years later, the Erskine's attended a community field day, hosted by then-U.S. Representative Walt Minnick, in Canyon County, Idaho. There, they were introduced to USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service(NRCS) programs for the first time by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who was also in attendance. After hearing of the opportunities for organic farmers, Josie and Clay knew they had to get involved.

With raptor perches, cover crops, hedgerows, an irrigation system, high tunnels and more through three Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) contracts, Peaceful Belly Farm has enhanced nearly every aspect of their operation.

EQIP provides technical and financial assistance to farmers and landowners to address a variety of natural resource concerns on their property, including soil health, water quality, wildlife management and drought mitigation. The most popular NRCS program, EQIP allows for farmers and landowners to truly tailor their conservation practices to the needs of their operation.

“All of the projects have been really instrumental in helping us try things. We keep building on them, and just getting our foot in the door like, ‘yeah, maybe we should try that’,” explained Josie.

On top of three EQIP contracts, Peaceful Belly Farm is home to the first Agricultural Land Easement (ACEP-ALE) in the Treasure Valley – a huge accomplishment for NRCS Idaho. This easement ensures that the land currently owned by Josie and Clay will always be used for agriculture, no matter who owns it. ACEP-ALE ensures that there will be plenty of agricultural land for years to come.

“NRCS is very grateful for our partnership with Peaceful Belly and the Treasure Valley Land Trust, which has led to the first Agricultural Land Easement in the Treasure Valley,” said Erin Brooks, a Resource Conservationist for NRCS Idaho. “The Treasure Valley is losing irreplaceable farmland to the ever-increasing pressure of development.  Easements like this are vital to securing the future of agriculture in Idaho.”

Josie and Clay use their farm to serve their community in many ways, including a Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, program. Each week, members of the CSA pick up a variety of fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs grown at Peaceful Belly. All of the produce distributed through the CSA is organic, fresh and local, offering members of the community an opportunity to be creative and healthy with their cooking. For those with less cooking experience, Peaceful Belly offers a free weekly community meal, in which participants hand-pick their ingredients and follow along with a professional chef as they prepare their meal. From groups of college students struggling to eat healthy on a budget to families who just want to try something new, Peaceful Belly teaches sustainable farm-to-table cooking to everyone.

Josie is especially proud of the school programs Peaceful Belly offers. In addition to the Conservation Summer Camp, the farm is also host to field trips for students of all ages. During the 2021-2022 school year, they hosted around 800 students. For 2022-2023, registration is already rising above 3,500 students. More schools, educators, parents and students are interested in this field trip site than ever before.

“We do targeted STEM-based curriculum based on whatever the curriculum is for that age group, and then the biology or ecosystem sciences that we can teach,” Josie said.

This STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)-based content teaches students not only how to care for the land and grow crops, but also the value of farming and sustainable agriculture. She hopes these types of programs will help the next generation save agricultural land from development.

“You know, nobody's going to save ag land if they don't value it. And, if they don't get a get on a farm, then how do they learn the value of it?” Josie emphasized. “So, that's part of it too, is helping people value. What we have out here helps people to see it maybe a little differently.”

On top of offering programming for children and members of the community, Peaceful Belly is also serving an example for fellow producers and landowners in the area. As farmers in the Treasure Valley drive past the farm, often they will stop and ask Josie about her conservation successes, seeking information about sustainable growing practices and the secrets to their success. Twenty-four farms have started from scratch and continue to thrive because of Peaceful Belly influence and openness to offering advice.

“Clay and Josie have been a great community asset to direct market growers and NRCS in the Treasure Valley,” said Tate Walters, Conservation Team Lead for UDSA-NRCS Idaho. “Their passion for soil health, pollinators, and a sustainable farm that produces healthy food for them and their community is inspiring. Their willingness to share their experience, successes and failures is rare and so beneficial to those willing to listen and learn. They are constantly trying new things, trying to get better results, and their successes and new ideas can often be translated into success on other farms.”

NRCS Idaho has hosted several trainings, field days and demonstrations at Peaceful Belly, as it serves a perfect backdrop for a variety of conservation practices.

Peaceful Belly Farm has become a fixture in the Treasure Valley community. People come from all around the area to experience their house-made hard cider, fresh entrees from their in-house kitchen and breathtaking environment. Pollinator habitats surround the main building, with vibrant purple and orange flowers standing out from across the fields. These flowers show just how bright Peaceful Belly is in the community, and how important these types of farms are for their local environment and culture.

To learn more about NRCS programs, visit www.id.nrcs.usda.gov.

To view more photos from Peaceful Belly Farm, please visit: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzXG4P     .