Have you ever heard of agritourism(农业旅游) through which you can experience farm life? If not, Dr. Cindy Ayers Elliott will tell you the real story of Foot Print Farms.
The original concept of building Foot Print Farms was simple. When Cindy Ayers Elliott returned to her hometown after graduation, she didn't have to look any further than her state's alarming health statistics to find a mission. Everywhere she went, there were reports of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and heart disease. "The problem was already identified," explains she. "Too many Mississippians were seriously unhealthy and it didn't take research to see that. And many of the state's greatest health challenges could directly result from poor diet. "
These days, Foot Print Farms, which started with a few raised beds of herbs and vegetables, is making fresh, naturally grown food. "When speaking of the key to my success, the co-op model works because we share the work and rewards," notes Cindy Ayers Elliott. "A perfect example is the Wingfield High School football team. To earn the money for equipment and other items, players were committed to working five hours a week on the farm, and by the end of the summer they had produced 1,000 melons and the profits from their sales helped to buy weights, T-shirts, sweatsuits and pregame meals. But the lessons they learned about the rewards of hard work and working together to accomplish something were even more valuable products of their efforts. "
"It's a model that can easily be learned in other places and I'm looking forward to seeing some of our current partners do just that," she remarks. She is now looking forward to developing an agritourism aspect of the farm, where visitors can experience farm life, learn new skills and take seeds of inspiration they can sow in their own communities with them when they return home.
