Bringing change through organic farming

By Alyssa Woods

BSN Contributing Writer

LOUISA — In a time when people are more health conscious than ever, Lawrence County citizens will soon be reaping the benefits of a new organic farm. Jack Van Vlack and his group, 9 North White, initially came to Lawrence County for charity work. Starting out as a small organization that gave away concert tickets, Vlack has turned it into something bigger. After arriving in Lawrence County, Vlack became familiar with the area and subsequently fell in love with the small-town life and the people who live it. It is then that Vlack decided to bring some change to the rural community. Vlack’s organic farm endeavor started when he recognized “the need for quality nutrition in the area.”  Vlack has seen, firsthand, the outrageous prices for food in the area and how it has affected the citizens. After working with the Lawrence County Food Bank and giving around 150 meals last Thanksgiving, Vlack wanted to do more. This is when he decided to start a completely organic farm consisting of root vegetables and plants that can be found in salads. He also wants to grow produce that is quick to maturity and is hoping to be selling regularly in spring. The organic produce is going to be grown on a farm called “9 Bulldogs Farm” in Lawrence County. Though the farm will be in Lawrence, Vlack will also be selling to neighboring counties. To add to the joy of getting locally grown produce, Vlack also wants to get a group of citizens together to teach organic farming. Vlack wants to share the importance of farming to an area where not many people have farms anymore. He also wants to use this project to draw attention to how unhealthy the area is. Vlack found out that the mortality rate in the area is seven years less than the national average. This is something that he wants to talk about more, and something he wants to fix. Vlack is looking forward to sharing his knowledge about organic farming, as well as bringing in good, healthy food to an area that so desperately needs it. Anyone that would like to work with Vlack can find him on Facebook as Jack Van Vlack.