Nonagenarian farmer says going organic 40 years ago 'produced miraculous results'

At 92, Shirley Daughtry can’t wait to hop out of bed each morning, put on her jeans and wide-brimmed hat, and head to the Heritage Organic Farm fields right outside her back door to dig in the dirt.

“My whole life has been leading to this,” she said. “I’m way too old to be doing any of this, but I just can’t stop!”

Daughtry has been farming organically since the mid-1980s and hers was the first farm certified by the Georgia Organic Growers in 1993, as soon as certification became available in the state. Before becoming a farmer, she was principal for 20 years of the Middle School at Savannah Country Day.

“I loved being at the school and loved the children and their parents and the teachers, but I got to a point that I was anxious for 3:30 to come so I could get to farming. So, I resigned and bought land in Effingham County and started Heritage Organic Farm,” Daughtry explained.

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Organic farming is a family ― and friends ― affair

She credits her mother, Bernice Lanier of Statesboro, with fueling her interest in organics. (Her father, Linton Lanier was a Bulloch County attorney and judge.)

“My mother was opposed to the large amounts of farm chemicals being used,” Daughtry said.

To teach herself how to farm organically, Daughtry read everything she could find on the subject. She attended workshops and conferences and became an active member of Georgia Organics, the state’s professional organization. In addition to farming, Daughtry has participated in a number of research projects in partnership with the USDA and Tuskegee Institute, such as no-tilling and crop rotation. Currently, she is experimenting with coffee grounds to control an influx of fire ants that are plaguing farmers.

“The fire ant population is exploding,” Daughtry said, “and we are trying to figure out what to do. They come in on ships. We’ve tried everything, and we’re not pleased with anything. The coffee grounds don’t kill them, but they cause them to relocate.”

Daughtry doesn’t work alone. Her daughter, Anna Burgstiner, serves as office manager, a job Daughtry says is too complicated to describe but is essential to running of the farm. John Andrews operates the farm equipment (tractor work and mowing), and makes repairs. Peter Brodhead, who owned Brighter Day with his wife Janie before retiring to the farm, researches soil nutrition and experiments with various crops (lettuces, chard, Bok Choy, and spinach). Peter was well-known in the community for his knowledge of herbs and supplements to treat human disease. Now, he says, his focus is on soil health.

Daughtry’s sister, Pat Doyle, 88, helps with packing and delivering. On Thursday when deliveries are made, Doyle does the driving. Deliveries are made to Brighter Day Natural Foods, a regular customer since Daughtry started the farm. Elizabeth on 37th is another regular customer. Occasional customers also include Husk Savannah, The Grey, and The Wyld Dock Bar.

Doyle also manages the worm farm, a 2-foot square two-tiered box that produces “worm tea,” used to enrich the mulch around the farm. Doyle also is a substitute teacher for the Savannah Chatham County Board of Education, riding her three-wheel bike to work when the school is close enough to her house.

Daughtry is delighted that two young people also are volunteering on the farm, hoping to build careers that include organics. When asked where the volunteers come from, Daughtry points to the heavens. “They just find me,” she said.

Kenya Muhammad, a native of Chicago, works at Brighter Day and heard about Heritage Organic Farm from Brighter Day’s produce manager. She will attend North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with the goal to major in nutritional science on the road to becoming a dietician.

Naren Singh Bhimbra has been helping at the farm for a little over a year. He previously worked on a farm in North Carolina and before that was a pre-med student at the University of Georgia.

“I wanted to try something different after graduating before diving into medical school and farming was something that really fascinated me,” said Bhimbra. “I found that farming really improved my health, mood, and overall mental health. I always tell Mrs. Shirley that coming out and helping at the farm is my therapy. I feel that in this modern age of social media and being bombarded by constant content, farming and gardening is a powerful way to connect back with the roots of the natural world and bring stillness back to the mind.”

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'Life changes produced miraculous results'

There’s a pattern to the day-to-day schedule for those working the farm.

“We have to be flexible, depending on the weather, the off-growing season, and what general research project we are working on,” Daughtry said. But the general pattern involves:

• Irrigation in the morning, if needed

• Fertilization weekly (all organic, of course)

• Harvesting (three times a week)

• Planting in the fall and spring

• Weeding daily.

So, we ask, is the farm profitable? Eyes roll, and there is some chuckling. “Just barely, we were told. So, we ask, why go to this much trouble for a little arugula and spinach?

“Organically grown food is safer and more nutritious than conventionally grown food,” Daughtry said. “I have copies of many test results done by different research groups proving this. I am a living example of it. I had experienced strange symptoms for about eight years. The doctors could not find the cause. The condition began to improve as I started eating only organically grown food. I also only wear natural fabric clothing. I built my house with healthy home construction. My life changes produced miraculous results for me. I get up feeling great every morning, ready to work. This is important work we are doing, and we need for more people to be interested in eating organically.”

Martha Giddens Nesbit, a native of Valdosta, Georgia, has had careers in both food writing and education. Her first career was as a newspaper editor for the Savannah Morning News, where she was food editor, lifestyle editor, columnist and restaurant reviewer. She also wrote a food column, Savoring Savannah, for Savannah Magazine for over a decade. You can find her at marthagiddensnesbit.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Former Savannah Country Day teacher left the classroom for organic farm