Inspiration behind
Gert Gazette
Small Family Farm
I grew up on a farm in Maryland where we raised sheep, pigs, horses, chickens, ducks, geese, miniature horses, barn cats, and dogs. My dad worked on another larger farm with thousands of sheep and hundreds of pigs, goats, and cattle that supplied animals and/or provided facilities and equipment for biomedical research across the U.S. and Canada. This included important studies such as stents in pig hearts and prosthetic hip models in goats before devices could be approved for human implementation. My mom was a sonographer for 30 years and worked at private practices, hospitals, and maternal fetal medicine clinics. She also had a personal ultrasound machine which we would use on our pregnant and injured animals, as well as other animals at local farms. Our farm evolved over the years starting out as just pet sheep and horses, to eventually include pigs to support our 4-H projects. I showed livestock (pigs, sheep, and cattle) in 4-H from age 9 to 18. Raising 4-H animals jumpstarted my parent’s wonderful family farm business in 2011.
Farm-to-Table
My dad ended up parting ways with the biomedical research job and my mom inspired him to start a business with our small family farm. In 2011 my mom drafted up flyers to send to local farm to table restaurants and spur interest in our pork products. We were breeding unique heritage breed pigs crossed with more traditional breeds to provide a meat quality that chef’s would likely not find anywhere else. One local popular restaurant responded to the flyer and my parent’s business was off to the races. Our farm supplied pork, chicken, duck, and lamb to local farm to table restaurants in Maryland, DC, New Jersey, New York, and local customers for 11 years. Many of their regular customers included James Beard recognized and Michelin star restaurants; and chefs were frequently amazed at the meat product quality, stating it was the best they have ever butchered, cooked, served or tasted. This quality was directly related to the care and respect my parents provided for each animal, and the top quality feed and snacks, such as apples, pumpkins, wild nuts, and local hay, and open pasture.
Chemical and Green Engineering
My farm background and passion for science and math inspired me to get a degree in chemical engineering with minors in math, chemistry, and green engineering. For 11 years, I worked for a contractor of several government agencies where I conducted nationwide chemical engineering analyses, supported the development federal environmental regulations, implemented safety process engineering for explosive and other hazardous operations, and compiled national legally required data sets. I’ve gained valuable knowledge about every U.S. industry that manufactures, processes, and uses chemicals, including how the processes work, what current industrial regulations require, and how the chemicals are disposed into the environment. This career has provided me with a great understanding of pollution prevention technologies and exposure prevention. My experience has also given me a unique perspective on all available information on chemicals used in commerce and consumer products and how that information is communicated to the public. While we can legally restrict companies from using certain chemicals in products or releasing certain chemicals to the environment, federal regulations take a long time to develop, implement, and enforce. In addition, there are many unforeseen accidents that cause a release of chemicals into the environment and hazards to local residents or the general population. I have learned that information communicated clearly and collective informed action will create the most positive change for human health and the environment.
Gert Gazette
After nearly 4 years of battling cancer, my mom passed away January 1, 2022 and our family farm business was not able to continue. She loved to show others her passions by posting informative photos and videos about farming, foraging, gardening, and battling cancer. She gathered a community of over 4,000 people across the US and other countries that loved learning how to live more sustainably and even start a farm of their own. In the spirit of my mother’s endless curiosity and openness with sharing her journey, Gert Gazette was born. Our stories and website are meant to grow as we grow. While the access to information is greater now than ever, there are many issues with misinformation and information suppression. Gert Gazette’s main goal is to share valuable knowledge about better options for consumer products, drinking water, and the environment so we all can live healthier, happier, and more sustainable lives. Our hope is that freely sharing this important information builds a community of people inspired to take action in small and large ways. So we hope you find this information valuable and share with others.
