Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
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4
Organic Farmers on the Ground
[First Page]
[91],
(1)
A healthy farm culture can be based only upon familiarity and can grow only among
a people soundly established upon the land; it nourishes and safeguards a human
intelligence of the earth that no amount of technology can satisfactorily replace.
- W
endell Berry,
The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture
(1977)
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rganic agriculture has, to some extent, attained a new level
of recognition that propels it beyond much of the previous
literature. Trying to link past research findings to current
organic farmers is a challenge because many studies are tan-
gential to the complex on-the-ground actions that deter-
mine whether a farmer will be in business next season or next
year. Farmers make management decisions based on economic factors,
physical environmental conditions, and personal aims and attitudes (Ilbery
1978). Moving beyond the existing literature, the farmers themselves tell
fascinating stories about place, farms, and innovation.
[91],
(1)
LE
ARNING FROM REAL ORGANIC FARMERS
I interviewed five certified organic farmers because they provided diverse
examples of farm types and geographical variations within U.S. organic
agriculture. I intentionally avoided both hippie granola and huge agribusi-
ness examples, since I wanted to feature the profitable medium-sized family
organic farms that form much of organic production today and much of
our hope for organic production in the future.
This chapter introduces the farmers, their farms, and their perspectives
on organic farming. Given what these farmers teach us, the next chapter
provides an overview of the key factors that influence successful organic
farms.
