Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Alternative Agricultural Research.” This recommended that UC and oth-
ers do the following:
Pursue new research on ecologically sound farming systems that
addresses problems identified by farmers and that emphasizes on-farm,
farmer-oriented, and systems research.
Collect, evaluate, and organize information about existing alternative
practices, especially practices farmers have developed and are using on
their own farms.
Actively disseminate information about alternative practices to farmers.
Strengthen communication between the farmer and consumer through a
new public outreach program.
3
Neither ballot measure passed, but the project drew people and attention
to the potential of alternatives.
The two organizations continued this conversation through the
“Lighthouse Farm Network,” monthly breakfast meetings with member
growers and agricultural professionals. They adapted this idea from a
group of small growers in Fresno County, the California Clean Growers
Association, formed in 1988 to help, educate, and support local growers
trying to practice what they called “natural farming.” They grew peaches
and other perennial crops near Fresno.
4
Reed visited the collaboration between Jeff Dlott, a graduate student
conducting applied research with California Clean growers. Reed recog-
nized that their partnership manifested the kind of alternative approach
to knowledge generation recommended by “Farmers for Alternative
Agriculture.” This proto-partnership was in the back of their minds
when he and Bugg paid their visit to Anderson's orchard and proposed
extending the comparison study to more growers.
In one sense, almond BIOS was merely the next step for Hendricks in
his development as a scientist and extensionist, building on years of
research into the application of biological control and IPM. He never
claimed that a bio-diversification strategy alone could eliminate the need
for agrochemicals, but he insisted that growers who plant cover crops,
who avoid hard sprays, who think sanitation, and who reduce dust and
therefore mites are better farmers and can benefit economically from
ecological activity. Hendricks's support of BIOS was critical to persuad-
ing local growers that the partnership was legitimate and worthy of their
time and investment.
