Organic Farmers Panel Teaches Students About Joys And Difficulties Of Small Farming
Students at Beloit College in Wisconsin recently got the chance to learn from experienced farmers about the pros and cons of growing good naturally.
A panel, Growing Food Naturally: Challenges and Opportunities for Small Farms, was held not long ago which featured talks from local organic farmers in the area. The purpose of the event was to educate the students about about sustainable agriculture management.
By having the local farmers come in and give talks they were able to hear some great advice from folks who have been farming for many generations.
The panel featured 5 different representatives from small organic farms in the Wisconsin area.
Those farms were: Amazing Grace Family Farm, Kinnikinnick Farm, Kopp's Krops, and The Wright Way Farm.
The growers wanted to share their ideas about what they think it means to grow food naturally. They discussed why they decided to become organic farmers and detailed significant farming experiences that they thought might be able to provide some valuable insight to the students. They also discussed the future and about where they think their farm is headed.
Many of the farms have families running it who have had that farm in their family for generations. And while they say that there is a blessing in being handed down something valuable like a farm, there is also a burden that comes with it too. That is because pressure comes along with it, and you must make sure that the farm survives and doesn't fail so that it can pass on again to the next generation.
One of the farmers, Janet Kassel of Amazing Grace Family Farm, told about when she first took over the farm from her uncle and decided to stop using chemicals entirely, they say that this decision initially upset the ecosystem of the property. They say this happened because the soil wasn't used to it and it took some time to adjust but now they have hundreds of acres of organic farmland for livestock and produce.
One of the panel experts, Tim Kopp of Kopp's Krops, has experience from a farm that has been operational for over 50 years in the market.
Kropps' farm isn't certified organic by the USDA because a number of small-scale farmers are prevented from obtaining the certification over increased costs and paperwork. For some, they are just uncomfortable with the process of seeking certification so they just don't care to.
Despite not being officially recognized by the USDA as organic, they do have peer-reviewed certification from Certified Naturally Grown that confirms the quality of their crops.
Facing Difficulties
The farmers discussed a variety of difficulties that they have faced over the years. One of them was the concern for profit. They say that sometimes there can be great difficulties when it comes to trying to turn a profit. They also struggle finding suitable distribution lines for their products.
Farmers markets are one of the most popular locations for these organic farmers to distribute their products but they can sometimes be a costly method of distribution.
The panelists also suggested that Americans would benefit more if they opted for smaller farms rather than the popular industrial model like we see today. They also love when they can find a steady buyer for their products, like a school or some business that agrees to always purchase a set amount from them. It makes it a lot easier than having to scramble to multiple farmers markets in order to display and sell their products.
Managing A Small Farm Is Intellectually Challenging
David Cleverdon from Kinnikinnick Farm said that he enjoys managing a small farm because it is intellectually challenging and as soon as your farm passes about 7 acres, then the capital costs drastically increase. They also mention that they are still greatly at the mercy of unseasonable and unpredictable weather.
This is where underground greenhouses and operations like hydroponics would be a great asset to organic farming because with these growing methods you aren't as susceptible to weather conditions.
Overall the panelists came across as hopeful for the future of organic farming and the organic market in the US.
Pics:
Pixabay
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Very informative your contribution my friend!
Rich beautiful and no doubt very informative post ,good sharing.
Great post and I say YES to organic farming. They have my full support!
An informative post .Thanks for sharing.
Organic farming is the future.
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beautiful farm!
Excellent post dear friend @doitvoluntarily very interesting