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market-farming - RE: [Market-farming] RE: seed starting and gen'l farming philosophy

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  • From: "Rick Williams" <mrfarm AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: "Barb Berst" <berstperkins AT earthlink.net>, "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [Market-farming] RE: seed starting and gen'l farming philosophy
  • Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2003 11:49:16 -0600

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Barbara Berst wrote:

>>>>>I'm interviewing (via e-mail only except those in my own neighorhood)
farmers who farm for income part time or full time, use ecological methods
(organic certification is great but not necessary, for example, if the farm
is working towards it or finds the fees too steep), and are operating
purposely on a fraction of an acre up to 15. In other words, they are not,
say, starting at 10 acres hoping to eventually own 100.

-----

We are a definite micro farm here in SW Wisconsin and we started with over
100 acres of tillable land. It would be extremely difficult to be more than
a hobbyist (and there nothing wrong with that) with such small holdings as
you suggest when it comes to any kind of practical livestock operation. And
livestock is the salvation for much of the future of farming with land that
is HEL or otherwise not feasible for tillage ... even though some
unfortunately try anyway:(

In our area of the state, our topology did not historically lend itself
toward large farming operations with row crops, so farms had to be fairly
small and although we had excruciating poverty over the years, this is now
changing. What once was a negative, is now being seen as a positive. Those
of us who are keeping the land intact from being further subdivided, can do
so only if we can farm it with adequate return.

The first and most important issue in sustainable agriculture is whether or
not you can make an adequate income to be able to continue farming. And you
could not do that with a few acres unless you only focussed on high value
row cropping or other intensive farming methods with produce. But that is
only possible for a few people as most have to concentrate on what fits
their land and what the consumer will buy.

If we subdivided our land (al la John Vivian, "Five Acres and
Independence"), much of the land would be negatively affected. I realize
that his concepts are more in line with subsistence farming and not
sustainable farming, but it seems that would fit in more with your model.

Sincerely,

Rick Williams
Misty Ridge Farm
Direct marketed dairy beef and produce
(also dairy heifers and beef stockers)
Viroqua, WI

www.mistyridgefarm.com







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