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market-farming - Re: Peddlers at Markets (eco-ag extension agents)

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  • From: "Bill Shoemaker" <wshoemak AT inil.com>
  • To: "market farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Peddlers at Markets (eco-ag extension agents)
  • Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 13:53:58 -0600


>Bill, is there some way an eco-ag agent could be identified? Could they
form a sub-set
>in the extension service, or would being identified as such be the kiss of
death,
>promotion wise? Clearly that agent in VA was summarily canned for
espousing decent
>agriculture.

Anyone standing up for change takes the risk of getting shot down.
That's just the nature of humanity (someone else ready to shoot you). But if
you believe in what you're doing you take the risk. There's no free lunch,
there's no risk free living. Life is terminal.

But change is taking place in the ag-academic community as turnover
takes place among faculty. In our College of ACES (ag), we have an
Agroecology/Sustainable Ag program. There are some faculty who jest about it
and others who fully endorse it. Over time it has garnered respect as it
proves itself. But this slow change is building a foundation for the future
and is becoming more stable all the time.

We just hired a new Extension Educator whose background was a PhD in
sustainable production of vegetables (Virginia Tech, by the way). He grew up
in Kenya on a farm, growing mixed communities of crops. I believe he will
contribute to making fruit and vegetable production in northern Illinois
more sustainable, and I'm looking forward to it.

>
>Experience has taught me that if I call an agent in my county, or another,
and present a
>problem I'll be told to use XYZ toxic-chemical to "solve" it. I also have
found the
>Master Gardeners to be rather useless as they are forbidden to suggest
home-style
>remedies that have worked well for generations.


Maybe your county will change someday. Don't close the door on it. In
fact, work to promote it. Don't turn away simply because they didn't
implement your ideas right away. This kind of change takes place in the long
term. Ask the Rodale family.

>
>About all my agent is useful to me for is to help identify weeds. I'd sure
like to be
>able to talk to an eco-ag agent even if it meant I had to call long
distance. Can you,
>or anyone, publish a list of right-thinking agents? If you do, give their
email
>addresses and phone numbers.


I wouldn't even try to publish a list of "right-minded" people. Who am I
to decide that? On the other hand, if you live in Illinois or one of it's
surrounding states I might be able to help you find someone you could work
with.

>> As educated professionals they
>> all have a right to represent their professional views, just as I do when
I
>> write to this forum.

>
>It's not that easy. I want their *non-toxic* advice and not some parroting
of chem-talk
>they learned at a chem-grant supported ag college. I also resent that they
first read,
>and then leave lying around their office, the "free" magazines put out by
chem
>companies.


They aren't parrots. They really believe what they say. If you think
they're wrong you'll have to convince them. Maybe it's not worth your energy
and I can understand if it frustrates you. But they were hired to do what
they do and someone keeps paying them because they like what they're doing.

>
>
>> But I think it's unfair to call them all idiots.
>
>What's your estimate of [toxic mind-set] idoicy percentage? And do you
think the
>organic standards debacle could have been avoided if a large number of
eco-ag agents
>(yes, that does sound like an oxymoron) had spoken up and placed their
input right at
>the beginning?

I can't tell you what the percentage is but I can guarantee you change
is taking place. As I walk through the ag halls of my employer I see
students who will be the new leaders of ag in the future. Some will embrace
the status quo but there are many who don't believe we are doing it right.
And change is as guaranteed as death and taxes. But what will that change
be? Depends on how hard we work at it.

I think the organic standards are driven politically because of
voters/consumers frustrations at not knowing the source of the products
they're buying, whether they were truly organic or not. And politicians
listen to all voters (and then ignore the least powerful). That's why the
standards became a debacle. When the proposal drew such fire in `97 the
politicians realized there were more voters paying attention than they
thought.

I think the standards today are a good starting point that the organic
industry must embrace and shepherd into the future if they ever want to see
the average consumer become a regular customer of their products.

Bill Shoemaker
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
Univ of Illinois - St Charles Hort Research Center




>Thanks for your help,
>Rex Harrill
>






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