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  • From: STEVE GILMAN <stevegilman AT verizon.net>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Tillage is tillage (and the future of small farms)
  • Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2007 11:57:00 -0500

Hi Bob,
I appreciate your considerable farming expertise as you've expressed through your posts over the years. 

I know numerous small-scale organic farmers who would be quite surprised at your statement, below, however. In addition to some 30 years as an organic  grower I also had the privilege of working on a 3 year research project with a couple of dozen exemplary organic farmers in the northeast (<www.neon.cornell.edu>) utilizing collaborating scientists from numerous disciplines to investigate multiple systemic aspects of organic production, including the economic component. By some conventional standards they didn't have a McMansion or a garage full of SUV's to show for their years of work, for sure. But by appropriate living standards they were doing great  economically and leading healthy, productive, and fulfilled lives. On the other side, I'd have to say there's a lot of financial wealthy folks out there leading empty lives and desperately trying to overcome an impoverishment of soul.

It's my understanding you're not an organic grower, correct? Overall, I'd say you're right in your depictions of the conventional  food system -- the emphasis on Yield favors the big producers at the expense of the small growers. The history of NJ, "The Garden State" is one of usurpation of local markets by big producers from further and further away once the railroads standardized their track gauges and then introduced refrigerated transport. The value-added organic alternative food has considerable cache among eaters in the food economy, however -- enough to put more and more farms on the map and keep them there, with decent incomes to boot. As we head into an uncertain future with energy shortages and global warming dislocations we'll see which lifesyles are truly sustainable. 

While energy issues and the increasing preference by chefs, consumers, schools etc. for locally grown food stands to lift all boats, conventional and organic -- I'd have to say that for organic farmers, at least, the future is so bright, they have to wear shades...

Steve Gilman
Ruckytucks Farm


On Feb 8, 2007, at 10:45 AM, market-farming-request AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

Message: 9
Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2007 09:40:22 -0600 (CST)
From: Robert Schuler <sunnfarm AT verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Tillage is Tillage
Message-ID:
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

There is no future for a small organic farm in the United States. Its not that the farm can not produce enough food its the economic system its apart of. I have been a full time small farmer since 1974 without any outside income. Though I have been successful at it I have very very little to show for working 7 days a week year round for the last 33 years except for one 7 day vacation and a lot of very expensive real estate... Bob
Sunny Meadow Farm
Bridgeton, NJ.




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