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  • From: "Kate Halstead" <rockyprairie AT earthlink.net>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Got Hope??
  • Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 07:48:48 -0800

Gary,

Deepest sympathies for what you are going through. Between the age of your
children and the learning/stress curve of farming in general, your plea for
support is completely understandable. From watching a nearby farmer with
eight children go through a similar situation, I know it will get easier as
time goes on; to the point where you will watch in amazement as they pitch
in to help with their hearts and hands. The challenge is survival until that
point.

Several of the CSA farms around here are closely connected with their
customers as an ongoing part of their system. I've often seen these folks
call on their extended CSA family to help when the greenhouse gets smashed
from too much snow, the barns are full of mud from the last flood, etc. or
even have a planting party in early spring when there are 2500 raspberry
plants to get in the ground. They also incorporate lots of opportunities
throughout the year for members to come visit, share, celebrate, work,
commiserate, learn, and really be part of the farm.

To me, the whole CSA philosophy includes (or should include), the members as
integral parts of the operation, especially when it comes to farmer support.
Perhaps a mid-winter potluck get-together with your loyal members
incorporating a bit of evangelizing on your part for a more active role for
members 'feeling the calling'. Knowing how dedicated to the cause these
folks can be, I think you might be surprised to learn how much support you
can get from them, not just other farmers.

When you speak of the pressures crop loss, etc., do you not have your CSA
members sharing in the losses as well as the abundance...to alleviate just
that sort of worry? I know it can't make every thing rosy, but it can take
the financial bite out of bad weather & pestilence. I would also suggest you
look into a Fed program called AGR-Lite as an insurance program that can
take the sting out of unexpected losses.

At the risk of sounding like a shill for the program (I'm not at
all--usually don't trust them to do anything right), the program is ideal
for diverse cropping systems, since it's based on total farm income, not
particular crop losses. Simply looks at what average income is for your farm
based on prior years, then if income comes in lower, AGR-Lite makes up the
difference (to a point). It's not perfect, but it works for many folks that
have no other options because of the type/size of farm.

Good luck! If you've made it this far, I'm confident you will get over this
hump. But don't be afraid to ask folks other than other farmers for support,
they may surprise you.

Kate

-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Ploughshare
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2008 6:58 AM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org; jhendric AT wisc.edu
Subject: [Market-farming] Got Hope??

I have been farming for roughly 8 years, and this is now our 6 year
running a CSA. This year we are up to 225 members. I have always been very
enthusiastic about doing what we are doing, (feeling like we were part of a
larger more important mission) so even though the work we do is incredibly
difficult it always seemed worth it. However, this winter I seem to be in a
real lull about farming. Partly it's to do with being kicked around for the
past 2 years with the stress of the whole RCD fraud case. However, I'm also
feeling a bit concerned about the stress of farming in general. We as
farmers put ourselves in the storm of so much risk every year. There is
always the luming possibility of bad weather, frost, etc that can take out a

number of our crops and drought. There is also the stress of labor and
customer needs. We use different strategies to help alliviate this stress

(i.e. CSA marketing, row covers, succession planting, etc.) and all of these
are all useful, and I have become a better farmer for it. However, (please
allow myself to endulge in a bit of whining) I'm only 33 (and have four
small children--by the way), but I am starting to already feel the affects
of farming taking its tole both mentally and physically. In the fall, it
feels like I crash from the previous year's season and I go through stages
where I dread the next growing season. (PTSD for farmers??) In addition it
seems that the winter months bring little relief for worry but brings only
isolation (we live far out of town). What really has brought me down in the
past months is knowing that even the best of the farmers are only making on
average about $14.90/hour (from John Henderickson's Uof W study)-- So, I'm
sending out this post not looking for more technical strategies (i.e--farm
planning, business plans, etc.) but looking around to others who have gone
through what I'm going through and who have pushed forward and feel good
that they did. I guess I'm looking for hope.... Perhaps a bit of a support
group for farmers. --Gary


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