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  • From: "k.skvorak" <k.skvorak@verizon.net>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] PTSD for farmers??
  • Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:34:00 -0500

My self and my partner are also relatively new in farming, and see this burn out and stress in other farmers all the time, and fear it for ourselves. I could be wrong, but i personally feel that the more farmers embrace orthodox capitalist paradigms, the tougher it can be. and those folks that are working 'alternative' approaches seem to burnout a little slower! at least....

Our strategy to avoid excessive trauma is to emphasize the community organizing aspect of our CSA as much as possible, and work all the time to get member involvement in the work, organizing, etc.

We also conduct PC and sustainability workshops, and this helps a little financially, (not much) but also keeps us engaged and not struggling with feelings of isolation etc. far from it . and being engaged in the local community in this way is a great source of energy.

we are also very intentional about how we think about growth, scale, etc, something that we are kind of stuck with, as we use all no-till beds, so we can only be so big. it remains to be seen if we can build 'customer' loyalty by emphasizing how our methods are not just growing healthy food for them and their families, but also sequester carbon so they can keep driving their prius a little longer

we also work to build 'economic' relationships that are not strictly based in the dollar economy, and keep this conversation open all of the time with our members about our desire not to fall simply into consumer/producer relationships. we do benefit from this, and get a lot of resources directed our way because of this.

and, we are working on a CLT model for land ownership because servicing debt and financing land is another big piece of the individual/ecological/community sutainability equation. we are making the case that permanently affordable farmland benefits the entire community, and should be supported by the entire community.

it is scary. we hope a holistic approach will sustain us in the long run. time will tell.

so far so good....

off to NY NOFA this wkend!

kevin
Regeneration CSA
Sustainable Land Stewardship Alliance
http://sustainableland.org/




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