permaculture

["k.skvorak" <k.skvorak@verizon.net>]

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/