Re: obstacles to sustainable ag

Dan Hook (guldann@ix.netcom.com)
Fri, 30 Jul 1999 07:05:01 -0400

Lester, Great post. I might add that farmers need some good PR. I have
been thinking about this while reading these posts. Farmers need to be
presented to the general public as the important and intelligent members of
society they are. Not just people covered in dirt, sitting in a John Deere
tractor with a piece of hay between the teeth. The knowledge and dedication
it takes to bring seed to table is I can't even think of an appropriate
word, lets say hugely important. I read somewhere that all the bad press
about pesticides (rightly so) has shifted the "image" of farmer , across the
board, from wise caretaker, to a greedy stupid person spraying everything.
Yikes low pay and low opinion. We market direct (CSA) so I can get a feel
of some of my members (some talk more than others). One woman told me her
son (4 ish) said he loved our farm because the people are so nice. Thanks.
He "builds" farms at home and has included two plastic horses Dan and Magnum
(our team). Thats were to get 'em before they get to adults and are wooed
by the status quo.

Massachusetts has a program Ag in the Classroom. Farmers volunteer to speak
in schools. I have spent two afternoons fo far in school. Honestly I think
its easier to farm :). But I must say the kids where enthusiastic (loudly
enthusiastic), but it will take more than one visit and a talk about the way
seeds work (and slides of the farm animals their favorite). Well good luck
to us, Beth
->
>The ultimate partnership that must be forged is between farmers and
>consumers. If you survey sustainable farmers, you'll find one of the big
>needs that they express is to educate more consumers to value what they
>produce and be willing to pay what it's worth. (I don't have a citation
for
>this. But I think if you check out the surveys done by the Organic Farming
>Research Foundation, you'll find something like this.)
>
>I don't want to speak for Greg Gunthorp (a frequent sanet contributor), but
>I think that's what he's trying to do. He's got hogs raised in a way that
>is kind to the environment (as well as low cost). Now he's trying to find
a
>way to get them to consumers who think what he's doing is a good idea.
>
>Sustainable farmers need a bigger pool of consumers willing to go out of
>their way to do this, and they need help with the logistics of getting
these
>products to those consumers. In this age of fast food, mega-supermarkets
>with slotting fees, and consumers who are too busy to cook very much, this
>is no small task.
>
>Lester
>
>
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