July 7, 2008 16:00 by
GeneI recently watched a film called
“The Real Dirt on Farmer John," which highlights the experiences of Farmer John Peterson, who grew up on a Midwestern farm. Like many of his agricultural cohorts, he faced serious economic hardships and debt in the 1980s, which forced him to sell most of his land. During one scene in the film, Farmer John’s equipment is auctioned off to other farmers who bid on different items as they walk around his property. I remember attending similar auctions in upstate New York in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Farm Sanctuary first came to Watkins Glen. Thousands of small farms across the U.S. have been consolidated into larger operations or closed, and farmland has been turned over to development. But, it doesn’t have to be this way.
After years of struggle and strife, John Petersen came upon a different approach, which has allowed his farm to continue and thrive. He set up a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program called
Angelic Organics, wherein people invest in the farm at the beginning of the growing season and receive a share of the farm’s organic production over the course of the year.
Community Supported Agriculture programs connect farmers to consumers in a positive way as farmers’ production costs, along with risks and rewards, are shared with consumers/investors, who receive locally grown produce each week during the growing season.
The growth of CSA’s could help solve many problems ranging from the decline of rural communities, to our excessive dependency on oil. A CSA can serve to educate people, empowering them eat healthier, plant-based foods.