CHAPTER 3: Solutions
What the future can hold:
As can be seen, there are numerous costs associated with the industrial system of agriculture. So why is it still so prevalent? The short answer is that food is kept cheap for the everyday consumer. Yet this is only because the costs listed above are not paid by producers and remain hidden to most consumers, but this is rapidly changing. As people become more educated about the true nature of the food they are eating, there has been a rise of movements to create alternative ways to produce, manufacture, distribute, and eat food. Some of these movements are sustainable or organic agriculture, slow food, local food, and Permaculture.
Creating local food systems would greatly improve most rural areas. Local food production and distribution systems that are based on sustainable farming techniques would create jobs, keep people on the land, and protect the ecology of rural areas. This would lead to a higher quality of life for the people living in these areas, while also providing them with easier access to healthy food. Local food implementation could also lead to greater gains in social capital, which would help these areas immensely. However, in order for local food systems to be realized, there needs to be a shift in the way people think and act in these areas, as well as a shift in national and regional government policies.
SHIFT IN THINKING & ACTING:
In order to have a working local economy, it is necessary to accept the idea of decentralization. Let go of the idea that the U.S. is one big organism and that we should be producing and eating the same things that are produced and eaten in all parts of the United States.{58} The reality that each area has a specific culture and nature and that our production systems need to be adapted to these specificities is something that we must learn to accept. Once we can accept this fact then we can tailor our food production to the land and the culture.{59} This is what is meant by sustainable agriculture, as Wendell Berry writes, it “refers to a way of farming that can be continued indefinitely because it conforms to the terms imposed upon it by the nature of places and the nature of people.”{60} For example, you would not grow oranges in a dry, cold climate; they would not survive or they would require tons of inputs, greenhouses, heaters, etc. to keep them going. That means that areas that are dry and cold would need to eat more fruit that can grow there, like apples or peaches, and less oranges.
The other switch that needs to be made is that we must learn to focus on subsistence{61}, by purchasing all that we can locally, and selling our stuff as much as possible on the local market. Only when we are unable to locate an item, or have excess production should we turn to trading with other areas.{62} In other words we must learn to bake our cake using all local ingredients, but can obtain our frosting from abroad. This is how trade was done in the past, and it allowed for much more food secure areas, by keeping the money in the local economy and ensuring that local farmers will keep up with production. It also has many other benefits such as diversifying local farming, supporting the local economy, reducing transportation costs, creating fresher foods, and increasing local employment.{63}
There are a couple necessary changes that need to happen before we can switch to local agriculture, decentralized economies, and subsistence. First of all we will need a change of values, where instead of valuing consumption and excess we learn to value frugality and prudence. As Wendell Berry states in his book Citizenship Papers, “we have got to learn to save and conserve. We do need a “new economy,” but one that is founded on thrift and care, on saving and conserving, not on excess and waste.”{64} Traditionally, rural areas have understood this concept. Due to their very nature of being tiny and secluded they have had to learn to live with less, and they are more apt to make more with less.
This brings me to the second change of values that is needed. We need to value local knowledge and preserve it. Traditional farmers often have a wide range of skills and knowledge that has helped them to cultivate the land sustainably and to live a communal, subsistence existence.{65} My grandparents knew how to make all sorts of things out of stuff that I would have considered “junk.” My dad also had this skill, but it was not something that was passed down to me. My generation was more focused on education that would prepare us for city living. My friends and I were always enamored with flashy new things, and not at all interested in learning to fix up old “junk.” We need to reverse this and get more of an interaction between younger and older generations{66} so that the young can learn these skills, and hopefully become re-enamored with making and building stuff.
A further change that will have to be made is that people will have to learn to question technology. Not question it in its reliability, but question its effects on other aspects of rural life. Does the technology take away from local jobs thus creating unemployment? Does it remove any traditional agricultural components from the land thus creating unnecessary waste streams or replacing free inputs with costly ones? Technology can be good, and its introduction is what allowed for agriculture to come about in the first place. However, technology that applies a one size fits all principle and thus is not adapted to local environments or cultures, runs the risk of creating economic, social and environmental problems.{67}
The other cultural and social shift that will have to be made is to change the way people look at acquiring, making, and eating food. Most people now look at these processes as a chore, an activity that takes away from other more enjoyable time. What needs to happen is a switch from this thinking, to looking at food as an enjoyable activity. As Michael Pollan writes in The Omnivore’s Dilemma, “…a successful local food economy implies not only a new kind of food producer, but a new kind of eater as well, one who regards finding, preparing, and preserving food as one of the pleasures of life rather than a chore.”{68} Most other cultures in the world still look at eating as a pleasure; they have longer meals where they actually talk to each other and savor the food.{69} Whereas in the United States a good portion of our meals are now being eaten in the car on our way to or from work. We eat our lunches at our desk, so that we can continue working, and when we are home we sit in front of the TV. This change in how we look at food, is also breaking down our social ties since families do not communicate as much with each other.
Which brings me to another change in acting that needs to be done to improve rural areas; we need to promote neighborliness and improve social capital in these areas, especially in regards to agriculture. The quote below from author Jules Pretty sums up the importance of social capital:
As social capital lowers the transactions costs of working together, it facilitates cooperation. People have the confidence to invest in collective activities, knowing that others will also do so. They are also less likely to engage in unfettered private actions with negative outcomes, such as resource degradation.{70}
There are many other benefits to social capital as well. Having strong household ties and feeling a sense of belonging in your community has been connected to “…higher incomes, better health, higher educational achievements, and more constructive links with the government.”{71} Increased social connections have also been correlated to a decreased rate of depression in some areas. Bill Mckibben writes that some of his and most people’s happiest memories are from times when they were volunteering or felt that they were part of a movement of some form.{72} Furthermore, having a community that you can depend on can help you in times of trouble. It is not that community can keep you from getting in trouble, but more that it can provide a safety net. Mckibben in his book Deep Economy looks to the Amish as an example of this:
The Old Order Amish of Pennsylvania, who live a life poor in appliances but rich in community, had a depression rate about one-tenth that of their neighbors. It’s not that the Amish are trouble free; they have drug abuse, wife beating, and social tension, just like every other community on earth. But that’s the point- they have a community, something more than the individual self to fall back on, to cushion the blows that life throws.{73}
Social capital and a sense of community are very beneficial, but they also do have their downsides. Rural areas can be dogmatic, stubborn, gossip ridden, and racist. They can stifle people by making them conform to a set way of life, but there are also ways of working within these communities to change this behavior while still keeping the beneficial side.
In order to improve or create social capital all efforts should be made to implement new forms of horizontal social exchanges where each community member is expected to give and receive on an equal level, not solely because it will help them in the long run, but also because they gain “status and pleasure from doing so.”{74} This is done through reciprocity and trust, where it is understood that if you help another community member harvest their beans they in turn help you plant your corn next spring. Horizontal social capital is also promoted through information sharing, not just within the community but also with outside communities. There should be meetings in which people can get together and ask each other what is working and not working, and then figure out new ways to improve things. These information sessions are necessary in building up dialogue in communities, which is an essential step in creating social capital.
Another step to promoting social capital is to create collective programs and projects. These programs cover a wide range of activities from community events, from potlucks to community-based natural resource management. By creating activities that promote togetherness, and have a common uniting cause, this will help to improve relations among community members. These activities also create a public forum where people can meet, talk and catch up on each other’s lives, “…if you go to a farmer’s market you will have ten times as many conversations [as opposed to a supermarket].”{75}
There are many ways to promote neighborliness and social capital, but the most important thing is to not become isolated. People that have minimal contact with the community, get all their groceries from far away, do not say hello when they walk down the street, are less likely to receive any sort of support when they are in trouble. The authors Cornelia and Jan Flora wrote, “social capital is not a resource that is depleted through use.”{76} This is true, and by promoting social capital in rural towns, it can help support poor families and start building up the area.
The final shift in thinking and acting that is necessary for improving rural areas and agriculture within these areas is to change our role from extractors of resources to conservers of resources. We need to become stewards of the land, helping to enhance it by implementing sustainable techniques. Michael Pollan in his article The Food Issue: Farmer in Chief writes that, “right now, most of the conservation programs run by the U.S.D.A are designed on the zero-sum principle: land is either locked up in “conservation” or it is farmed intensively. This either-or approach reflects an outdated belief that modern farming and ranching are inherently destructive, so that the best thing for the environment is to leave land untouched.”{77} What is not understood in this view is that there are agricultural techniques that can be done that do in fact conserve land and promote ecological health. What is even less understood or talked about is that a lot of these things are already being implemented or were implemented in the past.
There are three main things that should be done that would promote land stewardship and do away with many of the environmental issues that agriculture brings about. These are: (a) implement systems that make sure that the same amount of nutrients are being returned to the soil as taken from it{78}. These can include creating closed loop systems where animal or plant waste is returned to the land as nutrients, rotating crops, no till methods, etc.; (b) only use technology that is adapted to the landscape; (c) avoid costly and toxic inputs.
The argument against implementing organic or sustainable techniques in agriculture is typically that it requires too much labor and that it would not produce enough food. Well as can be seen from earlier in this paper, there is heavy unemployment in these rural areas often caused by the decrease in agricultural jobs, and implementing these sustainable techniques could reverse that. Regarding the second aspect, there has actually been mixed results as to whether industrial agriculture produces more per acre. It may be true that they have more acres under production, but when you are talking per acre, organic agriculture in reality can produce more in certain situations.{79} Actually, one estimate states that organic agriculture could increase global food production by as much as 50 percent.{80} That being said, there is still a lot of debate about this and the extent to which a completely sustainable, organic, agricultural system could feed the world will probably not be known without further studies. However, what is known is the current system depends too heavily on non-renewable inputs, such as oil and water, and we will have to switch our style of farming for this reason if not for any other.
POLICY’S ROLE:
In order to effectively create small, local, and organic farms in rural areas, many governmental policies will need to change. Right now there is much public policy being implemented that is supposedly aimed at helping out small and medium sized farms, but these policies usually end up hurting the very farms they proclaim to be helping.{81} The main aspect of agricultural policies is subsidies. The government claims that they are supporting many farmers through these payments and in some cases they are, but the majority of subsidy payments go towards larger industrial farms. This is because the subsidies are based on output. So what this means is farmers will consolidate and try to grow one type of food product to get the subsidies, but this will cause an overproduction of the product and lead to a decrease in market price. This makes it so that smaller farmers that depend on the market price being higher will lose a lot of money and will not reap the reward of the subsidy since they do not produce as much.
What is needed then is a different economic policy, one that promotes small farms and protects their interests. This could be done by having subsidies and incentive systems that are based on type of farm or farming technique, payments that are available to small farms or organic farms. Also, by taking away subsidies on corn, soybeans, and other monoculture items, this would take away the market distortions and help to diversify our food.
On the same token there needs to be stronger enforcement of anti-trust laws to make sure that a few bigger industries are not cornering all the markets and are not vertically controlling all aspects of production, processing and distribution.{82} Right now most of the food we find in supermarkets is owned and controlled by just a handful of companies. Monsanto, General Mills, Del Monte, Kelloggs are just a few of these agribusiness corporations. This monopolization of the food industry is making it cheaper for these companies to do business and giving them all the control over what we eat and what we pay.
The other aspect of policy that needs serious change is in education, research and agricultural extension. Currently, the vast bulk of research into agriculture and farming is based on industrial techniques. Studies have been done focusing on the creation of new pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Other funding goes towards researching genetically modified plants or high yield producing seeds. Still other research focuses on technology and machines that will reduce labor needs and save time. While some of this research can be beneficial and certainly technology has its place in our society, a lot of it has created many of the previously mentioned issues. There needs to be a change in policy, so that funding can be directed more towards research into local, organic and subsistence agricultural research. This research could be directed towards the creation of natural pesticides, integrated pest management, or towards studying Permaculture systems and agro-forestry techniques. There also needs to be more funding towards smaller research centers, so that techniques that are more place specific can be studied. Currently, most research is being done in larger universities or extension centers, and the techniques that they come up with are applied all over the country regardless of the differences in climate, culture, and environment.{83}
In Cuba after the fall of the Soviet Union, there was a major switch in their agricultural policies. This was due to them not having the same inputs they were previously receiving from the Soviet Union. They were no longer getting the bulk fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides they had grown to depend on. Their solution was to switch to organic, local and subsistence techniques of farming, done more out of necessity than out of want. They put a lot more money into education for agricultural techniques and into creating local and urban food systems. Because of this they now are almost completely self-sufficient in their food production, and have some of the leading research in sustainable agriculture.{84} This shows that changes in policy, whether they are desired or not, can have a big impact on farming techniques and styles.
IMPLEMENTATION OF LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS IN GARDNER, COLORADO:
Over the years, I have learned more and more about our agricultural system. The bad, the good, and the ugly, as I like to think of it. I have spoken with people about this and have tried to come up with ways to fix it. What has been striking to me throughout all my eduction, is that many people who talk to me about the problems with our agricultural system, are still very much supporting it and dependent on it. Not that I can judge them because I myself am one of these people. How can you not be? The industrial agricultural system has become so engrained in our daily life that it is very near impossible to completely break away from it. However, I am realizing that change will never happen unless people can take the harder path and make it happen. One quote by Wendell Berry, stands out in my mind:
A change of heart or of values without a practice is only another pointless luxury of a passively consumptive way of life.{85}
This is especially poignant to me because of the simple truth it conveys. When we know more about the problems that industrial agriculture creates, and if we care about rural issues, how can we stand by and continue to support the very thing that causes all these problems? This is a luxury that we just do not have anymore.
The following part of this paper will highlight an action plan that can be implemented in Gardner, Colorado. While it is place specific, I feel that it can be enacted in other areas as well, and if not then it can at least spark some thought as to what other techniques could be implemented.
My family owns about forty acres of land located right outside of Gardner town limits. The climate of the area is very arid, and the land type is high plains desert. The land has a river running along it on the north side of the property and on the south side is a county road. The project that I want to implement in this area is to create a Permaculture farm on the land, that creates a local food supply and does community outreach.
The word Permaculture is a contraction of permanent agriculture and permanent culture. It is based on the idea that cultures cannot survive long without a regenerative agricultural base and land use ethic. Permaculture farms are designed on the premise that people, animals, and plants can all coexist in the same ecosystem without harming each other. This is done by mimicking natural systems in nature, where everything has a reason and use. For example, every part of a system must be looked at in terms of its affects on the rest of the system. This is done by implementing companion planting, where you place plants in a way that they will be beneficial to the surrounding plants; beans could be planted near corn to provide nitrogen, and fruit trees should also be planted surrounding the area, so that when you cut down the beans and corn you can use them to mulch the trees. All food, green waste, human and animal waste must be recycled, so that it can be used to fertilizer future plants. Permaculture is a system of zero waste, a closed loop system, where everything is reused and everything has a function.
The idea of permanent culture comes into play when we look at what sort of stuff to produce. Since Gardner has a lot of Mexican and Native American influence, this farm would mainly produce the three sisters: corn, beans and squash. Specialty items would be tomatoes, chiles, cilantro and other spicy seasoning. The other influences are cowboys and hippies, so we would definitely want to grow grains such as amaranth and quinoa, but also have some meat production. This will provide a protein source, as well as a natural fertilizer for the plants and trees. A typical example of animal husbandry in Permaculture systems is a combination fruit orchard with pig production. This system allows the pigs to wander freely through the fruit trees, so that they will leave their droppings and eat any rotten fruit. This allows for natural fertilization and pest control for the trees. While there will be some pigs on this farm the main focus will be on chickens. Chickens are also good for creating closed loop systems since they provide a nitrogen rich fertilizer for the soil and eat a wide range of bugs and seeds, which will help with weed and pest control. In a larger system we would also add in cattle, but since current US laws require all cattle to be processed in slaughterhouses{86}, and since there is only a limited acreage upon which to work, the focus will be on chickens.
Another aspect of Permaculture is that it is done using only organic techniques. There will be no use of additives such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or genetically modified seeds. Instead green manure (plant and grass clippings) and animal manure will be used for fertilizer. There will be natural pest reduction, which will be done by implementing three integrated pest management techniques: biological control, manual control, and chemical control.{87} Biological control means designing plant layout so that plants, which emit natural pesticides, surround plants that insects usually go after. Biologic control also includes using naturally occurring organisms and insecticides to combat other insects and using pheromones to inhibit reproduction. Manual control refers to physically monitoring crops and vegetables on a regular basis and then removing and eliminating larger pests by hand when it is physically possible to do so.
Chemicals will also be applied when necessary, but they will only be green label products and products produced from plants and trees, such as the pesticide NEEM (a type of tree whose seed produces a natural antifungal, antibacterial solution). All seed harvesting will be done on site at the nursery, so there will be no purchasing of genetically modified seeds or plants. In order to increase production and yields, the natural technique of grafting will be used. Grafting is when a faster growing or higher yield tree is grafted on to a tree that is more adapted to the area. This enables the plant to thrive in an area with less water, while still producing different, more abundant varieties.{88}
The above-mentioned designs of this farm will combat many of the environmental issues that are associated with industrial agriculture. However, this farm will also combat many of the societal problems previously mentioned that are associated with our current style of food production. All workers and products will come from the surrounding communities when possible, thus keeping profits in the local economy. The farm will host a number of workshops on how to implement this style of farming, how to cook using local foods, and on nutrition and health in general. There will be complete transparency because the local customers will be invited to come watch how things are done on the farm as well as participate in the actual processes if they so desire. The farm will also act as a research center, experimenting with new ways of planting, pest management, fertilizers, crop rotations, irrigation techniques and many other things. Any knowledge that is gained from this will then be shared with surrounding farms so that they can increase their production as well.
The last aspect that this project will focus on is community events. A building would be designed on the land that could host a variety of events, and a farmers’ market that would run once a week. The community center in town should also be utilized for this as much as possible. Aside from events, the farm will help to build social capital in the area through cooperation. By asking local people for advice and hiring them to help out in busy times, or offering to trade labor, people will start to feel included in the farm and it will increase interactions.
Conclusion:
By creating this farm in Gardner, it will combat many of the issues associated with rural decay, and also provide people with fresh, healthy food. The hope is that people will learn from this project and it will inspire them to start their own gardens or farms. This will lead to more local food production, trading, and a general rebuilding of the local economy. While it will not be easy to start this, especially since the U.S. government and the local governments in Colorado currently do not provide much support or incentives for this kind of project, I feel that it is necessary to at least try. I have to do this, if not for the general well being of my town, then for the well being of our planet. I pray that people all over the United States and even the world will start implementing their own agricultural projects so that we can start combating this current industrial system. It is important to remember that diversity is the key to life, and that every agricultural system is going to have to be place specific. So while I do think that this sort of design could be implemented in many different areas, there will always need to be variety in all projects, and oversimplification of the issues should be avoided at all costs.