Wednesday, May 14, 2008

In Praise of Black Dirt

By: Judith Weinraub

On a tour of family farms in the lush Hudson River Valley on Saturday, a busload of delegates from very different landscapes were introduced to the challenges facing 21st century American family farmers.

Even against the backdrop of worldwide food shortages and dramatically rising costs, instead of emphasizing problems, the farmers they met spoke of strategies and solutions: participating in farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture, and immigrant work exchange programs; the support systems inherent in community life; the advantages of diversified crops; and the benefits of meshing technological advantages with traditional farm practices.

Grassroots Efforts: Realizing Ideas

“When you put processing and the means of production back on the farm, the old economies start working,” said cheesemaker Jonathan White, who, with his wife Nina, runs Bobolink Dairy, which produces grass-fed raw cheeses and wood-fired breads in Vernon, New Jersey. He spoke about the inherent beauty of a rotational grazing system that lets animals and grasses do what they were meant to do.

The range of farm families in the area is broad, from relative newcomers to people whose families have worked the land for generations. In the black dirt region of Pine Island at the Rogowski family farm, New York farmer Cheryl Rogowski saw the changing needs of today’s marketplace, and transformed her centuries-old family commitment from single-crop to a multi-crop fruit and vegetable business. And by taking advantage of U.S. Department of Agriculture programs, Rogowski is able to cater specifically to the needs of low-income urban residents. Gamal Hassan, the CSD delegate representing the Bahai Community of Uganda, stood in awe of Rogowski’s work: “We say to think globally but act locally, and she is doing that. She has a world-embracing vision.”

Doing What They Do Best

Nearby, at the creamery at Bellvale Farms, the Buckabee family, that has dedicated its land to permanent agriculture use through a U.S. government conservation program, offered visitors its own specialty ice creams, popular with local residents and hikers on the Appalachian Trail.

Down the road at Rodrimex Farm, Mexican immigrant Martin Rodriguez, with help from family and neighbors, made use of the training at a New Farmer Development Program designed to assist Hispanic immigrants. Starting with only three old hand tools, he turned neglected land into a thriving farm specializing in vegetables and herbs favored by the Latino community.

Judith Weinraub, an independent journalist and W.K. Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellow,was a Washington Post reporter and editor for 25 years.