The Farmer and the Ideology

Closing circle at the Gathering - I am on the far left

Last weekend, I attended the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture 2008 Leadership Gathering in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. Being very new to the sustainable agriculture scene (and professional conferences), and never having seen Missouri, I had no idea what to expect. Fortunately, everyone I talked to was friendly and warm, eager to share what they were doing and learn about my project. The activists and farmers I met impressed me with their insight and inspired and energized me to join the sustainable agriculture movement.

I learned a lot about food policy in the workshops, but even more in between them. Two farmers who became my friends over the weekend, Sandra and Melynda, helped bring to life for me the debate over the value of organic certification. Sandra raises certified organic poultry and produce in Kentucky. She is a staunch advocate for organic certification, and expressed frustration to me about farmers who claim to follow organic standards but aren't certified. Organic farming, for her, goes beyond forgoing chemicals: it is about replenishing the soil and protecting the land. The certification ensures that farmers go to this level in conservation. And, she says, the certification process is easy and affordable, contrary to what seems to be popular belief.

Melynda, on the other hand, sustainably raises a small herd of cattle without organic certification, in Connecticut. For her, organic certification would mean she couldn't treat her cows with antibiotics when they get sick, something she views as inhumane. She also finds certification unnecessary, because she already has a loyal base of customers who buy milk and meat directly from her farm and can see for themselves how sustainably her cows are raised.

How can these two valid perspectives directly contradict each other? Part of the issue might be differences between cows and chickens, although the debate does exist within the dairy community as well. Differences between the ways the two farmers market their products (farmers' markets v. selling directly on the farm) might also play a role. Maybe, though, both perspectives are limited. Perhaps Melynda does unwittingly cut corners in the stewardship of her land. And maybe Sandra underestimates the weight of the antibiotic issue for larger animals. Probably, both farmers went home with an increased understanding of the other side of the issue. I know I did.

Ariana Rose Taylor-Stanley