Lately, there has been a lot of discussion within the agricultural world regarding “bridging the gap” between organic and conventional farmers. From what I’ve read and witnessed, much of this discussion seems to begin with genetically-modified crops and their non-compatibility with organic and conventional growers alike, essentially ending the discussion before it gets started. Bridging the gap can focus instead on the shared efforts that already unify the farming community and can grow into a goal that benefits all agriculture in Maine.
Generally speaking, I believe that most farmers want to farm in such a way as to benefit the land and leave the soil better for future generations. We’ve seen how intensively farmed land eventually wears out, leaving marginal land growing to bushes. None of us enjoys seeing those abandoned fields or seeing what were once productive fields being subdivided into housing lots.
Last year, the SASWCD Board of Supervisors invited ag consultant Bill Eldridge to speak at a monthly meeting on his 100-year plan for Maine agriculture. His plan focuses on a unified goal for Maine farms that includes increased acreage in production, energy independent farms and increased soil health, family farm income to equal that of the average family income nationally and the creation of a “Maine” brand throughout New England where consistent quality is priority. For this to happen, we need research, education, and investment as part of State policy.
Many of those goals for Maine farms are a step toward the larger global challenges we face over the next 30 to 40 years. The world’s population is expected to grow by 2 billion by 2050. In looking at how to feed 9 billion people, over 400 leading natural and social scientists, government representatives and private organizations came together in 2005 to study that question. The result is a report, published last year, known as the IAASTD report. The report essentially concludes that tomorrow’s agriculture will need to be much more regionally controlled, employ locally adapted varieties and practices and have farmers to grow for subsistence and local markets. The result is a production system that uses water frugally, sequesters carbon (while improving soil health) and reduces external inputs.
At the recent Ag Trade Show in Augusta, Dr. Jonathan Foley of the Institute on the Environment at Univ of Minnesota also discussed what the global population is up against in the next 40 years. He noted that currently, irrigation is the biggest use of water on the planet, 40 percent of all land cleared is for agriculture and that the over-use of fertilizers have more than doubled the phosphorus and nitrogen in the environment, leading to pollution of waterbodies. If we relate the agricultural challenges of today to how they need to change by 2050, then everyone needs to be involved, including consumers. Bridging the gap recognizes farmers who may already be working on those challenges such as extended rotations, planting green manures in place of fertilizers, reduced tillage, drip irrigation and more.
The IAASTD report gives hope for agriculture’s challenges because it recognizes all farmers’ value and what could be more unifying than that?
Editor’s note: Angie Wotton loves her work as District Manager for the SASWCD. She also raises pastured pork and vegetables with her husband on their small West Berry Farm in Hammond. She can be reached 532-9407 or via e-mail at angela.wotton@me.nacdnet.net.