Exploring the Small Farm Dream

This past Wednesday, December 2, 2009, eighteen emerging new farmers gathered for the fourth and final session of this year's Exploring the Small Farm Dream Course, held right here at Airlie Center. The course, developed by the New England Small Farm institute, is designed to be a concise and effective catalyst for small farmers to better evaluate new enterprise ideas, identify resources, and determine next steps. The course is so valuable because of the holistic design of the sessions, helping small farmers look more closely at the dollars and cents of a particular production model, as well as quality of life and family dynamics.

Each session, we invite a local farmer or two to share their story, experience and advice for the group. The goal of the course is not to teach how to farm, but to facilitate the connection of aspiring farmers with one another, with experienced mentors, and with the right questions. At the end of four sessions, course participants create an action plan with next steps, from additional research to mentorship opportunities to launching an enterprise!

This year we took a field trip to Moutoux Orchard and helped Rob Moutoux plant garlic while learning about his developing CSA and local grain & flour projects.

It is our hope that Exploring the Small Farm Dream and other programs create the beginnings of a more effective infrastructure to advance new farmers and new farm projects throughout the region.

Intern Impressions

I recently read an article published in the New York Times focusing on the increased desire for summer internships dealing with organic agriculture. On a national scale, more and more college students are searching for a more meaningful summer experience. I am definitely one of them. Since I first learned about the Local Food Project Internship a few years ago, I could think of no better way to spend the summer. This is my second season at Airlie and I am thrilled to be able to learn even more about gardening and local agriculture. The interns interviewed in this article had different reasons for working in these agricultural positions. A few of them are merely looking for an escape from their everyday experiences whereas others have given serious thought to creating farms of their own. For whatever reason, more young adults are searching for farm internships than ever before. This interest points to a greater general trend of public interest in sustainable agriculture.

The author, Kim Severson, states that food is the political movement of our time and I wholeheartedly agree. Films such as “Fast Food Nation” and the work of several authors have helped to shed light on the state of nutrition and food in America. Last year in the garden we were able to read and discuss several books that helped me to understand the role that farms play in the overall health of our nation. If I never work in a garden again after this internship I will still have this knowledge and my actions will have forever changed. My experiences in the garden have helped me to understand the work that is being done and all that still can be accomplished with respect to changing the system. I am excited that there are so many young people who share the same interests that I do and are just as passionate about bringing higher quality food to others. Hopefully there is someone in the ranks who will go on to adjust government policies and perhaps even reorganize the FDA. The time has come for a higher respect of farmers and the contributions of sustainable, responsible agriculture.

My interest seems to have turned into a rant, but I am just excited about the prospect that the work I do everyday, and the knowledge that I am gaining over this season can be put to further use. I am eager to see some form of change or to at least bring my knowledge to others. When I returned to the University of Mary Washington after my first summer in the garden I couldn’t help but talk to people about what had become my own personal soapbox. I noticed that others were just as excited about these programs as I am and it is something for my generation to change. This article shows that an increase in the desire to work on farms over the summer is no coincidence, as young people are becoming even more empowered. If nothing else the farmers in sustainable agriculture are successful in creating a generation of knowledgeable consumers who will think before they buy and hopefully choose to support those who work so hard to provide for us.