Farms in Lowndes county are mostly small, averaging 145 acres,
with the largest category being 10-50 acres.
Of course, that's slightly misleading since so many small farms
are rented by a few larger operators, some based in other counties.
Still, small farms are the easiest to wean off the pesticide teat.
Given that the average age of principal farm operator in Lowndes County
is 57.9, something is likely to change soon as many of those operators retire.
When the economy gets tough, it seems that the tough get farming. Tens
of thousands of small farms were created since 2002, according to new
data from the Census of Agriculture.
The farming forecast isn't entirely sunny. But packed with a cornucopia of
surprise findings — such as large increases in the number and percentage
of Asian, Hispanic, Black and female farmers, and a coup staged by the
frigid state of Wisconsin to become the second-leading vegetable producer,
behind California — the census brings promising news to those interested
in reducing obesity and improving the environment.
What's the connection? More small farms brings greater diversity of crops,
more fresh and local foods, less dependency on chemical fertilizers,
less concentration of manure, and less emphasis on cheap corn to make
unhealthy, industrially produced beef, pork and chicken.
We know this works elsewhere:
In Japan, were obesity is negligible and the population lives on
average about five years longer than Americans do, most cities and
their surroundings are filled with small farms. Farmers south of Tokyo,
which has a climate similar to Washington, work year round, planting
winter crops such as broccoli and hearty greens, which are then picked
and delivered to local stores within a day or two. The system is called
chisan, chishou, "produce local, consume local."
Unfortunately, big farms also increased during the same period,
and mid-sized farms decreased.
Basically, mid-sized farms can't compete in the pesticide game,
and are being absorbed by huge corporate farms while being
a grass-roots movement of small farms is coming up from the bottom.
Rather than massive Monsanto farms, I choose chisan, chishou.
India's struggling farmers are starting to profit from a budding interest
in organic living. Not only are the incomes of organic farmers soaring
– by 30% to 200%, according to organic experts – but their yields
are rising as the pesticide-poisoned land is repaired through natural
How did this happen?
Organic farming only took off in the country about seven years
ago. Farmers are turning back to traditional farming methods for a number
And it's not just about food, it's about the local food chain and economy,
and "in that food chain you find relationships."
Henderson said she wasn’t looking to start a business when she started
Indy Winter Farmers' Market. Her efforts, she joked, were more about
making Indianapolis into a place she wanted to live.
But on that first day at 25th and Central, with people lined up outside
the door, she realized her goals were similar to those of many others in
the community. Her market and others like it, she explained, are about
more than food.
"It’s not just about the market," she said. "We should be proud to be
Indiana, the Heartland, a farm state."
Farmers markets are an integral part of the urban/farm linkage and
have continued to rise in popularity, mostly due to the growing
consumer interest in obtaining fresh products directly from the
farm. Farmers markets allow consumers to have access to locally grown,
farm fresh produce, enables farmers the opportunity to develop a personal
relationship with their customers, and cultivate consumer loyalty with the
farmers who grows the produce. Direct marketing of farm products through
farmers markets continues to be an important sales outlet for agricultural
producers nationwide. As of mid-2010, there were 6,132 farmers markets
operating throughout the U.S. This is a 16 percent increase from 2009.