The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy promotes resilient family farms, rural communities and ecosystems around the world through research and education, science and technology, and advocacy.
Founded in 1986, IATP is rooted in the family farm movement. With offices in Minneapolis and Geneva, IATP works on making domestic and global agricultural policy more sustainable for everyone.
Amy Stratton is the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Rural Communities Organizer. She works to find viable solutions to economic and environmental challenges rural communities face. "In the Field" is Amy's blog from her travels throughout the Midwest.
The sun pierced through the clouds, soon to dry the dew soaked grass that now dampened my socks. I couldn't help but enjoy it. After all, I just spent the night on a beautiful porch overlooking Fish Lake while a chorus of crickets sang me to sleep.
I was well rested and on my way to help ready the big old diary barn for the days event, the Agroecology Summit. The Summit is an annual event hosted by Windom area farmer Tony Thompson. This year's event provided over 70 attendees the opportunity to discuss the increasing competition for land use across the rural landscape and its impacts on the future of farming. Panelists covered topics on energy, agronomy, ecological function and recreation. The afternoon tour included a stop at nearby POET energy, a corn ethanol plant, and a farm owned wind cooperative. This tour was, of course, after a walk through the farm learning about the various sustainable crop production methods used, native prairies restored and lots of networking.
All the food was local - I can attest to staying up late the night before pulling edamame beans off the stalk! Truly an educational, fun and social day, I thought as I enjoyed the last kernal on my locally grown corn cob at dinner that evening.
Thank you Tony and all the folks at the farm for the opportunity to truly enjoy a day at the farm.
Last week floods washed away homes and farms of many in SE Minnesota. Sustainable farmers in the region lost their vegetables, grain and family income in the floodwaters. There is a way you can help these farmers. Twin Cities (and other Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin) natural food cooperatives have announced a joint effort to raise funds for these family farmers who have provided many of us with delicious locally produced foods. These natural food cooperatives are providing support to these farmers through the Sow the Seeds Fund - an Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy project to support local food systems. Participating cooperatives will accept donations, you can also purchase Peace Coffee's Sow the Seeds Coffee blend and $2 from every pound will donated (starting September 1st) toward the fund, or donate at the Sow the Seeds web site.
Madelia, a rural community of about 2,500 in Minnesota, is building a competitive advantage for themselves; environmentally, economically and socially. The community plans to implement the Madelia Model - a locally produced renewable energy facility using biomass and a bio-industrial park - with a focus on improving residents' quality of life. Earlier this year, Madelia residents met in focus groups to create community principles for the development and implementation of the Madelia Model. A Sustainable Vision: Creating Community Principles for the Madelia Model explains the community visioning process, highlights personal reflections from residents and shares the resulting community principles.
"Where's the old dairy barn?" my colleague Jim and I exclaimed as we drove into Mary Jo and Luverne Forbord's driveway at Prairie Horizons Farm near Starbuck, Minn. for an afternoon tour and conversation. While it was hazy, the view of the rolling glacial moraine extended to nearby towns, and there was no dairy barn in sight.
After Jim and I received a warm greeting from Mary Jo we learned that the old dairy barn and home site were across the alfalfa field and pasture. We looked out the view from their living room; it was so different from my view of my neighbors houses and garages. Undulating grasses stretched across the rolling sea of hills parting occasionally by wetlands or oak stands. From where we stood, we could not see the grazing cattle, but soon we would meet them up close and personal.
Mary Jo and Luverne had been dairy farmers for a number of years, then they hit a turning point. They decided dairy was not the right fit for them, or their farm. So they switched to a grass-fed beef operation. The cattle graze year round on the rich and sugary sweet (yes, of course we tried a bit) grass and forage in the fields. Luverne and Mary Jo have noticed changes in the land from this move to a grass-based system. The water quality in nearby wetlands are improving, more birds are singing their tunes on the prairie, bare unprotected soil is no longer present and the native prairie stands are coming back. This isn't the only entrepreneurial venture the Forbord's are involved in.
The are members of the local ethanol plant, Chippewa Valley Ethanol Cooperative, which makes Shakers Vodka and plans to use gasification of biomass for their energy needs. They grow corn for their ethanol plant shares, and also have certified organic alfalfa fields. Their native prairies are hand harvested, and planted into pure stands of spefic grasses. Through this method, they created their own "native grass nursery" local to their farm site. Additionally, Mary Jo is the Executive Director of the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota. And, if that's not enough, you should hear the ideas they have for their farm - a variety of biomass energy crops to operating a farmers market and restaurant at the old dairy barn. Mary Jo and Luverne are two of the most wonderful, entrepreneurial folks you could ever hope to meet. And, I hope you get to meet them too someday!
IATP had the honor of hosting ten enthusiastic, inspiring young people at our office a few weeks ago. The topic of discussion: empowering rural youth. These folks, a high school student interning in sustainable agriculture, college students who work on their organic school farm at the University of Minnesota, an IATP intern and other young persons working in the field of agriculture and the environment, gathered together for a frank discussion on attracting and keeping youth in our rural communitites.
Almost every participant would like to, if they could get past the barriers, farm in our rural areas. Surprisingly, the biggest barrier mentioned was not financing or land access, although both high on the list, but isolation.
Youth are already gone from many of our rural places and these young people believe they will be isolated from meaningful relationships and friendships, basically living alone on the farm. Isolated not only from friends and significant others, but also the social activities and community events they have come to enjoy in the city: yoga classes, concerts, restaurants, and the list goes on.
So the discussion continued. Do young people move only to places where there is already a community set up for them, or do young people need to move into a rural area and create the type community they are seeking? This is the question we left to ponder as the discussion drew to a close. Thank you to all the young people who met with us and inspired us; and thanks to all the young folks who are creating vibrant rural communities.
Plans are underway for a Rural Youth Summit in October 2007! More information coming soon.
A young woman from the suburbs can't become a farmer, can she? As a matter of fact, she can, and she is. Dayna Burtness, a senior at St. Olaf College and IATP intern, had never even planted a garden before beginning her college career.
As a young, energetic college student, a professor suggested she try farming, so she did. Her summer internship at Foxtail Farm was all the encouragement Dayna needed to know that she wanted to farm. Instead of leaving school to farm, as was her initial thought, she found a way to do both by starting STOGrow Farm at school.
In 2005, she called the administrators at St. Olaf to ask if she could start a student-run Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm. The answer was a clear "no." It had been tried before and did not work. Not willing to let this stop her, Dayna did more research and behind the scenes work. Soon she had almost an acre of land, an agreement with Bon Appetit (the school's food service provider) to purchase all they could grow and grants to get started. Again, she asked administration, this time with a plan in hand and the resources lined up; and the answer was "yes." In 2005, Dayna and other student volunteers grew over $10,000 worth of produce for the school cafeteria. In 2006, their tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, zucchini, greens, winter squash and other vegetables yielded over $15,000.
Not only are St. Olaf students enjoying fresh food at the cafeteria, but they are reducing their carbon footprint, learning about sustainable agriculture in class visits to the farm and creating a model for other campuses to follow. In the upcoming summer, Dayna and volunteers plan to develop a manual for farm operation, host tours of the farm and continue educating other college students and administrators. Just as Dayna shared her story with us at a lunch training session, she and her colleagues plan to share their farm story with all who will listen, and then pass on the farm to a new generation of college freshmen.
The other day, I met Jim. He was a participant in a focus group in Madelia, Minnesota on the Madelia Model, and shared his vision for the community he has called home through the decades. Last month I described how the Madelia Model, is a new concept that creates a competitive advantage for rural communities through eco-industrial businesses and rewewable energy.
Back in the 1960's and early 70's, Jim owned one of three hardware stores in Madelia. He sold tools to area farmers, and had the market cornered on household appliances. His store sold and serviced appliances, a niche that no one else was filling at the time. Sadly, Jim watched as farmers were being forced off their farms during this era. His customers, friends and neighbors could no longer pay their bills, and left Jim with store debt in the hundreds of thousands.
One day in the 1970's, Jim changed careers, as he puts it. He just closed the doors to the hardware store, never to reopen. I don't think Jim's story is unique; it happened all across rural areas as small family farmers left, so did the businesses that supported them.
Today, in Madelia you can find one hardware store, down the block to where Jim's store once held tools and appliances, and the shelves in Jim's old hardware store are now stuffed with trinkets and dollar store deals. Madelia has not closed up, but it has changed. And now, people like Jim are looking to the future, and planning for a successful, sustainable community. The citizens of Madelia are participating in focus groups where they create community principles. These principles will be the voice of the community and will be used to attract new businesses and industries that fulfill the community's vision.
I forewarned you that I would have more to say about Willmar. The citizens of Willmar have spent a great deal of time and resources planning for their future, and then setting their plan to action. Willmar Area Multicultural Marketplace (WAMM) is one of those plans for success.
Kathy Schwantes, Assistant Director of the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission, excitedly explained the WAMM project to me at her office downtown. A WAMM Committee formed in 2003 to develop this concept into a reality. The Mid-Minnesota Development Commission conducted a survey of residents for WAMM and found the following.
90% of respondents would frequent a multicultural marketplace
43.5% of respondents would like to open a business in Willmar
51.3% of respondents would like to start a business in a multicultural marketplace
WAMM, when fully implemented, will include about 25 businesses housed in a downtown building that is owned and governed by a board of WAMM business owners. The project keeps dollars local, attracts customers and tourists, creates employment opportunities, diversifies the local economy, provides an outlet for locally produced ethnic products and connects the diverse populations in Willmar. Kathy even thought this could be a place for high school Spanish classes to come and visit on a field trip.
WAMM will be the first of its kind in a rural area. I can't wait to start shopping there!
More about the Willmar Area Multicultural Marketplace:
It is with great gusto and zest that Beverly Dougherty enters a room. She is full of energy and excitement; perfect qualities for the leader of the Willmar Design Center. I met Beverly one morning at earlier this month at the Design Center office in downtown Willmar.
We were meeting so I could learn more about the Willmar Design Center and the process the community went through to develop such an asset. Beverly explained that the Minnesota Design Team came to the community two times, the first time in early 2005. This remarkable team of design experts from around the state work to translate the values of Minnesota communities into practical sustainable design ideas the community can implement. The Minnesota Design Team met with local people, and even stayed at their homes to get a better understanding of the community's vision for the future. They left the community many concepts and drawings of what they could do to fulfill their vision. The Web site Willmar - Planning for the Future has more information about the process.
From this opportunity, Beverly and several other local volunteers formed the Willmar Design Center to carry out the concepts. These include restoring a major east-west throughfare in downtown that was left abandon when a highway bypass was created years before; establishing a downtown commons place for green space, play and events; urbanizing a street for private redevelopment that includes walkability, parking and development; and connecting people to the lakes by trails, walking bridges over railroad tracks and shelters along the trails. Additionally, they are creating a "model downtown street" where their office is located by adding live flowers, bike racks and benches. The Willmar Design Center has also worked on development of a downtown Thursday Farmers Market that successfully brings community members together for food and community connections. Through these projects, and the many other ways Beverly and the Willmar Design Center volunteers get involved, they are achieving the community's vision and creating an even greater Willmar!
"Goal: 100% Renewable Energy use at Prairie Woods by 2010," is what the PWELC newsletter states. And I believe it! Earlier last week, I met Dave Pederson, Executive Director at Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center, in Spicer, Minnesota. On this cold and snowy (yes, still snowing here) day I pulled into the long driveway at PWELC, and stopped within a few feet. The view of the wind turbine was spectacular! I jumped out of my car and snapped a photo. I will have to take new photos and post on a later day due to an unfortunate incident when transferring them to my computer. Anyway, on with the energy story. This 20-kw Jacobs Wind Turbine was installed last year in hopes that it will provide for about 60% of PWELC electric needs.
Further up the driveway, a solar panel sits on a trailer in the yard, waiting for sunshine to spark it up. This portable panel gets connected to the learning urts for lights and fans. Closer to the buildings, I pass a 400 bushel corn hopper that PWELC uses to fire a large corn boiler that heats two on-site buildings. This burner uses about 4-7 bushels of corn each day. The cost was about $9,000 and they anticipate it will pay for itself in 3 years; already they have seen savings from using corn over propane this winter. Dave said it's been a learning experience to increase efficiency, but that's what PWELC hopes to do; learn and share their experiences with others interested in using renewable energy for their personal or commercial use.
And this is just the beginning of their renewable energy story. PWELC utilizes composting toilets, airsource heating and cooling, corn stoves when necessary, and recently purchased a Fuelmeister Biodiesel Processor to make their own transportation fuel.
Amy Stratton is the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Rural Communities Organizer. She works to find viable solutions to economic and environmental challenges rural communities face. "In the Field" is Amy's blog from her travels throughout the Midwest.
All the food was local - I can attest to staying up late the night before pulling edamame beans off the stalk! Truly an educational, fun and social day, I thought as I enjoyed the last kernal on my locally grown corn cob at dinner that evening.
