SSAWG Conference 2008: Sustainable Agriculture and Education
posted by Matt Harmin on January 23rd, 2008 Go to comments
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“When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of human civilization.” - Daniel Webster
The 17th Annual Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms Conference was January 16 – 19, 2008 in Louisville, KY. A driven collection of people making a difference on the ground in their communities, sharing their expertise, and the story of their efforts. These people and their work are the engine that drives the sustainability movement forward; they are physically creating the landscape and food that is the basis of sustainable communities.
As Daniel Webster eloquently stated, agriculture is the foundational activity that allowed the rest of civilization to develop. In terms of the pursuit of sustainability, helping the food system evolve into something more local and natural has ecological as well as human health benefits. When it comes to agriculture everyone is a stakeholder because, as Wendell Berry has said, “eating is an agricultural act”. Agriculture is a fundamental place to start thinking about sustainability; as my teacher Mark Keating likes to say, we can’t expect ourselves to think or act right until we’re eating right.
The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group brought together a diverse community, with all the human elements of the food chain represented. Growers and producers, extension workers, University professors, K-12 educators, manufacturers of agricultural products, agricultural policy specialists, organic seed distributors, and even people like me who just love eating and want to farm one day, were present for the workshops, presentations, and discussions.
As we make concerted efforts to forge secure, local food systems communities around the country are using this as an opportunity to educate about the value of sustainability, and the joy of growing good food. In Birmingham, Alabama the Jones Valley Urban Farm plants community gardens to provide educational and economic opportunities in under-utilized urban spaces. In Athens, Georgia a pro-active collection of non-profit and community groups are Promoting Local Agriculture & Cultural Experience (P.L.A.C.E.) by providing the resources teachers need to implement Farm-to-School and educational gardening programs. Here in my hometown of Lexington, Kentucky SustainLex has created beautiful community gardens, and sponsors Green Tools for Green Schools , a community forum and summit working towards building healthier, greener schools that is free of charge and open to educators and the community. When students are receiving course credit in biological or agricultural sciences for their work in school gardens, and get to taste the fruits of their labor as well, progress is made in enhancing a student’s educational experience and beautifying the local landscape. This semester I will be getting college credit for working on the University of Kentucky’s organic farm. I can think of no more pleasurable way to earn college credit than digging in the dirt and learning about organic crop production. Here is an extensive list of studies and research posted on Cornell’s site that helps to illustrate the educational benefits of school gardens, and provides resources and information for educators, community activists, and volunteers who want to create some of these things in their homes.
Though sustainable agriculture tends to deemphasize the tillage, the spirit of Daniel Websters quote is most applicable. Art and culture are predicated upon the idea that human communities can manage agricultural production in a way that provides continued sustenance, giving people time to spend their energy pondering deep philosophical truths and creating beautiful things simply for their aesthetic value. The farmers are the founders of civilization, and those practicing sustainable agriculture are its perpetuators.
Matt Harmin