All types of farmers attended the Our Farms Our Future Conference in St. Louis.
Some wore Stetson hats, jeans and large belt buckles, and came from the western states where they ran ranches. Others, sporting dreadlocks and tattoos, ran urban farms in what is sometimes called the Rust Belt. Still others wore work clothes, or T-shirts promoting their farm enterprise or their nonprofit.
Farmers from all 50 states and several territories attended the April event. What these folks all had in common was commitment to sustainable agriculture.
The conference was a colorful mix of every kind of sustainable agriculture.
A delegation from Purdue Extension was there speaking, exhibiting, learning and exploring. I shared a ride with my colleague Anna Morrow, program manager for the Midwest Cover Crops Council, and got to quiz her on the identity and state of miles of cover crops along the way. This may seem off-topic, but cover crops are part of the sustainability equation in many production systems. Also sharing the ride with us was my Extension colleague John Hawley of Dearborn County, who has considerable experience with farm-to-school programs. So learning at this conference didn’t just happen at the conference.
Sponsors
So, “who would put on such a conference?” you might ask, one with the subtitle “The Next Thirty Years of Sustainable Agriculture.”
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), a program of the United States Department of Agriculture.
Since 1988, according to its website, “SARE grants and education programs have advanced agricultural innovation that promotes profitability, stewardship of the land, air and water, and quality of life for farmers, ranchers and their communities.”
SARE grants are unique because the money goes directly to farmers, and the farmers are called to share what they have learned with other farmers. The model seems to work.
The co-host was ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture, a program of the National Center for Appropriate Technology, committed to providing high-value information and technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, Extension agents, educators and others involved in sustainable agriculture in the United States.
Sessions
For extension educators working with a changing landscape of agricultural business models, including smallholder farm startups and urban agriculture, the sessions offered expertise and panelists’ trials, victories and hard lessons.
Grand problems such as water supply, farm labor, land access and feeding a growing world population were addressed realistically. On a smaller scale, tips were exchanged and best practices were shared.
I even met a young man who started his small farm through crowdfunding. Paths to success and sustainability are various.
Tours
St. Louis has long experience with diverse models of community gardens and urban farms. Given that Bartholomew County has about a dozen community gardens, I was eager to bring back what I could.
The Urban Gateway tour looked at an urban flower farm, a community garden for refugee families, a neighborhood community garden and a food roof – yup, a roof that grows food. It’s a popular spot: in-demand for events and a place for learning, celebrating and eating.
I noticed how these community gardens solved the problems that community gardens have to solve – given their unique situations – and I got the chance to explore how one organization addresses the challenges of growing food on rooftops.
A trip such as this is a privilege. I’m always happy to share what I brought back from an experience like the SARE Our Farms Our Future Conference. Just get in touch, or invite me to meet with your club, organization or business. I’ll bring the slide deck.
