Dr Rhonda R. Janke is an Associate Professor at Kansas State University and author of the book “Farming in the Dark: a discussion about the future of sustainable agriculture.”
In 2005 Dr Janke traveled across America and interviewed around 70 farmers who use a variety of sustainable methods. She wanted to speak with real people and figure out what we’ve learned and what the future holds for sustainable farming and for farmers in America. Farming in the Dark, published in 2008, is based on interviews with 25 farmers, all of whom use sustainable methods. I wrote to Dr Janke a few weeks back to ask her about doing an interview and we’ve been having an ongoing conversation.
Alison: Hi Rhonda, thanks for agreeing to an interview with me. My first question is about your book. When you refer to sustainable agriculture what does that mean to you? Are you considering energy inputs and renewable sources in that definition?
Dr Janke: Sustainable agriculture includes sustaining natural resources, especially non-renewable resources like fossil fuel energy, fossil water (certain aquifers) etc. Energy has been a part of the equation in sustainable ag since the beginning, and you’ll see that interest in renewable energy and energy use efficiency brought up in several of the interviews with farmers (in my book), reflecting on how they first became interested, or involved, in sustainable ag.
Alison: When you were interviewing farmers for your book what did you discover was the biggest barrier to the growth of sustainable agriculture? Is it legislation, economics, big business, lack of knowledge, lack of interest among farmers, consumer habits, or maybe even something else?
Dr Janke: One barrier, ironically, is the current relatively low price for fossil fuel energy right now. We are basically borrowing that resource from future generations, and our government subsidies (wars in Iraq, along with some direct subsidies to big business) keep it low. As fossil fuel goes up, unsustainable ag practices make less sense and become costly – things like manufactured fertilizer, pesticides, monoculture (continuous cropping), long distance transportation of food. Alternatives like legume cover crops, compost, and local food make more sense and become more profitable.
As for the other things you mention, there IS interest out there among farmers, and I’m seeing a BIG interest among consumers, which is very encouraging. I don’t think we lack information, though there is always room for more research on specific aspects or problems. For example, we have a lot of research already on cover crops and legumes to improve soil quality and fertility (from the 1920’s, and also since the 1980’s when USDA began funding sustainable ag research), but there is still a lot more to do on specific biological control practices for insects and diseases for organic growers. Only 0.1 (that is 1/10th of 1 percent) of current USDA research funds are spent on sustainable ag, but with consumer pressure that number could go up.
Another barrier is that in addition to subsidies for oil, the US government now subsidizes unsustainable ag in the form of the commodity programs in the current farm bill. If those subsidies were eliminated, it would at least level the playing field for organic and sustainable ag to compete. I know that tracking farm bill legislation is not something that normal consumers do, but the senate and house ag committees are stacked with people from traditional ag states. Those senators and representatives need to hear from their consumer, not just farmer constituents, and non-big ag states should encourage their senators and representatives to serve on the ag committee to represent consumers.
The next bill should be called the FOOD bill, not the FARM bill.
Alison: Was there a single problem or is it more complex?
Dr Janke: As you can see, the answer to your barrier question is kind of complex, and all of those things I just mentioned need to also be considered in the context of which region of the country you live in, and which type of crop you are looking at; carrots and tomatoes have different issues than grains, which are different than livestock issues. I won’t answer each of those in detail, but am happy to follow-up with thoughts if you have additional specific questions.
Alison: Is there something I as a mom shopping to feed my family can do to advance sustainable practices?
Dr Janke: I have been thinking this question over a lot, and wish I had a quick, sound-bite answer. It is a VERY good question. Here is a short shopping list of what moms (and dads) could do to help:
- Know your farmer if possible. Buy direct when you have a chance – at the local farmers’ market, one-on-one sales of bulk meat are often possible too. See if your values are consistent with the person who grows your food. Many local producers have dropped the “certified organic” label due to the high cost of program participation, but may still be following the intent and practices of organic and sustainable ag.
- Buy/rent a freezer and/or be prepared to do a little food preservation (canning, drying, freezing). This is part of buying locally and in-season, and doesn’t have to be all that complicated or time consuming. I work full time and also farm, and find that I can clean and freeze packets of vegetables while I’m cooking an evening meal, or with friends on a weekend afternoon. Chopping apples for the food dryer can take place while watching the evening news, etc.
- Read labels. In addition to the word organic, there are many more eco-labels on the market now. Some have validity and some don’t. The Consumers Report website can help you look up a label if you have questions about what it means.
- Grow a little of your own food – a tomato in a pot on your porch, a garden, or whatever you have time/space to do. It will provide fresh produce, and a little appreciation for the work that goes into the food on your table. You’ll be less inclined to waste food when you see what goes into it as well.
- Don’t cringe when you see the prices charged for local food at your farmers’ markets. Most of the time, food brought in from large-scale farms from out-of-state or out of country is cheaper – $0.30 for wholesale tomatoes, for example, vs. $3.00. If you want your local farmer to make a living wage ($10.00 or more), and want them to pay their employees a living wage too, they need the $3.00 or more. Low prices on imported food reflects the lower labor costs, and sometime California growers will actually sell at LOWER than their cost of production because they own the land as speculators, not farmers. Most of the time the quality of the local food will justify the cost, and the money is staying in your community, creating a multiplier effect.
- Ask your schools, hospitals, and other local cafeterias to buy local food when they can. To do this they need to make an arrangement with a local grower on price and quantity before the growing season, and then stick with it. Growers won’t expand to meet this demand unless they know they will get paid. They also need to be paid enough to meet their cost of production and make a living wage at this larger scale, so school boards etc. may need to add a little to their food budgets to do this. Schools that serve local, fresh food have seen improvements in student health, test scores, behavior etc, so the investment in food may save $ in other parts of the system. See the following articles for more information, (a report from Wisconsin http://www.nebsusag.org/newsletters/Feat86.htm) or just Google “local food and behavior” for more.
Alison: I understand that there are some legislative bills currently in committee which are related to food safety (HR 875, HR 814, SR 425, HR 759). I know that you’ve taken a look at these bills. Did you see anything in there which could have a potentially negative impact for farmers running small, sustainable and/or organic farms? If so, is there something you think the farmers would like me, and my readers, to do to mitigate this?
Dr Janke: I’ve looked briefly at these bills, and also read some of what some leading watch-dog organizations have to say about them, and some emails coming over listervs. It is difficult at this point to figure out whether the bills will actually create the change needed, i.e. safer food, or whether they will restrict the rights of small growers, including gardeners. After the “dirty politics” surrounding the GMO debates a few years ago (and on-going), nothing would surprise me, and one really has to follow-the-money to separate out accurate information from a dis-information campaign funded by front organizations. At this point I trust the Consumers Union (I know one of their employees), the Food and Water Watch organization (I know one of their board members), and also the National Sustainable Ag Coalition (know most of their staff and have worked with them), so I would check their websites for more info and updates. Some of the facts may come out when these committees actually have hearings on the bills, and deficiencies in the current wording can be corrected before they go to the floor (IF they go to the floor) for votes.
Here are some relevant weblinks:
Alison: When I was reading your book I was a little disappointed to see such fleeting mention of permaculture. Do you see permaculture as something different from what sustainable farmers are doing? Do you think there is an interest in food forest farming and plant guilds, intercropping, and animal tractors as commercially viable approaches for Kansas farms or in the wider USA? Is permaculture something you’d like to personally promote as a way forward? If so, what barriers do you see to adoption of permaculture?
Dr Janke: I think that the goals and practices of permaculture are completely in synch with sustainable ag, and I teach it to students in my sustainable ag. It was originally founded in Australia (or at least named) by Bill Mollison, and the term means permanent+agriculture. One of the things I especially like about the “permaculture movement” and the books, newletters etc. is the emphasis on the principles of design and whole farm planning. That said, there are many other movements out there, each with a slightly different name and emphasis; nature farming, “Jeavons method,” etc, with a lot of overlap among them all. I think permaculture will work in Kansas (I use many of the principles in my own garden), but I used the generic “sustainable ag” term to not show favoritism for one “brand” of sustainable ag over another.
Alison: Victory gardens, food to lawns and various other home garden approaches seem to be gaining a lot of interest currently. Do you see home growing of food in the cities and suburbs as a positive or negative to sustainable farmers who depend on things like CSA for their income?
Dr Janke: I think a renewed interest in home gardening, and the term “urban farming” is one of the most exciting developments in recent years. I encourage everyone to plant what they can and experience the fun. The only down side, and it is a small one, is to be sensitive to your farming neighbors if you have a big garden and want to sell or give away produce. Gifts of food are wonderful, and build bonds of friendships and neighborhoods, but as a local farmer myself, it is discouraging if someone comes to the market with a basket of tomatoes or zucchinis and sells them for $0.10 or some token price, as it makes my produce look expensive by comparison. I’m just trying to cover my cost of production, as this is part of my livelihood. So, just be sensitive to your farming-for-a-living neighbors when you set your price or give away food.
Alison: Rhonda, thanks for talking with me today. I have one last question. In summary, do you see positive or negative things happening right now with regard to sustainable farming? What do you see as our next step?
Dr Janke: Well, to answer that question, I’d have to write another book! (which actually, I’m working on…..). I think I’ve covered most of the positives and negatives in my previous answers, but the only thing I would like to add is that the missing link between buying local-sustainable food and eating it is COOKING! I love to cook, and I love recipe books, and now everything is also on the web. Perhaps a fun thing to do with a circle of friends is a cooking challenge: buy a head of cabbage, and see how many different things everyone comes up with – Indian food, German etc. can all be made from the same basic vegetables.
And by the way, teach your kids the joy of cooking too. They’ll thank you some day.
If you have questions for Dr Janke related to this interview please leave them here in the comments. To read more about Dr Rhonda R. Janke and her book visit Farming in the Dark. To discuss the book with others, join the Farming in the Dark Wiki.
This article appeared at The Evangelical Ecologist.
Related posts:
Great interview! This is such an important issue. I look forward to checking out Farming in the Dark