AgSchool Update

I started AgSchool last week.  I’m both excited and nervous – excited to learn so many things but nervous with doubt about my ability to learn and apply everything and be successful as a farmer, and nervous also because we are essentially competing to be selected in the next phase of the program, AgPro.  If you recall from a previous post, I started this program on Adjournment Sine Die on May 4, 2017.  In the less than two months since then, I’ve absorbed so much information and done much soul searching and dreaming, and I've been so inspired and overwhelmed (in a good way).  I’ve seen what a few farms look like and learned a bit about how they operate.  I’ve learned about ancient Hawaiian agricultural systems and some of the problems facing agriculture today.  I’ve had arguments and discussions with my husband about whether it’s worth it to farm as a living.  I’ve watched numerous documentaries advocating for organic farming and a vegan diet as a means of protecting human and environmental health and preventing or reverse chronic disease.  I’ve continued experimenting with new crops in my growing container garden at home.  All of these inputs are churning in my head, and while it will take a while to fully process everything, I think I’ve figured out my main concerns and reasons for doing this. 

My mission, though subject to some editing, is to farm sustainably, maybe being certified organic, at a scale and in a way that emphasizes environmental health (improving or maintaining good soil biology, supporting as much biodiversity as possible, and maintaining healthy ecological balances and processes) while supporting nutritious, mostly plant-based eating in my community.  My vision is for the land and food to be the physical and metaphorical roots of the community – inviting customers to participate in growing food, giving customers a sense of purpose and community and educating them, improving the local environment, providing sustenance for customers and encouraging them to be healthier, and getting community members to care for each other.

When I read it, it sounds like a nonprofit’s mission statement.  Maybe that’s the model for me, I don’t know.  Nonprofit management on top of farm management seems like much more work than I'm able to take on part time.  If I get to start a farm business, I'd like to be able to do it on a part-time basis, I guess in part because I feel like it's more flexible if I don't rely on it for my sole source of income.  Perhaps I can afford to absorb some costs of "doing good" without being compensated for it if I don't need all of my farm income to provide for me and my family.  Just a thought.  At the same time, though, it would also be neat if I love it and end up doing it full time eventually.  I've really taken an interest in building good soil and the science behind everything.  If the farming doesn't work out, maybe an organic compost business would support all the organic farmers and help convert conventional farmers to organic farming.

We're picking plots this weekend and start prepping our soil for planting.  I've never used any farm machinery, much less most hand tools, before, so this should be interesting.  Hopefully everyone keeps their limbs and I don't injure anyone!