March/April 2021 - 40

HANDS IN THE DIRT
Why I chose
organic farming
JIM BUCKLE
THE BUCKLE FARM
Editor's note: Jim Buckle was elected the Maine Farm Bureau President in 2018.
This column is reprinted with permission from the Maine Farm Bureau.
s a new state Farm Bureau president, I've been
asked about my personal connection to farming
hundreds of times by Farm Bureau members
from all over the country. When I explain that I run an
organic produce farm on just 17 acres, I'm often met with
a look of surprise. I take no offense - my home state's
agricultural history was built on chicken, potatoes, apples,
blueberries and dairy. Many of my colleagues were perhaps
expecting that I come from a multi-generational family
farm producing one of these crops. I can't blame them for
making an educated guess.
I chose Maine because it's a place where so many
time-honored agricultural histories are interwoven. But
A
40 MARCH/APRIL 2021
the agricultural field has been broadening for over half a
century, and while some see the new models and practices
in agriculture as a sign of cultural division, I see a growing
family tree of shared history.
I chose organic farming because, as a first-generation
farmer, it allowed me to start my farm business on a small
scale with simple infrastructure and a low-impact approach
to soil and plant health.
Organic practices may be different but we have so much
in common with our fellow American farmers.
When I began my career as an organic farmer 23 years
ago, the market was shaky at best, certification was
only a couple sheets of paper and organic supplies were

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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/Organic-Grower/spring-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/Organic-Grower/winter-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/Organic-Grower/fall-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/Organic-Grower/summer-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/Organic-Grower/march-april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/Organic-Grower/january-february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/Organic-Grower/november-december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/Organic-Grower/september-october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/Organic-Grower/july-august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/Organic-Grower/may-june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/Organic-Grower/march-april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/Organic-Grower/fall-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/Organic-Grower/summer-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/Organic-Grower/spring-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/Organic-Grower/winter-2020
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