March/April 2021 - 41

HANDS IN THE DIRT
a challenge to procure and very
expensive. But organic food soon
gained a foothold, and I soon found
myself selling out at farmers' markets
and supplying notable chefs in
Portland. Demand grew, as did the
number of organic farms populating
Maine's landscape. As competition
increased, so did regulations, but also
the resources available to organic
farmers.
I've seen a lot of trends come and
go within organic farming, but a few
things are certain.
Organic produce is in-demand,
profitable and is proving itself on
many different scales. My wife and
I have found our place in organic
farming serving wholesale markets
in Boston and Maine, with limited
specialty sales to restaurants. We've
watched the demand for local, organic
produce shift from predominantly
farmers' markets and independent
natural food stores to large grocery
chains, fast-casual restaurants and
institutions.
Another certainty is that it's human
nature to find kinship with those
whom you relate to the most. Farming
is no exception.
Nearly every farmer I've met loves
a good session of shop talk with
another farmer who understands the
specificities and challenges of their
particular crop. This kinship leads to
a community of friends and associates
who share a common bond. In time
this leads to organizations, boards and
associations that help these farmers
protect their markets and influence
consumer opinion. This focus results
in agricultural networks that operate
independently of each other, and
often feel insular. At times it seems
that an organic vegetable farmer in
Maine would feel more brotherhood
with an organic vegetable farmer in
California than with the conventional
dairy farmer down the road.
So how do we unify in a time when
methods of agricultural production
are becoming more diverse and more
specialized?
Farms in my home state are more
interconnected than many of us
Jim Buckle and Hannah Hamilton
Photo: Elizabeth LaDuca
realize, and if we lose one industry it
has a ripple effect through the state.
If it weren't for our dairy farmers
and poultry operations, vegetable
producers would lose their local
source of affordable manure. If not
for our hay and straw operations, a
whole host of livestock producers and
small farmers lose feed, bedding and
mulch. If our state stops maintaining
its wild blueberry barrens, we lose an
attraction unlike anything else in the
world; a spectacular glacial landscape
that mesmerizes countless tourists
each season.
There are seemingly endless ways to
fail in agriculture these days, but there
are also endless ways to succeed.
Organic practices may be different
but we have so much in common
with our fellow American farmers.
We all face land-use issues, market
fluctuations, labor issues and similar
challenges.
Organic farmers are taking
advantage of high visibility in the
consumer space right now, and are
positioned to be powerful advocates
for American agriculture on a larger
scale. I joined the Maine Farm Bureau
to be with fellow farmers and have
our voices heard, to keep farming as
a part of the American landscape and
be able to shape its future. I encourage
all farmers to join Farm Bureau, no
matter how you farm or how you
are connected to farming. Not a
farmer? In many states, non-farmers
are welcomed as associate members
of Farm Bureau. It's a wonderful
opportunity for kinship, shared
learning and powerful advocacy.
Organic practices may be different but we have
so much in common with our fellow American
farmers. We all face land-use issues, market
fluctuations, labor issues and similar challenges.
ORGANICGROWER.INFO 41
http://www.ORGANICGROWER.INFO
March/April 2021

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