Posted on a fence near the entrance to Greenfield Village is this quote from Daniel Webster:
“When tillage begins, other arts will follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization.”
If Webster’s pithy claim was true for an upstart America two centuries ago, could it also resonate in today’s post-industrial post-modern post-information America? It would seem that more and more people believe so. On Thursday I found myself enjoying their company at the Food System Economic Partnership (FSEP) Conference for “Building a Better Food System in Southeast Michigan” held in Jackson. Jeff Bodtke, our new Account Coordinator at MOVE, who grew up on a blueberry farm in west Michigan, joined me for a full day of informative, interactive sessions, with topics ranging from savoring local flavors in Jackson to food and agriculture policy for Michigan.
Jeff and I attended separate sessions and we made some discoveries throughout the day:
Sandhill Crane Winery of Jackson makes a delicious, sweet raspberry wine—a dessert in itselfJ.
A grassroots campaign called Ten Percent Washtenaw affirms the enthusiasm for "locally grown" in our area, but wants us to know that at present only ½ of 1% of the $1 billion in food we consume annually is actually grown in Washtenaw County. Ten Percent’s goal is to get us to 10% locally grown by 2010.
Ginny Trocchio, Project Director for The Conservation Fund/Ann Arbor Greenbelt, noted that, as Greenbelt land is being acquired, the Advisory Commission is strategically identifying critical areas for farmland preservation. For a tour of Greenbelt farmland, check out the Greenbelt Bus Tour on July 17th.
The keynote speaker really brought it all together for me. Michael Sands, founder of the Farm Business Development Center, described the Prairie Crossing project in north suburban Chicago as "an incubator for beginning organic farmers committed to creating financially rewarding and ecologically healthy farm businesses in the suburban landscape." The incubator is not just a cool design for a suburban development connected to a local food source. It makes economic sense. One acre of intensively farmed organic vegetables can generate up to $20,000 in revenue, in contrast to the same acre of corn or soybeans at $600-$700! This revenue generates local jobs and pumps money into the local economy.
Could Ten Percent become a reality if Ann Arbor developed an incubator program in the Greenbelt?
As a business committed to helping our local economy go and grow, MOVE sees local farming as an essential ingredient of our area's future. Hats off to Jennifer Fike and her team at FSEP for organizing a terrific event. I wish I could have mentioned all of the incredible things Jeff and I heard, saw and tasted on Thursday, but hopefully this post will serve as a reminder that Webster’s fencepost quote rings true today.