Seven Principles of Authentic Agricultureâ„¢
January 24th, 2007 by Good Farmer JohnThere has been quite a bit of interest in the Authentic Ag post of last week, so I thougth I’d share more on our view of agriculture. Thanks to all who have been emailing and discussing this. It’s great!! Please keep the comments coming, and feel free to share this with others. This post elaborates on the idea, in future posts I’ll be sharing where we want and should go with it.
Seven Principles of Authentic Agricultureâ„¢:
Authentic - made or done in the original, traditional way, or in a way that faithfully resembles an original.
1. Acknowledges the Creator God, Lord of Heaven and Earth as the Supreme Agriculturalist and First Farmer, as He planted a Garden in Eden. (see previous post)
As a result, Authentic Agricultureâ„¢ seeks to honor the Creator, by working in harmony with the laws of nature which He authored to husband, or cultivate plants and animals into healthy, available food. God is the Author or Agriculture, and the way He designed it is the original way.
2. Sustains the farmer and his family.
Authentic Agricultureâ„¢ is truly sustainable, a family can make a modern living on a modest holding of 100-200 acres. When those who raise our food are dependent on the USDA for ongoing support of farming operations, food production is neither cheap, nor sustainable. There is nothing Authentic, or sustainable, when Mom is working nights to earn the family health insurance, and Dad is working 2 part time jobs, the kids are in public school all day, and with Grandma and Grandpa all night. When we trust in the Lord to provide for us, there are many times of “fear and trembling.” But that’s OK.
3. Maintains a connection with the local community.
Farms should enhance, not detract from the community. If farms fail to be connected locally, the built in accountability and the interconnectedness is lost, alienating and isolating farm production from food consumption. Authentic farms, working in harmony with God’s creation, and giving Him Glory, are an attractive, welcoming part of the community.
4. Works in harmony with nature and the environment, not in controlling it.
Authentic Agriculture™ acknowledges God as the Author of food and food production, and additionally trusts in the Great Creator’s plan. He invites us to join Him. There is nothing authentic about killing all the insects in a corn field because some of them, may hurt the crop. Authentic means that we work with nature, not against.
5. Promotes freedom, trust, honesty; not control, verification and deceit.
It is impossible to fake authenticity. Open in it’s nature, Authentic Agriculture™ is small and local, and as a result, the community which the farmer needs and which he supports is aware of his practices. Each farmer is responsible for his own land and production practices. Corporate agriculture provides an opportunity for farms to lose their individuality and therefore their accountability.
6. Is family-based, multi-generational.
Authentic Agricultureâ„¢ and takes place by definition on family farms. When a farmer grows his own food, a protection against improper methods is built into the system. There is nothing authentic about a hog producer buying ham at the grocery store. And there is nothing authentic about a farm that in one generations becomes unable to support the next.
7. Produces healthy food, not raw materials for corporate food producers.
Corporate agriculture hinges on farmers producing raw materials at the lowest cost possible, which means that corporate products have the highest possible profit margin. Authentic Agriculture™ is focused on providing healthy food to the customer, and a healthy living to the farmer. There is nothing Authentic about dozens of “middle men†making a fat living, while the farmer is killing himself with work, and the customer is killing himself with the food.
Authentic Agricultureâ„¢ is a trademark of Lighthouse Farm
January 24th, 2007 at 7:16 am
John,
Great ideas!! Maybe a plan for my future. Is this a best of seven kind of thing, or do you have to follow all seven principals
Actually, your right on all seven, but I fail on #2 and #7. Used to fail at #4 until I realized you can change nature right up until your ready to harvest, then nature has a cruel way of slapping you back into reality……
For #7,I am trying to make a sustainable farm, while selling my goats (and hopefully cows this fall) to the sale barn (ahhhh those pesky middle men….). The sustainability comes in feed cost reductions.
As for #2. I here what your saying and probably do agree with the overall concept, but it sure is hard when the government offers programs that allow you either compensation for your conservation efforts or rent on land that they would prefer you not to use. I liken it to taking the tax exemption on the mortgage. Its just hard not to do it. Especially when on my small acreage every acre put into conservation is an acre out of production.
All that said, still a wonderful plan. I’m going to print it out here and post it on the wall. Probably take a copy on the tractor too to do some pondering (spring plowing is a little over a month away…..) ..
Great, Great Ideas…… Here… here….
Have a GREAT day,
Brad
January 24th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
John,
I think the 7 Principles are absolutely top notch! Do you have ideas on
how to proceed past this point….I’m excited about this!
January 24th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
I’m curious about the trade marking of the term Authentic Agriculture, is it to protect the term from falling into the hands of the corporate predators? Keep up the good work.
January 25th, 2007 at 10:58 am
I am also curious about the trademark. I am sure there are good reasons to do so, but it took me aback for a second. The concepts are…well… original with the creator, biblical and basic common sense. How is trade marking them any different than Monsanto patenting seeds God created? I am interested in your thoughts.
Excellent post by the way.
January 25th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
Brad,
You are correct. There are many unanswered questions to this puzzle, but one thing is for sure, “Sustainable”, as defined by USDA and the Extension Service is not “Sustainable”, “Organic” is no longer “Organic”, and “Grass-Fed” is about to get mutilated. Authentic Agriculture is just that, Authentic, and it won’t be co-opted by big ag/big gov’t.
Cheri,
Thanks for your reply. Stay tuned! The next steps will be in future blog posts!
Brent,
You are exactly correct. The initial post about Authentic Agriculture created such a buzz, that it became obvious to me and others that the term was resonating with lots of folks. It is after all, an “Authentic” way of describing the type of agriculture we all are involved in and the type of agriculture consumers are going to be drawn to in the future. The term is also likely to catch the interest of entities that maybe do not have the best interests of farmers like us in mind. So, as a way of protecting the term for all of us, the wise thing is to trademark it. Please, don’t be afraid of using it!
KSMM,
Great to hear from you! Hope all is well there. See my response to Brent, and in addition, here are some more thoughts:
The trademark is protecting the term “Authentic Agriculture”. It is NOT in anyway claiming ownership of the ideas that the term represents. So, in that way, it is significantly different from Monsanto. Monsanto patented thier process for cloning genes and inserting them into God’s seeds, thereby claiming ownership of those seeds, and controlling the access we all have to them. All in the name of “protecting” thier future earnings. By trademarking the term, we are not restricting access in any way to someone who wants to farm using any or all of the Authentic Agriculture principles. We ARE however, protecting the term so that farmers who farm in this manner can use this as a way of describing how they farm and how they produce food for others.
I would liken it to other trademarks you are probably familiar with, such as: Answers in Genesis, Seeds of Change, Seed Savers Exchange, Slow Food, Acres USA, Samaritan Ministries, Homeschool Legal Defense, Homeschooling Today, and The Old Schoolhouse, which has trademarked the term, “Home Where They Belong.”
Corporate Ag, and USDA will NOT ever lay claim to Authentic Agriculture, I will make sure of that. Stay Tuned!!
GFJ
January 25th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Authentic Agricultureâ„¢ is truly sustainable, a family can make a modern living on a modest holding of 100-200 acres. So if you have under 100 acres what do you have…How bout under 50? 20? or under 2? How do you suggest someone starting out afford a 100 to 200 acre farm? Land in my neck of the woods goes for over $3,000 per acre so a 100 acre farm would be over $300,000.
January 26th, 2007 at 10:22 am
John,
I really like what you wrote and the thought that went into those principles. Sometimes I run across things that keep me thinkin and your post is one of them.
About a year ago, reading a 1940’s high school or college agriculture textbook called “Farm Management in the Southâ€. In the book it talks about all the standard agricultural practices, share cropping, and general farm statistics from the era. One thing that I found interesting, was the size of the farms were mostly 40 acres or below. Another thing I found interesting was the average net earnings on a farm in the South was around $357.00 per year. I thought that at today’s rates, $357.00 is probably a lot of money. Not so! It’s around $4697.00.
So what is the price of sustainability for a family? What is really needed?
Patti brought up a good point.
Personally, Authentic Agriculture has to be a goal, not a way of life. I have had to buy land slowly through the years while working outside the farm. My goal has always been to try to have the infrastructure for a sustainable enterprise by my late 40’s. So I have essentually had to switch your #2 to being a full time worker, and a part time farmer. A grass based enterprise doesn’t end up taking too much time away from the family, in fact in our family, they all pitch in come haying, mowing, or planting time.
Sorry if I strayed from your topic, but it is such a good idea that I have been killing numerous brain cells trying to figure out how to add it to my farm’s plan.
Have a GREAT day,
Brad
January 26th, 2007 at 11:57 am
Patti and Mr. Bachelor, GFJ’s busy right now… So you’re stuck with me to address one of your comments
(By the way, Mr. Bachelor, studies show you’re at less risk for Alzeimer’s with all the thinking you’re doing!)
As far as acreage, the universities state that a farmer must have 5000 acres to make it. This is one reason the farmer’s children have left the family farm after schooling, because they are educated that it can’t be done and, therefore, yet another family farm “bites the dust”. This is tragic and also one reason he needed to address acreage in the tenants, which is consequently antithetical to the university projections - meaning a maximum of 100-200 acres as opposed to a minimum of 5,000 acres.
The Farmer’s Wife, on behalf of the Farmer
January 26th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Durn! Does that mean I have to sell off a hundred acres
On the same note the universities also say to support a family of four, (in the modern lifestyle which means they’d even go to the store to buy their beef like good lemming consumers should), they’d need over 800 cow-calf pairs. Let’s see, 800 times 3 acres a pair means I need 2400 acres of grazing, not to mention everything else. 2400 acres times 5000 an acre here, hmmm….. 12 million for land to support my 800 cows, hmmm…naw, I think being a farmer pirate and disobeying every rule the big thinkers in big ag and their universities can come up with works for me!
January 26th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
Patti,
GFJ here… Just to be clear, in future writings of the principles I will simply REMOVE any reference to 100-200 acres. The amount of land was never the point of the principle. The point is that Authentic Agriculture earns a living for the farmer. And as such, the products of Authentic Agriculture are sold at a high enough price to earn the farmer a living wage. Each farmer defines that differently.. As Tom said, some expect to live well beyond the level that others do. However, the cold hard truth is that most small farms do not make a living wage. Without government support and off-farm income, the vast majority of farms would cease to exist.
As we fashion a new movement within agriculture, we must run counter to the centuries old dilemma of farms simply struggling by to barely hold it together. The dilemma is this: We are producing the single most important product in the universe. Of all the work God has given to man, the production of sustaining, healthy food is foundational to our existence. This point is a very essential part of the definition of Authentic Agriculture. If the good work we do won’t sustain our families, and us, how can we continue it?
The size of the land doesn’t really matter, folks. By all means if you can make a living producing good, healthy food on 2 acres, DO IT!!
As far as your question on how I would suggest someone starting out afford a 100-200 acre farm… Well, there are probably many ways to do it, but in my opinion, if you want to be Authentic, it won’t be easy! First you’ll depend on the Lord in ways most others never can even imagine. Second, you’ll work harder that most will ever imagine. Third, you’ll have to market a unique, Authentic product, at a premium price. I figure it’ll take 10 years for us to gain a foothold here. Land costs are the same here as there, and you obviously can do the math… Until then, I can’t say we’ve “made it.†But we will.
Brad,
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I like your homework. $4700, Hmmm, sounds about right for today!! Also, I like your approach. Grass-based, family working together, goal to be sustainable at some point. Sounds Authentic to me!
What is the price of sustainability? Good question! We must draw on our strengths. I’ll say it again and again. If we are farming in the way God intended, our products are FAR superior to industrial farming products. Sold at retail, at a premium, these products should be profitable. 1 Tim 5:18 says, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.†Brad, is there anything more noble than producing healthy food? Being Authentic is in many ways more than a how-to formula for farming, it is also a mindset that understands the place God has given to cultivating the earth. With that mindset, we should not be afraid of wanting to earn a living wage.
The challenge, as I’m sure you and others are in the midst of, is how to transition from full-time worker/part-time farmer to full-time farmer. If you are not on the farm full time, it takes so long to get the farm business going. We are at this point as well. I work a couple of part time jobs, and the ends have yet to meet. We see the Lord work miracles each month. As we near the one year anniversary of my leaving the university, I can tell you that though I’ve never had less in my pocket, I’ve never had more in my heart, and because of that, I’d never go back.
Tom,
Let me put it simply. You’ve forgotten more than most university types have available to help farmers with!! No, my friend, you don’t need to sell off anything. Just keep on truckin’! (sniff, sniff) I smell bacon!
GFJ
January 27th, 2007 at 7:53 am
If we are farming the way God intended…
If YOU are farming the way God intended you are in the center of His will, and you move beyond a farming vocation to a stewardship Producer Ministry, in service to God, through the sanctified food you serve your family and your customers.
The Holy Scriptures reveals that when God’s people are in His will God makes awesome promises to them. “I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing….I will provide for them a land renowned for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine (Ezekiel 34:26, 29 NIV).
Every week in our ministry we are seeing blessings poured down on small farmers, clear evidence that God is trustworthy to His word and faithful to His promises, to those who remain faithful to Him and who walk in His ways. At Acres Of Hope America, we also see these blessings as strong evidence that the Lord is very active in calling many back to the land, to reclaim farming and food production for His creative, sustaining and redeeming purposes, and for the glory due His name.
Whether, you define farming the way God intended as Authentic Agriculture or the way we have been describing it as Farming By The Book, it is not the terms that are important, but rather the committed heart and the stewardship farming practices that please God and bring thankfulness and glory to His Name.
Small land size is not a limitation to God. He is the Great Multiplier (Luke 9:12-17). In the Parable of the Sower we are told, “Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop-a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown,†(Matthew 13:8). When you farm the way God intended… Scripture reveals that the one who plants and the one who waters are not alone, but are God’s fellow workers, but only God can make things grow (1 Corinthians 3:7).
Christian Agrarians, I believe that there is a strong movement of God, where again He is looking for people who will stand before Him in the gap on behalf of the land (Ezekiel 22:30). As faithful disciples to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), Christian agrarians are to work and produce with their hands so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you won’t be dependent on anybody (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).
We know from the Holy Scriptures (from front to back) that God’s plan for redemption is not limited to human souls alone. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed… in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God (Romans 8:19-21).
As, royal priests and children of God, all true Christians are called to be part of God’s plan of redemption for man and for His creation. As Christian agrarians, I believe you have been called to be the chosen ones, “for such a time as this†(the destructive takeover of farming and food by industrial global agribusinesses, Esther 4:14), to stand before God in the gap on behalf of the land. We also are totally convinced that the Lord has called Acres Of Hope America to serve Him by helping support and equip His agrarian chosen ones. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12).