NOFA VT 29th Annual Winter Conference

Geo and I attended the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont Winter Conference. Actually, we are really small town suburbanites (or as our neighbor says, "Front yard suburb, back yard rural"). Farmers we are not, but we are members to support organic farms, to learn sustainability practices, and to interact with some really neat counter-cultural farming people. There were about 1200 of us meeting at UVM.

Keynote speaker Shannon Hayes outlined differences between an organic agricultural lifestyle and the mainstream consumer culture. She called the two "parallel universes." One is ecologically sustainable, in harmony with the life-death-life cycle, and the other is focussed on acquiring corporate wealth without regard for renewal of resources. One is nurturing, appreciates sacrifice, and promotes renewal, while the other consumes and lives in dread of scarcity. One sees a pork chop and thinks "whole pig," and the other sees a pork chop individually wrapped and thinks "endless supply."

The corporate culture sees the household as a unit of consumption; monetary wealth is the measure of success. The organic agricultural family experiences the household as a unit of production; success is determined by how much money you don't need to spend. Home for one is a refuge; for the other, it's a starting point from which "life ripples out."

According to Hayes, ever since the industrial revolution and through the women's liberation movement, people have lost basic skills needed to sustain themselves. Therefore they need to earn more money to buy more goods and services. The corporate culture benefits. The environment and social justice are compromised for the sake of more wealth. Crossing the path from one "parallel universe" to the other is a transformational process.

This was just the keynote ~ the workshops were just as informative and thought-provoking.

It was good to see Senator Sanders and Governor Shumlin there to support the organic farm movement. According to Senator Sanders, Vermonters have a profound role, no less than revolutionary, in leading the way for our food future. Cheers for family farms and for sustainability.