By: Molly Clark
As the Rushton Farm staff prepares for the farm’s 18th season, it is an opportune time to reflect on the significance of the farm and its value as a model for bringing conservationists and agriculture together. The progressively dire news about climate change and environmental degradation continues to be disheartening and reasons for hope can be elusive. Reports about the impact of the industrial food system are equally grim. Industrial agriculture relies on larger and larger tracts of monocultures stewarded by fewer farmers. It is characterized by increased dependence on petroleum-based chemicals and a complete disregard for the living resources on which the production ultimately depends. The food produced is overprocessed and less safe. For example, according to the Environmental Working Group, in 2024, residues of 254 different pesticides and pesticide residuals were found on 75% of the conventional produce tested by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.
This summation is discouraging. However, agriculture- done right- can be a source of hope. Food provides a joyful way to take action in small but consequential ways. The connection between the food we eat and the environmental changes we want to see is so important and often overlooked. Wendell Berry, essayist, environmental activist, and farmer, summarized this crucial connection, writing:
“If conservationists merely eat whatever the supermarket provides and the government allows, they are giving economic support to all-out industrial food production; to animal factories; to the depletion of soils, rivers, and aquifers; to crop monocultures and the consequent losses of biological and genetic diversity; to the pollution, toxicity, and overmedication that are the inevitable accompaniments of all-out industrial food production…” (“Bringing it to the Table”, 2009)
In the case of Rushton Farm, a community of conservationists were instead willing to insist on setting a better example. Starting a community-supported organic farm on land that is permanently protected was such a prescient idea and in the years since its formation, the farm staff has endeavored to ensure the replicability of the model.
Purposefully locating this farm on a nature preserve to demonstrate the way land can be used productively while benefiting the surrounding ecosystem continues to be impactful. As a community, we must continue to amplify and prioritize the connection between the food we eat and the land and living resources required to grow it.
So What Can We Do?
Two simple words: eat responsibly. The reality is, of course, more complicated. Our food chains are long and complex and the sheer number of bewildering packaging labels in grocery stores can make it hard to support environmentally and socially responsible producers. An organization called A Greener World recently published a guide that is intended to help consumers decipher these food labels (“Food Labels Exposed”). The guide requires ten pages to detail information such as which labels are backed by certification processes and which are just marketing hype.
However, three decades ago, Wendell Berry offered more digestible advice in his essay “The Pleasures of Eating”. He encouraged consumers to:
- Participate in food production.
- Prepare your own food.
- Learn the origins of the food you buy.
- Whenever possible, buy from local producers (local food systems are easier to understand and influence).
- In self-defense, learn as much as you can about industrial food production and its impacts on personal health and the health of the planet.
- Learn what is involved in better farming practices.
Rushton Farm in Action
Much of what we do at Rushton aligns with Berry’s timeless advice. Our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members are participating in food production by directly supporting the farm. Our members know exactly where a substantial portion of their food comes from. They pick up their weekly shares right at the farm and can see and ask us about our production methods while enjoying the natural beauty of the farm and nature preserve.
We encourage and facilitate home gardening through our terrific plant sale the first weekend in May. We know that growing just one basil plant or a few lettuce starts at home can change perspectives on the value of good food.
Participating in a farm volunteer day is a great way to learn about organic farming and how to have success growing food at home. The farm crew appreciates the help and enjoys talking about all things food and farming while working together.
If members of the community need inspiration or want to learn more about preparing their own locally sourced food, they can check out the farm-to-table dinners offered at the Rushton Conservation Center and let us know what kind of food-related classes would be most constructive!
We also host school groups throughout the season, giving students the chance to tour the farm, learn more about agriculture, and help with farm work. We hope these experiences encourage the next generation to think more deeply about where their food comes from and the resources- both human and environmental- that go into producing it.
A Call for Action Growing, preparing, and sharing food is a joyful act. It is also an opportunity for meaningful action. Conservation-minded consumers with an appetite for change are essential to driving the transformation our food system desperately needs. By thinking critically about the origins of our food and the impact of our choices, we can help create a better future- one bite at a time.
