Sustainable Food and Farming in the Connecticut River Valley: A Vision

II . The Past

In order to develop a consensus about future action, it is important to look at farming not as static but as an evolving, living system. Over the decades, global events, advances in technology, governmental regulations, educational methods, even the needs of the consumers have undergone various changes. All of these events and changes have had an impact on the agricultural system. But they have also touched the lives of the people within that system.

Members of the agricultural community are accustomed to sharing their labor, their machinery, their expertise. In the first exercise, conference participants were asked to share their histories. When recalling the past, events are intertwined with emotions. Moments are forever captured in the context of events. A feeling may have been buried, but becomes illuminated suddenly when a spotlight is focused on a particular moment in time. The hurricane of '39 might trigger the memory of a first kiss; the new tractor may have arrived in the same month as a new grandchild. For many participants, looking at the past helped to identify trends, define roles, detect patterns, but it also brought back personal memories of delights and sorrows. Although these cannot be captured in this report, they, too, were a significant outcome of the conference.

The conference began with "mixed" tables: All included at least one member from each stakeholder group. The activity was to describe the past. We wanted to discover how we and the food and farming system got to where we are now. What elements brought us here? What elements shape our lives today?

Each participant wrote on a piece of paper at tables and then on paper that covered the walls of the conference room the memorable events, turning points and major changes that occurred during the last five decades. Three timelines were posted on the walls. These soon were filled with data concerning participants' personal histories, key global events, and the history of the Connecticut Valley farming and food system.

When the timelines were finished, themes and patterns emerged. Despite the diversity of this group of stakeholders, the in-depth look at our past brought out and emphasized the commonality of experience and perspective. The complete timelines may be found in Appendix D. Following is a summary:

PERSONAL

• Many of us had fond memories of growing up in the late '40s and '50s, either on a farm or visiting relatives on their farms. We had a close connection to the land -- for many, a rural upbringing.
• The 1960s brought more political and social awareness. Some of us were the first in the family to attend college. There was an increase in the number of college-educated farmers. Technological advances made tremendous changes in our lives. We traveled more, and had greater involvement in activities away from the farm. Military service was a factor in our lives.
• During the 1970s, more of us received education on the college level. The state of the environment became an important issue. We experienced a land boom, coupled with a back-to-the-land movement.
• In the '80s, we had continued interaction with the land. For farmers, there suddenly was a fork in the road--one path, "I gave up", the other, "I'm hanging on"; for newcomers, also, there were two directions: "Bought 40 acres" or "joined a food co-op."
• The 1990s brought a return to the small farm; niche marketing. We are more concerned about what we eat; organics is an important issue. A link between farming and crafts is forged. A strong sense of community returns. A holistic approach gains favor.

The Valley

• During the late 1940s and early '50s we detected the first signs of major change - the loss of some dairy, tobacco and poultry farms, and the introduction of chemicals, among them. Some faced the unhappy choice of "Get big or get out".
• Into the 1960s, new technologies - spraying, for example--came to the Valley. The first supermarkets arrived. Interstate 91 was completed; travel was quicker and covered greater territory. More of us went to college, and suburbia was a desirable address.
• The 1970s brought bigger suppliers; many local growers went out of business. IPM got its start. Technology continued its march. The emphasis was on larger farms.
• Increased materialism characterized the 1980s. It was also a decade of enormous technological advances. Farmers' markets were on the increase. With the realization that the Valley is losing land, farmers, and rural communities -- people who make their living from the land -- created the Agricultural Protection Program (APR). Food crops and tobacco were on the decline; interest in organic farming was up. Real estate skyrocketed in value.
• In the 1990s, there is a boom in biotechnology and an increase in agricultural education. The number of land trusts increases; however, there are far fewer dairy farms. The Wetlands Protection Act has an impact on all of us. Our farming population has aged and is not being replaced or augmented by a younger generation.

GLOBAL

• The post-World War II years saw a strong sense of cooperation and connection with neighbors.
• In the 1950s, the move to suburbia began, as did the Cold War and the space program.
• The G.I. Bill enabled former servicemen and -women to get education and housing benefits.
• The Civil Rights, free speech and women's movements gathered momentum in the 1960s. The Vietnam War wrenched families and generations apart. The country was rocked by assassinations. Rachel Carson's Silent Spring sounded the alarm. Nixon was elected president.
• The 1970s gave rise to a greater awareness of environmental issues. Love Canal, Three Mile Island and other man-made disasters opened our eyes to new horrors that could befall us. The first Earth Day was celebrated.
• The 1980s saw increased consumption for some, a life of poverty for others. There were high interest rates and farm foreclosures. As technology, travel and communications made the world a smaller place, issues like global warming and the tragedy of Bhopal touched us all.
• In the 1990s, we are part of the world market. A conservative shift has occurred.

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