The farming pioneers in our
four-part series have influenced the sustainable farming movement
far beyond Iowa – even before they were serving on a
national organic farming board (Rosmann) and being featured
in Newsweek magazine (Frantzen, issue of Sept. 30, 2002).
Farmers from many states – and nations -- learned about
innovative farming systems at the Thompsons’ or saw
their first hoop-house for hogs at the Madsen farm. And all
four farmers in our series have been active in PFI for over
15 years.
I first experienced Sharon and Dick Thompson when they spoke
at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Association’s
conference in the late ‘70s. I was struck by their energy
and enthusiasm that seemed to come from a decision, early
on, to liberate themselves from the conventional agriculture
“box.” They were experimenting with compost, tillage
and cover crops. Their passion was matched by their documentation,
which has only gotten better and deeper over the past 20-some
years, as has their understanding of the spiritual values
that underlie their approach to farming.
They soon established a reputation for wanting to share information,
to turn their farm into a “show and tell” site
for alternative agriculture. The Regenerative Agriculture
Association (a Rodale Institute program which published The
New Farm® magazine at the time) started running stories about
their work in 1982, and sponsored the Thompsons’ field
day in 1984. When talk of starting a farmer group “interested
in learning to use environmentally sound farming practices
that are profitable” turned to reality, New Farm® lent
its mailing list to the cause that became the Practical Farmers
of Iowa (PFI). The Thompsons were members of a five-person
steering committee that founded PFI in early 1985.
The fledgling PFI co-sponsored a three-day roving series
of “Practical Farming” workshops at three locations
in Iowa with the RAA in 1985. The Thompsons told their story,
and Dr. William Liebhardt of the Rodale Institute explained
“The Conversion Project” strategy to maintain
income during transition away from chemical-intensive farming.
(Liebhardt was research director at the time, and is just
now completing a one-year “reprise” in that role.
You'll hear more from him later on the New Farm® web site.)
Ron Rosmann was in the audience at one of those first workshops,
and has been with PFI ever since. Also in the crowd was Vic
Madsen. He and Tom Frantzen joined PFI the next year, and
started on-farm research with PFI in 1987.
Many other sustainable agriculture groups have supported
PFI in its journey to become a national leader in farmer-oriented
on-farm research and the creative development of farmer-oriented
farming and marketing systems. The group has persisted in
seeking viable options for family-scale farms during times
of accelerating consolidation in the conventional farming
economy.
To learn more, visit: http://www.pfi.iastate.edu
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