The Conventional/Organic Divide
Over the past four years, I have had the opportunity to meet a wide array of farmers of varying stripes and to discuss both their philosophies about the earth and the farmer’s place on it. All farmers are very closely in touch with nature. It is only in their conception of their relationship with nature that they differ. Those who are called conventional farmers are pragmatic where those who are called organic farmers are idealistic. All farmers rely on materials to promote the harmony of their world, the ones that they chose are simply different in the way that they are manufactured.Organic farmers strive to create healthy living soils and foster the establishment of compatible plant and animal systems. Their focus is on the creation and balance of a whole system. Although some organic farmers only farm organically because they want to earn the premium that organic food enjoys, many are true believers in the organic movement. They use cover crops and compost to build the microbial content of their soils, and rely on bacteria, fungi, insects, to eliminate parasites, pests, scales, rots, and molds. Their fields, orchards and rangelands are in relative balance with nature, so their problems are theoretically both fewer and less severe. When they do encounter pest pressure, they are able to rely on less potent materials to take immediate corrective action. When they do have to rely on materials, they frequently use significant quantities of them.
Conventional farmers strive to create the optimal conditions in which to grow their crops and employ technology in an effort to maximize both the efficiency of their operation and its profit potential. Many conventional farmers harbor an environmentalist streak but the nature of how they must sell their crops does much to direct their efforts. They are greatly exposed to the market which, almost without exception, has become a global commodity one. Since the commodity market is fickle, they are forced to grow their crop to a different quality standard each year. Thus, they are hindered by the market in any efforts to take a slow approach to anything that is related to the production of their crop. Problems must be dealt with swiftly and quick acting, powerful, man-made materials are available to solve their problems. Some of them are able employ limited quantities of these materials but every farmer uses them wants to be able to use less.
At a philosophical level, organic farmers work with nature to harness its energy to create a harmonious now while conventional farmers focus their efforts to sculpt nature into harmony. Sometimes, organic farmers view the conventional farmers as irresponsible, even arrogant, because they use synthetic materials to subvert nature. Other times, conventional growers dismiss the holistic, environmental approach of organic farmers as simplistic and archaic because they forego technology and allow themselves to be subjugated by nature unnecessarily.
Whatever their differences, all farmers care about their vocation and have an idealistic view of what they do and they only stand to gain by discussing their idealism with others.
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posted by Brian J. Kenny @ 6:50 PM
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