Agronomist warns farmers of fighting Mother Nature

By VALERIE TUCKER
Correspondent

Copyright © 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

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FARMINGTON -- Farmers are today's medicine men and women, with the power to heal and nourish their customers. Unfortunately, instead of serving that purpose, most farmers are at war with Mother Nature and they don't have a chance of winning.

That was the conclusion of Dr. Arden Andersen, an agronomist and medical doctor from Indiana, who, on Saturday, was the keynote speaker at a conference held at the University of Maine at Farmington.

Andersen got everyone's attention when he warned his audience of farmers, educators and nutritionists about the dire consequences of ignoring the health of children. "Cancer is the third leading cause of death in our children, right after accidents and violence," Andersen said.

His impassioned presentation about the links between agriculture and human health was sponsored by the Western Mountains Alliance, with funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and in partnership with the Maine Alternative Agriculture Association.

Andersen speaks regularly to audiences worldwide about advanced soil and crop management. He has written several books about biological agriculture, soil microbiology and the best ways to support plants, livestock and the humans who eat both.

Throughout the daylong presentation, Andersen relentlessly challenged perceptions of consumers.

"Women know antibiotics wipe out their ability to fight off yeast infections," he said. "Disease in the field is exactly the same way. We have taken away a plant's natural ability to fight insects and disease with all of the medicine we have given them."

Pharmaceutical products make money for investors, so reducing the use of medications and fertilizers won't produce the returns for baby boomers' retirement portfolios, Andersen said. Still, everyone should take responsibility for the future and build on personal experience, he added.

Even the best-intentioned organic farmers can fail if they still believe they need to kill nature to protect their crops.

"Name one weed, disease, or insect problem we have solved," Andersen challenged. "By the way, folks, Wal-mart has announced it's going to go organic, and they're going to buy their products from China."

The conference was part of a two-year initiative to promote local foods and stimulate farm production in Franklin and Somerset counties. The goals, according to the Alliance's executive director, Tanya Swain, are to build demand for local produce that encourages farmers to increase production and to provide those farmers with technical assistance and outreach to help them to grow and store more foods and extend the harvest.

Paula Day is the coordinator of the Eat Smart Eat Local project, and executive director of the Maine Alternative Agriculture Association.

"We are especially concerned with putting the freshest, highest quality foods in our school lunch programs for the consumers who benefit the most from the best nutrition possible -- our children," Day said.

"We know that if we want to increase the economic bottom line for our farms with local sales, we have to produce what consumers want, extend our marketing season and make our products easily available for as much of the year as possible," she added.

The alliance staff offered a lunch of locally raised meats, vegetables and fruits to participants.

"Students need to know the farmers in their communities and understand that eating healthy is 'cool' because it tastes good and it is socially responsible, environmentally friendly, and fun," said Kathleen Beauregard, Projects and Grants Coordinator for the Alliance.

"Let's use whole potatoes instead of processed, (and also) salad bars of hearty, locally grown winter greens, soups of local meats and root vegetables, and milk, cheese and yogurt from local dairies."

Ultimately, the Western Mountains Alliance envisions Eat Smart Eat Local developing a vital local food system where a combination of fresh and preserved local produce and locally raised pasture-fed meat and dairy products are served in school lunch programs all year.