By Gregg Hoffmann
For many urban dwellers, and others not involved in farming, it looks like a relatively simple endeavor.
Plant your seeds, tend and harvest the resulting crops, sell them or feed them to livestock, sell the livestock. Sort of like having a garden, only bigger.
But, farming actually is a large, scientific, increasingly complex industry, and — despite continued loss of “family farms” — luckily remains a vital part of the economy in Western Wisconsin and the state in general.
There also is not just one way of farming. That became graphically clear this past summer, when a debate over a proposed large hog operation in Vernon County became big news.
The dust-up was portrayed as large farmers vs. small farmers. Many who supported the hog operation argued that farmers today, in order to remain financially viable, have to grow in size.
That requires a farmer to acquire more land, or when that is not available, to consider alternatives like the indoor feeding operation that spurred the debate. It means a farmer often has to work closely with corporations which own the processing and distribution areas of the industry.
Many smaller, in some cases organic farmers, argued that big agriculture produces wastes that at times can foul the air and environment. Large farming operations often are not compatible with other land uses, opponents of the hog operation argued.
When a farmer gets too big, he eventually cannot keep up and in essence becomes a “tenant” farmer, or has to sell the farm to the corporation, other opponents said.
At one of several public hearings over the matter, one speaker made an important point: “We’re all farmers, big, moderate size and small. I hate to see farmers arguing with farmers.”
In a state where agriculture is still an important part of the economy, this speaker’s words should be heard everywhere, and especially in Western Wisconsin. Those involved in farming do have more things in common than differences.
They often love the land and want to be stewards of it. They are hard-working, independent folks who like being their own bosses. They often play several roles — mechanic, nutritionist, chemist, environmentalist, bookkeeper, etc. They are very productive, with one farmer often producing enough food to feed dozens of people.
Many work for what amounts to something around the minimum wage when you add up their hours. They often are ignored, stereotyped and misunderstood in an increasingly urbanized world, with media concentrated in those urban areas.
There is evidence that diverse kinds of farming are very important for the industry’s survival. Wisconsin is losing 30,000 acres of farmland per year, but the state’s agricultural diversity has insulated it against farming downtrends, according to a recent report by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.
Wisconsin had nearly 24 million agricultural acres in 1950. By 2005 that number had dropped to 15 million, according to the report. Nearly 60 percent of acres lost between 2000 and 2005 were in 19 counties, including those near the Twin Cities and Wausau as well as between Madison and Milwaukee.
But, the report found Wisconsin agriculture revolves around a wide, diverse range of animal and plant products, including milk, cheese, meats, cherries, oats, corn and peas. And farmers are branching out into specialty operations, such as making cheese or working organic farms.
As a result, Wisconsin agriculture is more resilient, the report said. “There are some issues that need to be faced,” said Tom Lyon, a report co-chairman. “On the positive side, (the report) will say Wisconsin has a very diverse agricultural community that can withstand food production ups and downs.”
In Western Wisconsin, diverse kinds of farming should be accepted and, in fact, are needed. In areas where the terrain is wider and not as hilly, larger farms can thrive, and with close attention to use of fertilizer, waste storage, etc. can be tended with minimal risk to the environment.
In the Driftless Area, in the southwest of the region, the karst geology and hilly terrain make large farming more difficult. Increased attention has to be paid to concerns about runoff and pollution.
This is especially true in the Kickapoo Valley, where organic farming has become a successful alternative that often fits better into the environment and is more compatible with recreational and other alternative uses of the land.
The debate this past summer in Vernon County will likely turn out to be healthy for farming. Locally, it led to the County Board starting movement on zoning, which has been long overdue. Through zoning, people can come together and make decisions regarding size of farms, waste disposal and other key issues.
On a broader scale, strengths and weaknesses in statewide farming regulations also became evident through the debate. The state law, known as AB 868, was developed after input from a variety of people within agriculture and related industries.
It has many strengths, but any law on a statewide level ultimately might not apply to certain situations in certain locations. Adaptability and customization by local officials and people should be part of any statewide legislation.
There will never be one way to farm. Debates over methods, size and other elements of the industry will probably always go on. But, the differences should not obscure the fact that farmers — whether they have big or small operations, use conventional or organic methods, are corporations or not — have much more in common than their differences as they all try to perpetuate an industry that has been, and remains, very important to Western Wisconsin and the entire state.
