Marbleseed Reflections from Mason J. Berube

Having spent a majority of my time this winter at the farmhouse taking care of our animals, a trip to La Crosse, Wisconsin to attend an organic farming conference was a delightful thought in my mind. However, I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it happen due to my financial situation at the time. Through some research and talking among fellow farmers, I heard about FARRMS and their scholarship opportunity for this conference. They were able to cover many of the costs involved in regards to my attendance of the conference and I’m so grateful for their support!

I was also met with an offer by Zachary Paige to be assisting him in his exhibitor role - displaying/selling seeds and educating folks about his seed company. Zachary operates North Circle Seeds in Vergas, MN. These connections allowed me to participate in a deeply meaningful way at the conference.

My Conference Experience

I’ve been hearing about this specific conference since I began my internship at Prairie Rose Farm and Folk School two years ago - hearing all about how I must go at some point! I do love the Wisconsin country, it is beautiful with its rich soils, abundance of hills, rivers and lakes. Add on top of the rich country an organic farming conference with live music and folks from near and far - what a treat.

Upon arriving we set up our booth and I began mingling around the conference. I began seeing both familiar and new faces. The energy of the place was bright and energizing. So many cool booths featuring such a diverse range of products, services and information.

One of my favorite vendors was the Acres Bookstore - Acres U.S.A. is North America’s oldest publisher on production-scale organic and regenerative farming. Their mission is to help farmers, ranchers and market gardeners grow food profitably and sustainably, with nature in mind. There was a plethora of books available to purchase on a wide range of topics.

I talked to a vendor who manufactured equipment designed for worm-composting. I learned about the driftless folk school in Viroqua, Wisconsin. I saw new innovations such as a remote controlled tractor designed for small-scale farming operations. There were plenty of resources available to become engaged in community and community action in the local regions - farmers unions, financial groups, etc... A booth was set up highlighting Native American agriculture resources (Intertribal Ag Council) which I appreciated seeing. Crafters and artisans of fiber arts and more were present. Packaging suppliers, hoop-house manufacturers and tractor suppliers were there as well. I think there was somebody there for anything you’d be interested in regarding organic farming!

The Conference Keynote: “Waste is not waste until we waste it”

One of the speakers, Ben Hartman, talked about his personal journey operating a farm business. He talked about his early days on the farm where he simply tried to do more and more - working 60-70 hour weeks. Once he adopted ‘lean’ principles he found that everyone worked less, yet produced more because they worked more intelligently and designed systems that benefit not only the plants, but the humans tending them as well. By continuously applying the lean method on his farm, he is able to distinguish where inefficiencies are and remove them, ultimately allowing him to work more efficiently so he can continue to grow the farm but still spend time with his family at the end of the day. I think that this is important to keep in mind as we begin our new ‘small’ farming evolution out of the conventional farming methods where expansion and growth in EVERY aspect is the name of the game. Ben’s suggestions are that of self-awareness, recognizing one’s limitations and working to maintain a healthy work/life balance through eliminating unnecessary processes. I will be sure to keep this mind as I go forward upon my land-stewardship journey.

Another part of the conference keynote was presented by Jim Kleinschmit Co-Founder of Other Half Processing. Jim’s mission is ALSO to eliminate waste and to revive local economies through recapturing the value of the whole animal. He talked about larger scale livestock operations that utilize only half of a cow for its products, the other half is left to be disposed of, often at a cost to the farmer or processing facility - a cost that just doesn’t need to be there. He has found ways of collecting the cow hides and distributing them to local tanneries to be made into goods - boots, hats, etc. These products go back to the local economies where those cows were raised - in essence recapturing the lost value of the whole animal. His company is nationwide and they are growing, adding more facilities and networks of partners. I just found out now, they are working alongside the popular boot company Timberland. How cool!

Upon my recent and first encounter with the butchering of two livestock on our farm and seeing the remnants of the cow left behind. This company and their mission sparked a great deal of appreciation within me when listening to Jim speak about what they are doing to create a more ethical, sustainable supply chain of leather goods by working alongside regeneratively raised livestock. Not only will the supply chain become more ethical, efficient and valuable, but also the economics of it all. I think this is a fantastic initiative.

Workshops & Observations

There was a workshop about small farmers in the future. Essentially, how do we do it? How do we 'farm small' or ‘farm medium' into the future? What does it look like? What changes are we to make and how will we work together through this shifting landscape? There was an elder named John Ikard, Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics, University of Missouri-Columbia, who brought to the table a bounty of wisdom and insight. I remember a question being posed around the topic of how we can create policy change and how we can shift the mindset on a large scale. John Ikard’s response was something in line with how we ought to simply do what we can, find a crack, plant ourselves, and begin to grow and create change where we are. He talked about how we should enjoy ourselves in this lifetime so that if things change at some point, at least we have lived a life of love and created something for ourselves in our local region. He was bringing the focus back to our locality and doing the good work that we should do in our region. Local, small, beautiful, manageable, action - these words seemed to pervade everywhere at the conference.

Our systems are shifting. Our way of collective government is transforming. Old ways of living are no longer viable for our changing Earth. Things are cracking, falling apart and breaking before our eyes in every sector of our lives. We must find the cracks in our reality and plant our seeds there so we may grow and create something for ourselves to thrive in, by doing so, we can create a place for others as well, a place of compassion. The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good. A phrase I’ve recently learned. A phrase that I think can be applied in our collective situation regarding farming and land stewardship. Let us not forget that even small, tiny steps forward in a good direction, each and every day, is what we are being called to do.

My time in La Crosse also allowed me to see the abundance of resources in relation to working alongside the land in a good way. There is an ABSOLUTE ABUNDANCE of resources - I feel empowered to forge my own path along this way of life in relation to the Earth and each other.

The final workshop I attended was titled: “Soil is our Ancestor” and was led by Aiyana Sol Machado of Philadelphia Community Farm in Wisconsin. The question she posed was, “Is it possible to heal the soil if we are not also healing ourselves?” Throughout the workshop, we began to see each other as the very soil itself, asking questions such as, “What do we think soil is? What do we think others think of soil? How do we want soil to see us?” We utilized our imaginations, personal reflections and releasing interpersonal stories to get to the roots of our relationships to our very own soil. This was a deeply impactful and creative workshop - people of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds came to be part of it. We learned about how we need to develop a personal relationship to the soil if we are to begin working in a new and bountiful way into the future as land stewards.

I would like to mention that a Health and Wellness room was available for conference goers to step in and out of throughout the duration of the conference. I attended this room on Saturday morning as I was seeking refuge for a quiet place where I could gather myself and my thoughts for the day ahead. The room was a place for folks to rest, recover and rejuvenate. The lights were dimmed, there was a puzzle, coloring supplies, yoga tools, resources for mental and physical health… It really was special. I wish that this will continue into the future of Marbleseed.

Through my reflections, I see that there is a lot happening around the ideas and practice of small-scale sustainable agriculture that get me thinking and bring out my heart’s passion. Maybe you can see these ideas too!

Please feel free to follow up with any additional questions you may have about my experience at the conference. Send an email to masonjberube@proton.me

All the best and may our soil be enlivened, healthy and prosperous.

Mason J. Berube