Hello. Call it free (thinking) enterprise or health-based capitalism or the rise of a sustainable consciousness, but some good things are happening to counter agri-business—and agri-education—as usual.

Consumers who believe that really fresh, unprocessed milk is better for them than milk that has been pasteurized and homogenized are finding ways to buy it. They and the farmers who work with them to provide a safe and healthful product have to contend with increasingly hostile (in some cases) state regulators. Their cooperation and determination to find a way to continue farmer-direct buying relationships—whether it’s raw milk or grass-fed beef or livestock without radio tags—signal a rising force in the U.S. food economy.

Swelling demand for an organic college education that will make students competitive agriculturally as well as economically is creating more options in land-grant schools across the U.S. Any assessment of the commercial vitality of the organic sector shows it’s a growth area, and faculty with organic confidence and competence are leading the way.

Faced with increasing research that shows the long-term impacts of agricultural chemical residues on children, young parents are thinking more carefully about what their families eat. Buying food produced organically and in other ways to limit environmental impact by fertilizers and pesticides is a common-sense choice for limiting developmental damage from environmental contamination.

Getting the global picture on ag subsidies for commodities is another driver to “Make Trade Fair” as world trade rules are debated. Supporting family farmers in the U.S. and in developing nations—such as Senegal, West Africa—means building ways for the market to cover the costs of sustainable production.

We cover all these stories of emerging good news this month, and want you to tell us what looks promising in food and farming where you live. Read. Reflect. Write.

Enjoy spring, wherever you are.
Greg Bowman
Online Editor

Organic U
Washington State University introduces organic ag major, a sign that this school is leading the pack as land-grant universities begin “greening up.”

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