Illinois
COMMENTRY

Striking a balance between profitability, sustainability

What occupation requires a good working knowledge of economics, chemistry, meteorology, physics, home economics, medicine and auto mechanics—just to name a few? Well, yes, you could answer "mother," but a farmer must also meet these requirements. Add to this the stress of analyzing global markets, the corporate farming movement, and trying to support a family and it's no wonder the "typical small to mid-size Illinois farmer" is moving toward the destination of buffalo herds and billowing tall prairie grasses.

Barbara Hill Nowack

Today, people are being inundated with a steady stream of innovations and new technologies. Many of the baby-boomer generation, particularly those having a farm or rural background, have witnessed the transition from horse power to behemoth machine power; from oil lamps to electricity; from "chicken every Sunday" to every day, everywhere, and at anytime; from crank-handled telephones to cellular phones; from stub pencil and vest pocket notebook to electronic organizers and fax machines. You get the picture!

How can anyone stand in the way of a succession of mechanical, biological and chemical innovations that have transformed agriculture into a powerful industrial machine for the sake of abundant food production? Why would anyone want to?

A segment of the Illinois population felt that these innovations also brought serious environmental impacts, including increased soil erosion, water pollution and depletion, disappearing wildlife, elevated environmental health risks for farmers, and food safety concerns for consumers. These individuals also felt that these same technological changes also fueled farm consolidation, depopulation of rural communities and shrinking rural business opportunities. As many farmers began to share the growing concern about the future of our food system, they also began to search for ways to farm that were not only profitable, but durable—some might even say "sustainable."

Farmers in Illinois needed new practices and technologies which could be integrated into their current farming systems with minimum risk while addressing the much broader stewardship issues. As this segment began to emerge in 1988, a farmer-based, Illinois Sustainable Agricultural Society, or ISAS, was formed.

The mission of ISAS is to "encourage farmer practices that strike a balance between short-term profitability and long-term environmental quality and rural community vitality." ISAS serves as the administrative umbrella organization which incorporates five regional, farmer-based sustainable agriculture organizations. These regional groups, divided by soil types, promote sustainable practices through on-farm research, workshops, field days, seminars and publications. On-farm research has empowered many of the member farmers to derive site-specific solutions which help to sustain their farms, their lifestyles and their communities.

Defining agricultural sustainability is probably the most frequently asked question. In reality, the term sustainable agriculture means something different to almost everyone. In general, a sustainable system is one that is capable of continuing indefinitely. A sustainable agricultural system should be no different. It should be able to produce food and fiber forever, regardless of changing social or economic conditions, without consuming itself. A simple and widely accepted definition

Barbara Hill Nowack is manager of marketing and economic development for Illinois Rural Electric Co. in Winchester. She is also owner/editor of the Ashland Sentinel, her weekly hometown newspaper, and has served as executive director of ISAS since 1991. She lives on the family farm with her husband, Richard, 26 cats and one very large dog. Inquiries regarding ISAS should be made by calling the ISAS office, (217) 476-3332 or writing P.O. Box 649, Ashland, IL 62612.

ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING JULY 1997

for sustainable agriculture is a system of farming that is practical for the producer to use, profitable for the individual operation and environmentally sound.

I feel that each citizen carries with him or her the individual responsibility of stewardship. With this responsibility comes the duty of caring for the land and employing those systems which are most sustainable. The 400-member association has tried to assemble information to educate farmers and consumers about sustainability, and to assist them in locating the people and practices they will need to become agriculturally sustainable.

The University of Illinois and the Illinois Department of Agriculture have provided significant support in recent years in supporting ISAS on-farm research projects, field days and publications. Sustainable is not the ugly word it once was. What goes around comes around. The cooperation, sharing and support of all involved in agriculture certainly will help toward ensuring that our Illinois farmers do not become a fairy tale in children's history books.