A3O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 5, 2003
Cuba: Sustainable Agriculture
(Continued from Page A 23)
arrangements with the govern
ment as long as they farm, they
keep control of the land. In con
trast to the U.S., there are also
limits imposed on the size of pri
vately owned, agricultural opera
tions.
Success in achieving sustaina
bility of Cuban livestock produc
tion lags behind that achieved
with vegetables and fruit. It is
impressive, though, that pork
and poultry production, occur
ring in more diversified systems
on small farms, have reached lev
els that existed before the crisis,
when most all animals were
raised in conventional confine
ment facilities. And university re
search conducted in Cuba, using
sustainability indicators they
have developed, has concluded
that a dairy operation managing
20 cows provides the maximum
level of efficiency.
Throughout the tour, on every
stop and around every comer, we
found evidence of an innovative
spirit that Was reminiscent of
many sustainably run operations
in Pennsylvania. But in contrast
to the common attitude in our
Winter Snow Restricts
Spring Planting
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) After facing ftvo years of
drought conditions in Pennsylva
nia, farmers welcomed the myri
ad of snow falls this past winter.
As the snow melts this spring, it
will undoubtedly help replenish
low water levels while providing
the soil with moisture to help
nourish future crops. Thawing
out from all this snow, however,
will also steal valuable time from
the upcoming spring planting
season.
“Farmers throughout Pennsyl
vania will have to concentrate
their efforts into minimal
amounts of time this spring,”
said PennAg Industries Associa
tion President, Robert Gueldner
of Best Feed and Farm Supplies,
Inc. in Oakdale, Pennsylvania.
“The fields will need to be pre
pared faster than normal which
could mean working long hours
into the night and on weekends.”
Not only are extend
ed hours required this r““““
spring, but more
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own homeland, the success of
such innovation is seen by Cu
bans as critical to the future secu
rity of their country.
As an example, and in light of
the crisis faced since 1989, two
different Cuban officials made
the following comments: “Sus
tainable agriculture has become
an integral part of our national
defense ... a ‘war’ of the people,”
and “Our soils are a strategic nat
ural resource.” These are the
words of leaders who knew keen
ly that mass starvation might
very well be the alternative.
The Cuban farmers we met
along the way beamed with pride
as they told of what they had
achieved against overwhelming
odds. Starting with the aim to
feed their own families, feed their
communities and,-for the most
part, their society.
Few, if any advocates for sus
tainable agriculture in our own
country would wish to swap our
government or economic circum
stances with those found in Cuba.
But it sure doesn’t hurt to see an
example of how we might utilize
the principles of sustainability in
the U.S. to avoid our own Special
Period in the future.
hands will be needed as well. The
good news is that if you’re look
ing for a little supplemental in
come during this time of econom
ic downswing, many farmers will
be hiring temporary part-time
field hands.
For those rural residents who
are worried about the spring rush
disrupting their daily routines,
fear not. Most farmers are well
aware that plans are already un
derway for May graduation par
ties and June weddings and will
try to minimize any disturbances
whenever possible.
“While most people were en
joying the beauty of the snow
covered landscapes this past win
ter, Pennsylvania farmers were
already planning for the com-on
the-cob that you’ll want to com
pliment your hamburgers and
hot dogs at this summer’s pic
nics,” Gueldner said.
SITE EXCAVATION
Installation of H.D.P.E. Liner Systems for:
Dairy, Hog, and Veal Manure Storage Facilities
Seals manure in, subsurface water out
Concrete ramp for manure agitation and pumping
1942 Camp Swatara Road • Myerstown, PA 17067
f»h: (717) 933-8853 • Fax:(717)933-8078
N.H. Farmers Win
Land Stewardship Honor
STRATHAM, N.H., John
and Lorraine Merrill of Stra
tham, N.H., have won American
Farmland Trust’s (AFT) 2003
Steward of the Land Award, the
largest nationwide award for
land stewardship.
The Merrills were chosen out
of 117 applications from 41 states
to win the $lO,OOO prize, which
was presented to them for their
lifelong commitment to environ
mental stewardship, public edu
cation, policy activism, and farm
land protection.
“For decades, the Merrills have
been devoted to protecting, not
just their farmland, but water,
wildlife habitat and natural re
sources on the farm,” said AFT
President Ralph Grossi. “They
truly are stewards of our land
and a great inspiration to farmers
across the nation.”
Stuart Farm is situated in the
Great Bay Estuary region, a
coastal habitat that encompasses
more than 10,000 acres of tidal
waters and is considered one of
the most important estuarine sys
tems on the East Coast. The Mer
rills have gone to great lengths to
ensure that this fragile ecosystem
remains intact: they constructed
a freshwater wetland to treat
waste runoff, and cooperated
with Partners for Fish and Wild
life to restore a salt marsh on
their farm.
“The restored salt marsh P*
on the Stuart Farm is one I
of the most thoroughly re- I
searched on the East Coast
and has become a model
for similar efforts,” said
Bruce Marriott, retired ag
riculture program leader at
University of New Hamp
shire Cooperative Exten-
sion, who nominated the
Merrills for AFT’s award.
The Merrills’ operation,
Stuart Farm, is a 200-cow
dairy farm that is run by
John and Lorraine, in part
nership with their son Na
than and daughter-in-law,
Judy. They were early pio
neers in rotational grazing
and other 'conservation
practices, and their family
was among the first in the
state to permanently pro
tect their farm with an ag-
John and Lorraine Merrill of Stratham, N.H., have won
the AFT 2003 Steward of the Land Award
ricultural conservation easement with the help of state and federal
in 1981. conservation programs that en-
The family’s environmental courage stewardship on private
achievements were accomplished lands.
NOTICE
EXTENDED PARTS DEPARTMENT
STORE HOURS
EFFECTIVE MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003
To Better Sefve You During The Busy" Planting Season
APRIL - MAY - JUNE
Mon., Tties., Thurs. & Fri. 7am-Bpm
Wed. 7am-6pm; Sat. 7am-3pm
BDKIiT^HURST 133 “ o“" Rd ' ■
rf* OOAO 1110 P Litltz, PA 17543-0395 Mil TEST
(717)626-4705 “ ~
Fax 717-626-0996 1-800-414-4705 B A Service ofFPC Fintnaat
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