Intervale Reflection
The
Intervale Center is located in South Burlington, Vermont. They are a nonprofit organization
dedicated to strengthening community food systems. These ideal community food
systems would honor producers for the back breaking work they do, value good
food, and overall, improve the quality of life for the greater Burlington area.
By improving farm viability, utilizing sustainable agricultural practices and
promoting locally sourced food, the Intervale helps to alleviate the environmental
harm caused by traditional agriculture(Intervale.org).
The Intervale is an organization with a rich yet somewhat
disturbing background, and truly an example of human ingenuity combatting environmental
damage. In ancient times, the field was utilized by Native Americans for
hunting game and foraging seasonal crops. Strong evidence points to the
Intervale being developed agriculturally by the Abenaki between 1000 and 1500
AD. They would harvest corn, squash and other native crops. The beginning to
what was nearly the end came in 1772 when the Onion River Land Company was
founded and began to sell off the Intervale land. In the 1860’s Central Vermont
Railroad began laying track through what is now the Intervale. More damage was
done in the early 1900’s when dairy farms began operating on the land. These
dairies and other business that had been laying claim to the Intervale land
were devastated in 1927 due to floods of biblical proportions that destroyed the
land and anything on it. Thinking the land was useless, a municipal dump opened
in the 1940’s and the landscape became scattered with everything nobody wanted
including old furniture, broken down cars, and other disgusting remnants of
taker society. A savior came to the forgotten land in the 1980’s when Will Raap
purchased the land and it was rezoned by the city to disallow any further
industrial growth into the area. In 1988 the Intervale center was established
as a compost and yard waste recycling project. It has continued to grow to this
day and now includes a food hub, tree nursery and several other important
components(Intervale.org).
In terms of science and technology the Intervale is a
leader in terms of sustainable and organic agriculture. So, rather than being a
leader in science and technology they are a leader in the opposite. Where large
farms use pesticides and fertilizer, the Intervale relies on organic farming. They
replace synthetic fertilizer with manure, which is taken from their own
livestock. Crops are rotated in order to conserve the fertility of the land.
Runoff and, by extension, eutrophication are prevented by well-planned
irrigation and the use of greenhouses(Intervale.org).
The Intervale’s policies are both noble and practical. To
begin with, the Intervale Center is a nonprofit organization. This prevents the
ever present call of greed and wealth from overtaking the moral and sustainable
practices of the organization. Another interesting policy the Intervale
practices is selling “shares” of farmland at the beginning of each season. This
practice, which is instrumental in maintaining, operating, and paying for the
farm, allows community members to pay whatever amount of money they wish, and
in return receive a fair percentage of the crops or livestock that are
harvested with that money. This means a particularly good season would lead to
a larger share of food for the investor then a poor growing season. This connection
strengthens the relationship between farmer and consumer, and does not allow
for the disillusionment of food production caused by major agricultural
institutions(Intervale.org).
Ethically, Intervale is a wonderful example of
sustainable agriculture and shows how providing sustenance does not have to adversely
affect our planet. As previously mentioned they are a certified organic farm.
This means that they undergo periodic onsite inspections in order to show that
they utilize no pesticides, fertilizers, or antibiotics in their food
production, keeping detailed records of their production and sales as well as
other regulated policies. Providing organic meats and crops not only prevents
humans from ingesting potentially dangerous chemicals with unknown side
effects, but also keeps the planet healthy by preserving the fertility of the
farmland, preventing eutrophication, and stopping the release of toxic
chemicals into our air and water(Greene). Furthermore, by providing locally
grown crops and locally raised livestock, the Intervale not only stimulates our
communities’ economy, but also provides benefits to the environment by
preventing the shipping of food products from far away sources, thereby ridding
our planet of harmful bi products of burning fossil fuels that would be
produced in the transport of these goods. The most interesting ethical decision
of the Intervale is seen in their location. Formally a dump, the Intervale
shows how land that has been deemed “useless” can actually be restored and used
for production of necessary goods such as food. This is important as it
prevents the farmland from being outsourced to other nations, such as in South
America where forests are clear cut at an ever expanding rate. The main cause
of deforestation is clear cutting land for agriculture and if we continue
cutting down the rainforest at the current rate it is estimated all of the world’s
rain forests will be completely gone within 100 years(National Geographic.com).
The
Intervale’s management and ethical framework is not only respectable in that
they are sustaining our ecosystem for future generations, but also is a main
selling point in their business. As a small market farm, they could never feasibly
compete with the sickening low prices established by corporate agriculture such
as Monsanto. However, their organic farming, locally sourced food, and other
sustainable practices allow them to fulfill a niche market with big agriculture
could never achieve. Although the cost on a potato to potato basis, for
example, may be quite different, one cannot put a price on a healthy body or
the morality boost that comes from supporting an organization which is out for
the greater good of not only our community but the world as a whole.
Throughout
our endeavors into creating our PAEP poster, learning opportunities were
abundant, interesting, and exciting, but also challenging. This project
provided us with an opportunity to work in groups of our peers, coordinating
meeting times to match with everyone’s schedule, expressing our personal
talents as well as areas we struggle with, and finally coordinating who will
produce each piece of the poster. The site visit created an environment in
which we were given an opportunity to present ourselves in a professional manner, which not only reflects
upon us as individuals but also Champlain College as a whole. This skill will
be fundamental in the future in arenas such as job interviews and, provided the
economy is not so stagnant that the job market is inhospitable, presenting
ourselves as professionals in the workplace.
The
Intervale Center is a nonprofit organization which aims to provide organic,
locally sourced food to the Burlington area. It has a rich history which
includes dark times as well as glorious revival. Their agricultural practices
provide sustainable solutions to the problem of providing sustenance and their
ethics are a prime example of how farms and other organizations can be positive
attributes for their community as well as the planet as a whole. The overall
experience of creating a professional poster was a worthwhile and interesting
experience.
Works
Cited
Greene, Catherine R.,
and Amy Kremen. US organic farming in 2000-2001: Adoption of certified
systems. No. 33769. United States Department of Agriculture, Economic
Research Service, 2003.
Intervale Center. Web. 29 Nov. 2013. (Intervale.org)
“Deforestation” National Geographic. n.d. Web. Nov 29.
2013
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