This region’s farming tradition is as old as the land itself. Long before Europeans set foot in what’s now known as Franklin County, Native Americans grew crops along the Millers and Connecticut rivers and tilled the land in the shadow of Mount Sugarloaf.
Over centuries, the landscape has evolved along with its people. At one point in the mid-1800s, between 60 to 80 percent of New England was cleared for pasture, tillage and orchards. In that respect, the face of farming has changed drastically. These days, protected forests provide shelter for biodiversity that’s since rebounded due to concerted conservation efforts. Over the past half-century, the demographics of farmers have diversified exponentially.
In other ways, it’s the same.
At Natural Roots farm, a horse-powered vegetable farm in Conway, for example, farmers David Fisher and Anna Maclay employ traditional cultivation methods remnant of an era before electricity. Their farm is as much a political statement as it is a productive business. It’s not just in Conway that Franklin County’s farming tradition can be seen.
Up and down the region’s watershed, laborers, either first-generation farmers or experienced farmhands, can be seen tending crops midst an increasingly unstable environment, both economically and otherwise. The cost of land is outpacing potential revenue; milk prices have steeply declined over past decades and are projected to continue in such a direction into the foreseeable future; increasingly, furious storms driven by climate change tear through our region. These and other stressors make it hard for aging farmers seeking a quieter lifestyle to pass their legacy on to a younger generation.
It’s a situation that demands our attention because farming is an integral thread in the fabric of our region. Its history runs deep in our rich soil and its traditions are the cornerstone of our vibrant culture.
More than ever, farmers need our support, and there are a number of ways we can do that.
First and foremost, whenever it’s financially possible, buy local. Second, support government programs like the federal Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, which is intended to help young farmers gain a foothold in the industry. Advocate for increased funding for the Farm Service Agency’s Direct Farm Ownership loan program, which is a critical financial option for beginning farmers.
Programs like this work. Past initiatives, such as the state’s Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program, have gone a long way toward preserving the land for future generations.
In the face of the agricultural industry’s challenges, today’s farmer must be creative and tenacious. Thankfully, this region has many farmers who could be described as such. For that, we’re grateful — because Franklin County without its farms is incomprehensible.