The Rural Voice, 1993-12, Page 57incentive program to fund grassroots
groups that spread the word across
Montana.
AERO is an organization which
deals with renewable energy,
sustainable agriculture and
conservation, with an eye to greater
community self-reliance. It was
formed in 1974 with the mandate of
dealing with the energy crisis. They
looked at renewable resources and
conservation.
By the 1980s, the crisis had
subsided and the organization turned
to soil management and improving
the methods for sustainable
agriculture, Matheson says.
One of the largest obstacles to
changing ideas and methods was the
vast distances between farmers.
There was no network for
communication. This became
AERO's main purpose, she said.
They talked to the ranchers and
farmers, looking for new ideas to
help maintain the soil and deal with
the specific problems in their state.
Montana is mainly a beef and
wheat state, Matheson says. Each
year, approximately 50 per cent of
the land is left fallow, in strips
between the wheat crop.
In the eastern part of the state,
Montana has very heavy clay soil
which holds the water when it is
available but the poor drainage can
create ponds which flood the wheat
crops. Once the land has dried, there
is a big problem with wind erosion.
The western section of the state on
the windward side of the mountains
is more lush and used mainly for
vegetable, fruit and flower crops.
Some of the projects researched in
Montana found a solution to the
erosion problem as well as helping to
maintain the quality of the soil, she
says.
Many groups are experimenting
with annual legumes such as black
medic and fava beans, as a cover
crop. These Saskatchewan bred
legumes provide protection against
wind erosion, they can be used as
forage for the beef herds and they are
also a cash crop. Montana farmers
are also testing out more mixed
cropping to protect the land.
Another project worked on
methods to reduce the need for
News in Agriculture
chemical sprays to eliminate weeds.
They found sheep to be very
efficient, she says, with a llama in the
herds to scare off the coyotes.
Matheson says the horticultural
farmers in the west worked more on
marketing.
AERO found that farmers were not
able to communicate with each other
about the problems they faced so
they stepped in to help form small
community groups, Matheson says.
They offered small start up grants
to the groups to pay for
administrative costs such as phone
calls and travelling expenses as well
as subsidize research projects.
She says the projects ranged from
on-farm, scientific based research to
hiring speakers to talk to the group
about alternative farming methods.
The grants were less than $800 per
group and were available for the first
three years, she says, though most
did not request help after the initial
year.
Once the group had formed,
usually started by those interested in
alternative or organic farming
methods, the conventional farmers in
the area soon became interested. The
new techniques drew them in. They
were willing to learn and adjust their
chemical based operation, she says.
Matheson says, "The members of
the groups had previously been seen
as outcasts because they were on the
cutting edge of new technology.
Their ideas were different from the
norm. By geeing the people together
in groups of four or more, there was
less isolation and a community
feeling developed."
In Montana, there are now 22
groups made up of 175 people, with
very diverse projects which reflect
local needs.
The projects range from marketing,
processing, new product
development, market co-ops and
shared agriculture plots; Matheson
says. "It has moved beyond just
farming into any area that affects a
farmer's viability and the strength of
the community."
AERO is there to provide
administrative support and technical
assistance. Matheson says it is best if
each group has a secretary to keep
track of achievements made through
the project and to contact AERO so
that they in turn can inform other
groups so there is a flow of
information.
In return for sustaining this
network of information, AERO has
certain expectations from its member
groups, she says. There is to be: an
annual work plan, a willingness to
share information with the other
groups whether it be through tours or
newspaper articles, there must be
regular phone updates on the project,
an annual summary of project results
which includes how the group
worked and who became involved
besides the farmer and there will be
an annual meeting to tell others of
the project and to explain what went
wrong as well as right.
Matheson says this flow of
information sparks the imagination
and can lead to more projects.
The technical assistance should be
provided by an agriculture rep-
resentative in your area. The rep's
presence should not be a one way
street though, she says. "That person
is there to learn from the farmer as
well, to learn how to best assist the
farmer and to listen to their concerns
and problems."
Matheson says, "This will also help
the Ministry of Agriculture and Food
adjust its policies and priorities to the
needs of the local farmer."
She says the group has several
purposes. It gets farmers to work
collaboratively, it acts as a social
support group to help alleviate the
feeling of isolation, it serves as an
entry point for conventional farmers
who may need practitioners to act as
mentors for new methods.
She says, "By becoming more
visible, it can effect change in
university and ministry research
priorities. It helps the agencies
develop an understanding of the
farmers and what they want to do. In
Montana, there has been some
evidence of scientific thinking
turning 180 degrees after working
with the farmers.
"This is how change occurs — by
getting the top level administration to
change their thinking and then
altering the mandate for the field
workers to respond to the needs of
the groups," Matheson says.0
DECEMBER 1993 53