Boomers Take Up the Plow — Baby boomers are leaving regular jobs and opening small farms. It's not only a new way of life, some are making a little money, too.
Sat 7 Aug 2010 12:49pm
08/05/2010
link to full article By Laura Tillman, Daily Yonder. Jack Moffitt was a high-powered attorney before he became an organic farmer. A wave of boomers is finding a compelling lifestyle and a few extra bucks farming.A former Dallas attorney sells sprouts under the cover of a white tarp and a fraying straw hat. A former graphic designer plops candy striped beets on a Mexican tablecloth dotted with purple and gold figures, while a U.S. Customs agent gives a customer advice on cooking eggplant.
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"We need to show that organic farming practices are best management practices, period," Cortez said. "As we lower input costs, soil fertility increases, disease, drought and insect problems diminish."
The moment is ripe for a large-scale organic movement, Cortez added, and he believes change can only happen on that scale if it makes sense from a profit-driven perspective. If organic practices are cheaper and better in the long term, conventional growers will begin to adopt them.
"I've seen this thing come up and get going and then die down," Cortez said. "I don't think it’s going away this time. There wasn't any mass appeal before. You have to start taking a different look at it: we're doing this because this is what makes sense. It's the best management practice. I think it's here to stay this time."