“The truth is over the years you realize that the work never goes away. You do your best and at the end of the day you try to find satisfaction with what you accomplished”, reflects Mark Cain on the demands of farm life. After 33 years invested in Dripping Springs Garden, Mark Cain and his partner Michael Crane understand the reality of working sunup to sundown to realize their farm dream, a process that literally started from the ground up. Unlike the more traditional intergenerational farm transition, Dripping Springs Garden represents an increasingly more common farm narrative: the first generation farm. These are farms started by individuals with no family land, no hands-on childhood experience, and no predetermined operation to take-over. Every decade, the number of these first generation farmers grows and in recent years has reached a tipping point that demands a new model for supporting new and beginning farmers. As this new breed of farmer enters the market, they are seeking opportunities to gain hands-on experience from the ground-up, they need alternative land access models, and most importantly, seek mentors that understand their perspective. Enter Mark Cain, the farmer with a degree in ecology with a passion for the outdoors that fell in love with the potential for organic farming to help heal the land, heal himself, and heal his community. Without family land or formal training, Cain’s story is similar to so many new farmers striking out on their own to gain the knowledge, skills, and experience to pursue the dream of owning a farm. Over the last several decades he and his partner have taken an idea and transformed it into a successful business in the Ozark mountains of northwest Arkansas, all the while helping guide others on the path to realizing the farm dream. “They’re like farmer shamans, guiding others into community-based organic agriculture in our part of the world” says long-time friend Keith Richards.

So what steps did this successful operation take to get where it is today? To start, they studied at the feet of other masters of industry and have continued to adapt, grow, and hone their craft over the years. Their land was selected because it was a beautiful, isolated space surrounded by nature, not because it was previously a working farm, so they understand the challenges of building a operation from the ground up. They have developed their business with intention, choosing to invest in time and planning to maximize each acre to ensure a diverse range of crops can be grown and harvested year round for market. While others may have increased acreage or markets, Mark chose to instead diversify crops, refine production techniques, add high tunnels, and focus on developing a successful internship program. All of these elements are components farms across the region can adopt, adapt, and utilize to grow their operation.

Yet the most compelling aspect of Dripping Springs Garden is not the cultivation but rather the culture, one that is focused on not only surviving but thriving. Mark embraces regenerative agriculture, a reflection of his deeper belief that the farming can be restorative instead of extractive to both the environment and the community. Mark has seen first hand how despite farming’s potential for positive, the one resource that suffers the most in the industry are the people. The demands of farming require a unique combination of both physical endurance and mental resolve but many entering the industry push too hard, too soon, for too long, often resulting in injury, breakdown, or burn-out. For the team at Dripping Springs Garden, it is about finding the balance of passion, hard work, and honoring yourself. Cain achieves this balance by operating the farm on a Mediterranean schedule allowing for mid-day siesta for yoga, meditation and relaxation during the warmest hours of the day. Mark is actually a certified yoga teacher and provides interns with the opportunity to join him in practice. The daily break provides “a golden opportunity to let go of everything for a little while to restore the body and mind” according to Cain. Dripping Springs Garden also provides time for family meals, with Mark and Michael cooking, eating, and socializing with their 4-6 interns to enjoy the fruits of their labor and socialize in a non-work setting. While the schedule and activities provide a more balanced work day, Mark also credits them with keeping him from experiencing the exhaustion many at his stage in the business often feel. Mark notes, “I have other things that I find value in, especially those that allow me to be creative. People have to find those unique outlets they can integrate into their operation.” He also stresses the importance of having young farmers working alongside them, not only as an investment in the future of farming but also as a way to reconnect with the joy of farming through the eyes of the interns (a view you can share from the farm’s instagram feed, run by the interns).

With all of the incredible experience and success, it is enough inflate anyone’s ego but I can assure you these are still two humble farmers interested to helping others by sharing their journey. Mark admits he has “made a million mistakes and tried to learn from a few” but still has a passion for farming because according to him, they have balanced farming with creative outlets and are surrounded with aspiring farmers still in awe of the daily farm life. He knows that many people look at his model, his schedule, and his approach and will say “I don’t have time” but believes if he does not take care of himself and his employees, the operation will not be the regenerative system he is striving for. Cain’s zen approach to farming is something we can all take to heart, “We have to feel good about what is happening right now. Not what could be. It is not about waiting for something to give you peace but finding it in the moment.”

Mark is looking forward to sharing more about his unique journey in January 2018 at the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Conference in Chattanooga, TN where he will kick off the conference in his plenary session with an exploration of where he began and the lessons he has learned along the way. We hope you will be joining us to learn from Mark and the other 90 speakers during the 56 educational sessions, short courses, field trips, and networking events. Register today to take advantage of Early Bird rates! Living on a tight budget? Check out our fee waivers.

Post originally appeared on the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Blog: http://www.ssawg.org/ssawg-blawg/2017/10/25/finding-peace-in-the-chaos-of-farming 

Header Image: Mark Cain (right) and Michael Crane gather flowers to sell at nearby farmers market. Photograph by Beth Hall, Northwest Arkansas Times.

As the waters slowly recede, residents of South Carolina will begin to assess the damage caused by the incredible amount of rain, severe winds, high tides and ultimately the record breaking flooding. For farmers across the state of South Carolina hard decisions will have to be made as they survey their fields and determine, what, if anything can be done to salvage their fall crops.

Few businesses are as vulnerable to natural disasters as farms; their inventory and assets are exposed to the elements, unable to move or evacuate. A flooding event like the one South Carolina farmer’s experienced this weekend can literally wash an entire business out to sea. For those not familiar with the day-to-day of farming it is important to understand that in order to grow healthy plants ready for market, farmers must plan their seasons well in advance by ordering fall seeds, inputs (fertilizer, minerals etc.) and materials (row cover, seed trays) while it is still summer. For vegetable farmers, plants are started in greenhouses weeks prior to planting, cover crop is mowed down and incorporated, fields are cultivated and bedded up, irrigation is laid out, fertilizer spread and plants transplanted or direct seeded. All of these steps happen well in advance of planting and are labor and equipment intensive, costing the farmer thousands of dollars and days spent working from sunrise to sunset. And this my friends, is exactly the point in the season in which our farmers founds themselves this weekend before an entire fall season’s worth of rain arrived in less than three days. Local farms are now looking at not only loss of their plants and destruction of their fields but road washouts, equipment and infrastructure damage.

The two most common questions I have received are: “Can’t they just re-plant?” and “Don’t farms have crop insurance?” which unfortunately both have very complicated answers.

Launching a new business is an overwhelming endeavor, especially when the industry requires making a large investment in real estate and infrastructure. In agriculture, accessing land and infrastructure has become such an incredible challenge for new and beginning farmers across the nation that it is listed as one of the top barriers to for being able to break into the industry.

As a state where agribusiness is the largest industry and there are approximately 5 million acres of farmland, it seems as though this should not be an issue in South Carolina. Yet our state is experiencing the same challenges of aging farmers and loss of farmland documented across the nation. Since 2007, South Carolina has lost 1,326 farms representing more than 43,416 documented acres of farmland. In Charleston County, the number of farms has decreased by 20% in the last four years, resulting in the loss of 12% of the region’s farmland. Even more disturbing, the regional numbers are higher and contrary to the national trends, demonstrating serious concern for our state. You can read more about the local issues in this article from the Charleston City Paper. The loss of South Carolina farmland has been the result of a number of reversible factors – the failure of farm businesses to thrive, absence of planning, the lack of a willing and trained workforce, an aging farmer population, and the absence of a relevant support system and adequate resources.

Often upon retirement, a farmer’s options are limited because they are either unable to continue the farming legacy in their family or they are faced with the reality of needing to sell their farmland to provide for themselves and their families. These farms are often well-established, valuable businesses that demand an experienced farmer with the financial capacity and business acumen to buy-out and operate an existing operation. Unfortunately, this is where a major gap exists across the country. The family farm model has been quietly disintegrating over the last two decades as farm children leave the industry is search of more stable careers and corporate farms or real estate development absorb these operations. New farmers entering the market do not have the capacity to take over larger existing operations and struggle to find the smaller affordable acreage equipped with the necessary infrastructure. Without the support system to facilitate farm transition planning, the results are often devastating for older farming operations and daunting to new ones. Unfortunately, the cries for help from farmers and farming advocates for the need to pro-actively address the aging farming population and loss of farmland were not heard until recent years. As the culture of agriculture began to slowly change, the gap between existing and new farmers began to grow.

Where do the mentors go for mentorship? For Eat Local program staff and participants at Lowcountry Local First, the answer lies just across the border in North Carolina. Despite the close proximity, the local food system in our neighboring state to the North is a more matured landscape with thousands of thriving local farms, hundreds of markets, dozens of cooperatives, and an incredible array of farm support organizations. As we envision the future for our own state, North Carolina is an ideal location to seek inspiration. Although the entire state is full of innovative individuals, we chose to focus on the area surrounding the small but mighty town of Saxahapaw, NC that provided a central location for our visits to Burlington, Chapel Hill, Durham, and the rural communities in between.

With the goal of seeing as many models of success as possible, our small group of 7 food system leaders and farmers set-out on the five hour road trip with high hopes. Everyone that received my itinerary had no doubts that our dance card was full for the 3 day trip: 7 meals, 4 farms, 2 coops, 2 happy hours, 1 documentary & barn dance, 1 food hub, and 1 locally grown t-shirt company. We met over 40 new people that included farmers, non-profit managers, chefs, political leaders, advocates, cooperative consultants, produce buyers, coop managers, and all kinds of localists. Thanks to our great friends Eric Henry and Charlie Sydnor as well as the amazing staff of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, we had many warm welcomes and behind the scenes tours.

The first day set the tone for the trip with a beautiful drive through the country, a farm tour, and then a packed Happy Hour at the Eddy Pub and Restaurant. This was not just any location because The Eddy is nestled in theRivermill Village cotton mill restoration project that in addition to the restaurant included a general store, gas station, co-working space, butcher, ballroom, amphitheater, and housing. It seemed as though every person I met during our “North meets South” Happy Hour was both a pioneer and active member of the community right down to the Chef Isaiah Allen from the Eddy, who in addition to being the Executive Chef, also runs Rocky Run Farm with his wife. Don’t even get me started on the foraged honeysuckle panna cotta he sent out as a special treat- that was like a creamy dream wrapped in a cool summer night- I may never be the same. Afterwards, we were able to participate in the first screening of The Last Barn Dance, a documentary about a local dairy farm struggling with the shifting food economy and the reality of trying return to the old ways of bottling their own milk using new technology. This honest and timely documentary set the tone for our trip as we too found ourselves looking for a path to meet the demand for local products without compromising our values and desire to serve the community.

As the trip unfolded, we found ourselves bouncing between locations and exploring projects that ranged from fledging stage to well established, with lessons to be learned from all. The farm stops included Terrastay Farms,Braeburn Farms, Perry Winkle Farms, and Open Door Farms. Our market stops included TS Designs, Company Shops Market, Durham Co-op Market, andEastern Carolina Organics. These farms and markets were demonstrating innovation, cooperation, market access, employee stewardship, and more than anything an incredibly strong sense of community.

We enjoyed delicious farm to table fare at every meal, during which we engaged in lengthy discussions about the differences in the states, the incredible number of sustainable farms and supporting projects, and considered what ideas we could bring home. Although we share a border with North Carolina, the journey to developing a food system as robust as theirs will be a long one.

Charleston is an incredible leader for the South Carolina in the local food movement and is not lacking in incredible accomplishments. The Holy City proven that we can excel in Farm to Table movement from the restaurant perspective, providing those who can afford to dine out with delicious local fare. Residents in the Lowcountry also have access to over 20 farmers markets running every day of the week and a variety of local Community Supported Food program from which to secure vegetables, eggs, meat, dairy, and seafood. Farmers in the area have access to monthly GOODFarming Workshops; aspiring farmers can take part in the Growing New Farmers program as Apprentices in our Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture course or as participants in the Dirt Works Incubator Farm. Charleston has strong local food wholesalers/distributors, an incredible food bank, an emerging farm-to-school program, and some amazing community gardens. There is a long and impressive list of the incredible non-profits, businesses, and universities that are all working tirelessly to fill the gaps in our food system, not just in Charleston but also across the state.

Despite all of these incredible efforts, awareness and access in regards to local food has still only touched a small portion of the population, most of which are actively seeking the knowledge and have the means to access the products. There is still so much opportunity for our community to expand access through institutional sales, cooperative grocery stores, access in food deserts, local food incentives, procurement policies, farmer cooperatives, affordable land access, multi-lingual consumer education, policy reform, advocacy and so much more. Most of these issues will take the collaboration of multiple organizations across sectors working together to create place-based solutions. We will continue to play a role in these conversations and hope to facilitate the forward momentum in some of these areas. Our trip to NC was the first step in understanding the best way forward for our organization and finding inspiration, ideas, and models for the Lowcountry. For now, we will delight in the fact that all of our farmers that attended have already adopted strategies from the farms they visited and we now have an even larger support network for the long road ahead.

Post originally published on June 29th for Lowcountry Local First.