State Commissioner of Agriculture Lorraine Merrill grew up on a dairy farm in Rockingham County, making her uniquely qualified to talk about farming in the state as a whole and the county in particular.
CP: Many people think local farms are decreasing; are they?
LM: According to the 2007 USDA census, the number of farms in NH grew by 24% from 2002-2007. Total sales were up by 39%. We have seen the numbers of dairy farms and apple orchards decline in recent decade, but we are seeing a resurgence in agriculture with many new, smaller farms and new types of farms starting up. NH is one of the top states in the U.S. for direct market-to-consumer farm sales. Rockingham County ranks 38th of all counties in the U.S. in direct market sales. Rockingham County is experiencing all these trends at an even faster rate than the state as a whole. The number of farms in Rockingham County increased by 33%–from 445 to 594. The market value of production was up a whopping 54% and the county’s total land in farms actually edged up 6%. That’s an indicator of idled, or long- underutilized land being brought back into production. In fact, Rockingham County, one of our two most urban counties, ranks #3 among the state’s 10 counties in total agricultural sales, behind Merrimack and Grafton. The county’s farms are diverse-Rockingham ranks #2 among NH counties for ornamental horticulture sales and vegetable sales, #1 in apples, fruits & berries, and goats and horses. Rockingham is #6 in cattle numbers (dairy and beef) and #5 for laying hens and sheep and lambs. And the county has a very high percentage of women farmers-38%.
CP: Eat Local, Local Harvest: how are they doing?
LM: The Seacoast region has become a hotbed of local food activity. Seacoast Eat Local and Slow Food Seacoast are very active. We are seeing growth in CSA farms, farm stands and farmers markets. Seacoast Eat Local’s Winter Farmers Markets were a huge success. There’s also a surge in backyard farming and gardening. .
CP: What are some of your current challenges around the state?
LM: We’re seeing growth of local food systems. We need to rebuild the infrastructure that processes and gets locally produced food to the customers who want it. There is great interest in locally raised meats – but we no longer have a state meat inspection program, and only one federally inspected slaughter and meat-processing facility in the state. We have customers who want to buy local meats, and farmers who are eager to supply that market. But we need facilities, a state inspection program, and then marketing channels to make purchasing meat products convenient. Our dairy industry is under terrible stress right now, as dairy is the agricultural sector most severely affected by the national and global recession. The perishability of milk makes it vulnerable to even small fluctuations of supply in comparison to demand. The global economic boom drove demand for milk to unprecedented levels, tightening supplies around the world and driving up prices. Then October and the financial meltdown hit. Prices crashed by more than 40%, and farmers lose money on every gallon they ship. This is a big concern for maintaining our local milk supply, and for maintaining the state’s working landscape and land, water, and habitat resources. Dairy is our second largest agricultural sector for sales and supports the lion’s share (about 80%) of our farmland.
CP: What can we/you do to get more young people interested in a commitment to farming?
LM: I don’t worry much about young people committed to farming – we do not have a shortage of bright, dedicated and well-educated young people interested in farming. We have to create more opportunity for more young people to earn a living and make the required investment in farming. Young people need opportunities to be exposed to agriculture-including farming and the many related career opportunities connected to agriculture and to connecting the foods and products produced by farmers. We’re seeing renewed interest in integrating food and agriculture into school curricula at all levels. Enrollments are strong in agriculture education programs at the high schools that offer them. At UNH the Organic Gardening Club is one of the most popular activities on campus, and has spawned a number of young farmers, especially here in the Seacoast. At UNH, Sigma Alpha, a national sorority of agricultural professional women has 40 members after just one year. UNH’s new dual major in eco-gastronomy has garnered national press attention. Students with majors from journalism to hospitality to nutrition to horticulture can explore the importance of food from farm to fork, from nutrition to health and culture.
CP: What’s your level of optimism for the state’s agricultural future?
LM: We have the capacity to produce much more of our own food here in NH. Our market has grown with increased population and affluence but our communities have become increasingly urban and suburban and less tolerant of some aspects of farming. Land has become more expensive than can be supported by farming-which is why protection of farmland and related open lands through agricultural conservation easement programs is vital to sustaining local farms. If we want local farms and local food, we have to support local agriculture.
Christopher Peake is a former CNN foreign correspondent now living in Exeter and writing about the environment. His website is communicategreen.com. Send comments or ideas to crrpeake@aol.com.