Rural Enterprise Center

Last Monday the 25th, I made a presentation about the 2007 Farm Bill and its effects on economic justice and farming businesses in other countries, on how a domestic bill like this has far reaching foreign policy implications. The meeting was organized by the League of Women Voters and Oxfam America at the Northfield Public Library. I had a chance to chat with many at the meeting, among them Philip Spensley, the chair of the Northfield arts and Culture Commision, Philip was also one of the key organizers of the meeting together with Mary Ellen Frame of the League of Women Voters and the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota local chapter.

Because of its foreign policy implications, the 2007 Farm Bill will have a tremendous impact in immigration, the connection is simple but hard for many to grasp. The simplest way to put it is like this: When the U.S. and other rich countries subsidize key crops (corn, sorgum, cotton, rice, soy beans) they create a distortion in the international markets, driving farmers in other countries out of business, not only that, but excess production is then “dumped” in smaller markets further destroying local farmers ability to survive.

The result of policies like this, are millions of displaced families around the world, and specially in Latin America, mass immigrations to cities, and finally to the U.S. in desperation to make a decent living.

As I said, this is the simple version, and though I did not include facts and it can be challenged, this is the life story of millions of immigrants, told in different ways.

This farm bill has also hurt U.S. farmers, the environment and our children’s ability to get nutricious locally grown foods. Except for a small percentage of large farms in the U.S. who get most of the payments, the vast majority of the farmers on whom local food production depends, do not qualify for subsidies (fruit and vegetable growers for example on whom most of us depend for our food supply).

So don’t think I am blaming my neighbor farmers for the waves of displaced farmers in other countries, in another time I may share with you who is really to blame, and they are not either poor, powerless or my neighbors.

Yesterday, the immigration bill was defeated in the senate, holding the status quo in place. Today I received a press release from the Iowa office of senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), whom I had the honor to meet during a local foods conference in Marshalltown, Iowa last February.

Below, is the press release that he put out today, though I disagree with many points and I am sure many other Latinos will also, Mr. Harkin has more in the right direction than most other leaders. As we continue to struggle to build the infrastructure and the capacity within the Northfield Latino/a community to pull ourselves upwards the economic ladder, it is frustrating that folks in power can’t figure out how to pull themselves off their high horses and pass an immigration bill based on the fundamental principles of this country “right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 28, 2007

Contact: Jennifer Mullin

202-224-3254

STATEMENT OF SENATOR TOM HARKIN (D-IA) ON SENATE VOTE ON IMMIGRATION REFORM

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In the past, I have written about the community garden by Greenvale Park Elementary School, I provided organizational support, translation work and the water tanks currently installed at the garden by the school. While all of this was going on, I received a call from Lee Runzheimer, until recently, the director of the Northfield Enterprise Center. He had a friend with land behind Benjamin Bus on the Northeast side of Northfield and wanted to provide it to families interested in gardening.
I called Erick Dee, the land manager, and asked him for four plots, large enough to grow vegetables to feed a family. Not only did Erick provide the land, he has also hauled cow’s manure, and hauls a large tank from the garden to his house, fills it with water, and then parks it at the garden for use by the families tending the plots. In the picture, besides the families who manage the gardens (some did not want their names used) you see Joey Robison, from Just Food Community Coop in Northfield. She came to check the gardens as we look into organizing these Latino families to grow food more formally next year. This will not only improve their own diets, but also generate income by selling the produce at the local cooperative, the farmers market and other outlets in the cities.

This has been an amazing experience, in less than three months, we have gone from talking about better diets, gardening, and ideas for building a more cohesive community, to having four families gardening at Erick’s place, planted 2 acres of black turtle beans at my neighbor’s land, and we are now busy weeding 10,000 onions that I am growing with another family on land behind my house. All in all, there are six Latino families growing vegetables and 6 High School youth involved with the black turtle bean project. We have inquiries already piling up for the gardening projects next year, it looks like we are getting close to having to have a business plan to manage the growth, and maybe a foundation or two to get interested in this work.

With the recent rains, it looks as if we are headed for a good harvest of vegetables, beans, onions, a healthier diet, a better community, and as the picture shows, kids who will now know that food does not come from the store, it is grown by hard working farmers. Last week,IrmaPeralta , (the women in the picture with the more gray hairs) came to the onion patch with her granddaughter (the younger women in the picture with the child) and said to my wife “I come here with my daughter to weed the onions because then we get to talk and it is a good therapy to get rid of stress”. Irma and her husband used to grow vegetables back in Mexico, this is a chance for her to share her life with her granddaughter, and judging from her good health, she will probably be teaching gardening to her greatgranddaughter as well (the baby in the picture).

At our Northfield area YMCA board meeting last night, I was in charge of our usual “moment for mission”, we rotate this task and we are free to choose a topic to reflect on.

For as much as I tried to explore different issues, the Latino immigrants and their stories just kept coming back. Maybe this is because it dominates so much our the current public discourse, maybe it is because it is such as hot political issue, or maybe it is because I am a first generation immigrant myself. I came to the U.S. in August of 1992, but have kept goin back to either live or visit Guatemala frequently and have been able to keep the immigration perspective from both ends.

During my last trip to Guatemala last month, I went to visit my older brother who is 52, and has an advanced case of cancer. I did not know that visiting him was going to turn into an amazing experience directly related to Latin American immigrants. He happens to know detailed stories of immigrants coming from countries South of Guatemala in transit through our region (the department of Petén in the northern part of Guatemala). Our visit turned into a tour of the immigration route, this route is full of spots where local police are known to force bribes from immigrants in exchange for letting them pass through, stories abound regarding the suffering of immigrants in transit. Sometimes, depending on the political conditions, they are deported back to their countries directly from Guatemala, which is technically still the begining of their journey.

Back here in Northfield, when I think of a moment for mission, I cannot stop thinking of our local Latino population, how it needs to continue to develop and integrate into the wider society in a sustained way. One key strategy I know well is entrepreneurship development as a way to tap into natural leaders who can also take initiatives that further the economic development of our community together with the leadership aspect. With economic development comes more interactions with the wider community, free time to participate in sports and other community activities and most importantly, more available resources so that the next generation is being educated and given opportunities to thrive.

My moment for mission back at the boadroom at the Northfield Hospital where our YMCA board meets turned to sharing some facts about one sector of the Latino population in the U.S., the seasonal and migrant farm workers. I believe that this information may be useful for other folks out there so here is my moment for mission shared with you.

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Finally, we have a gas station offering biodiesel in Northfield.  For a while I have been trying to figure out how to supply my loader, tractor and of course for my diesel VW Jetta with a soy based product.

Bruce Anderson of Northfield wrote on the Northfield.org website on June 1st if you want a bit more background.  Bruce is another entrepreneur and leader in Northfield.  The business case for Amcon in Northfield is better made by Mike Scheuerman who sent the following e-mail on June 1st…

“Hey everyone -  

Today Jim Johnson, the owner of the Amcon station at the corner of Highway 3 and St Olaf Avenue, began selling 99.99% biodiesel rather than fossil-based diesel fuel.  Jim’s Amcon is now one of only a small number of stations in the nation offering pure biodiesel at the pump. 

All of us biodiesel users are excited for this renewable fuel option in Northfield.  Made from soy beans, Jim’s biodiesel is a much greener renewable fuel than ethanol.  And, most of us who use it get 40-55mpg in our Volkswagons.  

This is a business risk for Jim, so I’m writing to get as many people as possible to show their support for his decision to enter the renewable energy market.  You can support Amcon by buying bio-diesel, gasoline, convenience items, or even try out his full-service repair shop.   

His regular unleaded price today was the same as the Holiday station and lower than Superamerica.  His biodiesel price is currently $2.92. 

Please support the Amcon station

if possible to show that “going green” is good for the environment and good for business.   Also, forward this email on to other Northfield residents who may be interested. “

If you use diesel engines and live in Northfield or nearby, there are two main reasons you should take this call to unhook from the petro fuels.  The first one is to support a local business owner, and second and most important, is our environment, biodiesel is good for the farmers, good for the local entrepreneur and good for the economic and natural environment.

As the network of biodiesel suppliers grows, let’s make sure we support our locally grown entrepreneurs, Northfield is a leader in renewable energy thinking and implementation, so it is no surprise that we keep moving forward, but you don’t have to believe me, here is a list of links to postints and websites with examples of such leadership:

Northfield.org
Our Media, The Global Home for Grassroots Media
St. Olaf (Developing a Sustainable Ethic)
David Bly on Energy and Economic Development
Vivis Architecture