Jered Vogeltanz | ILS 252 improves your world

We all have an attachment to our homes, may it be good or bad it is still a place that helped shape us as individuals. I had the fortune of growing up in the rural farming community of Kewaunee Wisconsin. But every time I come home my heart is wrenched out of my body by what I see. Farm after Farm is abandoned, house after house is falling into disrepair, larger and larger farm machinery works the land and the farms that do exist are run on a model nothing like the small family farms of the past. My home is not the same as it was. Now change is not bad thing, progress is good for a society as a whole, but is what I am seeing in my hometown progress or the death of a community that does not stand a chance in the modern agricultural world? Is this system of agriculture better than the one it is replacing? And if better, better for whom, the environment, society, people? Is my town dying and can small farms ever dot the landscape of rural Wisconsin again? And if they can not is there any way that these communities can survive?

Let me tell you about the quaint little community of Kewaunee Wisconsin, at least from my perspective. Kewaunee is a town of about 2,952 according to the 2010 U.S. census, mostly Caucasian and rural. The word Kewaunee means “lost” in Potawanami. The town was founded in 1852 and boasts a proud and probably somewhat embellished history. (Kewaunee County, 2011) The area was originally founded after gold speculators thought there would be gold near the mouth of the Kewaunee River. Upon its founding Kewaunee had some of the deepest natural harbors on Lake Michigan and was considered to be a rival to the budding city of Chicago. It is a rural farming community that at one time had large amounts of heavy industrialized labor. According to town lore Kewaunee was Henry Ford’s second choice to build his assembly line factory for model T’s (it obviously was not selected). The surrounding area developed a strong agricultural economy and most businesses in town were dependent on farmers and agricultural activity. At present Kewaunee has an aging population, declining enrollment in schools, and a lack of employment opportunities. In a sense it is becoming the “lost” city.

There is no question that rural farming communities have been on a decline for quite some time. Look at populations, a larger and larger percent of people who live in this country live in cities. Only two percent of population has a direct hand in the production of food that the other 98% consume. According to the latest census only about 21% of Americans live in what the census bureau defines as “rural”. Rural areas tend to have higher unemployment and tend to have a higher proportion of low-wage jobs without benefits as opposed to urban counterparts. (Bauch 2001) Rural areas also tend to have less educated populations as opposed to urban areas. Every year farm production increases but rural population decreases and the number of farms decreases. The motto in agriculture, according to former Secretary of Agriculture, has become “get big or get out.”(Crist 1989) Technology brings greater yield but at what cost to the community that farms are located in?

Let’s look beyond the farms and to the communities that surround them. New technologies on the farm do not lead to a better life for all those who live in the community. New technologies hurt communities. New technologies require less people to work the land and be economically viable, new technologies are expensive and to keep up purchasing those small farms are put out of business. There has been a large increase in the profitability of farms with new technology but most of that technology has caused the profit to leave communities and limits the amount that stays in. These new technologies that are being purchased are more than likely not being produced in the small towns surrounding the farms.(Mayer 1993) Let’s take the example of my home town of Kewaunee once more. In Kewaunee once stood a company called Hamachecks, Hamachecks at one time made some of the finest pea viners ever made. At one time Kewaunee was considered the “center of the Pea viner industry.” (Page 1919) Large parts of Kewaunee were employed at this plant, my own father at one time worked at this plant. However over time new pea viners came into existence, bigger and better pea viners spurred on by the continuing demand for technology in the agricultural world. Eventually Hamachecks sold out their business and the factory now is home to an art village. A need for new technology in farming caused many people to lose their jobs and in many ways the town has never recovered. Here is another example. At one time in Kewaunee County there were over 20 cheese factories that local farmers brought milk to everyday, all locally owned and operated by either private owners or co-operatives. The last Co-operavtivly farmer owned cheese factory closed over 10 years ago. Today there is one and it has been owned by Kraft for the past 7 years. The plant has expanded and has brought new jobs to the era but many of those cheese factories lost recipes that can never be regained. Many of those cheese makers lost a livelihood and a way of life that can never be regained. Here is the negative feedback loop. A telling sign of the impact of growth and industrialization is the death of Co-operative system. In Kewaunee County there used to be one of the largest and most successful Co-ops in Northeast Wisconsin. This collection of farmers would provide members and all farmers with seed, fertilizer, pesticides, a place to ship products to market and etc. Two years ago the Co-op closed up and sold off its assets. The Co-op was made hard to keep afloat as members sold off farms and as bigger producers just simply step aside from the Co-op and went straight to producers to get goods at a cheaper rate. Farms continue to grow and need larger and more specialized products that local businesses cannot produce. This global economy and industrialization of agriculture have crippled rural communities.

Every year more and more people move from rural communities and often the people that move are young people. There is a brain drain in rural communities. The best and brightest do not stay in small towns because to be frankly honest there is not a great living to be made for those people in their home towns. People in rural areas tend to appreciate and value physical labor, not working in a “professional” desk job. Rural schools can foster a different sort of learning. Rural schools have higher graduation rates the urban schools, allow for better interaction between students and teachers, and can often be the center of activity and social interaction within a community.(Bauch 2001) But at the same time rural school districts are underfunded because of tax base (farmers do not pay a lot of property taxes) and teachers in these districts are paid less and often times alienated from the community. People who leave rural areas to go to further their education tend not to come back. (Bauch 2001) They used to because there used to be jobs for professionals in rural communities. When there were large amounts of small farmers they needed lawyers and accountants and small business owners to service them. But when there are not people to serve in these tasks then these professionals never come back home.

Solutions

When looking at the situation for rural farming communities the prognosis looks fairly grim. Industrialized agriculture calls for farms to continue to get bigger and bigger and I have pointed out the affects that these processes have on rural communities. For my home town and small towns everywhere there seems to be a few alternatives that may help stem the tide of the death of these communities.

Tourism seems like an interesting and exciting alternative that is wrought with possibilities for propping up communities. The problem is that there has to be something that people will take the time to go visit and spend money to see. My home town of Kewaunee Wisconsin is in an interesting place in regards to tourism. Kewaunee is situated 30 miles east of Green Bay on Lake Michigan and directly south of Door county, sometimes referred to as the door to Door County (on a personal note I find this name demeaning and sickening. It is marginalizing and degrading to every person who lives in a place to simply call it the gateway to another “better” place…but I digress.) There is potential for tourism in Kewaunee and there have been attempts at it to. A few years back there was a business man from Chicago who attempted the “Kewaunee Renaissance.” He bought several buildings downtown in Kewaunee and tried to reinvent the area, buying the old hotel, turning the Hamachek building into a hall and art studio, helping open a sports bar, helping finance a paint store and an ice cream parlor. It failed. He has sold most of the businesses. I am not sure why it failed, maybe it was because he was an outsider, maybe he was a bad business man, maybe people in this rural community do not want to be a tourist town, maybe people have no desire to come visit Kewaunee Wisconsin; it probably was all three and many more factors. The truth is tourism is a huge part of the economy of Wisconsin. Over 12 billion dollars is brought into the state of Wisconsin by tourism (Wisconsin, 2009) Tourism is an excellent source of income and there is no doubt that the state of Wisconsin should actively support tourism. This is a naturally diverse and beautiful state, but I find fault with tourism as a prime source of economic activity for an area. Tourism is very dependent on the health of an economy. When economies turn bad and growth stops the first thing that gets cut out of the family budget is vacations, and then those people who depend on those vacationers are left to deal with nobody coming to patronize their businesses. In Northern Wisconsin there are many properties that can be purchased just for back taxes. Communities that are dependent on tourism can shrivel up and die very easy. Tourism is a good supplement for a place that can attract tourism but I don’t think it should never the main source of income.

Organic and alternative farming presents an interesting alternative to industrial agriculture. Organic farms can be a way for small family farms to find a niche market and continue to survive. We have all been to the Madison farmers market; we all probably enjoy the farmers market and the fresh food that we can get from it. Organic farming can provide an excellent outlet for small farmers, but the catch is there has to be a market for your goods. Rural communities surrounding Madison can have prosperous small organic farms because there is a vibrant well educated culture that creates a demand for locally grown organic products. Looking at Kewaunee it seems unlikely that a farmers market would be as profitable in say Green Bay. There are local farmers markets, for example I just found out there was one in Kewaunee, I had no idea and I have lived their my entire life. It runs during peak tourist season when people drive through our “door to Door County.” I am not sure if organic, holistic farming is the answer for small farms and rural communities. However there is hope. Joel Salatin is a farmer from rural Virginia; he owns and manages Polyface Inc. an organic small farmer that does things in a different way. Joel believes in a holistic/non-industrial models for farming. His farm in rural Virginia is completely self-sustaining; they have never used fertilizer, a plow or any industrial farming methods. His farm has become so well-known he no longer needs to sell at farmers markets; he sells his products to those who come to him. His largest purchaser? Chipotle. (Salatin, 2011) Joel’s farm produces chicken, beef, pork, rabbits, turkeys, eggs, and lumber. He makes a profit and he goes around the country preaching the effectiveness of his natural grazing approach to farming. I will admit there seems to be potential in this way of farming but I am not sure how effective this agricultural model would be in Kewaunee.

A few years ago a Mediterranean style building was built 1 mile from my home. Everyone in the area wondered what this could be, then the grape vines were planted and it was realized it was a vineyard. Parallel 44 has existed for the past four years and joins an ever growing tradition of local wine and beer producers. (Taste, 2011) A new industry is growing, a tourist dependent industry, but non-the less a new industry. Locally produced wine and beer can in ways help revitalize communities. New Glarus Brewery has helped re-vitalize New Glarus and in more ways than just tourism. Parallel 44 does not employ many local people and in many ways is at odds with locals, but it is giving a new twist to an area that has been ravaged by the loss of small farms and industry.

I will admit none of these alternatives seem to be the answer to problem of the decline of rural America. I wish I could save my home, but I have to ask the question is rural America meant to be saved? There is progress for a reason; is my hometown just a victim of progress? I have no idea how I am going to make the world a better place and I am not sure if trying to help rural America and my hometown is making the world a better place, maybe it is just supposed to fade into history. But then I remember that there was a time when the finest pea viners in the entire world used to be made right there in the city with the second deepest natural harbor on Lake Michigan. There is a history of my home and all of these rural communities and that history may be worth saving. I am not sure if this will be my cause, if this can be the thing I will dedicate my life to, but I could think of worse causes. I love my home town and there may come a day when it no longer exists, but even if Kewaunee means “lost” it does not mean it should be lost just yet.

Works Cited

Bauch, Patricia A. (2001) School-Community Partnerships in Rural Schools: Leadership, Renewal, and a Sense of Place. Peabody Journal of Education, 76 (2), 204-221

Crist, Raymond E. (1989) Export Agriculture and the Expansion of Urban Slum Areas. The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 48(2), 143-149

Hughes Jr, Robert. (1987) Empowering Rural Families and Communities. Family Relations, 36 (4), 396- 401

“Kewaunee County.” Wisconline. All About Wisconsin Inc., 2011 Web 11 Nov. 2011 http://www.wisconline.com/counties/kewaunee/

Mayer , Leo V. (1993) Agricultural Change and Rural America. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 529, 80-91

Page, T.S. (1919, July 5) Odds and Ends. The Canner: Chicago IL, pg, 81

Salatin, Joel. “Welcome to Polyface Inc.” Polyface Farms Inc., 2011 Web 29 Nov. 2011

United States. Census Bureau. 2010 Census Report. Washington: GPO, 2011 http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-data.php

“Taste of the Tundra” Parallel 44 and Winery Inc., 2011 Web Nov. 30 2011

Wisconsin. Department of Tourism. The Economic Impact of Expenditures By Travelers On Wisconsin. Madison: GPO, 2009