Larry Thompson was born and raised on the family farm in Boring, Oregon. His family began growing berries on the low rolling hills southeast of Portland in 1947, and now grow 32 crops on their 100-acre farm. His mother Betty, who is still an active partner in the farming business, recently celebrated her 75th birthday. Larry and his wife, Kathy, their children, and some of his nieces and nephews work on the farm, while his brother and sister help out on weekends.

Over the past two decades, the Thompsons have become much more aware of the impact their farm has on the community and the environment, and this has brought them rich rewards. "How I make my living has to fit in with my goals as a caretaker of the land," Larry says. "When I leave this ground, I want it to be in better shape than when I arrived. For example, we look at the watershed – we don't use harsh chemicals that will leach into the rivers, streams, and water system. We have created a good, safe food system for the local community that doesn't harm the environment. In return, the community realizes and believes in what we are doing and they have embraced us with their support."

"My father and I used cover crops to stem soil erosion,” Larry remembers. “We found we had the positive by-product of very few insect or fungus problems." A 1988 case study of his farm by Oregon State University scientists, which was funded by Western SARE, confirmed that his approach to agriculture was environmentally sound and increased soil productivity. "After the researchers drilled me about my methods, and I had the chance to interact with them about the scientific implications of my practices, I embraced sustainable agriculture with enthusiasm."

The Thompson farm today cultivates a high number of beneficial insects through cover cropping and other techniques, applies no chemical insecticides or fungicides, and uses about a quarter of the recommended amounts of herbicides for weed control.

Since his father’s time, Larry has shifted the marketing of his crops from processors to the fresh market. He believes strongly in consumer outreach to build demand for products that taste good, meet local needs, connect farming with its urban neighbors, and reward producers for environmental awareness.

"We raise Hood and Rainier strawberry varieties that are the sweetest berries in the world," Larry says. "We want folks to come and talk with us at our fresh market stands, experience picking berries in the field with their children, and just enjoy the true fruits of their community."

The Thompsons operate fresh market fruit and vegetable stands at four area farmers’ markets and on-site at their farm. U-pick operations for berries and vegetables and other farm activities take place seven-days-a-week from June through pumpkin-picking in November.

"Farming is a lot of fun, but you have to look at it as a business as well as a way of life," Larry says. "I hope that my interest in direct marketing will help Western SARE equip producers for the economic challenges and opportunities of the new century." Larry is now the regional chair of Western SARE’s governing Administrative Council. He is the first farmer to hold the Western U.S. post. According to Larry, having a farmer lead the Western U.S. effort is important because he can bring in a grassroots view. When he considers sustainable agriculture policy, or research, education and professional development priorities, his first question is "Does it work at the grower level?"

Larry is confident that the future is bright for his family's farm and for other small farms like it. "With Western SARE's "Farming and Ranching for Profit, Stewardship and Community Conference" in Portland, we have a wonderful opportunity to share information and build momentum toward sustaining viable farms and a healthy, secure food system. Even if we transform only a small segment of agriculture, it will bring huge benefits to our communities and farms – environmental, social, and economic benefits."

"The globalization of the food chain has made the general population very nervous about the health and safety of their food, and rightly so. NAFTA, GATT and recent fallout from the World Trade Organization meetings in Seattle have shown a lot of people that, yes, we need to think globally for corporate America, but we also need to think regionally and locally. That's what the SARE program is about, and government support for SARE shows that the current administration recognizes this as a serious need."

"The emphasis throughout Western SARE is on agriculture in the context of community, environmental, and economic stability. Instead of seeing my farm as my own secluded hideaway, I am getting the community involved in our farming, bringing them out to see our principles in action. There are many ways to do this – through on-farm marketing, community-supported agriculture, farmers' markets, research and general education. We are not only exchanging food and dollars with our customers, we are also exchanging ideas with them. This is creating a lot of trust and a solid, environmentally sound food system."

"Sustainable agriculture is about keeping farms profitable and protecting the environment, but if you think about it, it's much more than that. We are also providing kids and their parents with experiences that will shape the way they think about farming and food. Most kids today won't be farmers, but many of them will vote on farm issues of the future. People have a natural affinity to the land, the soil, and the food they eat. The computer age leaves people feeling detached, but farming brings them back to the land, connects them to each other and to things that have meaning. Creating positive experiences and memories are an important part of farming."

In Larry's view, strong viable farms are really the foundation of a community. "We can think of our farms and communities as a 'foodshed' – like a watershed where the small individual streams eventually flow together into one healthy, sustaining river. The produce of our farms, grown and marketed within the community, provides important multiplier effects. So from an economic perspective, it really helps make a strong community."

"In January 2000 SARE received significant new funding from the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service for exactly this kind of development – growing, processing, and direct marketing within a local food system. To me, this confirms that we are on the right track. People in USDA have recognized that the SARE program is not a subsidy. SARE is a regionally administered, locally operated granting program where farmers and others have to earn the grants they receive by working to improve the environmental and economic security of our food system."

Larry feels a major distinction of the SARE program is that it is grassroots driven. "Farmers and ranchers have an equal say in all levels, from developing and distributing SARE's annual Requests For Proposals, to reviewing the submissions, to the final funding decisions. The local community and society as a whole greatly benefit from SARE grants farmers and ranchers use to improve their businesses."

"The SARE program leverages public dollars with private investments. Farmers and ranchers are more than willing to invest their own dollars, their time and energy if they feel it will benefit their community and their future. It encourages the folks closest to the ground to contribute their ideas on what we can do different and better, and to share what they learn with others in their community. Farmers like to hear from other farmers; that's who they trust. SARE recognizes farmers as valuable resources. I think that's quite unique."

"By showcasing sustainable agriculture’s many successes, I hope the Portland conference will show how well the money has been used, the thousands of people it has impacted. Not only the farmers, but the whole foodshed including the stores, restaurants, farmers markets and niche marketing people, and the ultimate end user – the general consumer. It is so inspiring to see all these success stories coming together. We can take that back to Washington, D.C. to demonstrate all the good things that have come from the money they have given us." Along the way, Thompson hopes the SARE program can be instrumental in getting all kinds of stakeholders more involved in setting direction and policies for agriculture in the United States.

"Agricultural policy-making has traditionally been top-down, heavy-handed and splintered in focus. This isn't working very well. In the future, farmers and other stakeholders will be the foundation for bottom-up policy making. So often the environmental, agriculture, community and other stakeholders have been pitted against each other. Now that SARE and other sustainable agriculture programs are helping us work together to find a shared vision for the improvement of the food system, the environment, and our communities, I hope policy-making can become much more participatory. Everyone is a stakeholder in this process, and by working together we are beginning to evolve valid and workable solutions that can guide our government in the future. This is not a mentality of us against them. We are all in this together."

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