Members of the new Delmarva division at their first meeting.

By Natalie McGill and Stewart Lundy, Owners & Operators of Perennial Roots Farm

Farmers tend to be rugged individualists. They might be a little rough around the edges, but that tough skin is just part of how they are able to do the hard work of farming. The constant ups and downs in farming require real grit. In recent years, a new wave of farming has been evolving out of a totally different and unique set of goals and needs. Farming, today, is often not inherited. This new breed of farmers has broken from their conventional schooling, training, and has made a definite move to start a new farm. These farmers are initiates; they’re not out to repeat old mistakes. They’re out to create something revolutionary, reclaiming wasted land and renewing the earth.

The Delmarva peninsula can (and should) be feeding the entire eastern seaboard. Our region’s ideal growing conditions plus our proximity to major urban population centers gives us a unique sustainable edge. All we need to do is start working together. It won’t be easy, but it’s already beginning. This new strain of farmer is mobilizing to transform the food system of the eastern shore — and beyond.

This month, the collaboration of nearly fifty farmers gave birth to a new Farmers Union division to represent Delmarva. We elected board members from each state in an effort to cooperate, educate, and influence policy. Farmers and friends of farmers alike are encouraged to join our movement. Consumers need good farmers — and farmers need good consumers!

Click here to join the new Delmarva division.

This article first appeared in Edible Delmarva. Stewart Lundy is the newly elected president of the Delmarva division.

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