Page 5 - Quarterly Newsletter - December 2016

Agriculture & Natural Resources — Michelle Buchanan

Agriculture in the Midway District

Across the United States, especially in urban areas, people are looking at local food production differently. People
are wanting to incorporate local food production into their communities. A new movement called 'agrihoods,' is
sweeping suburban areas. These ‘agrihoods’ are a new type of neighborhood that serves up farm-to-table living in a
cooperative environment. Instead of being built around a pool, tennis court or golf course, these housing
developments are centered around a community garden or farm setting, often using the sweat-equity of residents to
create a sustainable food system to be enjoyed by the entire community.

Of course building a community around agriculture is nothing new and is a concept we are very familiar with in
the Midway District. The communities in the Midway District, county seats as well as other smaller communities are
ones that came into existence as a result of agriculture and are able to continue today because of it. However, with
less than two percent of Americans actively involved in farming today, it is becoming harder for individuals not
involved in farming to see farming as the lifeblood of their communities. How many generations do most folks have
to count back to find a farmer in the family? Probably four or five for many!

Of course we are all consumers and thus have a concerned interest in agriculture from that stand point, but by
being a member of a rural agriculture community we have a much more vested interest. Our economies, businesses,
tax base, etc. are all heavily influenced by what happens in the agriculture sector. If you take a minute to put the
pieces together, even if you are not a farmer, I bet you can make a direct connection to production agriculture.
So how important is agriculture to the counties in the Midway District? In 2016, for Russell County, the economic
contribution of agriculture is $271.2 million or 82.58% of the total economy and for Ellsworth County, it is $184.1
million or 65.26% if the total economy.

Compost Pile Maintenance

Compost piles should be turned about once per month even during the winter months. This will insure the
composting process continues and that all materials
are equally composted. A compost pile is “turned’
when uncomposted material is moved from the sides
and tops of the pile to the center where it provides
“fuel” for the microorganisms that break it down.
Water may need to be added if the material you
move to the center is dry. Check the moisture
content by squeezing a fistful in your hand. It should
feel moist but no excess water should drip out.
Compress the material as best you can as excess air
can slow the composting process.