Today served as kind of the ultimate experience of alternative agriculture. The day began with a trip to Tabletop Farms another organic (at least in practice) CSA farm. What was most notable about Tabletop was how it differed from yesterday’s farm. The Henry Wallace Farm is a part of the Henry Wallace Centers which is privileged to have a board of directors and donors so it operates as a non-profit organization. Meanwhile, the young couple, Luke and Sally Gran, who started and manage Tabletop had no such resources. It was really interesting to hear about the business side of the farm and by the time they finished explaining everything they had to do on their own I was in awe that they were still at it and seemed to be doing pretty well.

Luke and Sally’s story showed me how learning a diverse set of practical skills, from accounting to basic mechanics, can pay off in the long-term. And how when you lack certain skills you may need to depend on your social capital. Social capital was a word that Luke and Sally (I’m assuming this stems from Sally’s background as a sociology major) used very often and considered it one of their greatest resources. To them social capital referred to the web of relationships they had worked to create within their community. This web included neighbors, customers, old friends, and anyone else they had formed relationships with, and these connections enabled Luke and Sally to accomplish things that they otherwise might not have been able to on their own. This emphasis on community, which I have seen elsewhere in Iowa’s farm culture, contrasts with the individualistic attitude that many Americans have. While it seemed like Luke and Sally still have a lot of work to do before they have their feet planted firmly on the soil they seemed very hopeful for the future. It seemed that a willingness to continually learn new ways of doing things and new skills combined with the recognition of the benefits of reciprocal relationships were what had helped Luke and Sally to overcome various obstacles.