#009: JM Fortier brings his passion for small-scale, ecology-first farming to this discussion about what motivates growers big and small to scale up, and what's missing from those conversations (nutrients! community! meaning and purpose!).
Jean-Martin (JM) Fortier has made a name for himself as a proponent of a small-scale, human-powered, and ecologically-sustainable style of "market gardening" that lends itself to cooperativism, community building, and visible resiliency within local food systems. Together with his wife Maude-Heléne Desrosches, he founded Les Jardins de Grelinette (Broadfork Gardens) in Quebec. He is the author of The Market Gardener: A Successful Grower's Handbook for Small-Scale Organic Farming, the educator behind the online course The Market Gardener's Masterclass, the star of the popular Quebecois reality television show Les Fermiers (The Farmers), and the operator of Quebec's La Ferme des Quatre Temps, a diversified ecological CSA farm that promotes biodiversity and soil growth. JM serves on the Real Organic Project's Advisory Board.
To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/jm-fortier-feeding-the-world-with-small-organic-farms-episode-nine
The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.
The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).
To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms
We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.
If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000 Real Fans!
https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/
To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/