Like all good ideas (socialism, nationalized medicine, capitalism), sustainable agriculture is wonderful...in theory. But how can it work in reality? Farmers are 2% of the population and more and more acres of farmland are being developed into housing and golf courses. They compete with each other for market share, hoping other farmers will fail so commodity prices will go up, and they feel lucky if they make enough profit to gamble again next planting season. How can they embrace a method of farming that costs more to produce less? Few Americans (or foreign markets) will pay more for food - they feel that cheap food is a RIGHT. On a small scale with a contracted direct market, i.e. customers willing to pay a premium for sustain-ably produced products, a committed farmer could thrive. But how many people will pay $5 for a loaf of bread produced by sustainable agricultural practices when the high-tech non-sustainable methods produce a $3 loaf? It usually comes down to cost. And as you state, many don't even know what sustainable agricultural products are! I would love to see mainstream agriculture embrace sustainable practices, but it might take a wide-spread natural disaster, for example, another Dust Bowl, to provide some incentive. You make some interesting points, Lise. At KAF, we hope that by doing what we can to encourage and support sustainable agriculture - and to educate our customers about it - we'll contribute to a greater understanding of and demand for sustainably produced products. We recognize it will be a difficult row to hoe, so to speak, but we believe it's worth the effort! -Allison@KAF

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