MPR News Feature; Minnesota organic farmer gives a tour of his fields

Arriving at the Cunningham farm one notices nothing unusual the corn and beans are mature and ready for the combine. But unlike his neighbors Earl Cunningham runs his farm without the help of the county agent chemical sprays or fertilisers. Instead he's on an organic natural farming program a program involving the treatment of his soil with a relatively inexpensive humus and mineral soil conditioner. Careful crop rotation and according to Cunningham a sincere love for the earth. In fact Earl Cunningham is so enthusiastic about organic farming it's become a part of his personal philosophy his view of life. It rather amazes me to have a group such as this to come and see our place because we really aren't a very illustrious we're just country folk and all that we have done is listen to nature and Fellas if you know the truth it will make you free. And I believe that the truth that's involved in our soil is very significant. And when I attend services on Sunday morning. I worship the Creator but I believe that he's

the same Creator that made the soil. And I mean I mean that he made in my estimation everything. And truth to me fellows is one ball of wax and you can worship the Creator on Sunday and go out and prostitute is so on money and I am persuaded that many of my neighbors and even my own family some of my own family are prostituting the soil. And I think that they are. Unfortunately oblivious of the natural creative process in the soil and the philosophy that an all wise Creator had when he made this soil regarding the soil that I have been permitted to have the custody of the shark very much. OK I'm told that John Deere and motion hay wagon in tow we toured the fields Cunningham's crops equalled or surpassed those of his neighbors. A prime example was the Cunningham corn while the fourth year of drought left neighboring chemically farm fields with poor yields. Cunningham's crop is good and he says he believes he is

the only farmer in the area who has not applied for federal disaster relief payments. At one point we stop to take a closer look. One of the members of the group was John gost of agricultural economist trained in conventional chemical farming methods at the University of Minnesota. A gust of ich was impressed on the way out here to this cornfield John it was suggested that this land was cultivated twice and it looks pretty weightless to me but how do you judge it. I think this is I think anybody would say this is a real clean cornfield. There's not there's no grasses in here there's no broad leaves. And this is this is really you know this stands testimony to Mr. Cunningham firing the fact that we're just mechanical cultivation and rotation he's able to keep the fields as clean as a lot of farmers that even use herbicides would be proud to have a field that look this good. It's unbelievable and you see if it was that so that's my concern is I'm concerned about the side effects of chemical agriculture.

I am very concerned about it I know that there are things wrong with chemical agriculture. And you don't need it. That's the farce of that whole thing you don't need it what do you need it for exploring the middle of the cornfield with us Charles Reiner to physics professor and citizen member of the state Environmental Quality Council's pesticide task force runner discovered what everyone agreed was unusually fertile soil. What do you see about this. You know how does this how does this earth and how does this feel look to you it's the only field I've ever walked into a Greg where the soil is absolutely full of earth worm holes if you look down by the down corn plant. Here we are in a downer here we have I'll bet 25 earth worm holes I've never seen that in a cornfield and if you dig down and use my pocket knife here we were finding earthworms the floor back there you can do all the fishing you wanted to do. Look at that. More Eastern it's a marine full well. Understand why he's a bit of that evangelist Thank you.

What is what accounts for one of them. There's a worm or a good side. I don't know what to do with the lack of girls. Yes I think that's what he would argue with are the earthworms are normally being killed are just what the situation is I don't know but pretty clear that it's a very very fertile soil the right structure seems to be good. There's a new year on a good sized ear on every stock as you've seen it's delightful especially for a drought year within that corn. Here's an ear that's completely filled out to the end of the state fair you might argue it's a big one. It's uniform and it's filled all the way around the world all the way out and the soil has as Terry has pointed out a very very clean and fertile soil. Order to it to almost like your compost. Clearly impressed the group returned to the farmhouse where Cunningham pointed out that like his

crops his profits are good to organic farmers don't have to purchase expensive chemical nutrients and pesticides and moreover the quality of the crops is said to be so good that Cunningham and a small group of farmers like him hope that soon they'll be able to command premium prices. If organic farming is so successful why aren't more farmers involved. Cunningham says his experience is not unusual but he points out that without chemical aids a farmer has to plan crop rotation carefully and work hard at learning how to work with nature. At the same time advocates of conventional chemical farming techniques continue to argue that chemical control is essential to assuring a large crop yields. However long the research and debate continues though one thing is clear. Earl Cunningham is convinced that chemicals just aren't necessary and nature's way is the only way. Every morning I remember this spiritual verse that says they labor in vain that build a house except God build it.

And I asked for spiritual guidance every day as to what I ought best to do. And I'm sure that if all farmers would do that there'd be much less traffic in farm chemicals organic farmer Earl Cunningham. And this is Greg Baron.