Guthrie, who just completed the third season of his enterprise, now has 36 members in his cooperative. But just as important, Guthrie and his two-plus acres produce enough fruits and vegetables to sustain 50 people. In addition to growing for members of his cooperative, Guthrie sells to Iowa State's Scheman Building as part of Practical Farmers of Iowa's Field to Family program, to the nearby Nevada school system, and to local organic groceries. The ability to have an intimate relationship both with his land and with the people it feeds is for Guthrie a perfect fit. For him, consumers have faces, and soil is a living thing.
Organic agriculture is based on soil life community.
The more I can do to build up a healthier soil, the better production I'm going to have. Good, healthy soil produces healthier plants, which resist diseases and insects better. With things getting bigger and bigger, people feel disempowered. I think part of what I'm doing is helping people make connections. When they are connected with their food and to the farmer who grows it, that's a good, healthy thing.