Inspiration: How A Strawberry Farmer Changed His Industry
Jim Cochran arrived at work before dawn. He walked out into the strawberry fields. As the sun rose and light hit the field, he began to smell chemicals. His eyes watered. His head spun. He started to shake.
He had just walked into a field that had been sprayed with pesticides.
An acre of conventional strawberries is covered with 300 pounds of pesticides, 1,100 percent more than the average food crop. As he recovered from the effects of the spray he knew that he had to help the industry change.
Jim Cochran helped invent the organic strawberry industry. He didn’t just get the industry to rethink all of the pesticides it was applying. After pioneering the healthier crop, he turned his attention to the health of his workers. His workers make three times the national average for strawberry work, have health care, vacation pay and an employee owned stock plan.
Impossible is just something that hasn’t been done yet. Don’t let a word stand in the way of your vision.
#rethinkfood