A story about philosophies and consequences inspired by the prominent economic-political forces in Maine
EDITOR’S NOTE: The ‘farmers’ are Christopher St. John, of the Maine Center for Economic Policy, and J. Scott Moody, of the Maine Heritage Policy Center, who often testify before the Maine Legislature on economic and tax matters.

A Maine family asks two farmers, St. John and Moody, how to improve the yield from their field and orchard.

Farmer Moody walks out into the field and orchard. He talks with the workers and family members.

Seeing the weeds and strangling vines, he says, “There are too many weeds and strangling vines here. We must cut back the weeds and vines. Then the trees and plants will bear more fruit, and the harvest will be greater from the fields. Everyone will be happier and live better on the healthful produce. More people will come to see our good work.”

Farmer St. John walks into the field and orchard. He talks with a lot of people getting fruit and produce from the property, but few with experience in farming. From these meetings he creates a group called ‘Alliance of Prosperity,’ which allies with another farmers’ organization, SmartGrowing, to talk to the family.

Before, Farmer St. John and previous alliances had encouraged the weeds and vines in the first place, in order to ‘redeem’ the land. They are deeply opposed to the removal of any weeds or vines. They say, “We can’t be wrong, because what we want is good.”

They get the Maine family to pay for an expensive out-of-state farmer’s advisory group to study the problem of lower yields. Dutifully and diligently, this advisory group asks many users of the harvest, but few of the workers, or the family members of the property, about what should be done.

When done, the ‘Alliance’ trumpets the study.

They declare, “We have heard the grumblings of the workers and owner family. We need to tend to the weeds and vines. But, the family must not disturb the weeds and vines too much, because they were planted to eventually improve the harvest, we believe. The family must weed the orchard and field along the edges, but only along the edges. Weeding the edges will make the harvest more bountiful on the whole property. That’s reforming the weeds and vines. The family must be weed and harvest-neutral.”

The alliance also says: “The best asset of the property is its ‘natural state.’ You should mortgage the future income from your property, and give the money to others to buy it and keep it from any productive use. You should charge more to visitors who come to enjoy the field and the orchard, shifting more of the costs to them. You should ‘consolidate’ smaller farm operations into larger-sized operations giving greater central control.”

Farmer Moody observes, “Look west to the land next door. A field and orchard, much like this one, is there. It produces more. It has fewer weeds and strangling vines. In fact, it produces so much some of the produce feeds and keeps our families healthy here. More commerce occurs there, because it has fewer weeds. Isn’t that a better way to do things?”

Farmer St. John appears annoyed at Farmer Moody for speaking. “Farmer Moody cannot see straight,” he says. “Besides, it is said that Farmer Moody is paid by suspicious sources.”

The Maine family reluctantly acquiesces to Farmer St. John and the alliance, and focuses on the edges. The project to improve the yield from the field and orchard eventually falls apart, and another growing season is wasted.

In a few years, the field and orchard produces even less. Because less is produced, the families who remain live poorer than their neighbors to the west. Fewer people come to the field and orchard, afraid of the weeds and vines. The family and the workers begin to turn away and leave the property. They sell it to whomever they can.

Farmer St. John and his alliance, seeing the result, are puzzled. They say, “The weeds and vines are not that bad. Why don’t the workers and owners just work longer and work harder. This is the way life should be.”

Farmer Moody just shakes his head, and keeps on saying, “Cut the weeds and vines. You’ll get a better harvest.”

J Dwight, a Registered Investment Advisor and farm owner, lives in Wilton.