A few words from the farm before bedtime. Theres no way to tell someone what its like to grow their food. Even if I spelled it out it just wouldnt make sense. Thats not a complaint or criticism. Its just a bare fact. And I probably cant explain why anyone would do it. I cant explain the nature of farmers, big or small. If you saw how the numbers stack up, you wouldnt bet on it. And yet farmers see the staggering odds and put their money down. Farmers are next year people. They buy the seed, organize land and labor, buildings and tools, learning and design, create grand plans and swear theyll make it work. Farmers cultivate, breed and plant. And then watch. They watch the sky, the soil, the bugs, the plants, the predators, the markets hoping they can read something in real time. Because they know the final score will add up to a win or a loss on every front. You go to work, shop in an air conditioned market and put food on your table. But you really dont know how it gets there. Or whats in it. There are the story books we saw as children. Farmer John has a small farm - a hundred years ago. There are the noble works of modern times inspiring us to bring back endearing small farms. Farmer John leaves the city and answers the call. There are corporate industrial farms for us to hiss and boo. But nothing is that simple or that easy. Last week farmer John was pulling out vegetable plants lost to root maggot. A pest just as disgusting as it sounds. Today Farmer John was on his knees in the dirt, mosquitos, horse flies and heat trimming and tying up tomato plants. And when farmer John comes home on market days, with his apprentice and son who share the work, they talk about the customer who wonders out loud why its so expensive to buy fresh food. They just dont know. But whether you know it or not your farmers - all of them - will get up tomorrow and grow your food. Theres a hurricane coming our way this weekend. Chances are youll be watching whatever you watch on TV or the internet. The farmers will be watching the sky and the crop in the ground. And like a bleary casino gambler at 2:00 AM as the wheel of fortune spins and the storm peaks theyll hope for some good luck and a good day at the market..So why do it? I dont know. I just walked way out on the pasture to lock up the mobile chicken coops for the night. The fireflies were lighting up all around the field and Sean, the barn cat, followed me all the way out to check on the stock.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Jul 2014 01:50:56 +0000
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