A few weeks ago I got the weekly newsletter from my daughter’s teacher and there were pictures of the students working on something. When I asked her more about the pictures she excitedly told me that the whole school (don’t get excited, it is a very small school) was working on a raised bed garden project. I was somewhat interested, and decided to talk to the other teachers about it (I had been out with my other daughter who was sick, so wasn’t a part of that weeks activities like I normally am). I was informed that there was an individual in the community who had contacted the school about being a guinea pig for a project she wanted to start. The pitch: she is interested in selling products to businesses and schools that would help them become more sustainable via growing some of their own fruits and vegetables. For us she would provide all the supplies and materials to build a raised bed vegetable garden for free, and in return the school would allow her to use the information she gathered for future presentations (pictures, pros, cons, etc.). I thought that this was a unique opportunity, and was glad that the school had agreed to go for it. Although I have not been directly involved yet, I’m eager to see how much the school invests, and what we will do with the garden over the summer months.
It was even more interesting that after hearing about this small garden we were asked to sit in on the showing of “The Greenhorns” video. I have to admit that it is a big leap from a 4x6 foot garden to a hundred acre farm, but the idea behind each is not so very different; grow healthy, organic food for the local population. Sounds good, right? Well at first I thought so, and I am still on board with the school garden, but the thought of becoming even a part time farmer is not something that particularly interests me. Just like there are some people who should not be teachers, I believe there are some people not cut out to be farmers. Allergies aside (and I have a horrible time in the spring and fall as it is), I am not the kind of person who enjoys planting anything. I can’t even keep flowers alive. The idea of spending my summers hunched over while planting, watering, weeding, and finally harvesting food is not something I want to dwell on for long.
So why not look into animals, you ask? Well I have several personal reasons that I stay away from farms, not the least of which being the allergies I mentioned earlier. I am allergic to any animal that sheds, hay, pollen, dust, and more. Not exactly a winning combination for a farm hand. Another reason is that I do not own any property, and have limited resources to be able to find and then get to people who do. There is a history of farming in my family, but other branches of the family tree have been more productive in that avenue than mine.
My great grandparents used to have dairy cows (my very rough estimate would put it at about 60 to 100 heads), horses, a few dogs, and lots of cats. Now my great uncle owns the property and the only thing he keeps in the dairy barn is his antique Mercedes and some other old cars. He and his wife sold the cattle about five to ten years ago because the cost was outweighing the profit. Smart economically for them, but kind of sad to think about, and I’m sure they aren’t the only ones who went that route. While I do not plan to follow in grandparents footsteps like some of their children and grandchildren have, I do know that if I ever had a question about the farm there would be no end to the stories and knowledge that have been saved from over the generations. When I heard the video talking about mentors it brought that side of my family into mind. Not many of them are still farming, but they could pass along what they know to another generation (as long as it isn’t me). I appreciate all the hard work that they have done in the past, and that people my age are taking up now, I just don’t see myself being among them. Some people might say that I have an advantage being so close to relatives who have been in agriculture for generations. I say that I am happy for the people who feel it is their calling to become farmers with a new vision for sustainability.
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