Francy That: Farm stories show the value of local agriculture

For the past several months, I have had the privilege of interviewing and writing about a few of the farmers in Carlton County. Summer is an extremely busy time for them, but they graciously sat down, answered my questions and shared their stories. I regret that I could not include every farmer in the county, but I believe that by informing readers about the lives of a few of them, understanding and appreciation will spread to all of those who work the land in our county. My main goal was to honor our neighbors who labor tirelessly to provide us with wholesome, locally grown food.

A friend who read the stories said, "These people are so real," and continued to explain that their genuineness shines through in their words and stories. It's difficult to describe the sense of tranquility that surrounds these individuals. Perhaps they gain perspective by working the land, watching crops and animals grow, weathering storms and droughts and changing times, following the rhythm of the seasons. Sitting and talking with them slows the tempo of the moment. And for each of them, their love of farming radiates like the sweltering summer sun. Over and over I heard how much they relish seeing the results of their efforts. None of them said they're in it for the money.

More than once, when asked about challenges, the sentiment was "I don't want to sound like I'm complaining." They briefly mentioned the reality of the difficult hurdles they face, but they all will much rather discuss positive aspects of their farms and show rather than tell how their farms operate. From the rows of produce in the fields, to cattle in a barn or pasture, coolers and hoop houses, they exhibit a humble satisfaction in their accomplishments.

My second reason for writing about local farmers was to encourage all of us to develop increased awareness about where and how our food is grown and what that means for the health of the planet. We are more than fortunate to have a county full of dedicated people who are willing to work all day to provide us with locally raised meat, vegetables, fruit, eggs and dairy products and more.

The alternatives found in the grocery store may be grown hundreds of miles away and processed in huge factory-type facilities. The owners of these operations don't live in our communities, pay taxes here or support our local economy. We won't find them serving as our fire chief, our child's baseball coach or on the local school board.

Research is showing the damage mega-farms have caused to the environment and to water supplies. While local family farms follow sustainable agricultural practices that will preserve the land for future generations, the same cannot be said for many of the practices followed by corporate farms.

Ghandi said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." If we investigate the factory farms where animals are raised in this country, Ghandi would say our greatness and moral progress as a nation is in reverse. On the other hand, the care given to their animals by the farmers I visited show that in Carlton County our "greatness" and "moral progress" are in good hands.

I know many of us already support our local farmers through the farmers market,

CSA shares, and direct buying of products such as berries and eggs. The residents of Carlton County have the unique opportunity to keep the farming tradition alive if we support our local farmers.

There is the slogan: "If you enjoy your freedom, thank a veteran." I want to add: "If you enjoy good, healthy food, thank a farmer."

Writer Francy Chammings is a retired English teacher and clinical psychologist who loves living in Carlton County. Contact her via the Pine Knot News at [email protected]