A Bold Return To Giving A Damn
 | Author:
Denise White Thompson, Rancher and Columnist
Denise Thompson |
A BOLD RETURN TO GIVING A DAMN
George Washington said the following: “Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful and most noble employment of man.” National Farmer’s Day was October 12th…….a day to spotlight all those who work in acres, not in hours. Broadwater County is a prolific farming community, rich in alfalfa, seed potatoes, grains/seeds and extremely devoted farmers.
Will Harris, world-renowned steward of the land, owner of White Oak Pastures in Georgia and accomplished author has been advocating for agriculture and the importance thereof for decades. An excerpt from his book, A Bold Return to Giving a Damn:
“I never used to tell the story of White Oaks much. Not for lack of pride - I am inordinately proud of our heritage here. But I was raised cowboy, and cowboys don’t gush about themselves to other people. I figured that since I don’t give a damn about most of their stories, why would they give a damn about mine? Yet that has been changing as more people realize that the food system is not as fine as they thought and that almost all their food comes from factories - the process plants that produce the final products and the animal factories and the “crop factories” of massive monoculture farms that raise the raw materials.
It’s human nature to be attracted to authenticity, and it gives people an urge to learn more about the opposite: the truly independent American family farm. Maybe the interest has been stoked by the fact that farms like this, and farmers like me, are, quite literally, a rare breed.
At the start of the 20th century, farmers comprised 41% of the American workforce. Today, farmers make up about one percent, and I’d estimate that less than one percent of this one percent are working outside the factory system entirely. Even a smaller percentage have been farming the same land for over a century and a half, and probably an even smaller percentage of them are as outspoken as I am about how it got to be this way. Rarity breeds curiosity.
I, like many others, am extremely proud of my agricultural heritage. Seeing the next generation embrace this lifestyle with such vim and vigor touches my heart in a most powerful way! Furthermore, I commend those generational family farms who have forged an ironclad path to ensuring their legacy lives on in a solid, wholesome and sustainable fashion. I commend you for sharing your story. You are a rare breed!
Perhaps we can all agree how vitally important it is to “Know Your Farmer. Know Your Food.” Ya reckon?
For the Love of Agriculture,
Denise Thompson
