“The soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life.”
― Wendell Berry, The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture
I come from a agricultural family. It is who we are, and I assume it's why I continue to find myself returning to agricultural settings and mindsets. We are shaped by the people around us. Yet, this way of life so tied to who I am is slowly disappearing.
In my "Freddy 4-Her" post, I attempted to articulate the true value of agricultural youth programs. I attempted to express the need for that empathetic toughness found in farmers and ranchers across generations. The picture above was taken a few years ago at the Union County 4-H Fair. The elderly couple in the center of the photo are my father's parents--my Grandpa and Grandma Logue. Grandpa has since passed away, but even in his failing health, this was the event he insisted on attending. It was at this event he could see his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren working together, competing against one another, and falling in love with agriculture and livestock all over again.
The county fair each summer is a celebration of the agrarian cycle. It's held at a time when those who spend incredible energy planting in the spring can take a moment to come together with the rural community and display the efforts of their labors prior to the busyness of the fall harvest. Today, the likelihood of a 4-H kid participating in the harvest each fall is far less common than it was when my Grandpa Logue was in 4-H. At the time my Grandpa entered 4-H in 1930, 21% of the total U.S. population was employed in farming. By 1970, as my father was completing his 4-H tenure, that number had dropped to 4.6% of the labor force. By the time I entered 4-H, that number stood around 2%.
Ironically, my Grandpa Logue was never supposed to be a farmer. It was evident, when he was a young man, that the world was changing. He had an older brother, who would inherit the farm, and so, his intent was to go to college. Sadly, his brother passed away young, WWII broke out, and Grandpa came home, got married, and went to work on the farm. He was part of what is now referred to as the "Great Generation." The men of this generation were tough, driven, and empathetic. Many were agricultural or industrial workers, whose lives changed as they ventured across oceans to war. Yet, they came home and prospered themselves unlike any have done before or since. He was like them--tied to purpose. And, like many of them, he was born, lived, and died in the same house.
I've commented before about the strength of mind and character that I believe develops from time spent living an agrarian life. There is a sense of duty in rural people--a dedication and contentment in knowing that difficult actions are necessary and that rural people are up to the task. Much like my Grandparents generation, today's rural people take up the mantle of service to country.
I feel that I must issue a disclaimer here. I am not a veteran, and I don't attempt to understand what it means to be one, But when I see statistics demonstrating that nearly half of all servicemen/women come from rural areas, that these same people are 22% more likely to join the military than the rest of the country, I can't help be proud of rural Americans.
I stated earlier that the number of people living on farms in this country has dramatically fallen in recent years. Likewise, the number of rural people has continued to dwindle. Still, a dedication to patriotism, a value for the land that belongs to the generations before them and the generations to come persists. Perhaps this is the true value of agricultural programs for youth. Perhaps it is way to preserve a connection to the land and prosper a desire for freedom, both personal and corporate.
By establishing a connection with the land, we feel an inherent need to protect it. This is manifest many forms. Land management, fisheries management, and animal husbandry ensure food security for our nation. Mining and drilling ensure energy independence. Skilled industrial labor ensures manufacturing capabilities within our nations borders. And, as mentioned before, the majority of our armed forces personnel grow up with rural zip-codes.
I'm not attempting to undervalue urban people here, they fulfill many valuable roles in modern society. Without many of them, working hard everyday, rural people wouldn't have much of what they are now afforded. Likewise they couldn't provide the services they do without the support of rural people. This Memorial Day however, I thought we'd celebrate that way of life that built the country to its position of power. I thought we'd celebrate the way of life that continues to provide the infrastructure and manpower that drives the nation. I thought we'd celebrate a way of life that continues to persist under mounting economic and legislative pressures. I thought we'd celebrate rural life.
Today, we celebrate all those who have served our country, but I hold a special place for those rural people who carry that mantle. Thank you, for doing what is necessary. Thank you for doing your duty for the rest of us.
― Wendell Berry, The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture
I come from a agricultural family. It is who we are, and I assume it's why I continue to find myself returning to agricultural settings and mindsets. We are shaped by the people around us. Yet, this way of life so tied to who I am is slowly disappearing.
In my "Freddy 4-Her" post, I attempted to articulate the true value of agricultural youth programs. I attempted to express the need for that empathetic toughness found in farmers and ranchers across generations. The picture above was taken a few years ago at the Union County 4-H Fair. The elderly couple in the center of the photo are my father's parents--my Grandpa and Grandma Logue. Grandpa has since passed away, but even in his failing health, this was the event he insisted on attending. It was at this event he could see his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren working together, competing against one another, and falling in love with agriculture and livestock all over again.
The county fair each summer is a celebration of the agrarian cycle. It's held at a time when those who spend incredible energy planting in the spring can take a moment to come together with the rural community and display the efforts of their labors prior to the busyness of the fall harvest. Today, the likelihood of a 4-H kid participating in the harvest each fall is far less common than it was when my Grandpa Logue was in 4-H. At the time my Grandpa entered 4-H in 1930, 21% of the total U.S. population was employed in farming. By 1970, as my father was completing his 4-H tenure, that number had dropped to 4.6% of the labor force. By the time I entered 4-H, that number stood around 2%.
Ironically, my Grandpa Logue was never supposed to be a farmer. It was evident, when he was a young man, that the world was changing. He had an older brother, who would inherit the farm, and so, his intent was to go to college. Sadly, his brother passed away young, WWII broke out, and Grandpa came home, got married, and went to work on the farm. He was part of what is now referred to as the "Great Generation." The men of this generation were tough, driven, and empathetic. Many were agricultural or industrial workers, whose lives changed as they ventured across oceans to war. Yet, they came home and prospered themselves unlike any have done before or since. He was like them--tied to purpose. And, like many of them, he was born, lived, and died in the same house.
I've commented before about the strength of mind and character that I believe develops from time spent living an agrarian life. There is a sense of duty in rural people--a dedication and contentment in knowing that difficult actions are necessary and that rural people are up to the task. Much like my Grandparents generation, today's rural people take up the mantle of service to country.
I feel that I must issue a disclaimer here. I am not a veteran, and I don't attempt to understand what it means to be one, But when I see statistics demonstrating that nearly half of all servicemen/women come from rural areas, that these same people are 22% more likely to join the military than the rest of the country, I can't help be proud of rural Americans.
I stated earlier that the number of people living on farms in this country has dramatically fallen in recent years. Likewise, the number of rural people has continued to dwindle. Still, a dedication to patriotism, a value for the land that belongs to the generations before them and the generations to come persists. Perhaps this is the true value of agricultural programs for youth. Perhaps it is way to preserve a connection to the land and prosper a desire for freedom, both personal and corporate.
By establishing a connection with the land, we feel an inherent need to protect it. This is manifest many forms. Land management, fisheries management, and animal husbandry ensure food security for our nation. Mining and drilling ensure energy independence. Skilled industrial labor ensures manufacturing capabilities within our nations borders. And, as mentioned before, the majority of our armed forces personnel grow up with rural zip-codes.
I'm not attempting to undervalue urban people here, they fulfill many valuable roles in modern society. Without many of them, working hard everyday, rural people wouldn't have much of what they are now afforded. Likewise they couldn't provide the services they do without the support of rural people. This Memorial Day however, I thought we'd celebrate that way of life that built the country to its position of power. I thought we'd celebrate the way of life that continues to provide the infrastructure and manpower that drives the nation. I thought we'd celebrate a way of life that continues to persist under mounting economic and legislative pressures. I thought we'd celebrate rural life.
Today, we celebrate all those who have served our country, but I hold a special place for those rural people who carry that mantle. Thank you, for doing what is necessary. Thank you for doing your duty for the rest of us.