|
She is so right about the love the family farmer has for the land. Agri-business has no soul; family farming is all about soul, about nurture, about service and about stewardship of the land and the community.
The land my cousin farms today belonged to our mutual great-great-grandfather. It has been in the family for many generations. I remember how my grandfather, way back in the '40s and '50s, cared for that land, how he worked to prevent its erosion and how he alternated crops to keep the land alive. Loving that land is a tradition in our family even for those of who no longer live near it.
Some distant members of my family still live on land in Indiana that our common ancestors homesteaded nearly 200 years ago before Indiana was a state. Our ancestors are buried in the cemetery across from their family home, and a Methodist church still stands on the land next to their farm. That church is on the same land where our ancestors helped build a Methodist church back when the area was first settled by Europeans.
Many families share the devotion to the traditions of stewardship of the land that my family feels. Thanks, John and Elizabeth for understanding the concerns of family farmers. Family farms are an important part of American culture and values.
|
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
