Gratitude – Day 52 – The Gift of Farmers At one time people had close contact with the earth; virtually everyone knew how to gather, hunt, grow or otherwise acquire food. Common knowledge protected us from eating poisonous plants and berries. Much of human activity was given to finding and preparing enough to eat. At the incorporation of the United States more than ninety percent of the labor force consisted of farmers. At one time virtually all food was grown and managed within walking distance of where it was consumed. At present less than 1 percent of Americans claim farming as an occupation; less than half of them claim farming as their principal occupation. For most Americans acquiring food consists of getting in a mini-van and going to a large cinder block building and collecting canned and boxed food from shelves and perishable foods wrapped in cellophane and Styrofoam from freezers and refrigerators. The average American meal contains ingredients from six nations. Preparation of much of this food will consist of pushing ‘start’ on a microwave oven. Produce bought through conventional sources travels nearly fifteen hundred miles. Fruits and vegetables bought local travel about fifty six miles. There’s growing awareness of the economic, health, and environmental benefits of buying food locally produced. Buying locally grown food is a powerful way to invest in preserving the knowledge and livelihood of those providing fresh and nutritious foods. • I am grateful for farmers willing to get up before dawn on a cold winter morning to care for their livestock so I can enjoy fresh eggs, milk, and bacon at breakfast. • I am grateful for farmers willing to till the soil under an incendiary July sun so I can enjoy mashed potatoes with my sirloin steak at dinner. • I am grateful for those willing to take a gamble on the weather and their financial welfare every time they plant a crop or increase their herds.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 13:59:48 +0000
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