Why Every Family Should Have A Farmer

Let me explain. I think it would be great if we could all just quit our jobs and grow food and focus on the simple things in life. However, I know that many people have no desire to grow food on their own and would much prefer that the food is grown by other people. There are, in fact, entire families in which not one person is interested in growing food. That is ok with me! I believe we all have our own giftings which we can use to bless others, and not everyone is a gardener. I can’t play the violin, I am not an engineer, and I cannot paint a beautiful landscape. I am so happy there are others that have the skill and passion to do a variety of things well. The world is such a rich place because of the differences between us.

So, what I mean by, “Every family should have a farmer,” is not that every family should have one person who grows all the food. I mean this in the sense that in our society we rely on a variety of professionals to help attend to our needs. You probably have a doctor, or maybe several, who tends to your family. You may have a family accountant. Or a particular lawyer you use when you need papers drawn up. You take your family to a dentist. You may have a favorite mechanic.

Every family should have, in addition to all of these other professionals who help our lives to run smoothly, a farmer they rely on to provide them with healthy nourishing food. You may be thinking, “Well, obviously I already have a farmer. Farmers grow the food I buy at the supermarket. ” Yes, farmers do. But you do not buy it directly from them. This matters for a couple of reasons.

The first reason this matters is that when a farmer sells a product directly to a consumer, they can make a higher profit. When they sell food to a grocery store they are paid less so that the store can still make money and the cost to the consumer is still affordable. You can buy higher quality food at a lower price directly from the farmer, but they will make more on it than they would make if they sold it to a store. It is a better deal for both of you.

The other reason why this matters is because of accountability. When the person who grows your food also has to see you face to face and look into your eyes, when they watch your children grow, when you develop a relationship with them, they might make different choices in regards to the production of your food. When a farmer has people coming to their farm to buy food directly from them, they might make different choices regarding aesthetics, sanitation, pesticides and animal care. One of the reasons our current food system has gotten so out of control with the use of pesticides and the poor care of animals is that farmers have zero contact with consumers. Most people who buy food from the store don’t even know one real farmer, which leads to misunderstanding on both sides about who the other people even are. Consumers are quick to blame farmers for the poor treatment of animals and poison crops or outbreaks of food borne illness, but consumers still want to buy the cheapest food possible and they want to buy everything they need for every part of their lives in one store.

As we move forward into the future, what makes sense to me is for people to become less removed from the production of their food. One way is to grow it themselves. Another way is to know their farmers personally. Find one near you. You may have to do a little research to find all the foods you are looking for, maybe you will luck out and find someone near you who has vegetables, fruits, and assorted meat and dairy products. Try a farmers market, various vendors gather and sell all kinds of things. You can also find out if their are any CSA’s in your area. CSA stands for community supported agriculture. A farm will sell shares of their upcoming harvest. You usually buy in at the beginning of the season and pay for the entire season, or sometimes on a monthly basis. This entitles you to a weekly food box. Some CSA’s are just veggies, some also include meat, dairy items, and fruit. Ask around your farmers market to see if you can get any leads. Some of these services will even deliver!

One of the best things Americans can do to help the environment, be kind to animals, and improve their own health is to bring back small scale agriculture. Buy animal products from animals kept on pasture and vegetables and fruits produced without pesticides.

Do you have a family farmer? If you don’t, find one. Let it be a family project/adventure. You can do this knowing that you are doing something to affect positive change. To me, this is just as important as recycling. Start voting with your dollars for healthier ways to produce food today!