Thoughts on a Farm

This is for two women who ascended The bar this week.

A recent quick trip to DC mimicked a plop of effervescent antacid in water, lots of swirling and mingling and muscle unclenching. What started as an innocent re-entry conversation about daily farm life ended with the grand idea to graffiti existential philosophy on the backsides of dairy cows. The thought is not madness: among such a palette for reflection and soul stretching there are too many hours between the moment of enlightenment and one's journal. I must keep record of this illumination with scribbles, otherwise neural pathways and indents on the heart seem too subtle.

This is for Larga Vista, the raw milk dairy that momentarily was smeared with tags - the impression of small moments much more durable.

:: scroll through the following posts or click the links. last photo in set is "Milk Parlor" ::

• Sun
• Trust
• Play
• Rich
• Arrived via Mail
• deLIGHT
• Milkmaids
• Pour
• Suficiente
• Silo
• Hospital Bird
• Milk Parlor

Sun

Trust

Play

Rich

Arrived via Mail

deLIGHT

Milkmaids

Pour

Suficiente

Silo

Hospital Bird

Milk Parlor

Group member of ASOCIAl Yeguare, Tabla Grande, Honduras (beans)

buoyantierra author, Avondale CO (arugula, garlic)

Gil Obando, El Ocotal, Honduras (coffee)

Dr. Mike Bartolo, CSU Arkansas Valley Research Station (onions)

Market, Yuscaran, Honduras

Exael Obando, El Ocotal, Honduras (coffee)

Handed -

Head-tilting question of last week: why tell the story of individual workers?

Is this not a vain attempt to seek affirmation for dedicating 50% of waking hours to mundane/excruciating work while eliminating hope to someday model pristine fingernails and focus attention inside four walls ever again?

Yes.

Not exactly.

If we know each other better and are prompted to think in terms of human livelihood, will the value we place on food be reflected in our assessment and investment in farming's interwoven component parts?

via Wendell Berry, agriculture's exchange with agri-industry

culture > industrial economy
land > resources
work > labor/management
people > consumers
community > government

hence, H A N D E D >

to eaters - from field to the table

from workers - economically/culturally displaced, willing, idealistic, sore

through generations - soil, bugs, families, environmental stewards, politicians