Some things are just hard to explain.
I have a question: Do you or have you ever owned and operated your own
farm. Sweating, working with God's earth and watching the crops or garden
grow. Putting your sweat and toil into something for years and watching your
family grow with it. The buildings we've built, all with their own set of
memories. Memories. Some farms have generations of memories. I know that my
children and their friends always want to come to our farm "cause there's
stuff to do" they say. More memories. But that's what life is made of. And I
hope to make it possible for my children and my children's children to live
on their own farm if they so desire. Their is no better place to raise a
family if it is a healthy farm.
Maybe it's cursed tradition sometimes to blame, I don't know. But do you
think I or any man wants to be the weak link in one generation after
generation another, to be the one to give up. I think not. I believe it is
much harder for a man to admit failure than it is for a man.
And for the last reason; it may be that it beats most other jobs out
their if the pay was ample, even if you did have to work double the hours
sometimes to get the job done. The feeling you get when you've done a job
well. Nobody else sees it most of the time. Just you and God.
Some things are just hard to explain.
Hope I didn't carry on too long.
Thanks,
Paul
-----Original Message-----
From: Marian Buckner <MEBUCKNER@wvwise.org>
To: sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu <sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu>
Date: Tuesday, August 17, 1999 5:10 PM
Subject: Why Do Farmers Keep Farming When It's Hard?
>
> Your answers can be helpful in developing our local strategy for farming
>and farmland protection, and hope you will send replies to the following
>question to me.
>
>QUESTION: Why do you think so many good farmers hold on and keep on
>farming, barely making it, working so hard, and getting so little monetary
>reward for their labors?
>
>MY COMMENTS: I realize that in some areas this may not apply, but it does
>apply here. Our farmers are experiencing two of the worst crises they
>have ever experienced: worst drought in many decades, and low commodity
>prices. I want to know what many of you think about WHY farmers keep
>trying to hold onto their land and keep farming in the face of so many
>difficulties.
>
> Anybody in insurance, plumbing, computer work, or just about any other
>job, under conditions farmers face, would have left that job long ago and
>found another line of work. Incredibly long hours, hard physical labor,
>little monetary reward (perhaps 2 cents out of every consumer food
>dollar). All that plus the drought. Plus knowing that people other than
>farmers are rejoicing in the monetary rewards of our present terrific
>economy.
>
> I am not looking for suggestions at this time about other options for
>farmers in their
>farming. I just want to know WHY you all think farmers hang in there.
>
> Thanks.
> Marian Buckner
>
>
>
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