My family moved to Lewis County the summer of 1965, so I am not a true native Washingtonian, but close to it — I do feel like one. Other than four years away at college (two years in Pullman and two years in Moscow, Idaho) I have not lived more than 25 miles from my family home where I grew up. My family had a dairy on Fords Prairie, outside of Centralia, known as Leprechaun Holsteins. Lewis County is my home and I love the climate and natural beauty that surrounds us here. I am now retired with only a part-time job and a volunteer commitment to the Lewis County Farm Bureau. But that is for another article.
Agriculture has always been my life. There are all sorts of cliches like “in your blood,” “who you are,” etc. that while trite, are true. Living a life in agriculture is a lifestyle, a chosen way to live and raise a family. And it can be a hard life, but still so rewarding. It is a life you chose and love or it just won’t work. It is not an easy life. Those of us who have chosen it, love it. It is our passion. It is “who we are.” We tend our crops and animals because it is our calling. Some types of agriculture are somewhat seasonal with very busy times of year with long hours and then other times of the year when we can catch our breath. Some, like the dairy I grew up on, are a 365-days-a-year endeavor. Others may disagree with me, but I feel that dairying is one of the most demanding occupations on a family as it is truly a 24/7/365 commitment — it is not for everybody. But no type of agriculture is. We each have our own niche, just like everybody else whether they be welders, teachers, truck drivers or clergy. We are all unique individuals and find what fits us. We all have different strengths and abilities, and that is where we can thrive.
It is hard to define agriculture in a way that everyone will understand and agree with. We do not even agree among ourselves — there is the old battle of is it farming or ranching? I grew up with the belief that farmers worked the dirt and ranchers worked livestock. We always referred to our property, our dairy, as “the ranch,” but just recently when talking with a dairy friend I used the word ranch referring to their operation and she quickly corrected me saying they lived on a dairy farm.
Oh well, there are more important issues facing us.
So, we define agriculture as producing food, fiber and fuel. Clear as mud, right? I admit to being mature (I did say I am retired), so don’t be surprised that I just pulled my rather large 1975 edition of Funk and Wagnalls Standard Encyclopedic Dictionary off the shelf. It says: agriculture (noun) The science and art of the cultivation of the soil, breeding and raising of livestock, etc.; tillage; farming.
Oh, that helps a lot—agriculture is farming.
So, I looked up farming: (noun) The business of operating a farm; agriculture.
I remember back in school they told us we could not use a word to define that same word — guess nobody told the dictionary publishers that. Most of us in agriculture assume everybody knows what agriculture is, but in reality, that is not the case. When I was in school, we used to say that the average American was two or three generations removed from farming — perhaps they got to go to their grandparents’ farm for vacations, so they had some exposure to agriculture. Today we are what? Five, six, maybe seven generations removed? Many of today’s youth do not even know stories about great grandparents who farmed, let alone have actually been on a farm or ranch. Many people today have no true understanding about where their food comes from, or what it takes to produce. But how can they when they have never been exposed to it? I think we need to fix that. People need to understand where their food comes from so that they can make the choice of eating good for them, wholesome and nourishing foods. It is so important in today’s world of quick and easy to fall into the trap of convenience without considering what that truly means to our bodies. (Again, maybe a future article.)
Perhaps you have seen signs reading “Know Farmers, Know Food.” Many of us read it two ways — literally and phonetically, as “No Farmers, No Food.” The first meaning — know who raises your food and you will know the quality of the food you are eating. The second meaning — without farmers, we don’t eat! That one is more than just a little bit scary. Those of us who make a living in agriculture are less than 2% of the population of the United States. But we feel we are a very important 2% as we provide food for the other 98%.
It has not always been that way. As more and more people opt for a 40-hour work week with guaranteed paycheck and medical benefits, the number remaining in farming gets smaller and smaller. And we need to become more and more efficient and productive with the same amount of land — or less. And we are losing farmland at an alarming rate.
Another problem is the increasing age of our farmers as many of our children decide to leave agriculture for the “easier” lifestyle of fewer work hours, guaranteed income and benefits, and that wonderful thing called (perhaps even paid) vacation. I remember having two vacations growing up. Ironically, my four sons and I also had two vacations while they were growing up. I have wondered what it would be like to have a vacation every year and how people can afford it. Guess I will never know.
This is a long way of saying we are losing farmers — we are losing family farms — and I wonder what will happen when we are all gone. The best thing that can happen for farmers is for all Americans to get behind farmers and fight for our right to farm, our right to feed everyone. We need American consumers to stand beside us and work with us. Get to know farmers in your community. Know where your food comes from. Know and understand the issues farmers are facing. Know the truth about farming. If you want an answer to your questions, ask a farmer. Do not just read and repost everything you see on social media. Much of it, possibly especially that produced by “influencers” who tell you they are experts, is misleading or just not true.
Agriculture is being attacked unjustly. We are stewards of our lands, caretakers of our livestock. Our land and our animals are our lives, not just our livelihoods. “Support your local farmer” is not just some whimsical expression. It is something all of us need to do if we want to continue to have the abundance of quality food that we are used to in the United States.
As I embark on this totally new and strange adventure of writing a regular newspaper column, I admit it is a little daunting, even unnerving, but I will give it my best shot. I welcome your comments and ideas about topics you would like me to discuss.
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Maureen Harkcom is president of the Lewis County Farm Bureau. She can be reached at maureen.harkcom@gmail.com.
