Hello everyone, we hope that you’re well and enjoying your summer! Congratulations go out to all our families, near and far, who are celebrating the close of another school year!
As families transition into their summer routines, we hope that you’ll stop by our weekly Pathfinder Produce market, open on Thursdays from 1 to 5 p.m. Keep a supply of delicious fruits and veggies on-hand to keep summer meals and snacks fresh, delicious and healthy! We also have our convenient online ordering site, so you can place your order and pick it up at one of our delivery sites … it’s easy!
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You may talk of all the nobles of the earth,
Of the kings who hold the nations in their thrall,
Yet in this we all agree, if we only look and see,
That the farmer is the (one) that feeds us all.
Of the kings who hold the nations in their thrall,
Yet in this we all agree, if we only look and see,
That the farmer is the (one) that feeds us all.
As I was working in my small garden plot this weekend a song in the “Little House” books came to mind. The lyrics were written in 1874, by Knowles Shaw, an evangelist minister better known for his hymn, “Bringing in the Sheaves.”
The song caught on as farmers were facing some real issues: the financial Panic of 1873, saturated markets as more land came into production, and fee hikes by the railroads, which small farmers relied upon to get their harvests to market. At that time, farmers joined together in The Grange Movement to advance their collective interests: Learn more at this page from the University at Houston’s Digital History site and this lesson from the Gilder Lehrman Institute.
The more we learn about our agricultural past, the better we can model our food and farming future. This past week, I saw that local students remain interested in farming and farm-related careers; there were about two dozen students who received Future Farmers of America awards at our school during the recent end-of-year ceremonies. The students were recognized for achievements in diverse STEM fields: agriculture and the environment, agricultural mechanics, and animal husbandry. The FFA’s vision statement is forward-looking, “Students …will achieve academic and personal growth, strengthen American agriculture and provide leadership to build healthy local communities, a strong nation, and a sustainable world.”
I was also encouraged in meeting several members of a local 4-H Club who presented Pathfinder Village with several pots of flowers for all of us to enjoy, part of their community service projects for the year. 4-H (head, heart, hands, and health) has been on the scene since the early 1900s, with its mission focused in helping “young people and their families gain the skills needed to be proactive forces in their communities and develop ideas for a more innovative economy.” Again, the focus is on positive youth development, community-based learning, and working to solve societal challenges.
According to State Comptroller DiNapoli, “While New York ranks 26th in the country in terms of overall agricultural sales, there are several items—such as dairy, fruits, berries, wine, and some vegetables—in which New York ranks among the biggest producers in the nation.” I hope that schools, the Education Department, and communities can encourage more young people to look to agriculture as a career; that the Federal government better supports independent family farms in its policies; and that farmers are encouraged to diversify crops. In general, we are too reliant on the monoculture model (about half of New York’s farms are highly focused in dairy; we’re the nation’s third-largest dairy producer). Crops that would appear to be promising for New York are hops, which were once extensively grown throughout the region and are now important to a resurging craft beer industry. Hemp, which is slowly gaining a foothold and not hallucinogenic, can be transformed into food ingredients, paper (saving trees), bio-fuel, biodegradable plastics, clothing, building materials, and more. (Hemp crowds out weeds, so it needs few herbicide applications and can be grown on marginal land).
Until next time, thank a farmer!
Lori
