Farming gets Tougher

A friend of mine was having hard times on the farm.He farmed hundreds of acres of land,the same land his father and his father's father farmed.Despite a inheritance of hard work and adherence to new scientific marvels that increased production,which would have been rewarded very handsomely in another industry,the return on his products remain ever so woeful.
Farming was part of my friend's heritage,so the thought of him chosing to tend the land and not making it,is chilling.
My friend's problem is not unique though, thousands of farmers not only in Michigan but across this country find themselves in similar situations. Our lives are tied together with a sense of concern.
As production, furnished by the new mechanical wonders & strange named fertilizers increased,farmers became even better producers. But in what seems a fluke, the family farm did not benefit from these technological advancements.
Farmers spent more,they produced more,but they never earned much more.
When land values increased,farmers were encouraged by government and banks to borrow more, Big is the way to be,we were told.
New farm equipment,new homes,barns,trucks,more land. Then land prices fell & lenders wanted their money back. The result was an earthquake of debt that emotionally unsettled rural America.
As family farms went under,anger rippled thoughout their communities.
I know most have felt sorry for the family farmer but yet at the same time speak about the wonders of how huge farm corporations can be so much more efficient,cheaper. They say such is the cost of progress. So thru the years,small farms began to vanish,some of my farm friends took jobs off the farm that paid better and were not dependent on seasons or the price of corn.Rural families left for the cities,cities began to bulge,people called it urban sprawl,and in the process former pasture lands were paved over for malls.
Living and dying with the family farm was once a symbolic image we all treasured,like family,hard work,and love of God & country. On the farm,everyone in the family had a job and a purpose. The place of work was the home & it provided an honest living along with a need for mutual trust. The management of the farm took place right at the kitchen table,a image that can't be replaced nor should it be.
Today,we are losing & in some cases have already lost that symbolic vision of the American family farm. Our world has become increasingly disconnected. More and more there is the idea we don't need each other,we have grown distant from one another,yet the old values of the American family farm remain as important today as in the past.
On Tuesday, I will say goodbye to my farming friend for the last time, as he sat at that kitchen table and the thought of failure took over his mind, it also took his life.
Amidst the frustration, I'm still optimistic though that as a nation we will eventually come to our senses and realize the valuable role of our family farms,that they are the producers of the food you put on your tables each and every day. With time,perseverance,ingenuity and a willingness to make necessary adjustments,success and farming may one day go hand in hand and the family farm as a symbol of family values,work ethic and overall spirituality will once again become a badge of honor for our nation!

Let's be careful out there,
TomK