Here’s something I wrote awhile back and never really posted it. Sorry for such a long delay in posts too. Hope this article makes up for it.
A couple of weeks ago, a young person told me they wanted to farm. Really. And it made me want to cry. Not out of pity but out of enthusiasm and joy for them. That’s why when I saw the blog post on May 24, 2011 from Oakhill Organics Farm in Oregon about this same subject, I just about fell over.
It’s really an amazing thing growing food for yourself and others. Farming is hard work. No one can deny that. But honestly, that’s what makes it so good. You are working hard for something good and honest and pure.
And just in case you’re wondering, I’m talking about farming on a small scale and farming sustainably. And it is so much easier for a young farmer to start farming like this. It doesn’t take much capital in the beginning. And North Carolina is definitely an awesome place for beginning farmers. There are so many sustainable farms that you can intern with in North Carolina. You can find some intern opportunities for North and South Carolina at ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) and at Carolina Farm Stewardship Association.
I just read this article, “On Tiny Plots, A New Generation of Farmers Emerges” which came out in 2009. Here’s a quote from the article that I just love.
Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food, says he first encountered young farmers in 2006, and is excited about them.
This career choice can be a tough sell to parents who might have envisioned a more lucrative calling for their kids, he says. “I speak on campuses all the time and (see) the passion among college students for agriculture — and I’m talking about Ivy League schools, I’m talking about Brown and Yale,” he says. “It must be scaring the hell out of their parents.”
Farming actually is a good fit for many graduates, Philpott says. “There’s very little to do for educated college graduates besides sit in a cubical and punch (a) computer all day,” he says. “Small-scale farming is management-intensive. It’s an incredibly intellectual exercise, but you’re also getting your hands in the dirt — that’s why it’s so attractive. There’s a hunger for that.”
Todd and I farm sustainably because we want to feed our family good food without chemicals and also we want our food to have as much nutrition as possible. And, this is the main reason, we truly believe this is what God wants us to do. Farm. Honestly, I’ve never wanted to do anything more than this besides raise my children myself.
