Aghast is a great word to describe the response. As a farmer (Tennessee) I appreciate your essay. I do wonder, in all of this finger pointing at farmers, where the finger pointing about the impacts of urban life on nature fits in? It seems to be oddly missing in the eco-modernist debate. Farmers do not farm in a cultural vacuum, as Rebanks points out in his more recent work. I'm sure many, perhaps most, in urban areas care for nature, in some abstract way at least, yet are trapped in a mode of living that brings about its destruction. Yet, little condemnation seems to come their way..
Thanks for giving a shout out to Berry and Jackson. Looking forward to reading your past posts on Berry’s essays.
Thanks, Brian, and it is an honour to have you as a farmer read this "non-farmer's" essays. I am in full agreement about the missing urban analysis in the debate, it is the lifestyle choices of the urbanites which are fuelling the destructive practices we see. It is something I plan on writing about.
I think urban people are by and large detached from an understanding of the impact their food purchase choices make on the environment. Partly this is caused by the distance between them and farmed environments (both in terms of actual interaction and geographical distance). At school for instance we never had a farmer come and talk to us, and I can't remember visiting a farm. Thus the agricultural literacy rate among our young people is pitifully low, and mostly shaped by picture books which present an idyllic view of farming and that nothing is wrong in the rural landscape.
I can only echo much of that. A lot of it has to rest at our (the publics') door too.
One thing not mentioned was food waste, of which we still appear to generate an obscene amount both privately and at the supermarket gate.
Also, we do have the option to consume more wisely, even in these tougher economic times. Yes it may cost a bit more and in some cases may take up more time, but we should be prepared, imho, to make the odd small sacrifice for the benefit of nature and those who steward it.
We still get our milk and eggs from a delivering milkman as one simple example and although slightly dearer (roughly 10%), the quality of the product and the doorstep service means it's money very well spent. And of course the bottles get reused without any need to recycle.
Heartily agree Andrew. We get our milk delivered and I can remember tasting it for the first time and noticing the quality difference. We also get a veg box every two weeks from a local organic farm - and it is lovely to chat with the delivery man (the father of the father) when he comes to the door.
We live in times where empathy and deep care are scarce. Hell, look at the state of folks, they/we don't even care for ourselves.
Other than Totalitarian Environmentalism I haven't been able to dream up a solution to the ecological/ climate/ food production crisis that we appear to be entering into.
Indeed, it is incredibly complex. I was listening to a podcast with Kate Raworth yesterday on her theory of Doughnut economics and the safe-operating space - calling for a limit to economic growth. Makes total sense biologically, environmentally, and (I would argue) economically. However, I can see no way of politically implementing such an economic vision with the way politics and the market economy is structured today. The moment you say you want to curb economic growth, the market and the general population will crush you before you can enact any positive change - and the status quo then restores business as usual.
Indeed, and there in lies the problem ( inescapable) !
Kate, yeah I'm down with her vision/musings.
I'm find significant progressive change impossible to envisage (for reasons stated by each of us) until such time that it's the only option left on the table. And this being the case will be the result of a deeper crisis/ system collapse.
Aghast is a great word to describe the response. As a farmer (Tennessee) I appreciate your essay. I do wonder, in all of this finger pointing at farmers, where the finger pointing about the impacts of urban life on nature fits in? It seems to be oddly missing in the eco-modernist debate. Farmers do not farm in a cultural vacuum, as Rebanks points out in his more recent work. I'm sure many, perhaps most, in urban areas care for nature, in some abstract way at least, yet are trapped in a mode of living that brings about its destruction. Yet, little condemnation seems to come their way..
Thanks for giving a shout out to Berry and Jackson. Looking forward to reading your past posts on Berry’s essays.
Cheers,
Brian
Thanks, Brian, and it is an honour to have you as a farmer read this "non-farmer's" essays. I am in full agreement about the missing urban analysis in the debate, it is the lifestyle choices of the urbanites which are fuelling the destructive practices we see. It is something I plan on writing about.
I think urban people are by and large detached from an understanding of the impact their food purchase choices make on the environment. Partly this is caused by the distance between them and farmed environments (both in terms of actual interaction and geographical distance). At school for instance we never had a farmer come and talk to us, and I can't remember visiting a farm. Thus the agricultural literacy rate among our young people is pitifully low, and mostly shaped by picture books which present an idyllic view of farming and that nothing is wrong in the rural landscape.
I can only echo much of that. A lot of it has to rest at our (the publics') door too.
One thing not mentioned was food waste, of which we still appear to generate an obscene amount both privately and at the supermarket gate.
Also, we do have the option to consume more wisely, even in these tougher economic times. Yes it may cost a bit more and in some cases may take up more time, but we should be prepared, imho, to make the odd small sacrifice for the benefit of nature and those who steward it.
We still get our milk and eggs from a delivering milkman as one simple example and although slightly dearer (roughly 10%), the quality of the product and the doorstep service means it's money very well spent. And of course the bottles get reused without any need to recycle.
Heartily agree Andrew. We get our milk delivered and I can remember tasting it for the first time and noticing the quality difference. We also get a veg box every two weeks from a local organic farm - and it is lovely to chat with the delivery man (the father of the father) when he comes to the door.
Deeply complex topic.
We live in times where empathy and deep care are scarce. Hell, look at the state of folks, they/we don't even care for ourselves.
Other than Totalitarian Environmentalism I haven't been able to dream up a solution to the ecological/ climate/ food production crisis that we appear to be entering into.
Indeed, it is incredibly complex. I was listening to a podcast with Kate Raworth yesterday on her theory of Doughnut economics and the safe-operating space - calling for a limit to economic growth. Makes total sense biologically, environmentally, and (I would argue) economically. However, I can see no way of politically implementing such an economic vision with the way politics and the market economy is structured today. The moment you say you want to curb economic growth, the market and the general population will crush you before you can enact any positive change - and the status quo then restores business as usual.
Indeed, and there in lies the problem ( inescapable) !
Kate, yeah I'm down with her vision/musings.
I'm find significant progressive change impossible to envisage (for reasons stated by each of us) until such time that it's the only option left on the table. And this being the case will be the result of a deeper crisis/ system collapse.
Well said!
Thanks Leon, it is a message that needs repeating: Good Farmers are not to blame.