Re: What happened to farming pride?

Posted by captaink on February 11, 2005 at 07:41:47 from (66.115.214.56):

In Reply to: What happened to farming pride? posted by Youngfarmerguy on February 10, 2005 at 21:54:54:

You ask what changed? Well, let’s look at some things. In the pioneer days, they got all the neighbors together for what they called a “barn-raising.” They hired one good carpenter to cut the wood, and then they went to work as a “community” to get the barn up. This built relationships among neighbors. Threshing crews were organized among the same neighbors to generate enough labor reserve to get the job done and again it built relationships. When farming was done with horses, they needed resting mid-afternoon, so the farmer across the fence line would stop and visit while the horses rested. Now, I’m sure that not all got along this well, but many did.

If there was more than one boy in the family, in order for them all to farm, additional land had to be acquired. Once the land in the area was all homesteaded and claimed then the competition began. Farmers that were more profitable (maybe more progressive) began to pay more for land and new technology (tractors, combines, etc). Less efficient farmers began to see that they were making less money and could find jobs in town that paid more than farming, so they sold to the highest bidder. Now, farmers with families could get along without as much (or any) outside help, and relationsips with neighbors started to weaken. The vicious circle had now begun and a rift start to open between the smaller more conservative operator, and the larger more aggressive operator.

Add to that the government sensed that too many farmers were getting into trouble and offered them low interest loans to help them out, which also gave them a competitive edge on the “proud” farmer that refused government assistance, since they didn’t have to pay as much interest through FmHA as at the bank. The government also determined that people would rather pay for food through tax dollars rather than at the grocery store, so ASCS turned into what it is today.

That’s how I see it as what changed. Can we go back? I believe that most things move in cycles, or maybe as a pendulum. My belief is that someday we will, but not in my lifetime…

Thanks for reading my nickels worth…

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• Re: What happened to farming pride? Dean 07:50:27 02/11/05 (0)

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