Richard Rohrscheib is a long time farmer from Poplar Grove, AR. He’s also my uncle. He was kind enough to answer some questions for me about his career in farming.
-Richard R. Poplar Grove, AR
“As a city slicker living in the Austin, TX area:…The area has some of the richest soil in the world. Due to urban sprawl that premium soil is being covered by concrete and houses. In my opinion if this trend continues, along with small family farms selling out to corporate farming and estate “death” tax, I fear the small farm town and their traditional values will disappear. Ultimately, America will lose the pride of small town individualism and self reliance. Small towns are the heart and soul of our country and provide a balance to the fast paced live for the moment mind set.”
-Wade C. Hutto, TX
“Mary Clark (editor): So, I’m doing an advocacy project on farming and agriculture, like to show people how important it is.
Maddie: (laughing) Why would you do that? It’s not like that stuff really matters.
MC: Because it’s really important to our lives..do you like that piece of pizza?
M: Yeah
MC: You wouldn’t have it if it wasn’t for farmers…Do you like your new Pink sweatshirt?
M: Yeah! I love it!
MC: You wouldn’t have it either without farmers…
M: (stunned) You need to do well on your project! That stuff is important!”
-Maddie H. Arlington, TN
“I grew up in southwestern Virginia in a little area called the Catawba Valley. It was and is a largely agrarian community. My family dates back to the 1790s in Virginia…Pretty much all of my ancestors on both sides of the family were farmers.Our family farm sits at the foot of Tinker Mountain and comprises about 80 acres of open, hilly fields, a small creek, my parent’s house, and a few assorted barns. We were beef farmers when I was a kid, and we had about 250 cattle, assorted calves, and 3-4 bulls at the height of the farm’s success. Dad and Mom stopped farming in the mid-90s when the beef market fell apart for most small operations and since then they’ve rented the land out to others for grazing.
[The people of the community] were and are proud and independent people. There’s a stereotype of farmers as simple people, but that’s far from the truth. They’re simple only in so far as they tend to see the world as it relates to their experience in it. Community is very important; outsiders are usually greeted with hospitality (and caution), but once you’re accepted into the group the community is fiercely loyal…
I do believe that agriculture remains a vital part of the American experience. I believe that everyone should have a sense of where their food comes from. It’s too easy to sit back and pretend that the horrors of industrial farming and the cruel treatment of animals doesn’t happen. Farming, I think, reminds us of the vital link between land and livelihood. Any farmer can tell you that poor land management can devastate a crop; they can tell you that growing food is always risky and never guaranteed; and they can tell you that if it comes down to Nature or the farmer, Nature will always win…
Plant too much too fast and you exhaust the land; graze too many cattle at once, for too long, and you run out of food. Fail to plan for the winter and the herd starves. There is a careful, considered approach to just about everything and that lesson continues to influence just about every aspect of my life to this day. And I fear what will happen to us as a nation and a species if we forget or choose to ignore the voices that urge caution when everyone else is yelling full steam ahead. Ultimately, I think that agriculture is as much a way of thinking as it is a way of life.”
-Seth L. Catawba Valley, VA
“I don’t really know much, I am from the city. I have information from high school friends that were vegan and that info was from an animal abuse perspective. I think it’s a really important industry. Even though people may not see it, having fresh grown foods is more healthy than food sitting in a store or pantry. It’s like peanut butter compared to fresh carrots, it’s just important to know how they both affect the body. I think it is a dying industry, in the most non-pessimistic way (Laughing). No one is very knowledgeable and most simply go to the farmers market and that is the extent of their interaction. Not a lot of people are educated in what it takes to live and run a farm.
The dying aspect of the industry is a bad thing because of its implications on health. Kids today pack lunches that are resourceful rather than healthy. They eat processed foods that are unhealthy rather than fruits and vegetables. I don’t really eat fruits and vegetables that much, either. I think more education would be beneficial for future generations. Today, everything is related to technology, and technological connectivity has effected society in regards to people entering the industry. Also, generational differences affect it as well. I feel that our parents generation was more hands on where we work pretty exclusively with screens, and this accounts for the high average age among farmers.”
-Kristine T. Cordova, TN
“Agriculture is basically when we plant things for human use, whether it’s crops for food, energy or textiles, animals, or other resources. It is important because without it we wouldn’t have the lives we do. I think there is a science to agricultural because of crop schedules and conservations, which is why burning is used to renew the land, and that makes it intricate and interesting.
I didn’t know that such a large amount of land was being lost (over 40 acres every hour), but I believe it’s because of urbanization, that’s a problem because we can’t have a million houses and no food. We, also, need younger people to get into agriculture because the whole community is aging and retiring which could effect the future of the industry.”
-Paula Z. Uruguay, South America
“I think [farming] is very important, and it is being undermined by the younger generation. Farming keeps people alive, and unites people in the different kinds of farming. Small farming brings families together in farming activities, like gardening, while big time farmers make their living from it. It’s always been a thriving industry, and it can only get bigger because of population growth. As for statistics that show the majority of farmers are over 55, I think the older you are, the more wealth and stability you have in farming which explains it. Young farmers are more divided from the whole community because of their age and inexperience. I think steps are being taken in sustainability to reinforce the importance of farming to those who may not know much about it.”
-Kyle D. Olive Branch, MS
“Agriculture should be smaller and more localized, instead of larger because the larger it gets, the more waste we have. Small time agriculture should be protected. In Germany, we get fruits and such things from Spain. They could have a bigger industry, but they prefer wine, so it’s not a priority, and that’s sort of an issue. If agriculture gets too commercialized, waste will increase, which is something we should be fighting. However, smaller localized companies can improve the agriculture industry.”
-Jannick B. Southern Germany
“I grew up in the city, and all I know about farming is from textbooks and interaction with people, I’ve recently met two people from the country in school. I think farming has been something that people have heavily depended on. It is the basis for the survival of human beings, and we thrive off of it. Urbanization has dropped rural and farming populations based on statistics I’ve seen and lifestyle changes. Farming is a healthy industry because it combats processed food effects. Farm grown food is better than city bought food.
I think that people are leaving the lifestyle and industry. Coming into the industry is hard because there is a sort of monopoly from long running farms and government regulation is an issue on what and how productive farmers are and can be. I think it’s a dying industry and that is a bad thing and is concerning. You are not seeing who has control of the food because the government controls it all. Because of this, it’s not as healthy as it used to because of government influence and control over the human food source.”
Future for Farming 