I can’t help but think that somewhere along the line, we got
it all wrong. Growing up in the
medium/small town of ‘box store’ Idaho Falls we had rural farmland all around,
and us ‘city folk’ basically shunned the farming lifestyle. Most people in the states either grow up in a
big city or always dream of living in a big city when they get older. There are less and less of each generation
who even know where their food comes from let alone have the desire to grow it
themselves. We all dream of becoming
doctors, lawyers and business professionals, but definitely not farmers because
it isn’t glamorous or well paid. As a
result, the bulk of our food comes from huge corporate entities that can
provide cheap hormone induced flavorless food and this is now the norm (can
anybody say cancer?). It’s all back
asswards, and I want to state on record that I am proud to say that I want to
be a farmer (and winemaker). So there!
I have been working
on my first wwoofing farm for seven days now and it is utter bliss. The farm is
situated in a valley with the mountains of two national parks on either side. Although we work hard, everything is relaxed,
peaceful and oh so beautiful. The farm has
a small garden for their own, and then commercially grows apples, onions, chestnuts,
hazelnuts and the main crop is plums. So many delicious plums. I have eaten enough plums to feed a small army
and, like an obedient private, my bowels salute the outhouse every day like
clockworks. I sleep in an old caravan that has my own
outhouse and plum orchard on my front lawn. I am truly living and loving the farm
life.
Cheers!
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