Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Norma Sutton" <sweetspringfarm@gmail.com>]

You know when I'm in the field alone, I'm least alone.  
Norma

On 10/6/06, Laurie Ann Powell <laurie@powellclan.com> wrote:

"Isolation is the cause of unhappiness here.

If Mr Warner had 5 or 10 or 25 acres just outside of town, growing 
veggies of all sorts and animals, and town people came by to 
purchase . . . maybe his family would not be so unhappy.  Not 
everyone can tolerate isolation.  A living CAN be made on small 
acreage, can it not?"

Isolation wouldn't be such an issue if it weren't for the breakdown of extended family, and the rejection of having lots of children. Where are the aunts and cousins and daughters-in-law who are the natural companions of Warner's wife? Where are the men and boys to share the toil as well as the joy of occasional social celebrations?

A large family is its own community, but our generation has inherited  a selfishness that wants stuff instead of people, as well as consumer-oriented mentality that is the real death of the family farm. 

Sadly, as we are institutionalized from cradle to grave, loneliness is going to be our lot. Sending children to institutionalized schools, particularly, will insure that they are too peer-dependent and lazy to take up the farmer's life.  12 years of sitting at a desk and worrying about what others think about your outfit doesn't prepare you to find satisfaction in a job well done.  Moving to the city won't remove the loneliness - urbanization has its alienation, too.

"Living on the soil" means we must reject institutions of all sorts, since every one is designed to make us dependent on the institution rather than our own family and resources.

Laurie Ann

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