Rural v urban pt. 2

Laying the foundation for this subject bled into politics and economics. Really, if we're being honest, it's an issue of worldview. Things a look a little different from "out there," as Baxter Black put it. The whole idea of giving that run down is to instill that generally, rural America identifies as conservative and independent. That essentially translates to producing as much oil/corn/beef/etc. as efficiently and profitably as possible. But of course, there's issues with subsidies, EPA regulation, right to repair, and public perception that all play into the production model. Plus, like I attempted to illustrate, there are some true believers that understand the reality of the world, but want to accomplish their goals of feeding everyone with a more "pro-nature" agenda. For example, everything growing between the road and the end row is a "weed" that needs mowed or sprayed in the mind of a row cropper. For a rotational grazier with multiple species, there's not a stem or root growing out there that won't be eaten by one of the creatures in the mix. It's all "free" growth from the solar energy and rain to be harvested and turned into highly digestible animal proteins in their book. Plus, the legs of the critters are doing the manure spreading as they go.

Now, don't get it in your mind that I've never had a calf with frosted off ears or never purchased a tote of bulk cracked corn for my hens. I'm grateful for all the advancements in our tech savvy modern world that make everything a little easier on us and a little better for the lives of the biological increase we cultivate, be that plants or animals or fish. Of course, nothing said before "but" counts. It's not that those beliefs aren't true, I'm just certain we can do things better, and defending current practices by suggesting it's the only way to feed and clothe the world simply rings hollow in my ears. Being an ag communications degree holder, pretty much every class on issues in agriculture was set up to pound the urbanite idiot into dust with my superior knowledge and first hand experience. I have found, people rarely enjoy being talked to in such a manner, and are even less likely to jump on board with your line of thinking.

So there lies the rub. Of course the urban dwellers are all shades on the spectrum, too. A drive through an average Colorado suburb will give you a view of everything from Teslas to old C/K square bodies parked in the driveway. You probably can find NPR and RMEF bumper stickers on the same street. Coexist written with all the religious symbols, and coexist written with all the calibers. A fish with legs, and a regular fish EATING the fish with legs. I've personally laid eyes on all the above, within relatively similar socioeconomic strata and geographical locations. Kind of like how there's different opinions on things out in big country. But, nature has a way of equalizing out past the edge of condensed populations. Blizzards don't care how you raise or market your cattle. If they don't have a good windbreak, they're going to suffer. If they do have great protection, enough snow might fall to still kill them all. Lightning, hail, market "black swans," and the ever present threat of drouth and flood, sometimes in the same month, serves to draw people together and is a constant bar to be cleared by any who would dare declare themselves a farmer or rancher.

So if that's true, why bother with all this nit picky infighting? Rural America does have some very unique properties, but it's full of people just the same. And people are people. Often, famers and ranchers are billed at salt of earth, business on a handshake type folks. A lot of them are. On the same hand, maybe because it's the circle I've run in, every cheating SOB that's ever played a role in my education was also from that background. Read some accounts about old time horse trading, and let me know if you'd like to go into business with those fellows. Now of course, the field was somewhat level even at that, since everyone assumed everyone was trying to cheat them, and therefore everyone was trying to play the game and cheat the cheater. Fair is fair! But just like everywhere else, there's good and bad to sort through, and I don't think it's fair to paint urbanites as ignorant anymore than it is to pretend you can trust every Jim Bob with a bale bed.

Now that I've offered sufficient motivation to gather up the pitchforks and hang me high, I'd like to quickly remind you that I am truly in love with agriculture. I have yet to cease to be amazed when a calf sneezes and breaths after hitting the ground, or a kernel turns into 7 feet of stalk, leaves, cobs, and tassel. It's actually a miracle happening right in front of you. I also don't expect every rural person to team up with 100 urban folks and join hands to sing Kumbaya. PETA will never stop their smear campaign, and John Deere probably isn't going to start giving away X9's. I'm just talking to the decent folks with a brain that want to do a good job raising food and taking care of the land, and hoping there's just as many decent folks who appreciate those efforts and are willing to pay a fair price for those goods that they simply lack the logistics to grow themselves.

Perhaps even that is a little "commie" as my dad would say, but I personally believe it's worth the effort to bring about. So finally, we can get into the meat of rural versus urban. We need the voting centers of the country to be educated enough to not vote ourselves into a famine. Most people in town don't give a lot of thought to their food, and why should they? The only time we've ever seen an empty shelf in our lives was Covid, and that was logistics, not lack of food. Then of course we have all the growers who would just as soon be left the hell alone to try and hold their place together in the face of insane input costs and creeping interest rates. Why should they care about the average consumer? They've got a place to run, let Walmart worry about doing the selling.

Those generalizations aren't too far off reality, in my experience. But they can pretty easily be taken over into Yellowstone territory where every city slicker is a belligerent moron and all the cowboys are just doing it because they love the lifestyle. I like me some Taylor Sheridan big screen productions, but I am hopeful the real world never runs quite that way. It would be pretty neat if we could get some genuine agricultural communication. Communication between producers that we don't need to bash on each other for market position. Communication between rural and urban that the days of the fertile crescent aren't that far behind us, and that we absolutely need to be growing abundant food.

Here's where I have some actual opinions that aren't hyperbole observed from all the conversations I've witnessed around the subject. I think a two prong approach is in order. Firstly, everyone, and I do mean everyone, ought to be mightily encouraged to grow something on their own. I think the general attention of the nation was turned towards this during lockdowns, and I hope it continues. I don't think everyone needs to run out and get a 35 with donkeys and emus, because frankly, there's about enough of those already, and I've never heard good things about either species as a main course. But garden boxes on the top floor of a high rise apartment where they barely have room for a chair between the door and the railing... That gets me excited. People learning in real time the effort it takes to successfully grow food, the reward from eating of the labor of your hands, and the miracle that life growing abundantly from the soil really is. If the people walking Central Park started to think of some sort of creature grazing that grass for the benefit of the sod and production of meat, I can't help but think the nation would be better off.

Likewise, in the rural areas, I think there's plenty to improve. We don't need to knock each other for how we do things, unless you have a neighbor up stream or on a shared fenceline, and in that case, I want to be far away when the shooting starts. But in all seriousness, the buzzwords around organic, GMO, free range, and on and on have gotten way out of hand. Raise your stuff how you want, and educate your customers on why you are so convinced that it's a superior method, you've staked your livelihood on it. On the production ag side, I've already given plenty of grief to the poor corn farmers. I get it, it's a streamlined and impressive system. But like I mentioned, I think millions of acres of yellow dent does a lot more good for the international merchandizers and equipment manufacturers than it does for your local USA rural community. We desperately need more people out here. Young ones. And if we can't start renting hard working, cash strapped people an acre to try grazing some pigs or poultry on, I'm afraid someone else who cares much less about feeding America wholesome food will take over the plow share.

I think shrinking is the answer. Cities are tough places to exist. But get 30 minutes outside of Colorado Springs, and everyone has their 35 acre horse paradise, and not near enough water or grass to really grow anything of consequence. But even there, you could dry-lot some sheep and sell spun wool to the crochet fanatics. Chickens are always popular. Heck, butcher a couple hogs every year. But I think it needs to get outside that convenient little range that's only 15 minutes from a Walmart. People need to move into the abandoned small towns that dot rural America. And they need economic opportunity to do it. A lot of jobs pay fairly well out here now, in spite of it being perhaps more risky or weather exposed than a job in town. But it's enough to get a toe hold and start building your own thing, if there's folks willing to extend an opportunity. I'm not suggesting charity, I'm simply suggesting giving people a chance. I've gotten some great opportunities. I've also talked with people over the course of months only to have them figure it's just not worth the brain damage to rent me a small chunk of pasture or pens. I understand the economies of scale. But if there's good people that are willing, I think it's something that has to be addressed to ensure a bright future for agriculture in this nation. I'm not willing to take out a massive loan to compete with the big boys. One wrong market hiccup and I'm done forever. I just don't think that's what we should expect of people attempting to enter the melee if we want a food system that has enough diversity to survive the next shockwave.

Now, I mentioned earlier that growing food is still a business. I even threw shade at subsidies. And here I go saying that the barriers for entry are too high! Someone give me a handout! (By signing a legally binding rental agreement with me, wherein I owe you money for the use of your property with no guarantee of profit in my venture). That may be the size of it. I might not be cut out to get into the business. Maybe I've not gotten creative enough yet, and that's what the market demands. I am, however, willing to die on the hill that if producers hold that position I just outlined, there damn well better not be any more podcasts about the aging farming population or the lack of rural labor. Cities get it. Make everything free and easy, and here come the votes! I'm not suggesting fishing with that kind of bait. But at least make the waters inviting enough that the fish willing to swim up stream to get there have a good chance of thriving instead of getting eaten by the whales already there.

Who knows what the future holds. Elon is going to get rid of cars and will transport everyone in tubes, and the farmers are going to get utility tractors and drones to knock out all the field work autonomously. Maybe that does happen. In my scope, I don't see humanity achieving some kind of enlightened state where we suddenly escape from having to apply ourselves to hard work to bring forth food. I also don't think that every technological Band-Aid we throw on each new weed or livestock health problem is going to hold up long term. Nature wins. She's relentless. I'd just as soon work with her. See hundreds of small farms dotting the countryside once again. Seeing thousands of families being raised where the kids can run wild and eat what they're helping to grow. Vibrant town halls and county fairs. Communities full of life. Maybe my utopia is just as outlandish as the one everyone else seems to be moving towards. But I think it's the key to bridging the undeniable gap that's grown between rural and urban. Hands on with real humans.

Peace and prosperity. -C