One morning this Fall as I prepared a bottle in the kitchen for my newborn, I heard the familiar sound of a ten-wheeler truck engine turn over. I smiled. The sound was followed by two or three more trucks. As the trucks idled, warming up for the mornings work, I began to hear the voices of our farm crew. One a military veteran, one a retired High School Math Teacher, one a young adult woman in her third trimester (she keeps up with the best of them). This morning they were visiting about our new dog. He was on the back lawn getting used to the rhythm of the farm himself. Finding familiarity in when people come and when they go.

We proudly grow onions for a company called Onions 52. This crew would be hauling our crop from the field to the storage shed. In that shed onions are stored and distributed through-out the year. Think giant potato cellar- but onions. Onions 52 has crops available year-round, 52 weeks out of the year. That’s the motto, and what an incredible feat that is.

There comes a pride in making something quality. You can relate I’m sure, in a meal you have made for your family or perhaps a hand-crafted gift. Farming feels like that. I have never personally felt that it beckons the term hero. We’re not doing anything extraordinary, were just growing food, but we make an effort to be good at that. Growing food sustainably, conserving resources, and providing jobs.

Here is the thing, our efforts aren’t being well received. The internet is flooded with false food claims and buzz words that market food products against each other. The United States is suffering in record droughts and farmer friendly policy makers are hard to come by. Still- consumers are always wanting more options. Our nation has prioritized water for preserving wildlife species and to develop housing rather than farming. As I write this article I’m munching on cheez-its, which reminds me, I saw a post about how they’ll give you cancer so I make a mental note to de-bunk that.

In a comfortable world, where people are fed, warm, and free, farmers and ranchers are an easy target.

The pride I felt that morning while watching the flow of our farm, is obliterated every time I see a social media influencer post about the ‘toxin of the week’ on the Walmart grocery shelf. Or when I find out our state is having discussions about taking water from farmers. So, what do we do? When I say we, I mean the agricultural industry. An industry that is full of mothers making bottles, and crews running trucks. An industry that already bends to market trends. An industry that has already made great strides in water conservation.

I think by now most people have heard that the mental health and suicide rates of agricultural workers is in dire straits. Constantly at the mercy of the weather, input prices, long days, and sleepless nights. One thing is for sure, we can now add to that list: consumers who can’t be satisfied, and unconcerned governments. I could unriddle every false claim. I could show the charts, and source the data. I just simply didn’t realize that being in this field would require so much advocacy work. Imagine a nurse having to justify her every move and fight for her right to work. Our social systems have forgotten the value in having food. If you like eating three meals a day rather than growing the food required to do so, speak up about it. It’s starting to feel like we’re growing food for a world that doesn’t want it.

It takes all kinds of kinds. This year my husband got knee surgery. The doctor was incredible, it went as well as it could have. In my simple way I enjoyed thinking that as that doctor went through medical school and perfected his craft, he had food available to him. Without concern or ever having to plant, grow, harvest, or preserve anything. Our social systems allowed him to focus on his trade. I think it is only fair that as farmers and ranchers we are extended that same courtesy.
- Laura Holmgren, Utah Farmer

Well put! Thanks for posting.

The world will want it when they get hungry enough.

There should also be a link accompanying this.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
The world will want it when they get hungry enough.

There should also be a link accompanying this.

It’s not a news article, it’s a FB post by a farmer. K?

FB Link

HUH! That was easy! So easy a caveman can do it...

It’s tough on me being so ignorant

Has the trauma from Cornhusker football created a disassociative experience and one of your personalities is now a female farmer from Utah?

Purdue football just gives me tourrette's

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
It’s tough on me being so ignorant

Admittedly, that's not the best link. I feel ya.

And Bruins hockey often gives me a case of the screeching red-ass.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Has the trauma from Cornhusker football created a disassociative experience and one of your personalities is now a female farmer from Utah?

Purdue football just gives me tourrette's

Hey, PMA (Positive Mental Attitude). I think Nebraska has the right coach.

I’ll add, it honestly never occurred to me to link a Facebook post, and that Forum posts led to believe there was only about 3 of us who had anything to do with FB.

But the American tax payers will keep you afloat for decades to come.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
But the American tax payers will keep you afloat for decades to come.

Have a link?

A link to the fact that people inAgriculture gets paid on a regular basis ?

Of all the jobs I had growing up from the age of 12 farming was the hardest. In my case it was on a dairy farm. Those cows needed to be milked every morning at 5 am regardless of the weather or how you felt. Every single morning..

Then you get to do the same thing every afternoon at 4 pm. Every single day.

The interesting thing is that I never slept so good in my life. I guess working for 14 hours a day, seven days a week will do that to you… I have the utmost respect for our farmers and ranchers.

So am I supposed to write my congressman now whenever I buy onions? Did she really write “I have never personally felt that it beckons the term hero”? I have friends who farm. It is a tough job in many ways but I’m completely over everybody thinking they are a hero in their own action movie. Get a grip lady, you grow onions. It’s not even an actual necessity. We like onions, we could easily survive without them. She very cavalierly makes the doctor not worrying about food comment. All while ignoring how cavalier she is about getting knee surgery for her husband. It goes both ways. We all are blessed to live in this country. If we had been born in many other places we would have access to neither fancy onions nor knee surgery.

I think she comes across poorly. Complaining that internet influencers ruin her day while actually blogging on the internet attempting to influence seems hypocritical. If it ruins your day then go jump on a tractor and delete your social media apps. Nobody needs those. If they irk you, stop looking at them. Pretty sure the crop doesn’t care if it gets a shoutout on Insta.

Plus her title is nonsensical. She sells her onions. The world apparently does want her food. Click bait title to draw traffic. What the world doesn’t want is more bloggers.