The Government as Seen Through Ears of Corn

"When, in some obscure country town, the farmers come together to a special town-meeting, to express their opinion on some subject which is vexing the land, that, I think, is the true Congress, and the most respectable one that is ever assembled in the United States"  -Thoreau

Ever notice how people who come from an agriculture background look at things a bit differently than those from the city? This is why I thought with all the public, and private, dissatisfaction in today's culture we might take a closer look at what we should really be focusing on - agriculture. I know this seems a bit out of sorts but if you really think about it, we truly should be concentrating on this because it affects every aspect of our daily, and political, lives.

One of the biggest media buzzes right now is the immigration reform Arizona has recently passed. If you look at this from an agricultural point of view, you can see former President Bush's guest worker program. The manual labor force required to put those cherry pie, T-bone steak, potatoes and milk on your dinner table is astounding! The state's $38 billion food and agriculture industry employs 160,000 people and contributes 12 percent to the state's economy. Nearly $14.8 billion in food and agricultural products were exported through Washington ports in 2008, the third largest total in the U.S. (WSDA) We have to face reality here and that reality is today's Americans do not want to work in the fields doing hard, physical labor. We need those who want to do the work and the guest worker program is an excellent solution to this predicament. Workers are recruited and brought into the U.S. to complete the job at hand and then sent home. This is the best solution I have seen, and the Washington State Farm Bureau supports this initiative. I strongly encourage you to do your research and contact your local and state representatives to share your views with them.

Another area we should be looking at from an agricultural viewpoint is homeland security. We need to preserve farmland to ensure we can feed ourselves in case of a national emergency. There are several ways to go about this but I feel the best way to do this is to make sure everyone knows where their food comes from. Milk does not come from the grocery store! People need to know how to grow a garden, as well. Basic steps to be able to feed themselves. It is my opinion Whitman County in Washington state is doing an excellent job of preserving farmland. Land owners are only allowed to divide their land into parcels no smaller than 20 acres. No one acre parcels for super, energy and resource sucking homes. Please also remember there is a difference between preservation and conservation. Preservation = continued, sustainable working of the land, and conservation = no use of the land what-so-ever. These are issues neither conservatives or liberals should fight over - if we cannot feed ourselves we are doomed to failure!

A third political issue we should be focusing on from an agricultural stance is environmental stewardship. Farmers and ranchers are the original environmentalists. They know they have to care for the land, replenish it and not overwork it, because they will be out of a lifestyle if the land isn't cared for. Spreading manure on your field isn't a new-fangled, organic way of thinking. Using fewer and less harsh pesticides and herbicides is not a new concept. Giving pigs and chickens run of the pasture to fertilize and aerate do not belong to a new way of thinking. These concepts all belong to the generations before us who farmed, ranched and cared for the land. People need to stop and think about how their actions will affect the soil, farming and ranching in the long run. And I'm not just talking about chemicals and farming practices, leave a place better than you found it. Put the neighbors horse manure on your garden instead of nitrates, use soap water instead of pesticides and take care of your natural resources. Follow the golden rule and leave a place better than you found it.

These are just three areas of today's political atmosphere when looked at from an agricultural viewpoint might work out to our advantage instead of causing civil unrest. Just some thoughts.