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Ag Bloggers Communicate -- A Strong Sense of Place

From another ag blogger at Zweber Family Farm News:

The average American moves every 5-7 years. While there are no figures on how often a “farmer” moves, I gander it is much less (Once to the farm and then to a retirement home). Our heritage is deeply rooted in where we are and what we do. Many farms have been in the family for several generations. Farming is a legacy.

A map only shows the topography. When planning it might make sense to put a waste treatment plant in a seemly wide open area. What those plans don’t consider are the current land owners hopes and dreams. Maps do not show the value this land has in a community. Maybe that land is being farmed by a fourth generation, in hopes of passing it on to the fifth. Maybe the farmer has spent thousands of dollars restoring the soil’s fertility, preserving the water-ways, and creating natural habitat for wildlife. Maybe the farmer has been donating part of their crop to a local shelter, so that others can have fresh local food.

Read the whole article here.
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  1. AnonymousOctober 4, 2010 at 4:41 PM

    Unfortunately, we know this first hand. We had a "transfer station" go in across the highway from our property several years ago. There was no stopping them. We have raised the 5th generation of family on our farm. Sadly, it seems the farming part will end when the 4th generation moves to the retirement home.

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