Farmers: The Oldest Profession Is Not Evolving Gracefully

Oldest according to Les Nessman of WKRP anyway.

'The crops we grew last summer weren't enough to pay the loans. Couldn't buy the seed to plant this spring and the Farmers Bank foreclosed. Called my old friend Schepman up to auction off the land. He said John it's just my job and I hope you understand. Hey callin' it your job ol' hoss sure don't make it right. But if you want me to I'll say a prayer for your soul tonight.' John Mellencamp, 'Rain on the Scarecrow' 1985.

The extent of my knowledge about farming and agriculture is about as firm as Michael Moore's grasp of American (not to mention Canadian given his meddling in Canadian affairs during our election. Oddly, he chastises American foreign policy for being interventionist but it's fine when he does it? I digress) history and politics - firm as a wilted and jaded flower that is.

For years, I ignored the great farming debate in North America. It was simply as intriguing as changing a baby's soaked diaper. Not even when my favorite singer - John Cougar Mellencamp - organized Farm Aid in the 1980s did it sway my interest. So when Rex Murphy host of 'Cross Country Checkup' (one of the rare call in shows where all guests and callers are educated and knowledgeable) chose this issue recently I looked at my wife and said "there isn't anything more boring to listen to on the radio than labour relations and farming - and my blog." Ding!

But I didn't ignore this time around. The reason I didn't was because no matter how irrelevant a subject may seem, I'm sufficiently curious enough to try and learn something new. As it turns out, I don't regret not changing the channel for it was a thoroughly engaging discussion.

One of the biggest issue is subsidies. As a personal guiding principle, I oppose government funds to prop up industries under protectionist barriers.

Well, that's the crux of the debate and I haven't a clue what the answer is. Economics don't seem to be on the side of the farmers either. They seem to be out of touch with reality - good or bad. The ultimate irony is that the strong work ethics and family values exhibited by farmers has not translated into a sustainable business - thus pretty much killing off the family farm. Pop culture yearns for these values but refute it when it comes to ratings.

Romantic notions are nothing new in contemporary times. Modernity always looks back to a supposed more pristine era. We look back on Natives as being peaceful and spiritual tribes while conveniently overlooking that they too had human vices similar to our own. It's the same with the farmers.

There is no doubt part of the trouble arises with an indifferent public. Our culture does not appreciate food enough to care whether a chicken was grain fed and raised on a farm or mechanically processed in squalor. Or that certain rules of cooking should be observed. Just because you like ketchup doesn't mean you have to put it on everything. Not all olive oil is the same etc. We're no longer close to our food when we go purchase it. Very few people head to the farms or outdoor markets to shop. It's all about frozen packaged convenience now. All that is argued here is that if we did take diet seriously -as they do in Italy and to a lesser extent in France - we'd probably pay closer attention to farmers and their plight.

Schepman had a job. If he didn't do it how was that fair to anyone? His soul would have been blackened if he didn't keep a responsibility to his work however grievous (or repugnant to some) it may have been. The farm is a dying breed and this is unfortunate. It will take more than government intervention to save it. It will take a radical reeducation of people to make them learn to appreciate one of history's oldest and most crucial enterprises.