A FARMER'S GIFT

 

 

This time of year is not only for giving and receiving gifts, but also for stepping back and realizing what gifts we already have every day. Farmers, ranchers and gardeners have a special gift to be thankful for….the land itself.

Of course, the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of reaping the rewards of the land is the harvest. After all, a farmer basically gets paid once a year, when the crops come in. Everything else he does all year is in preparation for those few weeks in the fall.

This is a real gift, a necessary gift of the partnership between you and the land. Even though all years are different, it all evens out that you get back what you put into it. Feed the land, feed your rewards; neglect the land, your profits will suffer.

But, the land offers more gifts than just the obvious. I learned a few years ago that one question that you do not ask farmers is how many acres they own. A friend declined to answer that question when someone nonchalantly asked him. Later, I asked him why the question was taboo to him. He explained that the price of farmland in any given area is common knowledge and, by asking him the number of acres he owned, it was like asking what his worth was since his number of acres could easily be multiplied by the price per acre.

As it turns out, many farmers feel the same way. I have to admit, this scenario never crossed my mind although it does make sense.

When you look at the bigger picture though, something else comes to mind. I always feel sad when I go by land that is neglected, where you see very poor crops being raised for lack of putting any nutrients back in to the soil. No one owns any land…ever. Oh, it may state on paper that we are owners of certain parcels, but when it comes down to it, we are only stewards of the land. No matter if we have one acre or a million acres, God entrusted only a certain portion of His earth to our care.

 

PRESERVING THE HERITAGE.

 

We are stewards of those parcels while we are here. By “owning” land, we choose to be the steward and take care of it the best we can.  If nothing more, we at least need to respect it and what our predecessors have put into it. The lucky ones are those who live on family farms that have been passed down for generations. For them, there is a certain pride that comes from expanding on what their grandparents and their grandparents before them have done to the land to make it better.

 

I am often reminded of this with one of Ron’s favorite sayings. He bought his grandparents’ farm and mentions over and over, “I have only tried to make it better.”

This has involved taking out fence rows to make larger fields to make it easier for larger equipment to farm it, tiling wet areas and adding nutrients from year to year to make the soil the best it can be. It rewards him in return with higher yields but also with the satisfaction that he carries on with what his grandfather started.

 

FREEDOM OF THE RESOURCE.

There aren’t many resources that we have that we can choose to do with whatever we want. Many of our homes have zoning restrictions of what we can and cannot do, where we can put the well and drainfield, where we can build new structures, etc.

But, if we own land, we make the decisions what to plant, if to plant, what chemicals to use or not to use, etc. It is one of the last freedoms that we have. Many farmers in my area exercise that right by planting specialty crops. If they try kale this year and it doesn’t fare well, next year they can try cabbage, carrots or whatever they choose.  

 

If I chose to plant 20 acres of parsnips, I could…not saying it would be a good idea, but the mere fact that I could, speaks volumes of land freedoms.

 

 

 

LAND GENEALOGY.

Folks keep track of family history, record dates of births, deaths, marriages and other information that helps future generations keep in touch with their past.

In a way, land has legacies too, especially if it has been in the same family for generations. In keeping with the “making it better” way of thinking, it is important to keep copies of deeds, past owners and improvements for future stewards.

You know what fields you tiled and what year and where you had it laid, but recording these facts for future generations can save lots of headaches. Simple maps where tile is laid saves a lot of guess work, not to mention time and money in locating it in future years.

The same goes for what crops were raised in what years, which ones did well and which were not so good. A good record of what nutrients/chemicals were used, quantities and what years also provides and invaluable record for future generations to have a good partnership with the land that they are entrusted to care for.

The value of land is not only measured in terms of how much an acre it is worth, but also what it is worth to you and what you have put into it. That’s why, during this season of remembering all the things that we are thankful for, I count the little piece of earth that God has entrusted to my care for a little while as a blessing. Among all the other gifts of the season that I am so blessed with, the gift of the land is an extra blessing for those of us who are stewards of the land.