Dear Editor:
Re: “Down to earth talk about ‘real farming,’” Letters, June 2.
An unsuccessful farmer of a small nursery seems to be claiming all small plot farming as guaranteed failures.
However, his lack of success could be attributed to his own actions, and isn’t indicative of a broken system.
Richmond’s been a relatively successful farm community for decades. If some are now questioning the viability of it all, perhaps they’ve had misconceptions and are expecting more out of the lifestyle than it has to offer.
One farmer’s personal experience involving a handful of years’ effort without a “substantial” (his word) annual income is just that. If he was looking for a windfall, he may have set himself up for disappointment with false expectations
And this is part of the problem as some people view farms as a get-rich quick scheme. The solution is then presented as a “need” to get rid of the farm in order to really prosper from it; a backwards approach.
We shouldn’t only consider those who’ve failed to make it work, but also those who one day may find success in farming. It may not be for everyone, however we shouldn’t do away with farms due to some short-term failures.
There are many examples of successful, smaller scale farms, but it depends on how “success” is defined. Wealth over a relatively short duration of time may not be realistic.
Like most occupations, the reasons behind why we do what we do factors in.
Farming is a tough life, but complaining about it speaks volumes. Farmers don’t all choose the profession to get rich and many seek a simple, clean lifestyle and modest income. I know, because my uncle was one of them.
It’s all about keeping it in perspective and setting realistic goals and expectations.
If this farmer arrived on the scene expecting a substantial annual income without a lot of hard work, it likely was disappointing when it didn’t readily convert as such.
In fairness, we should establish what a successful farm in Richmond looks like, using the farms of the past (as well as present) in looking toward the future. We needn’t give up on small farms because some aren’t able to achieve their version of success.
Farming offers the opportunity to live and work on the land, to engage in hard, physical work that has payoffs in overall health quality and sustainability. You may even work hard enough to make the farm the bread and butter for the family. But it won’t be served on a silver platter out by the pool. That’s where the confusion about farming is coming into play lately.
Wilma Baker
Richmond
