Family Farms/Vacation

We returned last night from a week's vacation in Iowa where we stayed at my uncle's farm. We had a wonderful time. We also met my parents and one sister there. Spent some much needed time alone with my hubby as well as attended the Wehling family reunion which is held once every 3 years. Had a great time all week.

Being on my uncle's farm in Iowa has brought up many thoughts to blog about. The first one I would like to share is the general sense of remembering where our food really comes from these days. Most of us do not grow even a large portion of the food we eat and probably are at least one generation removed from living and working on a farm. With this, it is easy to forget the labor that goes behind the food we eat each day.

Unfortunately, factory farms seem to be producing a larger portion of our food. I hope we do not lose the individual farmer. We will be a much poorer people if we do. They daily work close to the land and animals that produce the food we eat. Not many of us milk cows or feed livestock on a daily basis anymore. It is easy to forget the work that goes behind that food. One person once told me that if maybe we had to grow all of our own food we may not be as likely to be as wasteful as we are with our daily food. On a limited basis here, I have found it to be true in our household. Food that we have planted, grown, weeded, harvested and maybe preserved is much lass likely to get wasted. We know what it took to make that food that we are eating and seem to appreciate it more.

The other thing that became evident to me is the individual farmer seems much more in tune with nature and the land they work. They need to keep the balance in check because their livelihoods depend on it. In addition, they are close to the land which produces some of the food that they eat as well as their main source of income.

Although I was not raised on a farm, I am so glad that I had the opportunity to visit them on a regular basis-my uncle's farm in Iowa plus other family and friends in Indiana. I feel privileged to have known them all. My recommendation is the next time that you pick up that package of meat, bunch of lettuce, bag of apples, or other farm grown product, remember the work that is behind it getting to your grocery cart.