Conventionalism is sweeping the agricultural landscape. The small farmer is dwindling in significance while the grandiose mega farms are dominating and being modeled with their chemically pumped, genetically engineered, and denatured animals and crops. It is thought that in modern times we are definitely better educated and therefore don’t need to learn from the past as much as focus on the future. Furthermore, we’re extremely capable of developing an incredibly vast panorama of new ideas. Such as:

Pump your farm animals with antibiotics and other important chemicals; it will bring better sanitization and less death.

Get rid of ponds. They are problematic because of their possibility of attracting a bird flue carrier.

End your other agricultural pursuits and become a soybean/corn producer, because there is the $$$.

The chickens grow best when fed dried poultry pellets,

The cows are easily sickened creatures and demand incredible vet bills

The larger the building or machine = greater efficiency

The greater the governmental involvement = a guarantee of greater success.

Now this is just the top of ice berg! The incredible list of innovative ideas and theories are endless and it just continues to grow. In magnificent proportions, this army of mighty conventionalism is breaking down barriers and infiltrating all levels of farming.   As this army moves in, bringing its message and results, there are certain fortresses situated in places which are close to impregnable. They stand in  opposition to this moving army, have prepared for battle, and are actually in the conflict. One of these fortresses occupies a space in the Bread basket of the Southern Confederacy also known as the Shenandoah Valley. It’s a farm run very efficiently and unconventionally by a farmer clip_image001named, Joel Salatin. You will hear more about him soon as we give account of our recent visit to his farm!!

Oh, how needful these fortresses are. For, in the end, the conventionalizing of American Agriculture is bringing some serious problems. The dire clip_image002results will not be truly realized for a couple more years.  It was thought excellent to convene upon certain venerated ideas but it has turn into a  conventionalizing of agriculture which will not bring an enjoyable conclusion. Why so? The answer for this question will be shared in a following post entitled:

A Solution – The Farm of many faces.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 4th, 2008 at 2:12 pm and is filed under Farming 101. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.