Thankful For Farmers

Today, and every day, I am thankful for American farmers. Food is such a basic part of life that we take for granted. When we go to the store and they announce a shortage of L'Eggo Waffles or canned pumpkin, we actually get a little perturbed. "What? No waffles? No pumpkin? That's ridiculous!" And yet, we've done absolutely nothing in the chain of food production but consume it! We, as a society, are so far removed from our agrarian roots.

Today, I read that less than one percent of the U.S. population now works in food production. The average American farmer is responsible for feeding 144 people. They work hard to produce higher yields with less land than ever before. Let's face it...if it weren't for farmers, we'd see a lot more urban sprawl, subdivisions, and strip malls, and a lot less fields and natural habitats.

I've found that there is a deep part of me that needs to live in rural settings, where I can see the change of seasons and be near the farms that plant, and tend, and harvest. I am so excited about small farms and local food movements! I love restaurants that have "food philosophies" that include locally grown meats, fruits, and vegetables. I enjoy working in my mini garden, but it would take a lot more time, effort, and resources if I were to grow enough to feed my family.

Thank you, American farmers!

For today's card, I used one of my new stamp sets from Gina K. Fruitful Harvest was designed by Asela Hopkins, and it is lovely! I thought long and hard about whether to actually color the fruit in the stamped image, but I decided that is was pretty enough all on its own.

{recipe: Fruitful Harvest (Gina K. Designs), paper from SS Kit Secret Garden (SU), river rock ink and cardstock, always artichoke ink and cardstock, kiwi satin ribbon}




Thanks for visiting the cafe today!