[moog]

NOW, you have hit one of my major concerns. I grew up in an agricultural area and my dad has been involved in agriculture in some way or another for many years. I am worried about the demise of the small family farm, but ALSO about losing good farmland to developments and such. There's only so much of that to go around. If we can't feed our own people later on, what will we do?

I think farmers are among the most NOBLE people around and I try to have 1 or 2 come to my class every year. I'm afraid the kids are losing the perspective on some of our rural roots and what people have sacrificed. Food doesn't come from just a grocery store shelf. There's a big process before it gets there.

AND I absolutely hate it when a farmer who has been there for many years is forced to move because some other newer residents say it "stinks." That has been the plight of many dairy farmers here. There are getting to be fewer left.

I admire anyone who goes into farming. I'm not going to make the narrow-minded statement to a farmer who is down on his luck, that he knew what he was getting into. They are some of the hardest workers and most underpaid and underappreciated people there are.

THANK YOU FOR THE REMINDER.

[freedomfiter2]

You're right about the farmers. A lot of them are hanging on by the wife working away to pay the bills when the milk prices are down and to provide health insurance.

Thanks for teaching your children about farming. A lot of the problems they have are due to people in general not having an understanding of how farming attects us all.