Farm Thoughts 1 - Order and Chaos

There is something of a generation gap in farming as exemplified by concepts of order and chaos. As a farmhand on an organic farm, I, and my fellow farmers, are constantly told that our farm is not proper enough, that it is cluttered and disorderly. A true farm, therefore, must contain no clutter, all straight lines, perfectly cut grass and branches and monocultures.

For instance, we are told that branches trimmed from apple trees must be burned immediately so that the clutter is removed from sight; heaven forbid they become home to insects or small mammals, thereby improving the farm ecosystem (if there is such a thing anymore).

The most common complaint is that the grass is too high and unruly. Farmers in our area spend ridiculous amounts of time mowing their lawns in order to conform to this norm. Not just a small lawn either, sometimes upwards of two acres or more. What harm is there in tall grass? And the drudgery of the mowing; it's not for nothing that teenagers hate mowing the grass. And good luck if you have dandelions or clover interspersed with your Kentucky bluegrass.

In addition, all trees must be planted in perfectly straight lines (in violation of all natural laws) and mixed crops are discouraged (why not a ten acres of only corn or soy). Chemical inputs are necessary to maintain these unnatural systems regardless of the cost as is heavy, oil dependent machinery.

These ideas of order also cross into personal appearance. The farmer of the older generation must never show dirt or dust on his or her clothes. They must be pristine at all times, especially if one is traveling into "town". I can understand the desire to be clean but surely this is a denial of our lives in the dirt. Also likely this desire for personal cleanliness is tied into concepts of class, whereby farmers were once (and likely still are) treated as menial professions, not the foundation of our communities that they should be.

Having said all that, the new generation of farmer, I've come to understand, is also concerned with order and chaos. Chaos is paramount, especially in appearance. The farmer must look the part: dirt under nails, dusty, torn, patched clothes, rough and tanned skin. If you don't present a number of these attributes you are not "farmer enough". Admittedly, these thoughts arise only in consideration of organic farming but it definitely presents a marked contrast with the ideas of the older generation.