Desperate for a farming income? Join the club. There must be more research being done by the average farmer out there in Premier Roy's kingdom on how to grow some kind of crop that nobody else is growing, or even better, ever heard of, than has ever existed in a developing nation ever before. My guess is that a lot of farmers are between a rock and a plow share when it comes to disappearing income and just how the farm is going to survive. Being "your own boss" has its limits and certain downsides. The kids can't eat their old sneakers, but they darn well may have to get mighty used to them, at least for a while yet. But maybe we might be lucky to live where we live after all. Before you turn the page, consider this:
I have a farmer friend that lives, farms and works pretty hard in Zimbabwe. They grow some field crops and livestock. But I would bet most of the readers have never heard of "Tuley" cattle. They are a breed that is able to withstand a fair bit of heat and rather dry food base. They look a lot like a cross between a Brahman, and a Santa Gertrudis, and may be able to graze at about 30 mph. There is a problem in their country, however, and it's not with the cattle or the crops. It's the damn government.
It seems that a goodly number of farmers are being deposed from their farms, because the government feels they have to have a suitable land base to control internally. They need this land base to give to their First Nations people. Problem is, you see, they are not compensating the farmers for their land at all. Nyett, Nada, Nothing. Period.
Meanwhile, their military are off in another African country, upholding the greater good of another country, while draining the Zimbabwe coffers. Beginning to sound familiar?
In conversing with him on the Internet about "farmers rights" and land ownership tenure, he was polite enough to point out that through their farmer organization research group, they had looked at other countries. He informed me that no male farmer in Canada has the right to own land, according to the way our constitution reads. Females, handicapped civilians and native people are enshrined in our constitution, however. Makes you think, doesn't it? I suddenly feel vulnerable and maybe a little exposed.
I like to think there is a place for reasonable thinking in the world today and that direct seeding is playing a significant part in responsible stewardship in the operation of agricultural lands in this part of Canada and the world. Maybe we are lucky after all, or are we merely deceived? As much as we continue to educate the farming public about the merits of low disturbance seeding as a responsible thing to do, it really doesn't matter how much disturbance you do if you don't have a plot to disturb.
I remain positive.
And to think this whole thing started by my trying to impart a little knowledge of how he could get into direct seeding on a low budget. Wow.