Rain, Rain, Go Away
By Cindy Naas
What is the weather forecast for your region tomorrow?
Chances are, if you’re a gardener, you know the answer to that question.
However, for non-gardeners who don’t have barbecues planned, the fascination with the weather may not be the same.
I grew up on a farm, and it was our business to keep an eye on the weather. Our hay and crops, and sometimes even the safety of our livestock, all depended on trying to guess what nature had in store for us. Farm kids grow up knowing that a dry summer will mean fewer strawberries and less spending money from lack of sales. City kids rarely get the connection between the unchangeable forces of nature and the food available in the grocery store. I think that’s a real shame.
When I began gardening with my boys, one of the lessons I wanted to teach them was the link between weather and a farmer’s livelihood. I managed a very dramatic demonstration of this, unfortunately. We had started our seedlings indoors and they were growing wonderfully. In late April, I began taking the seedlings outside in the afternoon to harden off.
I needed to make a quick trip to the store, and while we were there an unexpected hail storm blew in, turning five trays of seedlings into pulpy green mush in their little pots. The boys were devastated, but we got to have an excellent discussion about how the farmers must feel having lost the new wheat which was just sprouting nicely.
It made a big impression on my kids, and recently when the poor weather and flooding in the Midwest was on the news, the boys remembered our flattened seedlings. Their first thought was for the farmers and families affected by the flooding.
Growing even a few pots of herbs in the city keeps us in touch with the natural world. Hoping that your tomatoes aren’t ruined in a wind storm keeps you more in tune with how your world affects the food you eat. Losing new plants during a summer drought or watching an entire thriving veggie garden die from too much rain reminds us that farming isn’t a 9 to 5 job with a controlled environment.
City gardeners can feel a connection to farmers all across the country- even across the world, and I think that is important.
July 27th, 2008 at 2:09 am
I so very much agree with the thought behind this post.
One of my regular puzzles is to understand why the farming industry in Britain is so undervalued.
Here, the connection between farming and food seems to be lost.
Much of our food is imported and farmers are increasingly seen as part of the tourist industry (making the countryside pretty)and are paid to preserve wildlife and ecosytems.
Meanwhile, bulk-buying supermarkets force down the price of food and underpay farmers for what they produce.
Not only does this affect the quality and variety of what’s available but, in my opinion, puts the security of the country at risk.
Lucy
July 27th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I grew up on a farm in the Midwest and every day does depend on the weather. I was once again reminded of this in a very real way this June. My Sister who lives in Pullman Washington planted her garden and a week or so after her tender plants were in the ground June 10) they had snow! Most of the plants in the garden survived (because of the gardens location near the house they were protected somewhat) but it served as a lesson. Oh BTW (now an avid urban gardener) we are expecting rain today and my partners prized heirlooms are just starting to ripen. He is outside now, covering them so they don’t split in the rain we are expecting later today. Lesson learned and accepted.
July 27th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Excellent post!!!
I too agree with you 100%. I think the way our economy is, we all need to get back in touch with nature and paying more attention to our food, how it’s grown, how far it has to travel and more than just thinking: ” I can pick it up in the supermarket if needed”. A fine lesson for your sons that I am trying to pass on to mine as well.
July 31st, 2008 at 8:45 am
Wow, so many great comments! I agree that the demand for cheap food is putting farmers out of business, and that is an idea that could be explored in a week’s worth of columns.