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www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”
THE LAND — APRIL 30/MAY 7, 2021
‘Cleaning up’ in farming … not exactly what I had in mind As a woman of the farm, I’ve cleaned up needed a high-pressure hose and an exor- clean up, there is one mess I don’t even mind hapmy share of messes. cism before they were brought into the pening … and that’s the mess of wrapping paper house. and all the gift trimmings on the floor on Christmas No matter who is running the farming Eve/morning. It’s brilliant with color, pregnant with operation, be it known there are plenty of There are sick days that necessitate joy and anticipation, sprinkled with wonder and messes which need to be tended to — the washing of sheets, clothing and carlaughter, and founded in the love of people we never inside and outside of the house. pets (which may have at least appeared even knew from generations before us, who are the clean beforehand). There are canning I can’t even count the number of times I reason for today’s room full of people who are all days after which the top of the stove have stepped into the mud room in our needs a hammer and chisel; corn shucks, connected to each other in one way or another. basement and been confounded by the TABLE TALK mud and snakes to sweep out of the Some messes are worth cleaning up, if only manure-covered farm fashion accessory garage; basements to dry out after the because they mean we have a family to love, and By Karen Schwaller tornado I had apparently missed. washing machine breaks or the access who loves us. It’s the greatest gift — and the greatI have yet to hear of a room in a farm plug to the sewer pipe blows (don’t ask est mess — of all. house officially titled on house plans, “the how I know that). There’s the degreasing of clothing, But I’ll still give you five bucks if you swear that manure room.” After all, on a livestock farm, that’s hands and towels, and sometimes even the messy dent in the shed door wasn’t my doing. mostly what’s in there, isn’t it? job of untangling family members who have gotten Karen Schwaller brings “Table Talk” to The Land into a spat they can’t seem to solve on their own. Those from a generation or two before us on the from her home near Milford, Iowa. She can be farm might even think differently about what actuBut with all of the different messes there are to reached at kschwaller@evertek.net. v ally constitutes a mess. My husband tells of a time when his grandparents were visiting, and during that time he and his sister had paid a visit to the local taco venue and brought their delights home to Send your letters to: Editor, The Land, 418 South Second St., Mankato, MN 56001 devour. As they were opening them up to add more e-mail: editor@thelandonline.com heat to them, his grandfather just blurted out what he was thinking as he laid his eyes upon the prized All letters must be signed and accompanied by a phone number (not for publication) to verify authenticity. taco filling that was so highly anticipated by my husband and his sister. “I’ve cleaned up better looking messes than that,” he uttered. Americans are the planet’s champion consumers. LAND MINDS, from pg. 2 Outside, there are messes in the barn from the A 2018 article in Business Insider by Andrew D. Will farmers take land out of production in the nature calls of all those animals living there; messHwang states the average American uses about 9.7 name of sustainability in spite of the sirens’ call of es from birthing or even when someone left the hectares. This data suggests the Earth can support $15 soybeans? Is the USDA turning a deaf ear to hydrant running during chores. warnings of low grain carry-overs and even possible at most one-fifth of the present population, 1.5 bilIf my husband asks you if I did that last week, I’ll shortages in 2022? lion people, at an American standard of living. give you five bucks to say I didn’t. “The Earth supports industrialized standards of “Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is There are hog buildings and semi trailers to living only because we are drawing down the ‘savengaged in a whole-of-government effort to combat power wash, snow to move and messes that weasels the climate crisis and conserve and protect our ings account’ of non-renewable resources, including and rats can seem to generate just by their very fertile topsoil, drinkable water, forests, fisheries and nation’s lands, biodiversity, and natural resources presence. petroleum,” Hwang said. including our soil, air and water,” The April 21 announcement stated. “Through conservation pracThere are oil spills on the shop floor, fuel runIt took 127 years for the world population to doutices and partnerships, USDA aims to enhance eco- ble from one billion to two. By contrast, it took only overs now and then, glass to pick up from tractor nomic growth and create new streams of income for 47 years, from 1927 to 1974, to double from two bilwindows that break, tools following a major equipfarmers, ranchers, producers and private foresters. ment overhaul, paint cans that fall off of a project lion to four. Since 1960, world population has grown and end up coloring the floor, bales that break open Successfully meeting these challenges will require by about one billion every 13 years. when they fall off of the bale elevator, piles of grain USDA and our agencies to pursue a coordinated Environmental experts are quick to say we are approach alongside USDA stakeholders, including on the ground from a cart operator who hit the killing our planet. I don’t believe this is so. Yes, I state, local, and tribal governments.” wrong button in the dark (once again, there’s five believe we are harming our planet — perhaps irrepbucks in it if you swear that I’ve never done that to Sounds about right. arable harm. But Earth will survive. It’s the human my husband or anyone helping us…); and someCarbon footprints, an increase in extreme weather race that’s going to take the pounding. And it’s times there is a marriage to clean up when husgoing to make Covid-19 look like a trip to the denevents, melting ice fields and safe supplies of potabands and wives work together, hours are long and tist. ble water all lead me to a question I don’t hear tempers and patience run short. asked very often: Can the planet Earth sustain 8 We can enjoy our avocados and Florida vacations; And even with all the stress that comes from billion people? but Earth will have its day. those things, it’s no less stressful in the house. If Scholars have discussed this topic with (again) a Paul Malchow is the managing editor of The Land. you had ever stepped into our basement and seen wide spectrum of opinions. A United Nations report He may be reached at editor@TheLandOnline.com. the laundry piles down there when our family was growing up, you would know what liquid was really from 2012 stated Earth can easily sustain about 2 The views expressed in this column are not necesin the stain remover bottle. There were piles of ‘reg- billion people. More recent studies have that numsarily the opinion or policy of The Land. v ber at 8 billion, providing those 8 billion are judiular’ dirty work clothes for farm, school and office cious in their use of resources. jobs; filthy hog farm work clothes; and clothes that
Letters to the editor are always welcome.
Killing the planet? We’re killing ourselves
