New Generation of Farmers

There are some areas of the United States where people are not as caught up in the insane frenzy of processed foods, chemical additives, and the works.  If you didn't already guess, its the west coast.  One state in particular where people take natural food very seriously, often insisting on knowing where the food is coming from, is Oregon.  According to the NYtimes, there has been a recent surge over the past few years of young people eager to become farmers.   They are keen on growing food, getting down and dirty, and often times are using the recession as a reason to pick it up.  The only unfortunate part is, there is a whole generational gap of knowledge that was lost when in essence, their grandparent's children refused to become farmers and did not gain the knowledge to pass on down to this new generation of farmers.   One plus is that the government is funding some programs to help educate these young people, typically in their late twenties to early thirties, on how to farm.  Yet it is not enough.  Without turning this into a complete tirade against our government and how they could take funds from other programs (military) and divert them to helping our farmers out, wait I just did but will end now.   Regardless, this turn of events for some of this country's young generation is promising.  Not everyone is caught up in the hype of processed and fast foods, there is even an increasing number of people turning away from them.   In addition to being healthier, these new farmers are providing a necessary service to the local natural food economy.   There is the fact they won't make as much money in this line of work, but I am sure to them it doesn't matter much.  They are doing what they love and that is really all that matters.  How many of the rest of us are stuck in jobs that we are not happy with, trudging to work every day, and coming home just to repeat it the next.  This is the perfect economy to completely change your line of work and do what you love instead.  With this recession and the amount of lost jobs, there must be more introspection as to what is really important in life.  Is the corporate boss who laid you off or might lay you off really worth the effort that it necessititates.  People have to work harder and harder for the same amount of pay to prevent themselves from getting laid off.  Why not do what you love, even if it means making less; at least you will be happy.  Now, farming is admittedly not for everyone; I dont even know if I could do it (although the idea is tempting).   All I am saying is that some of us might be able to learn a lesson from these intrepid new farmers, taking on a new frontier because that is what they want to do.  If only everyone had the will to dream larger and take on what they love, there would be much less stress in everyone's life, and people might actually smile more.  Right now, I love what I do; do you?  Ask yourself that question and see if you need to re-evaluate where you are in life.  There is nothing wrong with change; in fact, it keeps us on our toes and lets us know we are alive.  Our bodies constantly change throughout our lives, why not change jobs as well, keep our career in line with the rest of our body and mind.  Just a thought, thats all.  As for myself, the moment I don't love what I do anymore, I will begin looking for new alternatives to fulfill what my body and mind needs.   Why not start looking now and prepare for the future?  (If you are looking for an excellent book to help you on your way, I highly recommend Keith Ferrazzi's book Never Eat Alone.)