gregor_y's flickr photostream (creative commons)

A growing number of young people are eagerly joining the ranks of organic farmers, a pursuit long considered to be a dying profession. I certainly don’t remember the animated image of a farmer posted on the “career wall” in elementary school, but as the demand for local, sustainable produce has risen, so have recent college graduates before dawn to plant small-scale farms.  I have a profound respect for farmers, young and old, who have committed their body, mind and spirit to putting food on the table for all of us.  Having spent some time working on a farm and tending to my own temperamental garden has given me a glimpse of the devotion required to farm. 

Farming is certainly not the most lucrative endeavor either and while many of the twenty and thirty-something farmers often scrape by working day jobs, to know you are providing your community with healthy food, while protecting the environment, has to be a huge reward.  A key component to making sure these farmers can stay in business and that they can keep their prices competitive and affordable, will be to shift more government subsidies to those looking to tend the land sustainably.  Many of the young farmers are also connecting with their communities beyond traditional meet and greets at farmer’s markets by utilizing blogs, Twitter and other social networking media.  I think it would be great if more people volunteered on some of these farms, even for a day or two, to gain a greater appreciation for where our food comes from.  Who knows, by the end of the day the farm may even have a few new helping hands.

I think we should all be thankful that these brave souls have chosen to stand on the front-line of the sustainable food revolution, helping to ensure that communities around the country have access to healthy, sustainable food.