There ain't no money in farmin'.
Have you ever heard that? I have heard it a few more times than I would like to; and mostly from well meaning people. But after a while...you start to ponder that very thought. Can I make a living doing what I love to do? Can I sustain my family raising God's critter's in line with what His word says? These questions are right to ask but the answer can be more elusive than one would desire.
It seems that the dream that we all have is always riddled with "what if's" and "how could it's". I guess that's what makes it a dream and not an afterthought.
Could there be any greater thing to do with your life than to be the one to nurture other living things and raise your family in an environment that teaches them about life God's way every day? A life where your children will learn the value of hard work, how to be giving, how to trust completely on the Lord, and how to work together as a family. These are the things we want to cultivate in our children and ourselves through a lifetime of learning to cultivate the ground and being a steward for the creatures that God has put here.
Have you ever heard that? I have heard it a few more times than I would like to; and mostly from well meaning people. But after a while...you start to ponder that very thought. Can I make a living doing what I love to do? Can I sustain my family raising God's critter's in line with what His word says? These questions are right to ask but the answer can be more elusive than one would desire.
It seems that the dream that we all have is always riddled with "what if's" and "how could it's". I guess that's what makes it a dream and not an afterthought.
Could there be any greater thing to do with your life than to be the one to nurture other living things and raise your family in an environment that teaches them about life God's way every day? A life where your children will learn the value of hard work, how to be giving, how to trust completely on the Lord, and how to work together as a family. These are the things we want to cultivate in our children and ourselves through a lifetime of learning to cultivate the ground and being a steward for the creatures that God has put here.
But I haven't seen any money growing on the trees around here. And a man that doesn't provide for his own has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel according to Scripture.
Hense comes in the dilemma part. And here is why there is a dilemma. The price of locally, holistically, organically, grown food COSTS more than the stuff you by at the supermarket. And the driving force of what most people buy in this country is....price. Unfortunately, most people don't consider "what" they are buying when they buy the cheapest possible food. And I must admit that this is something that I have struggled with as well.
Picture this....you walk up to the booth at the farmers market and you see that they have pasture raised poultry for sale. You say, "How much do you get per pound for your chickens?" To which the farmer replies, "$3.75 per pound, which comes to about $13-$18 per chicken." Once your mouth finds its way back up off the floor you reply, "$18 dollars a chicken! I can get a chicken in the store for $5!" And herein lies the dilemma. How do you go about educating people to know that what they are buying in the store is far more expensive in the long run than your chickens are.
What do you mean by that? Well, there are more than monetary costs to consider when purchasing food. If you buy $5 chickens all your life and end up with cancer or some other disease...did you make the cheaper choice? How much is your health worth? Is living a vibrant life with energy and a minimal amount of sickness worth something? What about the environmental costs? Now I am not a tree hugger. But the more I study the Word of God the more I realize that we are to steward the land on which we live. We are to take care of God's earth and not abuse it. So when the fact that in order to produce that cheap food that is in the store you have to abuse the earth on which it was grown....treat the animals with no respect....and a business that is supported by the all-powerful state.....is it worth it?
Now the flip side to seeing how organically, grass-fed, God-honoring, food is worth the price; I do understand the fact that some people really don't have that much money. And I want to be able to provide this food at a price so that EVERYONE can eat it! I want them to be able to enjoy sustaining their physical bodies God's way. But I also have to provide for my family. Good food can't be produced if there is no profit in it. As much as organic farmers would like to be able to just grow the best food in the world and not worry about anything else....they have bills too.
Can you see the dilemma? What is the answer to it?
I believe that the answer is in seeing that food (or anything for that matter) that is produced in such a way that it is not harmful but beneficial to people, the world around us, and honors the Lord God, is always worth the higher price over food that doesn't accomplish those things. And also in seeing value in getting to be the person who has the privilege of producing that food. Good food is not just for the rich, it is for everyone that wants to live a healthy, productive, and God honoring life.
So may God help me to provide the best possible food, while striving to make it available to everyone around me, and be able to support my family doing it.
No comments:
Post a Comment