Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Thankful

ALL of society depends on the food producers, the farmers, the fishermen, the hunters to provide more food than they can eat.

The whole system is like a huge upside down pyramid, balanced on the tip, the farmer and the fisherman.  Compare the number of people eating with the number producing the basic food and you see the enormous number of people each producer supports. 

There would be no religion, no drama, no music, no television, no cars, no government, no armies, no teachers, no ANYBODY without the farmer, fisherman. What if every day we had to go raise or harvest our own food for the day.  There would be no time for anything else.

Who is the most important person to society? The president, the head of state, the Pope, the spiritual leaders, Arnold Swartzenegger? They don't give us a bite to eat. Yet, they run things.

The real rulers of the world ought to be the guys in the hip boots and the bib overalls. They have us all where it hurts, the throat. If they shut off the food, we must beg them to help us.

Bill Gates the richest man in the country?  What does he do for me? He controls the companies that control the companies that make and run my computer. Thanks, Bill, but at supper time, I shut off the computer and go to the dining room, and, what do I do? Write a journal? NO.  I EAT. Real food. Fruit, grain, meat, fish. Not from Bill Gates, but from Mike Yurosek, who plants carrots enough for everyone who likes those yuccky things, and Chuck Gronish, almond grower.

Never heard of Mike Yurosek or Chuck Gronish? Of all he people I know, of all the people I have known in this lifetime, they are the only farmers I can think of that I have known.  That's upside down, isn't it?

Personal note: I just remembered. Mark, down the hall, is a retired farmer. I must go and thank him. He will wonder what for.  

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

AMEN, Chuck!  Amen.  Blessings, Penny http://journals.aol.com/firestormkids04/FromHeretoThere

Anonymous said...

Hey Chuck, can you go thank Mark for me, too...What a lovely entry and so, so true.  I am very thankful to our farmers and fishermen and dairymen, etc., as well!  xox
http://journals.aol.com/valphish/ValsThoughts

Anonymous said...

I have never thought of it that way. Thank You for opening my eyes. Thank You.  Jen    http://journals.aol.com/kraztweety2/MyBoringLifeInHesperia

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for this entry. I have been trying to get across for ever that the steak people eat at their favorite restaurant on Saturday night doesn't fall from the sky. We need to be thankful for the rain too. I get so angry when I hear the news media moan about it might rain on their parade on the week-end. Thanks again Chuck, Paula

Anonymous said...

Happy Thanksgiving:) yes its true thank you farmers:)

Deb

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the reminder-recently I did thank our local"truck farmer." Farmer Pete, who lives down the road aways and struggles to make a living on just a few acres of stony CT land. He grows great pumpkins, among other things, and I thanked him for that. Happy Thanksgiving. Margo

Anonymous said...

Thank you Chuck for such eloquent wording of the truth of the state of things.  Farmers and other food providers have always struggled to feed so many with so little appreciation from the rest of the world.  From a long line of farmers and ranchers, I do appreciate their work and susepticability to the weather.
Ann