Yesterday, my 3rd grader came home with an assignment asking him to write up his predictions for the future. It read: "What are some of the changes you imagine will take place in the next 100 years?"
We got to talking. My son offered a few inventive ideas inspired by experiences with technology: the Wii, TV, the remote, iPhone, instruments, the computer, cool cars, etc. I made a single prediction. I predicted that in the year 2110 we'd have 30% more land being used for active farming in America.
His eyes glazed over at my suggestion and even I had to chuckle at how outlandish the idea seemed. But who knows, maybe it isn't that outlandish after all. Consider it. Given the speed with which people are becoming conscious of the food-farm-health connection, maybe reclaiming a percentage of the land and the productivity we've lost is possible.
Stranger things have happened in America over a span of 100 years...
The idea of growing food is very mentally attractive. I don't think the dream will ever go out of style. Maybe we should start a time share farm where everyone goes out for 2 weeks a year and works on it.
ReplyDeletehey you might be right; my parent did decide to start their own backyard farm this summer haha.
ReplyDeleteall jokes, it's definitely true how much could change in 100 years. there's the theory that society changes at an exponential rate (compare the last 100 years to the last 1000 before...) so i guess you never know what could happen.
anyway cool post! i'll certainly be back to read more!
What a cool idea, Jeff.
ReplyDeleteThere are already many working farms that invite families to stay for a while and work. The Farm Institute on Martha's Vineyard is one such example. Most of the Waldorf Schools integrate a week or two of work on a farm into the curriculum from 3rd grade on.
A weekly trip to the farmer's market is also a great first step.