Last week (or maybe the week before by now – I am slow!), The Ten Reasons They Hate You So made the rounds in a couple of sustainable agriculture social networking circles. I was astonished to learn that, as a liberal arts educated advocate of sustainable agriculture, I hate farmers. In order to educate my adversary so that they can best combat people like me, Mike Smith lists the first five reasons that I (along with people like me) hate farmers and agricultural scientists.
I don’t often find an article so utterly compelling or appalling that I feel the need to respond to it. Perhaps it was just having my supposed hatred of farmers spelled out so clearly for me that prompted this response. I highly recommend reading, or at least skimming, Mike Smith’s post before reading this one. It may get you as irritated as I am. At the least, the list below will make more sense.
1. They hate you because you trust in science.
I don’t hate you because you trust in science. Actually, I’m a big fan of science. But I don’t think you get to choose which science you listen to. You can’t hope to feed the world while ignoring the scientifically documented consequences of unsustainable agricultural practices; consequences that are intimately connected to feeding the world.
I don’t have “faith that farming can grow the food pie for everybody without draining the Earth of its resources.” Rather, I am certain that we must find a way to do so, because when the Earth’s resources are gone, the result will be famine on a scale we can hardly imagine.
I am also certain that the solution will be scientific in nature. But it can’t be science that is focused only on increasing production while ignoring the scientifically documented ramifications of unsustainable agricultural practices.
2. They hate you because you’re messing with their kids.
I don’t hate you because you’re messing with my kids. And actually, no offense to your kids, but I care a lot more about the food I put in my body than whether you’re feeding your kids organic or not. But why is it wrong for me to care what I feed my own kids? And to spend my money accordingly?
3. They hate you in order to fight the power.
It’s not about fighting the power of an “imposed American cuisine of meat, potatoes, cooked vegetable and the ultimate WASP Jello-mold salad.” It’s about obesity and diabetes.
It’s not a “post-structuralist” questioning of science. It is science itself saying, “The way we eat isn’t healthy.”
And I am baffled by how me buying, with money, a share in a local CSA is advocating “local farming a la communist Cuba.” Isn’t the whole point of capitalism purchasing (and thus creating demand for) products you find valuable? Silly me – I thought small, local businesses were the heart of our economy.
4. They hate you because you’re white.
Well, this is a hard one. Because I’m white. So I’m not really hating you because I’m white.
But as a white person, I do think the USDA might want to examine their recommendation on drinking milk, both because I’m lactose-intolerant and because scientific (there’s that thing I’m supposed to hate again) evidence indicates that in spite of consuming vast quantities of milk, our bones aren’t actually stronger (Sources: 1, 2, eat fish, the list could go on and on).
And my taste for “brown” foods has nothing to do with a counter-cultural fight against dominant white culture. It has a lot to do with nutritional science. And with the fact that I think brown rice tastes better than white rice. So there, White Power! Your rice doesn’t taste as good!
5. They hate you because you’re male.
I am a woman, so clearly I’m a big man-hater. Except as a wife (of a man), I am grateful that my family has the economic flexibility for me to be “consigned to the kitchen and the garden” when I have children. I actually really like my kitchen and my garden! I look forward to being home and raising my kids.
I’m still not really clear on why being pro-sustainably farmed, healthy food means I’m anti-male. Gender equality has a long way to go in this country. But that is certainly not specific to agriculture. My criticism of unsustainable agriculture has nothing to do with the anatomy of the farm owner and operator. Maybe I should go ask some of the male advocates of sustainable agriculture what I’m missing here. Surely they know why I should be hating their farming counterparts.
Reasons six through ten.
I honestly can’t decide whether I’m looking forward to or dreading the release of reasons six through ten: Norman Rockwell through Ronald Reagan. But I do hope that any farmers who read Smith’s post are smart enough to recognize utter nonsense (and blatant sexism) when they see it.
