I talked to some farmers who voiced the following concerns while touring their family farms: weather, selecting the right product to grow, government over-regulation, a workforce to handle the harvest, the price they would get for the fruit, financing operations and generational issues. These concerns are all familiar to those that read about or participate in the North-American farming community. The difference in these conversations was that I was not in North-America; I was in the south of France where I visited vineyards, an olive farm, a truffle farm, and a sunflower grower. If not for the need of an interpreter, it would have been easy to think you were in the Napa or San Joaquin Valleys. The farms looked very similar and the concerns were nearly identical to their U.S. counterparts. Although I must admit, the “theft of well-trained truffle finding dogs” was one I had never heard before.
As I add on years and hopefully some wisdom in my work and travels, I am struck by just how much we are drawn together by our similarities rather than separated by our differences. Farming is farming whether you are in Canada, the U.S., Mexico or the south of France. You will find good people working hard to provide food and drink for their extended communities. You will find concerns and complaints but you will also find farmers who are passionate about their land, their crops, and their future. People who are so drawn to the land that they reach down and grab a handful of the earth when they speak of growing their crops.
This is my reflection and prayer as I once again raise a glass of wine and toast those magnificent farmers from all around the world and also those who work in the supply chain so that we may feast on the fruits of their labor. Cheers!