Farmer's life is not what it is cracked up to be

By Ashley Ritchie

Farming is not a crime. I just want everyone to know that because individuals on this campus sometimes seem to forget.

Coming to college last year I knew that I would no longer be around people who, for the majority, shared my same values and ideals. That is fine; but I never expected to actually come across people who challenge my means of living so unjustly.

The are a number of aspects about this campus that contribute to my feeling alienated as a Republican, but one particular attribute that seems to continue picking at my every nerve is some individuals' views toward the food at this institution. They scream for fair trade coffee and organic food to be served in Benson without real knowledge of what they are talking about or who they are harming.

First, let me make something clear because, I know that just as my words get twisted around every week, they will also be this go round. I am not an advocate of paying farm workers sub-minimum wage or forcing them to work under horrible conditions, but I am an advocate on educating people in hopes of helping them get their facts straight.

I cannot speak for every farm across America. But, I can speak about those in Tulare County, Calif., which is where I grew up and happens to be the largest agricultural producing area in the entire world. Three percent of American individuals today work as farmers. This means that the job is obviously not highly glamorous, and often-times, is not well-paid.

For the past 19 years, I have watched the hardest working individual I know, my dad, get up every morning between four and five o'clock and go to work on my family's farm. All day long, he works on a tractor or out in the field, side-by-side with his workers. No, he does not ride around in his air-conditioned pick-up truck and bark orders at his workers who make $4.25 and are not given any breaks. In all of my 1ife, I have also never seen my father take a sick day or just not go to work. This is not an option for him. He has to work on Christmas, Easter and any other important holiday that most people, including his workers, get off.

When I hear of people blasting this occupation and talking about how poorly farm workers are treated in California, I want to crawl out of my skin. I have watched my father give his workers new pick-up trucks every year. I have seen my mom go through his closet and put together stacks of shirts for my father to give to his workers to wear. Every year I watch my dad gather up loads of grocery store gift certificates to give as Christmas gifts. Whoever claims that these individuals are treated as second class citizens needs a serious reality check.

Obviously, migrating from Mexico without knowledge of the English language must be terribly hard on an individual. And, for those who do not possess the skills to get any other job in the U.S., farming is the only option. However, these men and women do not have the negative attitude about their job that many of the students at this institution possess. Why? Because they are given fair pay and all of the benefits that a job could have. They also have relationships with their bosses, they respect and like them as friends and companions.

Three years ago, when my Grandfather, who also worked in the farming business, passed away, I remember walking into the funeral and seeing a plethora of his workers, teary-eyed. Yeah, it sure looks as if he really treated them badly. And, I have no doubt that the individuals who work for my father feel the same way about him.

On the topic of organic food, I also have a rebuttal. My father does not grow his crops organically. Yet, my family provides food to individuals around the world, and undoubtedly, every person at this school has benefited from our farm in some way. The pesticides we put on our crops are not harmful to the person who later eats them. If they were, we would not use them because they would harm us as well.

When you claim that what these farmers are using is harmful, you are basically stating that these are a group of deceitful individuals who know that they are hurting people and don't really care. The pesticides used on the crops are simply the chemicals that are necessary to keep bugs from destroying the crops. They do not harm anyone. Without them, there would be no farm. Those who grow their food organically have the type of land to do so. Tulare County does not.

Lastly, I would just like to state that when you complain about the food on campus, you are offending wonderful, hard-working people, like my father, and thereby jeopardizing their work. It is so crucial that you understand the topic you are fighting about when doing so. In this situation, this has not been done when arguing about farmers in California. I can just hope that this little bit can educate some and encourage them to fight back when they see these uncalled-for protests.