First, farmers span the entire United States and cannot, despite urban sprawl, be so effortlessly shoved to the category of the “fat” of the “middle” of America. Farmers are a vital part of America’s food system and the more we push them to the middle, the more our food will cost and the less healthy it will be.
Second, farmers are people too: just people. Farmers cannot be painted into a corner of one political stripe or another. If you were choosing paint samples, you’d be better off sticking to the red/blue map of party affiliation. Geography has more to do with political beliefs than profession and (see the first point) farmers are everywhere (including rooftops in New York City).
Third, Banks is entirely correct that farmers LIVE on their farms, though the insinuation seemed less than complimentary. Certainly, sitting casually is the last thing they do before going to bed at night, if you don’t count the hours sitting on a tractor or the proverbial milking stool. Farmers are up before dawn, eat lunch in the field, and often take dinner after dark. What we may not know is that they grab a few Z’s before evening chores so that they can stay awake to chop corn in the headlights of the combine long after dinner. I can assure you that there is nothing in between the alarm going off and the alarm being set that is not LIVING. Farmers experience life and death at regular intervals and have hours surrounded by the glory of nature to reflect on it. If anyone knows how to appreciate every hour he or she is given to live, it’s a farmer.
Finally, Azaelia Banks might take note of this post. Perhaps we should all take note of her other points: as a nation, we carry a weight per person that is disproportionate to our individual contributions; personal inflexible views about other people hinder the exchange of ideas for the greater good; and extremism crowds out all compassion.
