This Farmer's Hands; Poetry & Photography From Down On The Farm

Jonas, the farmer in this project is a gentle soul, a poet himself and a bit crazy as he readily admits. He was born and raised here in Pennsylvania and has been farming for many years. He raises and sells grass fed certified organic Limousin beef. Healthy living, sustainable farming and writing poetry are his passions. He loves and respects the land and he enjoys teaching and sharing his knowledge that he has acquired over the years. At age 65, he is an "old hippy" without ever really having been one. Oh, and he has the prettiest blue eyes I have ever seen and yeah like you needed to know that. :)

As mentioned, the cattle that Jonas has chosen to raise are the Limousin breed which are thought to be over 20,000 years old and originate in France, in fact, there are ancient cave paintings in the Limoges region in France, that depict cattle that are strikingly similar in appearance to the Limousin breed of today.

In 1968, Canada started to import these cattle and finally in 1971, the first Limousin cattle began to be imported into the US. They quickly became a popular breed having milder temperaments and a genetic tendency to be naturally leaner than other breeds. An average female weighs around 1400 pounds while males can go as much as a ton. This breed is an excellent choice for any farmer who wishes to try his hand at doing things nature's way and going down the organic grass fed beef avenue.

As more and more people begin to realize that the foods they eat make a big impact on the quality of their life, giving consumers better food choices, such as grass fed only beef is a step in the right direction not just for personal health issues, but for the health and well being of the planet, a community's economy and even the quality of life for the animals in question. Small farms, like Jonas' produce high quality products for consumers... something that big factory farms simply can't. The animal's living conditions are far superior; Jonas' farm has 70 acres of lush grass land for the animals to graze and roam as nature intended. Factory farms tend to keep animals in small confined spaces, where disease and stress are a "normal" part of the animal's life.

In fact, Jonas is a proud member of Animal Welfare Approved an organization that certifies family farms that raise their animals outdoors, on pasture with high welfare..., click the link to learn more about this organization.

The US Food and Drug Administration believes that you and I have no inherent (inborn, existing) right to food choice. It believes that you and I are allowed to eat only the foods that it gives us permission to eat.

Learn more about the FDA's attack on food choice freedom "Raw milk battle reveals FDA abandonment of basic human right to choose your food".

Below is a poem written by Jonas, in response to numerous farmers across the nation being arrested and or having their farm shut down by the FDA, the USDA and various other organizations simply for farming the green way and producing products that consumers WANT.

Read the link provided to put a face and a name to one such farmer Vernon Hershberger. Vernon is what I call a "green farmer"... a living breathing embodiment of what the green movement is all about, he and other farmers like him are the real deal, not celebrities jumping on the "green" band wagon to score points with their fans or a politician pandering to his audience. This is Vernon's way of life and has been, it not the latest fad easily pushed aside for the next best thing to come down the road.

Vernon produces food using sustainable farming methods and as a result his products are high quality AND consumers want them . But he is a criminal according to the state of Wisconsin...our founding fathers (many of them farmers) must be spinning in their graves as we have finally reached a point where we are labeling the fruit of a farmer's labor as criminal behavior.

Sadly, Vernon is not the first and won't be the last American farmer to come under fire.

Here is Jonas' poem.

.

JUST LEAVE US ALONE

We don't need your license, permission to be,

In the home of the brave and the land of the free.

No permits are needed, it's easy to see

All we ask of you, is just leave us be.

Our forefathers left Europe many years ago,

And came to America, to plant and to grow.

In Europe persecution is what drove us out,

They hammered us bad with government clout.

They beat us and hung us, some were skinned alive,

And boiled up in oil, like a bunch of French fries.

We were drownded and pounded, to make us submit

To the official religion, how they interpreted it.

But we fled to America, to the land of the free

To put down new roots, and it worked, you can see.

We're peace-loving people, small farmers most,

But now again seems, like we're government toast.

It looks like we're fallin' on hard times again.

This time seems the leaders, are trying us to skin

By economic pressure, make us change our ways,

Make us comply, to the regulation daze.

For years we've sold food to all who would buy,

Do our best to keep it whole, we always would try

So now all we're asking, in our place in the sun,

Is just for some peace, and just leave us alone.

Just leave us alone, is all that we ask,

Let each of us get on, with what is our task.

We get up each morning, and do our own thing

As we're working along, sometimes we sing.

We're producing the food that many folks like,

Most of the stuff does a body real good.

Maybe some of our bakin' is just a tad sweet,

But the bread that we bake, is a pleasure to eat.

And all that we ask, is just leave us be

Is that just too hard? Something you can't see?

We're the small time farmers, in love with our land

And the animals we raise, with a skilled, gentle hand.

We pasture our stock, cows, chickens and pigs,

Sheep, horses and goats, green grass they all dig.

People come to our farms, they line up to buy

The stuff we produce, we can look in the eye

Of each of our customers, friends, neighbors too,

And be sure it's the best, I'm just tellin' you.

We're like the King's food taster, in those days of yore,

who checked out each thing, makin' absolutely sure,

There was nothing that threatened, the life of the king.

And all that we ask, is to leave us alone

As we grow food to eat, boil the broth from the bone.

We pay our school taxes, then have our own schools

And most of the time, stick close to the rules.

We take stuff to market, vegetables, cheese and meat,

And meet with our customers, a firm handshake to greet.

We take care of each other, no public welfare we need,

Just leave us alone, is now what we plead.

We don't want your handouts, no bailouts we need

Just leave us alone, we now again plead.

NICFA, the National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association is a coalition of Independent Consumer and Farmer groups united in a common mission and purpose :

~To promote and preserve unregulated direct farmer-to-consumer trade that fosters availability of locally grown or home-produced food products.

~To oppose any government funded or managed National Animal Identification System.

To find out if your state has a chapter of this organization, please check out their website.National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association