While farm talk might be considered boring, it is important for future farmers to understand the reasons for embracing change and the reasons for respecting tradition.

Some of the changes that have been made on Smith Angus farm were to ensure that our farm survives another generation.

If the prices in the grocery stores are any indication of where things are headed, farming knowledge could be very important in the near future for many people.

Give a listen to this podcast from The U.S. Sustainability Alliance about Respecting Tradition While Embracing Change. My interview begins around the 15 minute mark, but Chip Council from Maryland has great insight as he is a 10th generation farmer!“In the United States, around 98 percent of farms are family owned and operated. And many of these farmers want to continue their family tradition by handing down their operation in better shape to the next generation. That takes hard work, dedication, and a continuous focus on doing what’s best for the land and the business.

”In the United States, around 98 percent of farms are family owned and operated. And many of these farmers want to continue their family tradition by handing down their operation in better shape to the next generation. That takes hard work, dedication, and a continuous focus on doing what’s best for the land and the business. In the latest episode of This is U.S. Sustainability, we hear from two multi-generational farmers – an eleventh-generation grains farmer from Maryland and the owner of a centennial cattle farm in Louisiana – about how they have moved with the times while staying true to their roots. We cover rotational grazing, no-till cultivation, water conservation, biotech seeds, and more. And we discuss why going back to the natural cycle is sometimes the best approach.”

Old Friends they shine like diamonds
Old Friends you can always call
Old Friends Lord you can’t buy ’em
You know it’s Old Friends after all

Our oldest, who was scheduled to have his graduation ceremony on Friday spent today bushhogging a field instead of enjoying his last week of High School. Not that there isn’t joy in tractor work; it’s just that he’ll have plenty of opportunity to drive a tractor in circles but won’t ever be able to have his last week of High School, so I can understand how he might not appreciate having to be here. But if this pandemic has given us anything it’s maybe an opportunity to focus on what things are really important. Time with family, especially our kids, is like that last week of High School. It only comes once and if we miss it, we can’t get it back.

So of course what better way to spend a birthday than traveling to see the Lynyrd Skynryd crash site memorial. Now I should say that it’s only twenty miles away from us and we had a bit of free time so we didn’t have to make a huge trip. But the visit reinforced how short time is and can be, and encouraged me to be a little more deliberate about how I spend it. So there you go. Philosophy from the “Three Guitar Army.”

So if anyone is looking for something to do during the quarantine, I know of a place that isn’t closed, is outdoors, practices social distancing by default and has the opportunity to give your family a unique perspective. And the Lynyrd Skynyrd memorial is only twenty miles away from it…

Today I’ll remember several Marines I served with. But I’ll only mention one. George Torres. And I didn’t know him very well. He checked into Bravo Company 1st Battalion, 5th Marines shortly after we returned from Iraq in 2003 and during our preparation to return in 2004. He was a Private First Class, straight out of boot camp and became a member of 3rd Platoon. We didn’t have much time to prepare before we were back in Iraq and got there just in time for the Battle of Fallujah in April 2004.

Torres, while smaller than most of the Marines, had a large personality. He was 22 when he joined us which made him an “old man” amongst the mostly 17 and 18 year old PFCs. He was from Long Beach CA and was the son of Mexican immigrants. He had dropped out of High School and had a little more life experience than a lot of the other Marines who joined straight from High School. I remember his nickname in the platoon was “Rooster” because he was small in stature but ready to stand up to anyone, especially if he felt someone was doing something wrong. I never saw him afraid of anything or anyone and he carried himself with all the confidence in the world, so the nickname stuck.

He was killed in Fallujah on April 11, 2004 just 23 years old at the time. When we returned to the US later that year, we held a memorial service for him and the other Marines we lost. His parents were there and we met, but the language barrier prevented me from really knowing how they felt about the service. It was several months after they had already had his funeral and so I always wondered if our memorial service was helpful to them. We also had collected from his platoon mates their written memories of him and so we presented them to his parents. I’ve wondered if they gave his parents any comfort and if they’ve ever been read in the years since

It’s been sixteen years since then. Torres would be approaching 40 years old. I wonder what he would have done with those sixteen years. Maybe he would have stayed in the Marine Corps. Maybe he would have gone off and done something remarkable, or had a family, or made a difference to someone, I don’t know how his family has managed his absence or how they’ve spent the last sixteen years. And I don’t know if it’s helpful to remember in general those that have lost their lives in service. But if you’re reading this, you can remember at least one.