I noticed a table of mid-20s people. Perhaps they were here for the party? I had arrived early, and since I was the only friend from out of town I did not expect to know anyone else. I let my eyes adjust to the interior dusk of the Pinetree Lodge, East 35th St., New York City, grabbed a beer and moved toward the group.
I had never met these people, and politely approached. If they were here for the party, we should at least get introduced before Chris showed up. Here was the quintessential sampling of young professionals - doctors, nurses, and a lawyer, meeting for an after-work drink. Eventually, the conversation turned to me - where was I from, and what did I do? I replied that I had flown to New York City for the weekend for the surprise birthday party. Oh, and I am a dairy farmer from Wisconsin.
You may not hear this from many dairy farmers, but it sure is exciting to be at the forefront of social consciousness. I say this, because I have been noticing an interesting trend in the agricultural industry. It used to be, that farming carried a negative connotation. We have all heard expressions like, "If you can't do anything else, be a farmer"; as if agriculture is the catchall for people who have failed other walks of life. While this condescending view may have been popular at one time, the trend of today is totally different. Let us continue with the dialogue:
When I answered the group of New Yorkers, conversation screeched to a halt and all attention turned to me. I was used to this reaction. Like I indicated, during my childhood I was occasionally ridiculed for coming from a farm. I had grown up under the assumption that production agriculture carries with it some sort of negative stigmatism.
Thus I was caught off guard when, talking to the group of professionals, my answer was met with nothing less than genuine, respectful inquiry. These people admittedly knew nothing of my profession, and seemed to hold it in extremely high regard. This is the trend I mentioned above - there is a genuine, respectful interest toward the food producers of our nation.
Just last week I could not help but notice a prominent headline in the New York Times, "In New Food Culture, a Young Generation of Farmers Emerges", published March 5. The article entailed exactly what I have noticed - young people are gaining an interest, and pursuing careers in, production agriculture. The article refers to a phenomenon called "the lost generation," and applies directly to people my age.
I used to take for granted that my family grows its own food; my mother and grandmother has always maintained a vegetable garden and canned their own produce. As is becoming more and more clear, in this regard I am the exception. Most young people have no agricultural background, their parents do not grow their own food, and grandparents are no longer around to teach the youngsters how to do it. Hence the "Lost Generation," and a renewed interest in production agriculture.
Back to the dialogue in New York. This conversation continued, and climaxed when the law student remarked, "You know, I have always wanted my own cows." I looked at her sweetly, which galvanized her resolve, "You don't understand; I have ALWAYS wanted my own cows."
As it turns out, this group was not there for the party. Having other commitments they gathered their belongings and respectfully excused themselves. There could hardly have been a more diverse group of occupations: legal experts, physicians, a nurse, and dairy farmer. They had come from all regions of the country: Los Angeles, New Jersey, and Wisconsin. Somehow, fate had them assemble in a dimly lit bar in Southeast Midtown, Manhattan.
It used to be that someone in my shoes would be the outcast from such a group. A Farmer walked into a bar and sat down with a Doctor, Lawyer, and a Nurse. Although this may seem like a good setup to a joke, in such a scenario I did not feel out of place in the least. I guess we are all professional in our own right.
Never before or now has my profession taken such center stage. In fact, I am encouraged by the positive reception - I enjoy farming, I appreciate the cows; it is heartening to hear that others do, too. However, despite the enthusiasm displayed by the patrons of the Pinetree, I liked the reaction of a guy on the train the best. After all, one can always count on New Yorkers to deliver a healthy dose of reality. On the Newark to Penn Station commute, I found myself seated next to a sleeping stranger. On the outskirts of Manhattan, he snored himself awake and groggily asked where we were, glad to be nearing the end of his journey.
I replied, adding that I too, was glad to be at the end of my journey. When asked where I was from I courteously responded: "I am a dairy farmer, from Wisconsin." The stranger jerked awake, as though slapped in the face. He looked at me as though I were from Mars and responded, "Man, you saying that you're a dairy farmer from Wisconsin is like me saying I'm from Disneyland."
- Dan Wegmueller of Monroe writes a column for the Times each Monday. He can be reached at dwegs@tds.net.
I had never met these people, and politely approached. If they were here for the party, we should at least get introduced before Chris showed up. Here was the quintessential sampling of young professionals - doctors, nurses, and a lawyer, meeting for an after-work drink. Eventually, the conversation turned to me - where was I from, and what did I do? I replied that I had flown to New York City for the weekend for the surprise birthday party. Oh, and I am a dairy farmer from Wisconsin.
You may not hear this from many dairy farmers, but it sure is exciting to be at the forefront of social consciousness. I say this, because I have been noticing an interesting trend in the agricultural industry. It used to be, that farming carried a negative connotation. We have all heard expressions like, "If you can't do anything else, be a farmer"; as if agriculture is the catchall for people who have failed other walks of life. While this condescending view may have been popular at one time, the trend of today is totally different. Let us continue with the dialogue:
When I answered the group of New Yorkers, conversation screeched to a halt and all attention turned to me. I was used to this reaction. Like I indicated, during my childhood I was occasionally ridiculed for coming from a farm. I had grown up under the assumption that production agriculture carries with it some sort of negative stigmatism.
Thus I was caught off guard when, talking to the group of professionals, my answer was met with nothing less than genuine, respectful inquiry. These people admittedly knew nothing of my profession, and seemed to hold it in extremely high regard. This is the trend I mentioned above - there is a genuine, respectful interest toward the food producers of our nation.
Just last week I could not help but notice a prominent headline in the New York Times, "In New Food Culture, a Young Generation of Farmers Emerges", published March 5. The article entailed exactly what I have noticed - young people are gaining an interest, and pursuing careers in, production agriculture. The article refers to a phenomenon called "the lost generation," and applies directly to people my age.
I used to take for granted that my family grows its own food; my mother and grandmother has always maintained a vegetable garden and canned their own produce. As is becoming more and more clear, in this regard I am the exception. Most young people have no agricultural background, their parents do not grow their own food, and grandparents are no longer around to teach the youngsters how to do it. Hence the "Lost Generation," and a renewed interest in production agriculture.
Back to the dialogue in New York. This conversation continued, and climaxed when the law student remarked, "You know, I have always wanted my own cows." I looked at her sweetly, which galvanized her resolve, "You don't understand; I have ALWAYS wanted my own cows."
As it turns out, this group was not there for the party. Having other commitments they gathered their belongings and respectfully excused themselves. There could hardly have been a more diverse group of occupations: legal experts, physicians, a nurse, and dairy farmer. They had come from all regions of the country: Los Angeles, New Jersey, and Wisconsin. Somehow, fate had them assemble in a dimly lit bar in Southeast Midtown, Manhattan.
It used to be that someone in my shoes would be the outcast from such a group. A Farmer walked into a bar and sat down with a Doctor, Lawyer, and a Nurse. Although this may seem like a good setup to a joke, in such a scenario I did not feel out of place in the least. I guess we are all professional in our own right.
Never before or now has my profession taken such center stage. In fact, I am encouraged by the positive reception - I enjoy farming, I appreciate the cows; it is heartening to hear that others do, too. However, despite the enthusiasm displayed by the patrons of the Pinetree, I liked the reaction of a guy on the train the best. After all, one can always count on New Yorkers to deliver a healthy dose of reality. On the Newark to Penn Station commute, I found myself seated next to a sleeping stranger. On the outskirts of Manhattan, he snored himself awake and groggily asked where we were, glad to be nearing the end of his journey.
I replied, adding that I too, was glad to be at the end of my journey. When asked where I was from I courteously responded: "I am a dairy farmer, from Wisconsin." The stranger jerked awake, as though slapped in the face. He looked at me as though I were from Mars and responded, "Man, you saying that you're a dairy farmer from Wisconsin is like me saying I'm from Disneyland."
- Dan Wegmueller of Monroe writes a column for the Times each Monday. He can be reached at dwegs@tds.net.
