Columnist Mike Rosmann tells what farming means to him

Mike Rosmann,an Iowa farmer and psychologist, shares his thoughts on agrarianism, which explains why some people choose to work the land, in his opinion for Ag Week. A gently edited version:

Photo by Erin Brown, Grand Vale Creative, via Ag Week

Agriculture and agrarianism have commonalities, but they also differ distinctly, and for good reasons. “So what?” some people might say. “It’s not important.” For farmers, the differences are profound and deserve an explanation, which I’m about to give.

First, let’s understand who is a farmer. The Department of Agriculture defines a farmer as anyone who produces food, fibers for clothes and shelter, and renewable fuels such as ethanol, wood, and the methane captured for energy by biodigesters. The USDA definition includes foresters, fishers, plant nursery operators, and hunters, along with everyone who raises crops, livestock, fibers, and renewable fuels as a full-time or part-time livelihood. The U.S. Census Bureau no longer lists farming as an occupation on its data forms. The Census of Agriculture collects key information about farming every five years; it uses the USDA definition of “farmer.”

Michael R. Rosmann, Ph.D.

Do agriculture and farming differ? Absolutely. Most dictionaries define agriculture as the science, art, and occupation of cultivating the soil, growing crops and raising livestock. Fishing, harvesting lumber, hunting, and trapping animals for their fur are considered farming activities in the broad sense that the USDA defines farming, but not agriculture in the way that most people define the word, “agriculture.”

Dr. Linda Haverstock, lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan, drew a distinction between “agri” and “culture” at an international conference some 20 years ago at Regina, Canada, about the behavioral health needs of agricultural producers. The “agri” part of the word refers to the activities of nurturing soil, water, plants, and animals; the “culture” part refers to the unique behaviors required of the people engaged in these activities. A psychologist and farmer herself, Haverstock said “Behavioral healthcare providers must understand the ‘culture’ of agricultural producers in order to be effective caregivers to them.”

Indeed, agricultural behavioral health is a new field that combines agriculture and behavioral health. The time is coming when students in agricultural business and related college and post-graduate agricultural tracks will offer, and perhaps require, courses that entail an understanding of how farmers behave, the signs and symptoms of distress, and how to help distressed farmers themselves, as well as to find other resources.

What does agrarianism have to do with farming and agriculture? Thomas Jefferson popularized agrarianism as an ideal lifestyle that emphasizes family farming, widespread property ownership, and political decentralization. . . . Jefferson’s ideals inspired multiple generations of Americans and immigrants to purchase land for farming west of the established United States of America, where they could lay the foundation for self-sufficient agrarian communities. 

Jefferson influenced Wendell Berry, a well-known proponent of sustainable farming, as well as the author of novels, poems, and essays about agrarianism. Berry’s 1977 book, The Unsettling of America, described agrarianism as many families owning land, working on farms, and undertaking farming methods that contribute to enduring communities, healthy lifestyles, and democracy as intended by our country’s founders.

My definition of agrarianism draws on the Agrarian Imperative theory, which explains why people farm. I have proposed that humans, like many animal species, have a basic need to acquire sufficient territory to produce the food, materials, and fuels required by their families and communities, and the world.

Also called the agrarian personality, this genetically programmed instinct drives farmers to hang onto their land and other resources needed to farm at all costs. The agrarian imperative instills farmers to work incredibly hard, to endure unusual pain and hardship, to rely on their personal judgment above others’ advice, and to take uncommon risks.

The behaviors that lead to success in farming can also lead to personal and family demise, such as: physical and emotional exhaustion, failure to seek help when needed, the stigma against seeking mental health assistance, depression, bad decisions, and they contribute to the high rate of suicide by farmers.

How farmers carry out the agrarian drive can be modified by learning. Successful current farmers are demonstrating that wisely managing their behavior, such as reaching out for advice when needed, can improve their productivity as well as their happiness. These and other valuable new experiences, such as regenerative farming and personnel management skills, are constantly evolving survival skills that predispose future generations to the way they express their agrarian urges.

How farmers manage their agrarian behaviors are choices farmers can control, unlike many of the other factors that affect the outcome of farming. Further research to validate the agrarian imperative theory is needed, some of which is underway.

 

Truly, farming is a noble and essential occupation, a profoundly spiritual way of life.