It’s an exciting time to be a country boy.  Why?  Because people are looking toward the country.  As this world races on toward panacea or hell, which ever you believe, it causes a person to question the uninterrupted supply of his or her own basic needs.  After all, we are all betting our lives on the fact that the system will pull through for us.  From the ranch hand in a Kansas feedlot to the migrant worker in a Florida orange grove to the truck driver and so on, we all require a delicate and intricate system of support.  It is a system that we do not even have to see.  Truck loads of food roll in on “Truck Routes”, pull in through back alleys and back up to loading docks positioned on the backsides of markets.  Farmers, laborers, processors and packagers of food are seemingly distant and anonymous entities.  And so, in light of these facts and the questions they raise, common people in villages, towns and cities across this country are considering the country life so they can provide for themselves (at least in part) according to their own ethical standards.

Isn’t it also possible that some city folks are tired of chasing carrots and turning hamster wheels?  How many of us who were taught to dream big, shoot for the stars and acheive our goals through education and career are now disillusioned with the lack of fulfillment that our efforts have provided?  I submit to you that many of us are thinking long and hard about what is really significant.  So, what is significant?  Many of us are realizing that our basic needs are more important than bank accounts and fancy cars.  Family time and personal relationships with neighbors are more meaningful than daycares and country clubs.  Working together in the pasture, the garden or the kitchen lead to a sense of camaradarie, where competition for raises and promotions causes animosity and stress.  While this may be an over-simplification, the simple life definitely has its advantages; and the country life is positively simpler.

Whether for self-sufficiency or for simplicity, I am cordially inviting you to the country.  I offer hospitality, expertise and the fruits of my labor.  Keep in mind, however, that I might require some of your labor, too.  It might be good for all of us for you to see what we do and why we do it.  And you might find a Bigger sense of purpose than any career can offer.  Come join us in the country because, no matter what happens, country folks can survive.