We are here now, we will figure it out
I reckon right now we have the greatest opportunity of my lifetime to educate folks about the essentials of life. Necessity is clearly the greatest motivator of all time for innovation.
I don’t know how grim it might actually get, but I do know that if we don’t take advantage, in this time of uncertainty, to talk about the importance of the essentials of life then it will be our fault. This is a great opportunity to remind folks how much suffering took place so that our ancestors could forge a better way for their family throughout our nation’s history.
While you can find many historical references to how much we take for granted, the one that just popped into my mind is the “Great Migration.” We refer to it as the journey of the Oregon Trail and it occurred during the mid 1800s. It is reported that 400,000 people traveled the Oregon Trail in search of the paradise that is now called Oregon’s Williamette Valley.
I realize most of us have the image of a covered wagon, grass lightly blowing in the breeze, kids laughing and the family seeking a wonderful life. Did you know that only 80,000 of the 400,000 actually completed the journey? Most of the folks who started out jumped off and settled somewhere in Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah or Idaho. The real statistic I want to share was the fact that 20,000 people died along the way, mostly due to disease.
We have days in the Great Plains that it’s nearly too windy to navigate a pickup let alone a wagon covered with fabric that is pulled by a team of oxen or mules. Can you even begin to imagine this trip, in a wagon?
The History Channel actually has some interesting accounts about how ambitions diminished as the hardship of seeking greener pastures became more than the travelers could withstand:
Fort Laramie in Wyoming eventually became known as “Camp Sacrifice” for its reputation as an Oregon Trail dumping ground. During the Gold Rush of 1849, pioneers reportedly abandoned a whopping 20,000 pounds of bacon outside its walls.
Think about communication today. If we try to contact someone who doesn’t text or call back within five minutes we wonder, “Why don’t they write?” Back in the Oregon Trail days, they were operating on information they had “heard” months prior.
Today we are surrounded by uncertainty and a continually fluid stream of “information.” We also see people asking the questions about food, fiber and fuel that we have been wanting them to request for quite some time. It reminds me of a gentleman I met in Grass Valley, Califorina, a few years back who told me a story about showing off his new car to a cute girl. It was a newfangled vehicle that you didn’t need to feed hay or throw a harness over. They got stuck, she panicked and was fearful of what would happen next. Arno told her, “Honey, we are here now. We will just figure it out.”
What if those pioneers had not risked their lives and migrated west in search of a better life? Conversely, what if travel had not become so easy that we could carry a virus from Continent A to Continent B in a 24-hour period? At this point it doesn’t matter does it? We are here now so my question is who is going to join me in staying calm and figuring it out?
My guess is that the people with the same mindset as that of the pioneers will be the ones to step up. Farmers and ranchers are used to dealing with crazy, unexpected “changes in the plan” and come well-armed with the ingenuity and drive needed to get through any challenge. We will figure it out. And hopefully once this has passed, consumers will have a much greater appreciation for not only the products we produce but the knowledge and skills we have to continue making life better despite circumstances beyond our control.
Editor’s note: Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information at www.LoosTales.com, or email Trent at [email protected].
