Family Farm

Family Farm

Picture book
Thomas Locker's Family Farm is an oldie but goodie well worth
seeking through inter library loan. The luminous paintings (I
especially love the barn cats) and engaging text provide a great way
to introduce kids to the struggles faced by farming families, the
strength and resilience with which they hang on, and the need to buy
local to support them in the face of the unfair competition posed by
factory agriculture.
Siblings Mike and Sarah see a number of alarming signs. Their
school is shut down and they are bussed to another. Not enough money
or kids to keep both open. Bills pile up. Their dad gets a factory
job, leaving the rest of the family to take on many of his chores.
Even that might not be enough. The family faces the prospect of
having to sell the farm and move to the city.
What can they do to continue in the life style they treasure?
On a personal note, all over the United States small farms face a
myriad of really tough challenges. Not only do they provide healthful
food for those fortunate enough to have access to it, but they are
about our only alternative to the offerings of Big Agra. We need to
all be talking about where we want our food to come from and under
what conditions we want it to be raised and grown. Picture books like
Family Farm help us to include our younger children in this very
crucial dialog.
A great big shout out goes out to today's heroes, running family farms
against all odds.
Julia Emily Hathaway


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