Thinking
February 17th, 2006 by Northern FarmerOne word, “coldâ€!! That settles that. Supposed to have fifty below wind chill tonight. That’ll put frost on the pumpkin. All in all it went well in the sub zero day here. Firing up the furnaces and busting open cattle waterers is the normal day in something like this. By tomorrow I’m sure I’ll have to give the waterers a hot water boost to get em going but such is life in the sunny northland. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, supposed to start warming up slowly tomorrow afternoon. Might get to ten above, time to head to the beach, eh.
Daughter Rachel headed to Minneapolis this afternoon with her church group for an over niter. Hope it goes well down there in this cold. She helped me a lot today in this cool weather before she left, she’s always a good help. Interesting how she’s so interested in the farm. And I’ve been wondering about that these last couple of years. Kids can see how to farm better than the “old man†sometimes. They have an honest love for it. Especially when it’s not some modern type industrial farm that is not kid friendly. Everywhere they look they see opportunity. I guess the good thing is they don’t have to go through the deprogramming that I had to go through. Plus they get to listen to me condemn the industrial way, and talk about the agrarian way. How I wish that I’da never farmed the bad way, but then again if I hadn’t I might not truly know and understand how bad it was. Maybe it was a blessing having experienced it and realizing the downward spiral we were in, then climbing out, getting away from it and seeing all the good things fall into place.
The thing that is starting to make me wonder is education, I’m talking college. Now I always had figured the daughters would go to college. Now I’m wondering about that. In reality, would it be a benefit to their lives? The claws of the industrial world are still sunk into my head, I’m starting to realize, when I wonder if staying away from college is a good idea. Well, to put it bluntly, I never went to any college, and I did OK. Lived a happy life I guess. Sure I don’t make big bucks but I’m living like many people can only dream about, not bragging here, honestly, just truthful. But alternative education, if you want to call it that, is starting to catch my eye. Such as apprenticeships on certain farms that are being offered, and I believe more and more will be offered in the future. These would be a good way to bring back ideas here. We’ve been talking about that lately and it gets more appealing daily. Even talking about going to a couple different places with different type operations, including horse power. I can’t do and learn everything, believe me, so it’s getting exciting when there’s the possibility of other family members going out, learning skills to bring back to our family farm. Because, as I was thinking, we have a good sized farm here, so why, if the daughters want to continue on, should they get thrown into the modern college system? What good would it do? Are college people smarter? Or just more book learned in stuff that really isn’t all that important? Some of the most successful people I know quit school, no kidding! They blew away the college grads in their same class over the last thirty years. The difference was, they had drive. Why waste time listening to some professor that can’t even tie his shoes. Or like my Dad always says, educated idiots. Now this is “not†knocking all you college grads out there, but a person has to be honest, if I went to college, I wouldn’t have what I have now. I’da been out pursuing some career and end up not having the farm built up to it’s present size. Then I’d probably be wishing that I had a farm of my own all the time, caught in a career trap. See what I’m saying?
So, that’s what’s been grinding between my ears as of late. Any input or experiences will be appreciated on this subject by you all. I hope this hasn’t come across like an, I’m better than you type thing, because it sure isn’t the intention. Just looking for input if anyone has any out there in computer land. Looking to keep this way of life going and thriving when the industrial age comes down in flames. I think that giving the children the opportunity to live like this, in a Christian way, is probably the best possible thing I could do for them, especially when I see the alternative that the world is offering.
February 17th, 2006 at 7:26 pm
In my husband Jim’s words (we read your post together tonight after supper; he has a PhD in engineering, and I am writing this as he worded it):
Amen, Amen, Amen to no college!
I left the corporate and academic world after understanding Biblical economics, Christian agrarianism, and Christian philosophy of education. 70-80% of Christians who attend college leave the faith, the family, and probably the farm. Most Christian colleges are producing secular humanists and are therefore not much better than their secular counterparts.
Lots of homeschoolers are seeing the need for a network of families pursuing all types of higher education in the context of their home and farm.
The Biblical Concourse of Home Universities is such a network, and is encouraging agrarians to share their knowledge with one another as a substitute for the corrupt higher education most of us have experienced. The Concourse website is found at http://www.biblicalconcourse.com .
Thanks for your thoughts, Tom!
February 18th, 2006 at 1:06 am
I think I have to stop reading your blog now. Of course, you know my college education made me way to smart for my own good. I mean I spent 27,000.00 so I could earn 10.00 per hour, when my sister who didn’t complete high school earns 12.00 per hour. I think that is smart deluxe.
I am sure there may be good reasons to send children to college. I personally see no reason to send or actively push my children in that direction. In fact, I discourage it. Especially for my daughters. Rather than helping them buy into the secular world view of consumerism and materialsim, I would rather help my children aquire land and help them pursue their life work on the farm. My oldest is talking about wanting to learn to process beef. I can’t say I would want to do it. My husband doesn’t want to either, but why not help him purchase equipment to do so if that is what he wants.
My husband always wanted to farm from the get go. He thought he wanted to go to college to be a vet to support the farm. Imagine what would have happened if his parents saw and nurtured his passion to farm while he was a teenager. They could have helped him aquire land and apprentice with self sustaining small farms. He now holds a college degree in Microbiology and works in a collasal pharmecuetical company. He dreams of leaving there. He is a cog. He hates it. They have not respect for their employees. He is now doing the work of four people. They refuse to hire more people in his department, but expect more done yesterday. They no longer give bonuses and have cut benefits, Yet we all know how much money drug companies make. It is criminal for people to propose that this is a better way of life. We are closer to him coming home and we have people who are aching to do the same. College educated and all. I have been meaning to post more on this myself. I get down right frustrated with the elitist tendencies of the college education. There is not much to brag about when you leave the institution with so much debt that your earning power is cut in half so you could live a life of ease. Ha!
February 18th, 2006 at 7:43 am
Tom, Keith and I both have college degrees. Praise God, I’ve been a full-time wife and mother since our first child was born 15+ years ago. Keith, however, is stuck. How I would love to see him home, working side-by-side with myself and our children throughout the day. At present, though, that is not possible.
I think if we had started out with an agrarian view on things, we would be living the good life like you, now. At least we have started, and are, hopefully and prayerfully, laying the foundation for our children to live it out.
We’re still see-sawing on the college issue. Really, the only reason we consider college is that we fear that laws will come about requiring a college degree to homeschool, and that if our children choose to homeschool their children, they will have to cram some sort of college degree in at a time when they have children, farm- or other work–adult responsibilities. (we are considering distance learning. I really like your ideas about apprenticeships, too, to bring back more ideas for your own farm.)
Otherwise, I’d forget college. There was little of lasting value that I gained from college that I could not have gained through books & far-more-valuable real-life experience.
Mary Susan
February 18th, 2006 at 8:34 am
Tom,
If you can, read the book “A Thomas Jefferson Education” by Oliver DeMille. I bought my copy from Lifetime Books. (I loaned out my copy and am trying to figure out who has it.) Oliver DeMille did his PhD thesis on the education of the founding fathers. He found that they all had mentors and that they studied original sources, not textbooks. Oliver tells people “why waste your children on Harvard” or some other supposedly good college. He talks about how colleges and public schools are geared to educate specialists who do not really know how to think. Instead we should be training our children to think and to be leaders. He says that colleges do not train leaders, but instead specialists who can only think within the range of their training.
You know that my oldest son is currently doing an apprenticeship. I am also working to get him life long mentors. I consider this much more important than a college education. If any of my children need a college degree due to licensing requirements (my wife thinks our youngest boy may want to be a veterinarian), I will be very careful and, as much as possible, do the schooling at home.
Jim V
February 18th, 2006 at 10:47 am
Tom,
I used to really push college, but not anymore. Oh, it’s appropriate for some. Where else are you going to get the training for some of the more academic pursuits? I don’t think they’ll be coming up with apprenticeships to train doctors and lawyers anytime soon.
It all depends on what the individual’s gifts and calling are. I have 4 children who couldn’t be more different in this area. One wants to be a profiler in the FBI. Another wants to write, play the piano, be involved in missions, marry a pastor, not necessarily in that order. Yet another wants to fix cars and/or hunt and fish for a living. And the last wants to work with horses. She doesn’t care where, and the cowboy is definitely not required along with the horses.
I guess we deserve this. We don’t have any kids who want to get rich.
We’ve always taught them to pursue the things they love, and the living would follow. You can adjust your lifestyle to match virtually any income, so we’ve never stressed high-paying jobs. What we have stressed is character; allegiance to God and His Word; family and church life; and now in my middle age, agrarianism and living debt-free.
Whether they go to college or not depends on the calling. But we definitely prefer private christian colleges over state colleges and vocational technical schools over state colleges. I have no experience or knowledge of apprenticeships, but I wouldn’t be opposed if one of the kids wanted that.
For myself, I’m going back to school. After 25 years of blue collar labor, my back has about had it. But I’m going to burn out, not rust out, and work with my mind as long as I have one, and hopefully make lots of money, and use it to buy land, lock, stock and barrel. I may not get to live the pure agrarian dream. I might work in town till the day I die. But someone in my family is going to inherit a farm, free and clear, God willing. Here’s hoping they can keep it.
R.G.
February 18th, 2006 at 11:50 am
Hi Tom!
Now I certainly agree with your sentiments and definitely recognize significant weaknesses in the present educational system. That said, I loved and gained much value from my college days. Now you gotta realize that I was a very nontypical student and didn’t take classes by the dictates of a ‘degree’. It helped that the G.I. Bill paid for a lot of it. Anyway, I got A.A.S. degrees in Agriculture, Landscape Horticulture and Urban Forestry. My son got a tech degree as a diesel mechanic and my oldest daughter just graduated as an R.N.
There is certainly a value to attending technical education programs if that is a person’s interest. But in the same sense, the network of Christian home universities such as the Biblical Concourse that the Barletts are bringing together will fulfill a significant need. The Country Living Skills workshops are a small but vital part of this overall concept of Christian homebased education.
You are invited to become a ‘Professor’ or teacher as you already are—-and offer your own ‘Country Living Skills’ workshops. Tom the Professor of Christian Agrarian Animal Husbandry and Agronomy!!!! It seems that you are already a part of the growing reformation in Christian home education.
May God continue to bless your efforts! Let your light shine!
February 18th, 2006 at 4:57 pm
Where do I even start with responses this good, thanks!
Lynn and Jim,
I looked over the web site and it’s starting to work on my mind. I think it’s an excellent thing you folks are involved in and you will be hearing from me about it in the future.
KSMM,
You know, when a person looks at all the people we know that went to college and are now doing something entirly different that should tell a person something right there. Thanks.
Mary Susan,
Thanks for the input!Our situation is different than yours as I’ll explain shortly. I treasure advice from you folks!
Jim V,
After meeting you folks in December, that caused me to think more and more about the future education of the kids here. I know your son’s education at Polyface is worth many times more than any college degree, and I’ll stand on that statement. Your family left a lasting impression with me and I can’t thank you enough!
RG,
I have to agree with the doctors needing the education and many more specialized occupations. But our situation is entirely different than that. Thanks so much as always for the input, it helps out here a lot!
Steven,
Thanks for the input. I don’t know about me teaching anyone, I’ve so much to learn about everything. First time anyone ever associated my name with Proffesor
Our situation here is slightly different than many readers, being that the building of the farm has already taken place. Now I was thinking that there is no college course that could really help the kids in farming here. Running this operation would cover a multitude of degrees, and zeroing in on one or two degrees would be like trying to run a V-8 on one or two spark plugs. What is needed is a combination of education like Jim V mentioned above that our forfathers received. Now this is being written with the idea that the kids are staying here and continuing the farm. Besides all the crap taught in college which it’s only aim is to de-christianize the youth, there’s no way they could teach anyone how to run this place. Their teachings are for specialization in the industrial cogs, period. A true education is for broad learnng like in times past, not specialization, this will be the route we will be looking into.
February 18th, 2006 at 7:21 pm
Hi Tom!
You are already a teacher (or Professor) of Christian Agrarian farming skills everytime you post a blog, take a visitor on a tour of your farm or share your insight and information with the young people you frequently write about, you are a teacher!
Obviously, your children are learning far more by living on the farm, experiencing the cycles and seasons of nature and learning a strong Christian work ethic than they could possibly ever learn anywhere else from the educational system.
If they wanted to expand their horizons, there are numerous, non-government/secular educational opportunities. The Biblical Concourse obviously, even traveling,touring and working in different parts of the country and world can provide a valuable education in understanding people and cultures different from their local community.
You and your children are invited for a primitive and survival skills weekend to be held here during the weekend of July 7th, 8th & 9th as part of expanding your education & inspiration.
I applaud you efforts to teach all those around you the Biblical truth about life and living.
February 19th, 2006 at 3:57 pm
What do your children want? What do they want to be when they “grow up”? Sad to say but at some point these cute lil critters turn into adults with their own views,values and lives……….
February 19th, 2006 at 4:10 pm
Steven,
I’ll keep it in mind for July! Thanks!
Patti,
Re read the second paragraph of my post. I don’t push them one bit, it’s their love for this life that has me wondering about what to do. If they someday choose the “Culture of Death”, that’s their choice. But at this point I can safely say they are choosing “Life”.
February 19th, 2006 at 8:53 pm
Tom,
As usual, I’m late to the party. I’m not surprised at the turnout. Speaking as someone with more than one of those peices of paper, I’d say this: If you want to be a success in the world’s system, get as many degrees as you can. If you want to develop a multi-generational, sustainable, christian agrarian family business, well, you already KNOW how to do that… Follow the Lord’s leading on this one, sounds like He’s stirring His people…
JM
February 20th, 2006 at 6:18 pm
JM,
The Lord is definitly leading us on this. And I watch and see everything falling into place, I stand amazed. God is Good!
Thank you my friend.
Tom
February 22nd, 2006 at 8:53 am
I’ll be the first to admit that a college education did NOT make me smarter!! I have new words I can use, and some new methods in theory, but I am still an ignorant person in many ways. I’ve learned more in these last 3-4 years of transition than I did during undergraduate and graduate degrees! If you need anyone to run an econometric regression on what the land should be used for, based on historical figures, just give me a call- I can do that!!
For a long time I stated that my daughter would go to college. About 3 years ago I changed my mind (a woman’s prerogative!). First, we don’t have the cash available for it. Second, unless she wants to do something that absolutely requires a college training, there is not need other than to start working at what she wants to do. And given that she wants to take care of children right now, I don’t think she needs a college degree for that!!
February 22nd, 2006 at 5:22 pm
HH,
I hear what your saying! We’re starting to figure that different forms of education will better fit for our family than colleges. And the end result being much more educated, with education meaning a broad learning, something to prepare a person for real life as they once did. We have no need to specialize for a life in a cubicle around here.