Resurrecting a Sense of Community

By Bill Roberts

In 1979, my wife and I were working toward post graduate degrees at a small Christian College in Indiana. The college program was unique in that it entailed work and study in practical areas of interest as well as regular classes pointing toward our degrees. My background in animal husbandry and meat science opened a door to work with the college’s 117 acre farm.

I was assigned and empowered to plan and coordinate an integrated beef production system complete with meat processing capability to supply the college’s cafeteria. What I learned in this rare opportunity and adventure left an indelible impression that relates well to the grass fed movement of our present day.

The search for seed stock centered in northern Indiana amidst a very large Amish community. Many Amish farms were visited in selecting brood cows and a herd sire. Observations in this search revealed a vivid principle in life and living. Where the farmers appeared to work in “community” with others, the farms generally were well groomed and fertile. The buildings exhibited good repair. The livestock and people reflected health and contentment. Where the farmers seemed alienated from others and trying to do everything by themselves, the operations appeared generally lacking in stewardship. The livestock looked neglected and the people seemed downright grumpy.

Specific examples contrast two farms in my search. I pulled in to the driveway of farm number one. Several buggies and even a car lined the drive. While the owner of the farm raised cattle, he also was a farrier. Many neighbors lined up to have their horses trimmed or shod. While the men congregated in conversation outside, the women were inside. Some were baking pies together while others merely conversed and did light clean-up while the bakers worked their magic. One son and a friend of his were being mentored in the farrier’s trade. The son took over for his father as he and I headed to the pastures to look at cattle. Of course, several of the other men followed along with us to offer their comments on the cattle. One of the men commented as he walked that he would be over early in the week to help put up the hay that lay in a field next to the pasture. Three more men offered their services in response. We walked through a beautiful herd of Charolais cattle whose docility was only exceeded by their excellent conformation and condition. I bought seven bred cows on the spot. Pleased with the transaction, the owner invited us all in for fresh apple and cherry pie covered in homemade ice cream. The cattle proved to be as wonderful as the hospitality.

When I pulled in to the driveway of my second example, I noticed not a soul stirred on the premises. It was a wonderful summer day yet the grounds were empty. I knocked on the door and was met but not greeted by the owner. His wife and two sons looked on from inside the house but did not speak when I spoke to them. We walked out to the pasture where we observed a herd of bred Simmental cows. The price seemed right and the cattle looked good but the unkempt appearance of the farm did not sit right with me. I purchased two of the best cows, arranged for pick-up and left without a good-bye from the seller. Within a year, one cow died from BVD (no other cattle at the college were affected) and the other prolapsed during calving.

These two examples may seem exaggerated and extreme, but they typify the two categories of farms I encountered in my search. Many will philosophize as to cause and effect. I believe the two are interchangeable.

Subsequent experience has taught the wisdom of a “multitude of counselors”, the productivity of “many hands making light work”, and the joy that comes with interaction involving ”positive, committed and diligent people.” Delegation to gifted people who operate in their area of particular interest and passion has proven to multiply productivity over the “Lone Ranger Method.”

Study of history through scripture would indicate community was central to the Creator’s heart in the formation of family and tribes that were to be governed by elder representatives from the families. Observing the benefits from this community order led to man’s formation of businesses, cities, governments and corporations. All of which when structured and implemented properly bear much fruit.

The negative exposure during my cow search dramatized the effects when the sense of community is lost. Lack of vision leads to lack of constructive relationship which leads to lack of unified purpose and effort which leads to a general lack of sharing and caring. This all leads to people and enterprises operating independently of each other with a greater sense of self-preservation than devotion to the common good. This downward slide is evident today in masses of people without any sense of community.

My observation and experience in the grass fed movement to date have encountered a refreshing resurrection of the sense of community. The vision of the “greater good” and “doing things right” stimulated by advances in nutritional science, revelations in agronomy and the rebirth of animal husbandry is unifying people’s efforts. Reliance on one another for increased information, resources and implementation of a mutually beneficial supply to consumption chain is building a “community” that looks to “rely” on one another rather than “use” one another. The potential ramifications of this movement include a model for other systems to learn from. Division and self-absorption have brought many world systems to a point of eminent change. The grass fed movement has the opportunity if properly stewarded by its participants to resurrect the sense of community and display the requirements for “True Homeland Security.”