Farmscape: a play documenting the changing rural environment.

Yesterday I went to see a play about the detrimental effects of large-scale agriculture on small-scale farmers and farms.  The dialogue in the play was all directly quoted from interviews of real, modern day, Iowa farmers.  The actors were made up of local Boulder and Denver community members who all, in one way or another, are involved in the local Colorado food system.   With a cast full of local organic farmers local food advocates, the play hit close to home for both cast and audience.

The issues in the play are real...and real scary.  As Americans we are not only polluting our earth, but also polluting our health and our communities.  It is nearly impossible to survive as a local organic farmer these days when having to compete with industrialized agriculture.  And there is almost no incentive for young farmers to get into farming due to the finanical hardships of organic farming.  The average farmer age is 58...so what happens to organic, local food in 30 years?

In the 50s we spent 50% of our income on food...now we spend 11%.  What that means is we want cheap food, fast.  But what people don't realize is the increadible amount of work and the vast amount of variables that go into growing quality, delicious, organic food.  Food quality has no importance to modern day Americans.  But is there anything more important than what you put in your body?  The energy that fuels you, keeps you healthy, happy, and alive?  I think not.

We need to start supporting these farms so we will always have fresh, seasonal, organic, local food available to us.  And it starts with consumers.  If we demand it, it will thrive.  We know our dentist, we know our doctor.  Why do we not know our farmers?

And as one old free range turkey farmer quoted so eloquently, "You may not be paying much now for your food, but in the end you will be paying a ton for your health care."  What makes more sense to you?

Farmscape is traveling around the country right now.  If you would like to host this play in your area contact the playwrite Mary Swander at http://www.maryswander.com/.