They say the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Consider this the first step in the journey of a regular column for The Register-Herald. Why now? A month from now, the Preble Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will be turning 75 years old. It seemed appropriate to pen a series of articles; some covering current events, others looking back at where we’ve been, and a few scattered in between covering conservation and agriculture in places a bit farther out than Preble County.
In many ways, agriculture in 2024 looks quite a bit different than it did in 1949, the year Preble SWCD was founded. Consider this: 1954 is often thrown around as the year when tractors first outnumbered horses and mules on American farms. Back then, the average farm size was smaller, and in 1950, just over 12 percent of the population was involved in farming. Today that number is more like just 2 percent of the population who make their living on the farm. Precision farming back then meant having the tractor-driving skills to keep your planter rows going straight. The farmer of 1949 would scarcely recognize all the technology available to a farmer today.
But on the other hand, there are some things in agriculture that have not changed a bit since 1949. The weather is still unpredictable. The hours are long, and much of the work is seasonal. Equipment breaks down. Tires go flat. Employees come and go. Tempers flare. Markets fluctuate. Basic economics says “buy low and sell high.” Fences break and cows get out. Wildlife prey on livestock for their dinner. The sun rises and sets each day. Sons and dads find a way to work together, or maybe they don’t. People change their minds. Farmland gets developed for other uses. The rain comes, soil erodes, and each generation must decide if they are up to the challenge of leaving their land in better shape than what it was when they found it. You get the point.
In the early years of the District, board meeting minutes make mention of planning field days in addition to making a list of farmers interested in conservation practices. Fast-forward to 75 years later and we are still pursuing those same goals. Some ideas are just worth hanging on to. If this world is still turning 75 years from now, I imagine that we will be planning field days for something that hasn’t even been dreamed of yet, and we will still have that list of farmers with conservation work yet to be done.
Stay tuned for more weekly updates in the world of conservation. As always, you can reach us at the Preble Soil and Water Conservation District by calling 937-456-5159, or by email at [email protected].
