A Farmland Appeal...

From: Pastures Rose Creek

Date:12/27/2013 7:18 PM (GMT-05:00)

To:

Subject: A Farmland Appeal...

Hello folks,  and warm holiday greetings.  With many of our farmers enjoying "home for the holidays" the Bishop Central Market will take a pause for the week and will resume in the new year - picking back up Saturday, Jan 4, from 10 am - 2 pm.  

In the mean time, we turn our attention to a matter very important to our community and appeal to all you farmers and farmers at heart...

Protect Our Farmland, Oconee.

"It's a construction plan of epic proportions!  They're calling it....a freeway!  Eight lanes of shimmering cement running from here to Pasadena!  I see a place where people get on and off the freeway, off and on, off and on, all day and all night...I see a street of gas stations, inexpensive motels, restaurants that serve rapidly prepared food, tire salons, automobile dealerships, and wonderful, wonderful billboards as far as the eye can see.  My god, it'll be BEAUTIFUL!"

Spoken like a true "toon" from the classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit and which I found quoted (happy surprise!) in James Kunstler's provocative book, "Geography of Nowhere"...and gosh!  Aren't you glad that's not the world we live in?  Oh, wait...hmmm, well - at least if you're living in the "agricultural belt" of the South - especially Oconee County! - you may be lucky enough to avoid the daily off and on, off and on - all day, all night - madness of the freeway.  

But as a nation, the "beautiful" world Judge Doom describes is the world most folks live in.  Not that development is bad or evil - I'd like to stay away from the politics and finger pointing of the Farmland Protection debate.  I'd be a hypocrite to say that - as I occasionally do frequent Wal-mart...and if I'm having a particularly bad day and feel in need some sort of naughty reward...you may even find me at the local Micky D's...hoody up, sunglasses on with filet-o-fish combo and happy meal to go.  :)  

What I am saying, and what The Farmland Protection Program is here to address, is that the eight lanes of shimmering pavement is spreading while the beautiful pockets of land are disappearing and with it a whole heritage of agriculture, knowledge, and appreciation.  The patchwork quilt you see looking down from the plane is losing all of those beautiful green squares and are being replaced by big swatches of grey.  

The Wisdom of the Lorax...

So,

...To all those who love the wide open spaces and the magical, ethereal way the sun rises and sets on the sweet, rolling, bucolic pasture land that spans Oconee County...

...To all you locavores and those of you who appreciate the prismatic produce that dots your favorite farmers stand...the artisanal quality of the meats and cheeses, locally sourced breads and beauty products...a full diet and more...born and cultivated right here in your very own community, by the loving hands of your neighbor and farmer...

To all those who prefer a leisurely bike ride down a country road to gridlock on hamburger highway or green-space to parking space...

Help us in supporting your local farmers and farmland, in preserving and protecting that which promotes the local economy, bolsters the health of the community and keeps our quilt square green! 

Just follow the link and let our board of commissioners know that this is important to the community they represent!

http://www.change.org/petitions/oconee-county-ga-board-of-commissioners-continue-funding-for-the-oconee-county-farmland-protection-program-by-splost-and-a-tdr-program?utm_source=guides&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_created

Because.... "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.  It's not." - Dr. Seuss

For the love of community and all things farming...

Your local farmers,

Will, John, Dana, and the farm fam

The Pastures of Rose Creek, LLC
1051 Rose Creek Drive
Watkinsville, GA 30677
706.254.9391
575.613.2029