One of  the email missives I look forward to comes in on it’s own schedule each month. It is from Andy Griffin of Mariquita Farm called “The Ladybug Letter”. Andy tells tales of his life in agriculture on the west coast…Funny stories, ironic stories…Stories of life…Great stories…

The Ladybug Letter
As a modern farmer I’m hardly alone in delegating farm tasks to employees, and it’s not my problem if the way I run my business runs counter to the image of agriculture that the New York Times wishes to project.

Or maybe it is my problem! The fact that farm workers are almost invisible to the people looking down from high atop the food chain is a political problem that affects us all. This country is a democracy, but our politicians can hardly be expected to craft intelligent agricultural policies if the public views farming through a warped rear view mirror. It’s a good sign that the New York Times wants to do stories about farmers, but it would be a public service if they didn’t compose and frame the scenes they photograph from inside their cubicles. Sophisticated New Yorker image makers have a lot to learn about what actually happens down on the ground in “flyover” America . One of the reasons I put my stories out for free on the internet is that it’s the best way I can think of to connect with the people in the jet planes overhead and start a conversation about where we’re all heading in the United States with our agriculture.

If you like stories of place take a few minutes and go to Mariquita Farm for a visit. Tell Andy and Julia that I sent you…They won’t know who I am but you’ll be glad you stopped by. Maybe sometime down the road I’ll be able to swing in myself and say hi…