I can't tell you how happy I was to read this real post as a new subscriber, after watching the whole gonzo notes quest unfold this past month. I see it as a blueprint for others to follow. Go all in on a subject close to your heart and watch the chaos and the beauty unfold. I think you have started something special Adam, and I am here for it.
“This isn't just about a website category anymore. It's about agriculture finding its voice in a digital world that ignores or gets us wrong. …..
Because somebody's got to tell these stories, and it might as well be us — the folks with dirt under our fingernails and calluses that tell tales no corporate report ever could.”
Oh Adam, you're workin' hard! Good job capturing the crazy. Yep, watch out for that one weed, (though admittedly your post seems to have started an infestation!)
You lit it up when you said "we feed the world" ya know. You're running a diversified operation, but the guys growing ethanol, twinkies and CAFO feed? Not so much. At best they're feeding our cars, our obesity epidemic and China. I'm an active participant in 2 out of 3 of those so can't throw many stones. I just do what I can to offer alternatives on my land. And like I wrote on your thread, nonfarmers treat all farmers as a monolith. The Farm Bureau spends millions in marketing that one heroic guy in front of his giant combine, so it's understandable.
The hate, of course, is not. Never. But it means you hit a nerve.
Facts have their limits but ignorance knows no bounds, as they say. Keep up the Good Fight and get better soon. I'm cheering you on!
Farming's got more layers than those Super Bowl commercials show. Love how you're out there growing real alternatives instead of that corporate narrative.
Appreciate your mentioning the suicides of farmers Adam. For most farmers, agriculture is more than just a job or a career. It's who they are. I am writing an essay about the loss of a "calling" which like a death. Some would literally rather die than lose their farm to impossible market pressures and burnout. It's a terrible thing. And you're just trying to get a dedicated category here. Gee wiz.
Keep it up! This battle has been fought for a long time. Henry Wallace Senior, who was sec of ag under Harding, faced a similar lack of understanding by the "tech" types of that era who viewed all life as subservient to the needs of Wall Street. Exactly 100 years ago he wrote:
Another large group whose experiences have been confined to city and industrial life, and who for this reason find it difficult to understand why there has been so much talk about the farmer and his troubles, looks at the matter differently. They cannot see that the farmer has any more reason to complain than the manufacturer or storekeeper, or any other businessman who is having a hard time financially. They regard the difficulties of the farmers as temporary, as the natural outgrowth of war conditions at home and abroad, or as due to the lack of business judgment of the farmer himself. They say "These difficulties must be overcome by the free operation of that good old law of supply and demand. If prices are too low because farmers are producing too much, cut down production or produce something else."
A hundred years later, Wall Street still thinks farming is just another business that can be optimized with a spreadsheet. Wallace Sr. knew what was up.
Thanks for bringing this historical perspective. It shows we're not just hollering at windmills but fighting the same battle farmers have always fought, only with different tools.
Instead of newspapers and radio, we've got Substack and podcasts.
But the core truth remains: you can't reduce farming to a simple supply and demand equation without losing something essential in the process.
This was a fantastic piece, Adam! I know exactly what you mean when you said that sometimes the stories which need telling the most are those you need to allow to age.
The battle for an Ag-category continues, but we're in it for the long haul.🙏
Feel better soon! The colds going around are nasty- took three weeks to get over the one my adorable hubby brought home for me from some church function...
Adam, if it makes you feel any better: I want to hear everything you have to say. I want to read it and consume it and connect with it.
It’s the same issue with leftist or socialist conversations online, people the most consumed by ideas with little practical applications for them feel a sense of control by bulldozing conversations, making it all about them, and chastising instead of connecting.
It’s not worth your time.
As a lowly landscaper and chicken keeper, I’m never going to chastise, finger wag, or try to “school” farmers on what they are doing. It’s one of the most noble and essential careers a human being can have, and I’m here on substack to engage with, and learn from you guys. All I can. In earnest.
Your hunger for agricultural truth is rarer than July snow in the valley.
You're right to ask about glyphosate - it's the perfect example of how farming reality differs from internet narratives. Most folks would be surprised to learn when and how we actually use it.
It's funny how 'bathing crops in chemicals' makes better headlines than 'farmer applies prescribed rate at optimal timing.'
But I'm no teacher. Just a guy saying what I see, which apparently is rare enough these days to start a movement. Go figure.
Keep those listening ears on.
And if you're serious about escaping that concrete jungle, I know a seed company that could use good help. It might not be Greece, but there's plenty of dirt to get your hands in. 🌱
I appreciate your interest and the willingness to share a resume, but let me be straight with you:
Fancy credentials matter less to me than finding someone who truly gets what we’re building here. Someone who can handle the physical grind and the mental demands of ag while I’m off chasing my son’s hockey games or ag stories across the Midwest.
If that sounds like you, DM me more about what draws you to agriculture and why you think you’d fit in with our work.
Formal resumes can come later. Let’s start with what matters.
I can't tell you how happy I was to read this real post as a new subscriber, after watching the whole gonzo notes quest unfold this past month. I see it as a blueprint for others to follow. Go all in on a subject close to your heart and watch the chaos and the beauty unfold. I think you have started something special Adam, and I am here for it.
Watching the chaos and beauty unfold might perfectly describe what's happening here.
Thanks for joining this journey through ag's digital wasteland. Sometimes, the best stories grow where you least expect them.
“This isn't just about a website category anymore. It's about agriculture finding its voice in a digital world that ignores or gets us wrong. …..
Because somebody's got to tell these stories, and it might as well be us — the folks with dirt under our fingernails and calluses that tell tales no corporate report ever could.”
God bless you.
🙏 Appreciate you, Loreth!
Oh Adam, you're workin' hard! Good job capturing the crazy. Yep, watch out for that one weed, (though admittedly your post seems to have started an infestation!)
You lit it up when you said "we feed the world" ya know. You're running a diversified operation, but the guys growing ethanol, twinkies and CAFO feed? Not so much. At best they're feeding our cars, our obesity epidemic and China. I'm an active participant in 2 out of 3 of those so can't throw many stones. I just do what I can to offer alternatives on my land. And like I wrote on your thread, nonfarmers treat all farmers as a monolith. The Farm Bureau spends millions in marketing that one heroic guy in front of his giant combine, so it's understandable.
The hate, of course, is not. Never. But it means you hit a nerve.
Facts have their limits but ignorance knows no bounds, as they say. Keep up the Good Fight and get better soon. I'm cheering you on!
Suzan, you nailed it.
Farming's got more layers than those Super Bowl commercials show. Love how you're out there growing real alternatives instead of that corporate narrative.
Keep that authentic voice coming. 🌱
You too, my friend!
Absolute love this Adam!
Thank you, Wanda. So glad you enjoyed it!🙏
Appreciate your mentioning the suicides of farmers Adam. For most farmers, agriculture is more than just a job or a career. It's who they are. I am writing an essay about the loss of a "calling" which like a death. Some would literally rather die than lose their farm to impossible market pressures and burnout. It's a terrible thing. And you're just trying to get a dedicated category here. Gee wiz.
Thank you for seeing that deeper truth about farming being a calling. When we lose a farm, we lose more than acres - we lose a piece of our identity.
That's the story Silicon Valley can't seem to categorize, but it's the one that needs telling most.
Keep it up! This battle has been fought for a long time. Henry Wallace Senior, who was sec of ag under Harding, faced a similar lack of understanding by the "tech" types of that era who viewed all life as subservient to the needs of Wall Street. Exactly 100 years ago he wrote:
Another large group whose experiences have been confined to city and industrial life, and who for this reason find it difficult to understand why there has been so much talk about the farmer and his troubles, looks at the matter differently. They cannot see that the farmer has any more reason to complain than the manufacturer or storekeeper, or any other businessman who is having a hard time financially. They regard the difficulties of the farmers as temporary, as the natural outgrowth of war conditions at home and abroad, or as due to the lack of business judgment of the farmer himself. They say "These difficulties must be overcome by the free operation of that good old law of supply and demand. If prices are too low because farmers are producing too much, cut down production or produce something else."
A hundred years later, Wall Street still thinks farming is just another business that can be optimized with a spreadsheet. Wallace Sr. knew what was up.
Thanks for bringing this historical perspective. It shows we're not just hollering at windmills but fighting the same battle farmers have always fought, only with different tools.
Instead of newspapers and radio, we've got Substack and podcasts.
But the core truth remains: you can't reduce farming to a simple supply and demand equation without losing something essential in the process.
This was a fantastic piece, Adam! I know exactly what you mean when you said that sometimes the stories which need telling the most are those you need to allow to age.
The battle for an Ag-category continues, but we're in it for the long haul.🙏
Sam(antha), thanks for getting it.
You're right about the long haul. This category fight's starting to feel like working ground with a single-bottom plow, but we'll get there. 🌱
Gonzo-style ground truthing. Very original. And impressive. Thank you for sharing your time and talent.
Thank you for the kind words, Brian. 🙏 I appreciate you seeing the method to the madness.🌱
I love your newsletter!
I love that you do; thanks for reading and commenting! 🌱
Feel better soon! The colds going around are nasty- took three weeks to get over the one my adorable hubby brought home for me from some church function...
🙏
Adam, if it makes you feel any better: I want to hear everything you have to say. I want to read it and consume it and connect with it.
It’s the same issue with leftist or socialist conversations online, people the most consumed by ideas with little practical applications for them feel a sense of control by bulldozing conversations, making it all about them, and chastising instead of connecting.
It’s not worth your time.
As a lowly landscaper and chicken keeper, I’m never going to chastise, finger wag, or try to “school” farmers on what they are doing. It’s one of the most noble and essential careers a human being can have, and I’m here on substack to engage with, and learn from you guys. All I can. In earnest.
Thanks for this, Philly Billy.
Your hunger for agricultural truth is rarer than July snow in the valley.
You're right to ask about glyphosate - it's the perfect example of how farming reality differs from internet narratives. Most folks would be surprised to learn when and how we actually use it.
It's funny how 'bathing crops in chemicals' makes better headlines than 'farmer applies prescribed rate at optimal timing.'
But I'm no teacher. Just a guy saying what I see, which apparently is rare enough these days to start a movement. Go figure.
Keep those listening ears on.
And if you're serious about escaping that concrete jungle, I know a seed company that could use good help. It might not be Greece, but there's plenty of dirt to get your hands in. 🌱
I appreciate your interest and the willingness to share a resume, but let me be straight with you:
Fancy credentials matter less to me than finding someone who truly gets what we’re building here. Someone who can handle the physical grind and the mental demands of ag while I’m off chasing my son’s hockey games or ag stories across the Midwest.
If that sounds like you, DM me more about what draws you to agriculture and why you think you’d fit in with our work.
Formal resumes can come later. Let’s start with what matters.