So Trump Won Iowa–Now What?

It's up to you

Welcome to Raw Milk Mama, a newsletter about food freedom, our food systems, and how to create local food security in our communities. As always, I appreciate any and all paid upgrades. I am a solo writer bringing you real, sometimes difficult, news from the front lines of our food system. Sign up here for weekly posts, or keep reading…

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Photo by Timur Romanov

While some are celebrating, and some are wringing their hands over Trump’s victory in Iowa, dairy farmers everywhere got up this morning and milked their animals.

Vegetable farmers poured over seed catalogs making important decisions for their year and your food supply.

Grain farmers bought literal tons of grain to plant so they could grow your corn, wheat, barley, buckwheat, rice and… all the other grains we rely on.

Livestock farmers are up at all hours welcoming new babies to their farms even as they make appointments with the butcher for the rest of the year.

…Thus continues the cycle of life in our food system.

I’m gonna say something “radical” that will probably get many darts thrown at me. 

And then I’m going to contradict myself in the next sentence (and get even more darts my way.)

But before I get to the main point here, here’s a quick, important story.

I didn’t make up this story. I’m not sure who did to give proper credit to, I was first exposed to it from Alan Watts. But it IS one of my favorites. And if we’ve ever had more than a few conversations in person, you’ve probably heard me tell it:

The Story of The Chinese Farmer

Many years ago, there was a Chinese farmer. This farmer had one horse (that he kept in a paddock) to help him with all of his farming.

One day his horse gets out.

“Oh dear,” all the neighbors said. They were a close community and in each other’s business all the time. “Oh dear, such bad luck,” they all lamented.

The Chinese farmer thanked them for their concern and said:

“Maybe.”

The next day, his horse returned, bringing with it 3 wild horses. 

“Wow!” All the neighbors exclaimed. “Such good luck.”

“Hmmm…” said the farmer pensively. “Maybe.”

The next day, the farmer's son–a strong 18 year old–got on one of the horses to start training. The horse started bucking and the young man got thrown off, landing hard on his left leg and breaking it.

“Oh dear,” said all the neighbors, as they brought over bits of food to share. “Such bad luck.”

And the farmer said… “Maybe.”

The very next day, members of the army came by the rural village to draft all the young men into the army. There was another war waging with many casualties and they needed soldiers. They saw the young man crippled from his broken leg and walked away.

Oh, the neighbors poured back into the house saying “oh what good luck, what good luck.”

And the farmer said… “Maybe.”

Okay, so there’s the story of the Chinese farmer. It’s a good one, right?

Now for the important point here:

Forget about national politics and which candidate is promising what.

Or, rather, maybe don’t “forget” about it, but also don’t let the political winds lead YOU around by the nose.

We have elections every 2 years for national candidates. But they’re not the ones who decide whether or not you grow your own food.

You decide that.

They don’t tell you that having your children in 1000 different activities is more important than teaching them how to plant seeds, or harvest, process, and prepare your own food and share what you grow.

Sharing is an act of community that brings us closer to those in proximity to us, rather than divisive political discourse which separates us.

Instead of focusing your attention on national politics, think of the farmers who are getting up at 3:00, 4:00 this morning—and every morning—to do the daily work of feeding us. And remember that all of this production happens in seasons and cycles.

Just like those farmers, what you do DAILY matters more than the headlines and the 4-year election cycle.

Remember that our food systems, our agriculture–and thus CULTURE–are built on our daily actions, and our daily choices and these are based on our mindset.

What you cultivate in your own life, and what YOU have control over is far more powerful to shape our country and our policies than anything our politicians can do.

Be so confident in your vision–and the work you’re doing–to build a better world that you remember that all of those voices begging you to pay attention are calling you away from the very work that saves your life.

Now for the glaring contradiction...

At the same time that our focus can and should be on the daily world we are building within and for our families and communities, we can’t divorce ourselves from the policies that influence our choices.

But it’s a self-referencing cycle–our choices influence our policies.

AND, policies–which are primarily a legal framework for what enough of us agree on–need our combined voices. The small policies that shape our agriculture are the quiet things, the hidden bits that don’t get the screaming attention and the nightly news. 

But these policies shape our world. Sometimes in the worst ways.

And they perpetuate the mindsets that continue to shape policies. It’s a downward spiral that we can, and must, escape.

So if you start to get excited about the election, or wring your hands about the way things are going, remember the lessons of the Chinese farmer. Bad luck? Good luck?

Maybe…

And then find a way you can change your community today to bring about the change you’re hoping your favorite politician will bring.

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About Raw Milk Mama: I believe that we can reclaim our food systems through direct action. But it takes your participation whether you’re growing food, processing, or willing to support those who are. And sometimes, it takes taking direct action or calling on your state or federal elected officials.

I’m dedicated to helping people understand our food system and how we each fit into it..

Here’s how you can be part of it:

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