Thanks for saying this: "Whether any of us can be blamed for the acts of our ancestors is a question that has haunted many if not most cultures since the dawn of civilization. My feeling on this is no, but our actions in the present day deserve great consideration if we expect, or deserve, absolution."
There's a lot of anti-DEI rhetoric out there, which is the reactionary response to CRT and the general social and legislative trends towards equality starting all the way back with the Civil Rights Act. Our country needs to hear more White people affirming that one does not need to internalize *blame* for the actions of their ancestors in order to acknowledge the damage and harm done by them, and try to help mitigate that damage now and into the future.
Your article is well crafted. I think later generations cannot take on blame for the actions of their predecessors, even if some people insist on doing so. Displaced blame is also something that would block possibilities for remediation and absolution.
Being born and raised white to parents of sharecroppers working a small dairy farm in Blackhawk county Iowa, I feel the double edge sword of knowing the love of farming and the bewildering cost of absolution.
My paternal Grandfather lost his farm in the depression leaving my father coming home from WW2 knowing little more than farming to provide for a growing family of three boys and a girl.
Three boys was advantageous in the dairy business as we were left to milk the cows by ourselves at very early ages while Dad found various employment opportunities away from the “ cash cows”.
I had a good life being raised on the farm and was going to be a “good” farmer until the mid seventies when the combination of a shady landlord’s financial advisor and the start of the farm crisis ended my dreams. Lucky me!
Having known of one black family that had bottom land along the Wapsipinicon river in neighboring Buchanan county, I always wondered if I had any different feelings about agribusiness in Iowa than they did. I occasionally saw them visit the land but never had an opportunity to talk to them.
My experience is whites can be as ruthless to other whites as they can be to any other color of skin. Thank you Dr. Leonard and Dr. Jones.
What a haymaker of a column! And thanks for the history of the exclusion tactics. But who were the leaders that early-on ended those practices (or tried to), and opened our Iowa schools and justice system to all (or at least tried to)? Did they tend to be church leaders, political leaders, business leaders? Who were the right-thinkers here in Iowa in those early years?
I would like to think that white farmers were a whole lot easier to bamboozle than true American's who think of things in terms of seven generations ahead. The Market and those who control the market have more to say about what happens here than we give credit too! To easily drive a load of beans or corn to an elevator and get paid for it made it easier, but it too had its cost! Hog farmers that went all in to build hog factories to supply the packers are now finding the price of pork has dropped simply because the supply is insured now! Same happened with the milk "industry" it was a price that producers paid for having that easy market strategy. Industrialized farming turns the ground into a coal mine, and with that the pollution that fouls our water! Those with the lions share of the money who are most responsible, don't live here, don't own the land and don't give two hoots in hell what happens here!
Why would the young, eager for a healthy land, ripe with natural wonders, settle where the risk is high of being dispossessed of their rights to a clean environment by the unaccountable dominion of industrialized land use, controlled by the imperatives of an unsustainable technological treadmill juiced by investors and very questionable government subsidies? The young need to ask, "is this a land that is fit to live in?" And where else in the Midwest is decidedly better? Red or blue are not good indicators of where to turn.
Well written and informative. At nearly 70 I continue to be stunned by the amount of stuff I didn't know, and the "exclusionary" is just one more tidbit in what seems a vast ocean. I must admit discomfort at the "white privilege" label and the ten-year struggle for me to admit it's true; myself growing up in 1950's on a very modest and ultimately unprofitable farm, was FAR different than some black kids experience born in 1950's Alabama, or maybe Iowa for that matter. All the right-wing squealing about making sure the "right history" is taught seems to be committed to making sure kids don't feel "uncomfortable" when learning documented truth. Tough noogies. I feel the same when my doctor implies I'm too fat, and need more walking and less sitting about stuffing my pie hole. That's not what he says , but that is what he means. The scale doesn't lie and neither does the historical record.
I read this about two hours ago, and it's still stuck in my craw. As it will be for a long, long time. Chris, you do such amazing work. Thank you for this.
My dad grew up in western Iowa and was the first in four Iowa generations of his family who never made a living farming. As an amateur genealogist for over 30 years, I have traced my ancestors’ paths of migration and have only recently begun to consider how my ancestors prospered by stepping on or over others, usually Native Americans. The pattern repeated itself as they migrated and settled in Virginia, Ohio, Nebraska, & Iowa.
I think it’s always important to examine how we got to where we are today, whether it’s with an eye on social justice, the conditions of farmers and rural communities, or our food production and supply. Doing so will hopefully help us push for changes rooted in equity & prosperity for all, rather than fears and grievances about power.
Excellent article Chris. How can we promote more diversity in Ag?
Also. I'd love to hear your comments about the recent bird flu outbreak. It seems bizarre to me that I am not asked to be careful filling my bird feeder but the public is being made wary of working with dairy cows and their backyard chickens. I heard reference to the "safety" dairy cows would have if only they'd be in a controlled environment like pigs and chickens. I'm suspect of that message to say the least and interested in the financial implications of bird flu and the CAFO industry.
To get diversity in agriculture we need diversity of crops that require people with varying skillsets and backgrounds. To get that, we need land reform, namely, get rid of the renewable fuel standard which creates a guaranteed market for corn, hopefully opening things up for new farmers with new ideas about what can be done in Iowa. As far as the bird flu, I think your observation is correct that there is a paucity of information about it for the general public. I'm not sure there are any easy solutions to these zoonotic diseases when we raise our animals the way we do. Clearly not many species others than ants and bees evolved to live in extremely close quarters with other individuals of the species. My feeling is that in these big dairies, the situation can't be a lot different from the hog and laying confinements. Thanks for following the column Diane.
Once again I point out in over 50 yrs I've seen many people try different crops and they have failed. #1 a producer must have a reliable, accessible and financially secure market, lenders like that for some reason. There are reasons different crops are grown where they are in this country. I realize that some that hate ethanol production prefer coal and oil.
#2, my take on bird flu and biosecurity. It's pretty common of the poultry producers I know have a room just inside the barn to change shoes for fear of infected goose, duck, migratory fowl feces dropping on path they walk. The swine industry is the same. Animals that are allowed in outside areas are much more prone to contact problems from nearby animals than being inside. That said, when a problem strikes in concentrations of animals it spreads fast in that facility.
“Animals that are allowed in outside areas are much more prone to contact problems from nearby animals than being inside.” Sincere question: Do you have studies that back up this statement?
Studies, no. Over 50 yrs in livestock production primarily swine, YES. I grew up in a period of outside pork production. In my early years on my own i had my pork production outside. It is impossible to keep outside hogs from getting many diseases from birds, raccoons, rodents, coyotes and skunks. When sows were brought in from outside production we no longer specifically vaccinated for Brucellosis which can be transmitted to humans as it is a infectious and contagious disease caused by a bacteria. It is mainly transmitted from mainly raccoons and a big worry from the increasing amt of Feral hogs in this country as they are a big carrier.
There is no longer very much Transmissible Gasrtoenteritis, transmitted by birds, people and in the air on cloudy days in winter. . TGE would make new born pigs wither away in few days, every new born baby pig born. I've had it happen. Really wipes out a lot of invested $$ and really crimps ability to pay production cost and provide for family. Erysipelis, a bacteria in the soil, is not nearly as common any more.. I had a lot of hogs ready to go to market one time and they started dying. I had to give all 20 cc's pennicilin and 20 cc's of Ery Serum to save the rest. I became ill a couple weeks later, I had contracted from the dust in air when treating. I know why pigs squeal so bad when trying to get up from the pain in joints before they die. I was lucky as Dr knew what it was and gave me shots immediately just before I would have been hospitalized.
When outside a producer can't let deworming management down for large round worms, whip worms, nodular worms, threadworms, kidney worms, lung worms. These come from soil.
I suppose there might be studies but producers like me that have been around for a day or two and the industry know it.
I know people have lost lots of baby pigs to coyote mothers feeding her offspring. I've a neighbor lose a whole litter to a mother fox.
A producers pigs could get a problem from another producer's pigs having nose to nose fence line contact.
As u can see the feral hog problem is a major concern.
I hope I was able to answer your question. If have any more or clarification please reply.
Thanks for the historical context, Chris. It certainly helps put things into perspective. Your writings force me to think more deeply about what's really important, and how I may be able to help turn us to a more sustainable existence.
Chris, that you put in the work to research, think, and then share with us such valuable information is so commendable. Please keep it up.
Reading from 97% white Vermont where farming is a proud way of life, I thank you. I have in the past only scratched the surface of the by-design aspect of whiteness here and this post helped me to think about it more deeply. It’s a long tail conversation to be had.
I believe also we can't take blame for our ancestors mistakes well as can't take credit for their accomplishments. I have studied and thought about your comment about the 'work' ethic of the white farmer. I wonder what our agriculture would look like if a large majority of Iowa's producers were non-white? Would there still be problems of pollution in water? Why or why not? Would there be the drive to excel and usually do better for family and community? Mmmmm?
Excellent journalism and commentary. I’ve purchased 3 copies of your book and passed it around to influencers here. What is the best way to communicate about paid speaking events you might consider?
Thanks for saying this: "Whether any of us can be blamed for the acts of our ancestors is a question that has haunted many if not most cultures since the dawn of civilization. My feeling on this is no, but our actions in the present day deserve great consideration if we expect, or deserve, absolution."
There's a lot of anti-DEI rhetoric out there, which is the reactionary response to CRT and the general social and legislative trends towards equality starting all the way back with the Civil Rights Act. Our country needs to hear more White people affirming that one does not need to internalize *blame* for the actions of their ancestors in order to acknowledge the damage and harm done by them, and try to help mitigate that damage now and into the future.
Nicely stated
Your article is well crafted. I think later generations cannot take on blame for the actions of their predecessors, even if some people insist on doing so. Displaced blame is also something that would block possibilities for remediation and absolution.
Being born and raised white to parents of sharecroppers working a small dairy farm in Blackhawk county Iowa, I feel the double edge sword of knowing the love of farming and the bewildering cost of absolution.
My paternal Grandfather lost his farm in the depression leaving my father coming home from WW2 knowing little more than farming to provide for a growing family of three boys and a girl.
Three boys was advantageous in the dairy business as we were left to milk the cows by ourselves at very early ages while Dad found various employment opportunities away from the “ cash cows”.
I had a good life being raised on the farm and was going to be a “good” farmer until the mid seventies when the combination of a shady landlord’s financial advisor and the start of the farm crisis ended my dreams. Lucky me!
Having known of one black family that had bottom land along the Wapsipinicon river in neighboring Buchanan county, I always wondered if I had any different feelings about agribusiness in Iowa than they did. I occasionally saw them visit the land but never had an opportunity to talk to them.
My experience is whites can be as ruthless to other whites as they can be to any other color of skin. Thank you Dr. Leonard and Dr. Jones.
What a haymaker of a column! And thanks for the history of the exclusion tactics. But who were the leaders that early-on ended those practices (or tried to), and opened our Iowa schools and justice system to all (or at least tried to)? Did they tend to be church leaders, political leaders, business leaders? Who were the right-thinkers here in Iowa in those early years?
Those are good questions that we need to explore
Nothing exclusionary in this Country is a random accident of chance.
Thanks for the historical context and the mention. I had no clue.
I would like to think that white farmers were a whole lot easier to bamboozle than true American's who think of things in terms of seven generations ahead. The Market and those who control the market have more to say about what happens here than we give credit too! To easily drive a load of beans or corn to an elevator and get paid for it made it easier, but it too had its cost! Hog farmers that went all in to build hog factories to supply the packers are now finding the price of pork has dropped simply because the supply is insured now! Same happened with the milk "industry" it was a price that producers paid for having that easy market strategy. Industrialized farming turns the ground into a coal mine, and with that the pollution that fouls our water! Those with the lions share of the money who are most responsible, don't live here, don't own the land and don't give two hoots in hell what happens here!
Why would the young, eager for a healthy land, ripe with natural wonders, settle where the risk is high of being dispossessed of their rights to a clean environment by the unaccountable dominion of industrialized land use, controlled by the imperatives of an unsustainable technological treadmill juiced by investors and very questionable government subsidies? The young need to ask, "is this a land that is fit to live in?" And where else in the Midwest is decidedly better? Red or blue are not good indicators of where to turn.
Well written and informative. At nearly 70 I continue to be stunned by the amount of stuff I didn't know, and the "exclusionary" is just one more tidbit in what seems a vast ocean. I must admit discomfort at the "white privilege" label and the ten-year struggle for me to admit it's true; myself growing up in 1950's on a very modest and ultimately unprofitable farm, was FAR different than some black kids experience born in 1950's Alabama, or maybe Iowa for that matter. All the right-wing squealing about making sure the "right history" is taught seems to be committed to making sure kids don't feel "uncomfortable" when learning documented truth. Tough noogies. I feel the same when my doctor implies I'm too fat, and need more walking and less sitting about stuffing my pie hole. That's not what he says , but that is what he means. The scale doesn't lie and neither does the historical record.
For “farmer,” read only owner. The 2017 doesn’t tabulate “hired labor” (peons, peasants, serfs, migrants with or without regular status.
I read this about two hours ago, and it's still stuck in my craw. As it will be for a long, long time. Chris, you do such amazing work. Thank you for this.
Thanks for the kind words Wini. And back at you.
Thank you for this valuable historical context.
My dad grew up in western Iowa and was the first in four Iowa generations of his family who never made a living farming. As an amateur genealogist for over 30 years, I have traced my ancestors’ paths of migration and have only recently begun to consider how my ancestors prospered by stepping on or over others, usually Native Americans. The pattern repeated itself as they migrated and settled in Virginia, Ohio, Nebraska, & Iowa.
I think it’s always important to examine how we got to where we are today, whether it’s with an eye on social justice, the conditions of farmers and rural communities, or our food production and supply. Doing so will hopefully help us push for changes rooted in equity & prosperity for all, rather than fears and grievances about power.
Thank you Heather, nice insights and very nicely stated. Thank you for reading the column.
Excellent article Chris. How can we promote more diversity in Ag?
Also. I'd love to hear your comments about the recent bird flu outbreak. It seems bizarre to me that I am not asked to be careful filling my bird feeder but the public is being made wary of working with dairy cows and their backyard chickens. I heard reference to the "safety" dairy cows would have if only they'd be in a controlled environment like pigs and chickens. I'm suspect of that message to say the least and interested in the financial implications of bird flu and the CAFO industry.
To get diversity in agriculture we need diversity of crops that require people with varying skillsets and backgrounds. To get that, we need land reform, namely, get rid of the renewable fuel standard which creates a guaranteed market for corn, hopefully opening things up for new farmers with new ideas about what can be done in Iowa. As far as the bird flu, I think your observation is correct that there is a paucity of information about it for the general public. I'm not sure there are any easy solutions to these zoonotic diseases when we raise our animals the way we do. Clearly not many species others than ants and bees evolved to live in extremely close quarters with other individuals of the species. My feeling is that in these big dairies, the situation can't be a lot different from the hog and laying confinements. Thanks for following the column Diane.
Once again I point out in over 50 yrs I've seen many people try different crops and they have failed. #1 a producer must have a reliable, accessible and financially secure market, lenders like that for some reason. There are reasons different crops are grown where they are in this country. I realize that some that hate ethanol production prefer coal and oil.
#2, my take on bird flu and biosecurity. It's pretty common of the poultry producers I know have a room just inside the barn to change shoes for fear of infected goose, duck, migratory fowl feces dropping on path they walk. The swine industry is the same. Animals that are allowed in outside areas are much more prone to contact problems from nearby animals than being inside. That said, when a problem strikes in concentrations of animals it spreads fast in that facility.
“Animals that are allowed in outside areas are much more prone to contact problems from nearby animals than being inside.” Sincere question: Do you have studies that back up this statement?
Studies, no. Over 50 yrs in livestock production primarily swine, YES. I grew up in a period of outside pork production. In my early years on my own i had my pork production outside. It is impossible to keep outside hogs from getting many diseases from birds, raccoons, rodents, coyotes and skunks. When sows were brought in from outside production we no longer specifically vaccinated for Brucellosis which can be transmitted to humans as it is a infectious and contagious disease caused by a bacteria. It is mainly transmitted from mainly raccoons and a big worry from the increasing amt of Feral hogs in this country as they are a big carrier.
There is no longer very much Transmissible Gasrtoenteritis, transmitted by birds, people and in the air on cloudy days in winter. . TGE would make new born pigs wither away in few days, every new born baby pig born. I've had it happen. Really wipes out a lot of invested $$ and really crimps ability to pay production cost and provide for family. Erysipelis, a bacteria in the soil, is not nearly as common any more.. I had a lot of hogs ready to go to market one time and they started dying. I had to give all 20 cc's pennicilin and 20 cc's of Ery Serum to save the rest. I became ill a couple weeks later, I had contracted from the dust in air when treating. I know why pigs squeal so bad when trying to get up from the pain in joints before they die. I was lucky as Dr knew what it was and gave me shots immediately just before I would have been hospitalized.
When outside a producer can't let deworming management down for large round worms, whip worms, nodular worms, threadworms, kidney worms, lung worms. These come from soil.
I suppose there might be studies but producers like me that have been around for a day or two and the industry know it.
I know people have lost lots of baby pigs to coyote mothers feeding her offspring. I've a neighbor lose a whole litter to a mother fox.
A producers pigs could get a problem from another producer's pigs having nose to nose fence line contact.
As u can see the feral hog problem is a major concern.
I hope I was able to answer your question. If have any more or clarification please reply.
Thanks for the historical context, Chris. It certainly helps put things into perspective. Your writings force me to think more deeply about what's really important, and how I may be able to help turn us to a more sustainable existence.
Chris, that you put in the work to research, think, and then share with us such valuable information is so commendable. Please keep it up.
Reading from 97% white Vermont where farming is a proud way of life, I thank you. I have in the past only scratched the surface of the by-design aspect of whiteness here and this post helped me to think about it more deeply. It’s a long tail conversation to be had.
I believe also we can't take blame for our ancestors mistakes well as can't take credit for their accomplishments. I have studied and thought about your comment about the 'work' ethic of the white farmer. I wonder what our agriculture would look like if a large majority of Iowa's producers were non-white? Would there still be problems of pollution in water? Why or why not? Would there be the drive to excel and usually do better for family and community? Mmmmm?
Excellent journalism and commentary. I’ve purchased 3 copies of your book and passed it around to influencers here. What is the best way to communicate about paid speaking events you might consider?
Cj22104@gmail.com