Agribusiness or Agrilifestyle? To Exploit or To Nurture?

I try to be intentional about the inputs I allow into my brain. In my recent reading of Born Again Dirt and more recent reading (in progress) of The Unsettling of America, my mind is racing with thoughts, my heart is being cultivated and the two will come together in a way that I am convinced will glorify God and benefit me. One way that we know we have a loving Creator is that when we practice the ways communicated in His Word, we always benefit and so does everyone else around us. That may come across as being prideful, but I know this to be true in my own life and experience and by the Word of God. Who am I to make such a claim? A nobody by degree, just a simple human being that is searching for this abundant life that Jesus said is available through Him. (John 10:10)

There are many influences that we are faced with throughout the day. One of the filters that I try to use to sift these influences through is that of "Exploiter or Nurturer". I want to speak to your heart and mind about the difference between an exploiter and a nurturer. An exploiter is defined as someone who uses in an unfair way or selfish way. A nurturer is defined as someone that cares for and encourages the growth of develop of someone or something. I find that when I sift things through this filter, I can navigate life in a way that is provides more benefits than consequences. In a way, I guess it goes back to John 10:10 when we read that verse. "'The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." There are two sides apparently or two influencers. One a thief, the other a giver or provider.

Most of us can identify this as far back as the cartoons that we used to watch where Tom the cat (Tom & Jerry) would have a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. Each would try and convince him of what path he should take. We too have these two sides going on inside us which is why I think it's important to monitor the influences I am subjected to. If I'm honest, I want to give to others, the same things that Christ says He came to give.

Wendell Berry shared a profound statement or quote,

"Who so hath his mind on taking,

hath it no more on what he has taken"

I had to think on this for a moment... then it started to sink in. The "takers" of this world are never filled, they have long forgotten what they have taken and aquired, because they are focused on taking more. This mentallity is what I would classify as an expoilter. Berry takes it all the way back to where an Italian is said to discover this continent on his way to India.

"The earliest explores were looking for gold, which was, after a streak of luck in Mexico, always somewhere farther on". "Conquests and foundingswere incidental to this search which could not and did not end until the continent was finally laid open in an orgy of goldseeking in the middle of the 19th century". "Once the unknown geography was mapped, the industrial marketplace became the new frontier and we continued with largely the same motives and with increasing haste and anxiety to displace ourselves".

The quest for unity was lost in the pursuit of the personal quest to advance personal endeavors to attain as much as possible for little to no regard for what was left as a result. They gave no regard to the land, but ripped it open in search of this precious resource held by the Earth.

These people were not in search for a land to live off of and give back to, they wanted to exploit it and move on to the next piece to consume. Sadly, this is a view that I share towards the Agribusiness. In comparison, the Agrilifestyle I meantioned is one of stewardship. Adopting the perspective of "No more, this is the place where I will reside and nurture this land, because it nurtures me or let me nurture this land until it nurtures me." These are questions we must each ask ourselves. When is enough, enough? Will I continue on the pursuit of exploiting resources and the conquests to find more and more and more? Or will I see what my circumstances are through identifying the relationships and resources that God has provided me with and be satisfied to steward them well until they produce and regenerate. The former perspective is the subtle reality of the culture in which most of us have been born into, influenced by and try to achieve status within, but is that really fruitful? Does that create independence or dependence? I want to nurture the land and livestock we have so I can depend on it producing which results in independence by living an Agrilifestyle. We think and are taught that we can gain independence by dishonoring the intelligence of nature as if it's the "next level conquest", but as many can identify, meat grown in a lab is not meat. It may contain some of the structural proteins that look similar enough to real meat by the metrics by which we (humans) have chosen to identify, but it's not by the way of the Creator.

Are we that different from the colonists? Or even the tribes of Israel of old? Have we forgotten the Creator that we are dealing with?

It reminds me of this passage in Jeremiah chapter 5

'‘Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, Who hahttp://own.Inve eyes but do not see; Who have ears but do not hear. Do you not fear Me?’ declares the Lord . ‘Do you not tremble in My presence?

For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it.

But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; They have turned aside and departed. They do not say in their heart, “Let us now fear the Lord our God, Who gives rain in its season, Both the autumn rain and the spring rain, Who keeps for us The appointed weeks of the harvest.” 'Jeremiah 5:21-24

Our Creator has chosen to show His magnificence in many impressive ways, but this penetrated my heart. If I would choose to create a barrier between my family and water that rages, would I choose sand?!?!? No but He does and it works, because He holds it at bay.

What is the posture of your heart? Is it rebellious? Is God calling it to align with Him and His ways? If so, the Word says that today is the day of salvation. Do not delay. You can acknowledge Him wherever you are and choose His ways over your own. Commit to choose His ways over your own. This is what it means to "Get saved" because without God's guidance, we just repeat what the Israelites did, what the colonists did and what each of us do if left to our own devices. If this is a decision that you make, please let me or someone else know. At some point we each have to make the decision to break this chain if we're ever going to get better.

In closing I want this to be an encouragement to all that take the time to read it. As I mentioned earlier, I try to monitor what I allow to go in my mind. I want to continue on the path of looking at content as investments and thereby see what return I will obtain from the investments. As it is when I purchase food. What exactly am I investing in? Is this nutrient dense food that is nurturing to my body, if it is, then it was nurtured in such a way to nurture me in return. If it isn't, chances are that it's inherently expoiting the Earth, my body and it will move on to the next conquest. Every dollar that we spend casts a vote. One way invests in the Agribusiness that reflects the exploitation of resources, the other way invests in the Agrilifestyle that chooses to say that this is where I will reside, no further exploitation. I will choose to nurture those who identify that investing in what God has provided to sustain desrves respect and nurturing to produce food the way God intended it to be.

Your nurtured and nurturing local poultry stewards,

Gordon and Elizabeth