Human beings have always had a connection with the earth. From the times that our ancestors wandered it and lived in harmony with nature, to modern times of farming and agriculture, there is an undeniable connection between home and inhabitant. The unfortunate thing that we are currently struggling to overcome is how, over time, that connection became a bit fractured, and the harmony was thrown off balance as inhabitants began to take too freely and forcefully from home. The progress that we continue to build as a species is impressive but will only continue to be so impressive if those injustices are corrected.
From dirt to concrete and straw to metal
The process of moving forward with development and progress for the good of mankind and our societies is not an evil thing in itself. But the way that we have gone about it is the trouble. The industrial revolution brought us machines and easier access and processes for getting things done. But the blind eyes that were turned to the damage that the sudden and excessive pollution caused brought catastrophic results. The negligence in the name of power, profit, and progress have led to the precarious environmental situation we find ourselves in today.
Modern society does not have to go back to the days of dirt floors and straw roofs. Concrete foundations and metal roofing have their place. But it is how we achieve these improvements in our living situations and standards for civilization that must be examined and altered.
Modern farming as a solution
Today’s farms are a far cry from the first farms that sprung up from the earth as a result of early nomads deciding to stay in one place long enough to produce a living from the soil. There are massive machines made for large scale farming and handling much bigger amounts of crops than original farmers could have ever imagined. But the conscious farmer today could be looked at as the ideal balance and a good model for the rest of humanity to look up to.
Today’s farming uses modern equipment, technology, and machinery. But one who works to produce sustenance from the earth will be able to more readily identify just what needs to be done to maintain a harmonious balance with what we give and take from the planet.
What does a balanced modern farm look like?
Considering the path we are currently on, mankind is not going to stop building any time soon. Building bigger, greater, stronger seems to be engrained into our collective core. But now that we can see the impact that we as a species have on the environment around us, we can also include earth conscious methods and goals into our building processes. Construction is a big industry, and it continues to grow. The United States is the second biggest market for construction when taking in to consideration the planet as a whole, with a market share of approximately 10%.
A general contractor or construction company may work with a commercial or residential farm to work on barn renovations, equestrian facilities, steel buildings for the purpose of storage for farm equipment or crops, and any number of other things. Pole barns are good examples of the meld of simplicity and modernity, as they could have concrete floors, wooden support beams, and a metal roof, all components of human ingenuity, but they are generally quite basic, existing simply to fulfill some sort of farming storage need.
Whether pole barns have dirt or concrete floors, whether they are smaller than 40 feet and thus do not require an interior support column or are larger and a bit more complex, they can still represent that fusion of harmony with the earth and the development of society. And with yearly agricultural exports from the United States valued at about $136.3 billion, the focus on either construction or farming shows the wide variety of strengths that we can have as a species. We can continue to grow and develop as long as that harmony remains just as in focus as progress.