An article entitled “On Small Farms, Hoof Power Returns” with a likewise topic appeared in the The New York Times. It speaks of the tendency that nowadays in several hundred minor farming projects in the USA people return to ox-power.
In a number of various kinds of works, which beforehand they conducted by tractors, now farmers work with oxen. However, not only the continuously rising petrol prices have a beneficial effect on the advancement of this trend. A few decades ago, farmers who worked with animals have been considered old-fashioned, obstinate and blockhead people. Children born in these families were ashamed of their kin, when they met with fellow kids whose parents ran their farm with modernized equipment. Then again, the spread of industrial revolution and consumerist society has slowly, but gradually led the world to an ecologic disaster. As a consequence of recognizing the above-mentioned phenomena and the positive social feedback to it, traditional agricultural methods are not considered old-fashioned anymore, but just on the contrary, they are reflected on as progressional. As a matter of fact, this approach gives inspiration, strength and self-esteem to all those farmers, who willingly turn back to the farming tradition of their great parents and elders.
This positive process is going to strengthen, and not only in the USA, if we, consumers are willing to look for produces grown in such farms. It is clearly an individual decision whether we support these kind of farming projects or go with the mainstream and buy our provisions in the all pervading shopping centres of global market, what to speak of establishing by any chance a farm or even a small vegetable garden and growing our food to really demonstrate our eco-conscious and eco-friendly lifestyle.
Eventually, organic farms do not only need an emotional support, which they gain from many, but a financial one as well that can be realized by buying off their products, supporting their activities, which comprise lots of hours of hard, manual labour. The success of organic revolution depends on the mutual cooperation of the economic sector and consumers. The volunteers and supporters of the village of Krishna Valley work on the success of this process. And a lot of hours of this work are done by ox-power…
