Listening to this song helped sparked some internal dialogue

I’ve listened to Jason Boland & The Stragglers song “Farmer’s Luck” pretty much on loop for the last few days. 

When I rediscover a song like this, I tend to binge listen to it.  It usually spawns some interesting thoughts.

If you haven’t heard this song, it is a song told from a small farm family’s point of view about the building of Lake Eufaula in Central Oklahoma.  It tells of the use of Eminent Domain by the government to steal purchase this family’s land to flood as collateral damage for the building of the reservoir.

It got me thinking quite a bit about the reservoirs around me that have been constructed and how many lives were adversely affected by this constructed.  How many people did not have their voices heard due to them likely being rural farmers who did not have a platform. 

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the water and activities provided by these reservoirs as much as the next person.  I understand their contribution to both the power grid and to the economy of the area which they serve.  But all of this came at a cost that I’m not so sure many people really consider.

So when you think about farming/ranching having to scale up to stay competitive, think of the acres and acres of farmland that is underneath the water of these reservoirs.  Not just the reservoirs, but think of the golf courses and other recreation areas that would be incredible crop/grazing ground.  Think of the acres of ground that are used to grow turf to then be transported to suburban homes for aesthetic appeal. 

To me, I would think that it would be the golf courses and the transported turf that should be nixed to save our environment and NOT agriculture.  Again, nothing against golf and lawns… but I think we could definitely say that their contribution to society is much less significant than agriculture. 

Just a few thoughts as I have reflected on this song and how it applies to our everyday