September 2008

This month I'm musing on the state of the world (along with much of the population I expect). I recall having a conversation with our animals during the foot and mouth outbreak of 2001, which rocked the worlds of so many farmers and created upset and turmoil in my heart and throughout the country. At that time, the animals were pointing out how out of balance man has been with nature, taking for granted the gift of food provided not only by animals, but also by the land, imposing increasingly greater demands on productivity and using the produce with disregard and waste. I am struck by the parallels in the current crisis - the greed and gambling sometimes involved in "money making", the spend-now-pay-later mindset, the commonplace practice of living off credit - it seems we have grown used to having it all and expecting money, and the industry that manages that, to just be there to serve us when we want it.

Believe me, I'm not blameless in this. The farm runs off overdraft, we have a huge business loan which enabled us to buy the land and buildings in the first place and I have hunted around for the best returns on my savings, regardless of where the bank is or sometimes what their ethics are.

I'm thinking there must be another way... the government is apparently stepping in to shore things up... probably with money "borrowed" from somewhere else. My concern is that the whole system is built on nothing... just a series of promises and gambles that, if they pay off, will probably reap great rewards, but for the losers, only aggravate an already broken situation. I cannot help thinking that the way out of this is not to throw more money at it - especially if that money's NOT real!

As the foot and mouth conversations have stimulated an increasing awareness of where and how food is produced, of food miles and food integrity, perhaps it is time for us to review where and how our money is produced and bring light to the conversation about "money miles" and integrity with regard to money. What does that mean... well, in the world picture I'm not totally sure, but perhaps it is time for me to consider my role in these affairs of the world.

Where have I placed my money? How is the bank using it? Does the system I am supporting with my patronage operate with integrity?

It was a strong ethic in my family that credit was not the way to go... that if I wanted something I should save and that would enable me to value what I had worked hard for even more. I have not always lived by that edict but it has left me with a cautious attitude towards credit cards and loans. Regular readers will know that we have been in dire financial straights at times here and we have been most generously offered support by customers, friends and family, however, we have drawn a line under the amount of debt we are willing to take on... it only means we have to pay it back at some point. If the farm cannot sustain itself, then we shouldn't stay here... hard as it is to contemplate moving on!

And for the future. When this crisis passes, and it will for that is the nature of things, there will be opportunities to take stock and see what we can learn from it. As turbulence in war torn areas moves into building new, peaceful and supportive society, what will we make of this war on the world's money? If we leave it up to them, the bankers and the government, I fear for the future. I, as a consumer and investor have power. An American author, Anne Lamont says, With every penny you spend you cast a vote for the kind of world you want.. So I and you can influence the banking system, the government, the shops, supermarkets and food producers all over the world by conscious use of our spending and savings power.

Then there's something else. We are more powerful that most of us think. I believe there is a new value system being called forward. No matter what our circumstances, we have the choice to live with integrity and claim our inner authority. What does that mean? It means that everyday we make choices about how we live and how we respond to the world around us. The higher up the business and social scale we are (without wanting to sound to feudal!), the greater our responsibility to demonstrate living with integrity and balance. I cannot see how more and tougher legislation is the answer when some people live with a passion for "finding a loophole". But if everyone lived with regard for themselves, each other and our planet I wonder what possibilities might unfold.

It's a tall order and easy to look at everyone else's shortcomings, then give myself an excuse not to carry on bothering... I know... been there, live there sometimes and most definitely have the t-shirt!

Well, that's the world as I see it today... the farm is doing well... more on that next month!