Changes in the rural scenery

Living in Shasta County nearly all my life, I have watched this area grow from old dirt and pot-holed roads.

Lately, I’ve noticed that not much remains like it was in the old days. I guess I miss a lot about the rural lifestyle of the early 1950s.

Just driving through the once thriving agriculture areas where cattle grazed and orchards, hay fields and gardens flourished, it’s obvious that many things have changed.

We have urbanized in so many ways that the countryside just isn’t recognizable anymore. The same thing happened in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California.

There have been efforts to block certain types of growth and amazingly those efforts have at least temporarily delayed some proposed projects. Or, perhaps the economy is bashing what many deem as inappropriate developments.

It saddens me to watch unsightly star thistle growing where once lush, irrigated pastures gave a friendly ambience to the overall scene. I realize we are not the lush green states of Oregon and Washington where weather patterns boost the visual impact along the interstates as you car’s windshield wipers go to work even in the summer months on vacation trips

I don’t care where you live, the concept of rural living still is inviting.

My hope is that our leaders will make wise decisions after thinking things through before casting a vote that takes away the ambience of our scenic and agriculturally viable areas.

Sustainability is a concept that pertains to all areas of society.

Our future is in the hands of our youth and I support any educational efforts that address our agriculture future.

Years ago, we didn’t think about those needs. Life was good and we reveled in it. Often, we took for granted the wildflowers growing along the dirt trails we walked while going to grade school.

Later, while riding buses to high school, I recognized specific types of vegetation growing in the same places every year.

Kids today are so busy with their electronic devices they only get a chance to smell the roses on scheduled guided tours that are few and far between. Many children only learn where milk and butter come from on special agriculture field trips.

It is my belief that more hands-on history lessons would be good for these future generations. For example, vegetable gardens are not only a good therapeutic reprieve from the electronic spectrum, they provide necessities that are healthy.

Whether you prefer concrete to lush green lawn, you still have to eat. Therefore, agriculture should remain high on any list of priorities.

It’s an uphill battle for the working farmer, who has to deal with so many rules and regulations, fees and pure operating costs. As far as the economy goes, no matter how scary it gets, there’s a lot we can do without.

However, food is not in that mix.