Why I farm

We sat on barstools eating tabasco-soggy popcorn and sipping briny bloody marys. Rain threatened to invade the outside patio prompting plastic curtains and glowing heat lamps.
We talked about the fiscal cliff.
We talked about taxes and social safety nets.
We talked about financial security and quality of life.

A guy I went to high school with, same face, filled out frame, nice suit and flushed cheeks, approached me. I haven't seen him in 17 years. He shook my hand, I gave him a hug. I think it startled him because we weren't friends in high school but I figured we still go way back. And I like giving hugs, especially mid-bloody mary. He looked like he pays taxes and has financial security, I thought. I tried to engage him in conversation but he had a wedding to catch (or be in). It's strange to get reminders that I grew up in this town- the community I am immersed in now wasn't even on my radar when I left almost two  decades ago.

We sipped, rattled our ice cubes, spat curses at the injustices of the current system (wherever your political beliefs may lie, you're still spitting curses). Then R. asked me, So why farming? What's the point? And I had to think for several moments before answering because I am not often asked that question by someone who is not at the farm, someone who is not on the same bandwagon.

So why do I farm? What is the point of farming, especially in the desert of San Diego? Here are the reasons I think organic, local farming is important and some of the reasons I do it myself and teach others:

To be more self sufficient.
To take a stand in our own healthcare since our country has a long way to go in that department.
To know where our food comes from. Hopefully down to the name of the person (or group of people) who grows it.
To be a little better off when the oil stops/zombies come/name-your-own-disaster hits.
To avoid shipping veggies 1500 miles across the country or around the world.
To improve the soil, improve water absorption, improve the air, the earth, etc etc etc
To dispel the idea that lawns are pretty. They aren't. They are boring. Food is much prettier!
To use water in a better, if not truly sustainable (we are in a desert and get 90% of our water from other places), way.
To provide food for people who can't grow their own right now and don't have access to organics on a regular basis.
To empower people with knowledge, skills, hope. I swear knowing you can sprout a seed changes your life.
To play in the dirt.
To let people discover that carrots come out of the ground and peas in a pod hang off a vine.
To eat delicious, nutritious food.
To stop complaining about our food system and do something about it.
To have a real reason to wear boots in the city. And get them nice and muddy.
To make sure I'm not eating chemicals and genetically modified bullshit.
To be in sun, soil, water with the butterflies and hummingbirds.
To be working with my hands.
To cook for my friends and family with the veggies I plant, nurture, harvest.