Track 14: "Bring Back The Small Farmer Again"

My grandparents grew up on farms. One day my grandmother told me how challenging farming was as a business. This tribute to small farmers was largely informed by what she told me.

Lyrics

Bring Back The Small Farmer Again

© 2007 Michele Fairbairn

I remember a time when food tasted good,
And was chock-full of vitamins, and minerals, too.
But, now, the food tastes like cardboard.
Add a little sugar to it.
And, if you want your vitamins,
You better take a pill or two.

Now, I’m not suggesting
To eliminate the conglomerate.
But, couldn’t it just
Move over a bit,
And let the little guy back in,
And bring back the small farmer, again?

Now, some people think the small farmer’s quite ordinary
With his simple old clothes, and his beat-up truck.
But, to me, the small farmer is really extraordinary,
For, who else could coax fruits from the soil
With nothing, but God’s help,
And a lot of hard toil.
And, who else would want to work so hard,
When gambling with the weather,
Is like gambling with cards,
And, at any time, the prices could drop,
Or, you could lose your whole crop.

So, you see, the small farmer is really extraordinary,
Even though he might look quite ordinary
With his simple old clothes, and his beat-up truck.

Now, I’m not suggesting
To eliminate the conglomerate.
But, couldn’t it just
Move over a bit,
And let the little guy back in,
And bring back the small farmer?

Let’s bring back the small farmer, again.