While driving through the foothills tonight, I came across several dying orchards.
Some young trees seem to be holding on but even some of those young trees have already turned gray.
Did the orchard suffer from some sort of blight? Did the farmer fail and therefore his orchard did as well? Was this left fallow because of the draught. It is somehow sad and the scene was a bit ghostly. The road between the orchards is deserted in the evening and the only sound - the clanking of a metal gate blowing in the wind.
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Sad to think of this orchard being dead now...it does raise a lot of questions. Maybe the owners got old and died and no one wanted to continue on.
ReplyDeleteThat is an interesting thought...that certainly happens frequently. Down that road - perhaps three or so miles is thriving orchard - so one loved and the other not...
ReplyDeleteWho knows if the argument applies to this orchard but the plight of the family farmer is causing scenes like this to become more and more familiar. It is just too expensive to grow crops on a small scale without the landowner doing most of the work.
ReplyDeleteChildren see the hard work and low reward of their parent's efforts and usually do not want to continue the upkeep required. It often makes more financial sense to them to just sell off the land.
Namaste'
I lived in a farming community not so long ago. My then partner raised grass fed beef cattle. Back breaking work with endless days. The costs of producing a healthy animal with no hormones, corn or antibiotics was dear. The cattle were boarded on the land of another farmer. Of his three children none wanted the farming life - to hard, to lean, to unpredicatable. Farmers of all kinds love their work but the pay back (if we're talking family farm not corporate) is often slim. Vacations unheard of...so who knows what happened to this forlorn orchard. The only thing for certain, as with all things living, is that it is dying.
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely sad orchard...too bad it can't be revived. <3
ReplyDeleteHi Cynthis:
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by! I read much of your blog this morning and enjoyed it very much! You are an interesting woman with an interesting life and observations! :)
This orchard is haunting. I often think of it and want to turn on some invisible faucet that will save at least the young orchard. I suppose there is a value to simply bearing witness to the coming of life in all its forms and will, of necessity, have to content myself with that thought.
WR
Wow...I live in such a different part of this world...can't help but agree with the above comment, lovely and sad. Cool blog.
ReplyDeleteHi King of NY Hacks:
ReplyDeleteI lived in NYC once upon a time and yes these are WORLDS apart! :) Thank you sor stopping by...have a great day!