What happens when? . . .

What Happens When...?? What happens when you wake up one morning and the land you grew up on is covered in concrete? What happens when children aren’t safe to play outside because of too much traffic, too many people, or too much pollution? What happens when you go to the store and cannot find any locally grown products? 

No one wants to see the day when these things come true, but unfortunately that day is coming faster than we realize. For example, I looked out my window on my way to school this week and I saw three farms for sale with potential buyers. I’ve heard that plans are already underway to rezone the land for industrial buildings and townhouses. I’m 17 years old, and this is just one example of the change that I’ve seen in my rural community. 

Developments, shopping malls, and factories seem to be going up everywhere I look. That may be fine for now, but what happens in 20 or 30 years, when the economy shrinks because factories can’t produce as many goods because they don’t have the raw materials they need that some farmers provide, like soybeans, corn, milk, or meat? What happens in 40 to 50 years, when farmers are put out of business because there’s simply no land left to farm? 

There's no food left to eat. 

There's no milk left to drink.

There's no sustainability. 

Contrary to popular belief, the future isn’t with industrial companies and factories—despite how financially sound they may be today. The future depends on agriculture, which may make up only a small part of the American economy but is enough to sustain us today. The USDA reports that America’s agriculture industry was worth nearly one trillion dollars in 2015—just 5.5% of our gross domestic product—and the farmers who reap this harvest make up just 1.3% of America’s labor force. Only our efforts will determine whether American agriculture can keep pace with the forecasted growth in our population.

So how do we prepare for a future with more and more people, and less and less farmland?

We start today. We thank a farmer for their dedication and passion to their work. We buy goods locally—not imports. We use and protect our farmland at all costs. We focus on farming and livestock and consciously make moral decisions while doing these things. We think about the future generations and how important it will be to them to see the green grass rather than the remains of a factory. We preserve our farmland. We build a life in agriculture for future generations.  

What happens when you wake up one morning and see endless fields of crops? What happens when you go out and see children playing in the front yard? What happens when you go to the store and see the name of a local farmer on the label for the fresh vegetables? Then you know that you’ve preserved the land, preserved the legacy, and preserved the agricultural industry. This is the future I hope to grow up into.

Amanda Hollabaugh is a senior at Bermudian Springs High School. She is a member of Bermudian’s National Honor Society, Interact Club, and the Adams County 4-H Program.