Focus on Agriculture
Ken Gordon
Focus on Agriculture
Know Your Neighbor
Ken Gordon
Stroll among the old farm equipment displays at a county or state fair , or at a special antique tractor show and there will be older farmers who can still describe what problems specific pieces of equipment solved on the farm in the early years . These men and women who plowed fields with horses , or were part of a threshing team , recall stories of hard work and fond friendships made during a time when people labored together to get the seeds in the ground and later harvested the rewards of those efforts .
Farming 160 acres in the 1920s and 30s was a big job and it took the help of neighbors to be successful . Today 160 acres won ’ t support a family that grows traditional crops , and while farms have grown over the years , the idea of working together hasn ’ t changed that much . In the country , you ’ ll still find neighbors helping neighbors , and it ’ s that idea that sets farming apart from most other forms of neighbor interaction . Although the idea of knowing your neighbors may have started on the farm , that tradition carried into the city until technology forced people inside .
Homes located in older neighborhoods have large front porches with detached garages usually located at the side of the home or in the back . Those homes recall a time when neighbors knew each other and children could play together , freely running and playing in the area . People used their porches to catch a cool breeze or catch up on the latest happenings in the neighborhood .
Today we don ’ t see our suburban neighbors too often . And two technologies , air conditioning and architecture , are largely responsible for people not knowing their neighbors in cities and suburbs . When central air conditioning was introduced to homes across America , the style of home changed as well . Front porches were eliminated in favor of a small door at the front of the home , and the garage moved from being detached at the rear of the house to being part of the home and usually located in the front . Now people only had to push a button , drive into their garage , close the door and enjoy their sanctuary . It ’ s no wonder that people today don ’ t know their neighbors , and this is compounded by privacy fences .
The idea of engaging with your neighbor is not just for farmers but should be for everyone , whether living in a city or the country . Making an effort to meet your neighbors can pay big rewards . People may be a bit surprised at first to be introduced to someone living alongside or across the street from them , but as time passes , the familiarity increases . Common interests are discovered , relationships develop and the true meaning of neighborhood is realized .
One of the lasting benefits of knowing your neighbors is becoming familiar with the routines of the neighborhood . It becomes a more secure living environment when neighbors know each other . An unfamiliar car or strange activity will go unnoticed in a group of houses , but it will stand out in a neighborhood . Knowing your neighbor may be a tradition originating from agrarian roots , but it also has a place in suburbia .
Ken Gordon , a PR professional in Ohio with a long history in agriculture communications , is an occasional contributor to the Focus on Agriculture series .
West Virginia Farm Bureau News 17