Farm Poetry: There is a tradition in literature of setting out an agricultural calendar in a sort of poem. Hesiod’s “Work and Days” dates to around 725 BC. He advises you to hire a mature plowman of 40 years of age. A younger man plows ill while dreaming of his social life.
One of my favorites is Thomas Tusser’s “Hundred Points of Husbandry” (mentioned previously), farming advice set to rhyme was published in 1557: A truly wonderful and instructive text that was the basis of one of my favorite books “Lost Country Life”. The author, Dorothy Hartley, used the poem to explore medieval village and farming life.
Last week, while reading some of Wendell Berry’s poetry from his “Sabbath” collection I discovered his contribution to this form of literature: “The Farm”. An instructional walk through the year on his farm it contains some true gems. He tackles in one section one of the thorniest issues we deal with in our life on the farm, competition with predators.
…Or old Coyote may
Become your supper guest,
Unasked and without thanks;
He’ll just excerpt a lamb
And dine before you know it.
But don’t, because of that,
Make war against the world
And its wild appetites.
A guard dog or a donkey
Would be the proper answer;
Or use an electric fence.
For you must learn to live with neighbors never chosen
As with the ones you chose.
Coyote’s song at midnight
Says something for the world
The world wants said. And when
You know your flock is safe
You’ll like to wake and hear
That wild voice sing itself
Free in the dark, at home.
By Wendell Berry: from “The Farm”