A Crisis of Faith and Farming in Rural America
turn crisis situations into a redemptive ones. Pastors and counselors have to team together to try to find ways of identifying and addressing the spiritual needs brought on by hard times. Grants to train priests in rural counseling, and church-based support groups should be formed to help troubled farmers. Support groups should be formed for the purpose of working with groups to educate farmers on alternative outlets for their crops, targeting niche markets and community farm markets. The Internet should be utilized to help farmers with long-distance learning and education also. Perhaps there can be a re-examination of policies that may have played a role in causing the present crisis. In the light of these circumstances, we all must listen, learn, and pray with and for people and their future in America’s rural communities and farms. With compassion, commitment and Christ, crises can be cured!
Bibliography
Goodwin, Willis. Life In Rural America. Harper & Row. New York, 1999.
Heilman, Grant. Farm. Abbeville Press. New York, 1988.
Jung, Shannon. Rural Ministry: The Shape of the Renewal to Come. Nashville. Abingdon Press, 1998
Pillsbury, Richard & Florin, John. Atlas of American Agriculture. New York. Simon & Schuster Macmillan, 1996.
Tarrant, John. Farming and Food. Oxford University Press. New York, 1991.
United States Department of Agriculture, Census of Agriculture. South Carolina State and County Data, Volume #1, Geographic Area Series, Part 40. Washington, DC. www.usda.gov/nass/