The Catholic Herald - Madison - Sept. 20th, 2007

Many of us can go back just one or two generations to find our families living on a farm. In my case, both my father and mother were born to farm families. My mother lived on the farm until she went to college. My father's family moved to the city to give the children better educational opportunities.

Those farm roots run deep. I still enjoy being outside, working in the gardens and smelling the moist dirt. Something calls to my spirit in the outdoors.

Yet, although we may have some nostalgia for our rural past, many of us just aren't aware of what's really happening in our rural areas. Of course, we eat food produced by farmers, but few of us understand the challenges those farmers face today.

Farm Bill every five years. Every five years the U.S. Congress reauthorizes the Farm Bill. That may cause us to become more aware of the needs of our farmers - or it should. The Farm Bill is a complex piece of legislation that sets federal policy for everything from crop subsidies to food stamps. The House passed its version of the Farm Bill on July 27. Now the Senate is debating its version of the bill.

On Pages 14 and 15 [print edition] of this week's Catholic Herald, we focus on Rural Life Ministry. Included is an article from the National Catholic Rural Life Conference (NCRLC) examining Catholic priorities in the Farm Bill. I would encourage concerned citizens to read this article, as well as the reflections by John Kinsman, a farmer in our diocese; Fr. Bernard Rott, diocesan rural life director; and Tom Nelson, who is working in rural life ministry with our diocesan Office of Justice and Pastoral Outreach. All of them emphasize that all of us should be concerned about what's happening in our rural parishes and communities.