Wednesday morning thought:
Changing Landscape
As we have been traveling the past year, I have noticed a significant change in the landscape. It doesn’t matter what state we are in; the change is similar. Though most of our miles have been on interstates through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky & North Carolina, our journey has taken us on the back winding roads of these states as well. Where farms, fields & fence rows once dotted the landscape, they are being overtaken by concrete and steel. It appears that you can’t drive 10 miles without seeing a large warehouse, either up and operational or being built. Here in Pennsylvania, it seems there is a new warehouse at every exit along interstate 81. These warehouses are large corporations, such as Walmart, Staples, Target and of course Amazon, or they are the trucking companies moving all these products. I believe this is for primarily 2 reasons. First, we, as a society, need everything now. Second, as I alluded to previously, we manufacture very little in America so we need someplace to store all the goods coming from other countries so we can have them now.
Where hundreds of acres of corn and soybean once swayed in the summer breeze, now stands acres of solar panels. One of the reasons for this is because it is very profitable for the landowner with no work required by them. Another reason is a very sad one. The American farmer is a dying breed. Most of the fields here in Pennsylvania that have been “planted” with solar panels are due to no one being interested in carrying on the farming operations. I guess before you know it, we will be importing all our food as well.
I have always lived in a rural area rich in farmland, small developments, and a quiet country setting. That all seems to be changing now as the concrete and steel go up at breakneck speeds. So rather than sitting on your front porch watching the farmer work the field in his John Deere with the house and barn on the horizon, you now get to watch the concrete walls go up on the next warehouse or the evening sun’s reflection off the solar panels.
I don’t think change is always for the better nor is “new” always “improved”! I am certain our changing landscape is not.
Love you all!
Our township in southwestern PA at one time was full of dairy farms - now very few farms exist and no dairy . I agree that change is not always better and new and improved, in my opinion, just is not what’s good for us or the country! Guess I’ll always be a country girl !!!!