As I sit here this morning sipping on a hot coffee (decaf black for those who wonder about such things) and overlooking the beautiful landscape that is Loudon Ridge and the lands to the west, I can’t help but reflect and ponder how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed all our lives.
For some the change has been transitioning to working from home. For caregivers it’s involved going to work and getting exposed daily to an environment that increases the likelihood of contracting the deadly virus. For our political leaders it has thrust them into an unprecedented time of declaring states of emergency and making extreme decisions that impact the livelihood and well-being of the people they serve.
For those of us in the world of agriculture, much of our daily life has remained largely unchanged. The cows still need to be milked, the fields need to be tilled, the crops need to planted, the equipment needs to repaired, supplies ordered and picked up, and so on.
Social distancing in the agricultural world is not practical. Farms have always worked as a tight-knit family unit, often in close proximity, sharing the same jug of water, lifting the same rock, loading the same hay trailer.
As we look to open up our society and debate the best path forward, we have to accept that there is risk in life.
Hiding away in our homes isn’t sustainable. Pulling back out of society takes a terrible toll – emotionally, economically and physically.
As I finish my coffee and gaze across the beautiful panorama to the west, I offer this thought: caution is prudent, fear is irrational.
I look forward to the day that we can stop being afraid to be around each other.
(Howard Pearl of Loudon is a sixth-generation farmer in his second term as a legislator from Merrimack District 26, serving on the House Environment and Agriculture Committee. He represents voters from Boscawen, Canterbury, Franklin, Loudon and Northfield.)