Sunday, May 15, was the feast of Sts. Isidore and his wife Maria, the patrons of farmers and rural life. They lived in Spain near Madrid in the 11th century, and worked as agricultural laborers, their lives marked by a deep Catholic faith, an intense piety, a love for the poor and for nature, as well as a strong work ethic.
Tag: farming
Rural life is still the backbone of America, says Jim Ennis
“Rural life is still the backbone of America,” said Jim Ennis, executive director of Catholic Rural Life (CRL) and president of International Catholic Rural Association (ICRA), as he addressed a group of about 50 people at St. Joseph Parish in Dodgeville on October 1.
Farmers called to a unique vocation
DODGEVILLE — “Farmers are called to a unique vocation,” said Jim Ennis, executive director of Catholic Rural Life, the Catholic non-profit organization serving the rural Church in the United States for over 93 years.
Ennis discussed the role of farmers in an interview about a recent document called The Vocation of the Agricultural Leader: Integrating Faith with Agriculture and the Environment.
Shaking the hand that feeds you
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The warmer than usual early spring weather has unleashed a flurry of activity and interest in gardening projects (urban and rural), farmers’ markets, and local farm produce available from our area farmers.
The Rural Life Office of Catholic Charities receives calls from those seeking local, fresh produce grower information so, in this section of the Catholic Herald, we will provide some basics for understanding different models of Wisconsin farming production and the communities they serve.
Conventional farming
Wisconsin has a long and esteemed position in providing for our nation’s food system. Our dairy herds are of all sizes and produce dairy products for direct sale through grocery businesses as well as providing the major ingredients for world renowned, artisan-crafted cheeses throughout our state.
Ecumenical celebrations of local foods
Seven west side churches in Madison representing four denominations will join together in offering a series of events in January that explore the connections between food, faith, and farming.
Closing rural post offices makes no sense
Rural life is a daily challenge to survive on most days; we citizens blessed enough to live in the beauty of the country often are too busy trying to get by to really enjoy all the scenic views of the rural landscape.
At this very moment I am looking at the tree-line between my property and the old Gilbertson Farm west of our home and billowing out in huge clouds of white smoke are the fiery fingers of flames that are consuming my neighbor’s cow barn.
Farm fresh and fabulous
Some of my fondest memories of my childhood in the ‘30s were the Sunday afternoon visits to our country cousins.
We’d all pile into Daddy’s new model Chevy, (he sold them, so we always had a new one), drive the 20 miles or more to run in the fields, jump in the hay mow, and watch the animals warily, keeping a safe distance.
Annual Rural Life Day highlights importance of farming community
LORETO — The rural community is faced with many concerns — a threatening economy, climate change, altering weather patterns and the uncertainty of nature, encroaching cities, and merging parishes.
Urbanites and rural dwellers alike are invited to Rural Life Day in Loreto
LORETO — People from throughout the Diocese of Madison — those who live in rural and urban areas — are invited to attend a Rural Life Day to be held on Thursday, Oct. 28, at St. Patrick Church in Loreto.
Focusing on rural life: Listening sessions planned
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| St. Lawrence Church in Jefferson is the site of one of the rural life listening sessions. (Catholic Herald photo/Kat Wagner) |
MADISON — Catholic Charities’ new Rural Life Office will be holding listening sessions throughout the 11 counties of the Diocese of Madison.
“It will be an opportunity to help address the needs with rural pastors and work shoulder-to-shoulder with the farm community,” said Brian Cain, executive director of Catholic Charities (CC).
Tom Nelson, coordinator of the CC Rural Life Office, said there is a great need “to listen across the 11 counties to the many concerns and challenges of farmers and farm families and all those who are impacted by the financial crisis across all segments of agriculture in our area.”
Need for food
With an ever-increasing worldwide need for food, Nelson said “it is alarming to watch the continuous eroding of our farming base across the bread/corn basket of our nation as farmers lose their family farms to financial failure, all the while being more productive than ever before.