Sharing lessons on use of farmland

Editor:
Having just caught up on some back issues of The Echo, I was glad to see letters about the importance of saving farmlands.
It made me think of an anecdote to share: A local farmer said to me, “My grandfather nearly broke his back clearing those fields. Now some guy from the city has filled it with trees that don’t feed man or beast. Look at that.”
We looked at that. Row upon row of a single kind of evergreen tree. No livestock, and no wildlife either. Nothing to eat. No place to live, nothing to forage. No sanctuary, or even simple enjoyment.
The other farmer shook his head and responded, “All that land does now is save some rich guy from paying taxes.”
Many years have passed, but I can’t forget that lesson.
Kari Reynolds,
Toronto/Dunedin.