Getting the Dirt on Farmers - Tobi Scofield (Lincoln, Nebraska)
Never been a farmer
City girl, I guess
So when I stand under the awning
At our CSA drop-off
I get the dirt on local farmers
I hear it in the chit-chat concerning
hungry grasshoppers and threatening weather
In the heat of the day, it appears in beads of sweat
settling on each farmer’s furrowed brow
emitting an earthy scent into the faint breeze
It shows up in the fresh veggies, germinated
in acres of managed organic soil
and placed carefully in my bag
At home, I see it tucked
between the leaves of lettuce, like a hidden note
Black, inky dirt
uncovered and discovered
A sneaky disclosure of dirty truth
A mighty reminder to appreciate
the dirt on farmers