Chicken Farmers

In an attempt to demonstrate caring for the chickens, I stood in front of the students’ tea and biscuits for their tea break. I said "you can have tea once you go check on your chickens and make sure they all have food and water."

In general the class is very good at checking on their chickens. They have been divided up into five groups and each group is raising about 40 chickens. It is a lot more work than they expected, and in the last few months I have learned how much attention chickens need, especially when you have many other jobs to do. I had gone to check on the chickens while the student were in class this particular day, and was not pleased by what I had found, partly because the feed had run out.

Everyone checked on the chickens and then had their own tea. Later in the day I apologized for my abrupt attitude and the way I approached the situation. They all seemed receptive. Then as we were clearing the air one student said there was something else we need to discuss. She said they class was offended when I left them a note on the board addressed to Chicken Farmers to give the chickens their vaccinations.

I was a little surprised. And explained I had meant to uplift their work with chickens in a fun way. We began to discuss a bit more, because while she was offended by being called a farmer- I wanted to affirm the positive role of farmers in society. And in fact my whole department revolves around different types of farming. I went on to speak of the respect we should have for the work we are doing, but also any farmer as these are the people that ensure we eat. I tried to explain the friends and colleagues of my parents who work in agriculture and why it was important to me.

Still I receiver don’t call us farmers. I am still working to get to the bottom of it, because the histories of different students assign a different meaning to certain titles. Farmers were sometimes the oppressive people in society. I want to be respectful of this and had not thought about it writing this quick note on the board. But I have a fear that for some, the job is not considered worthy enough to them or that they are above being called a farmer. And knowing the lack of appreciation for farmers and farmworkers in the US, I would be disheartened to think it extended to my students who are trying to help lift their communities out of poverty.