Tough times for farmers makes it tough for us all

By Staff
With the advent and constant evolution of the modern supermarket, nearly one whole generation of children has grown up thinking produce comes from a refrigerated case at a local mega mart.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Those red tomatoes, green bell peppers and the remaining rainbow of freshly grown goodness were produced in someone's back yard.
Now, in Franklin County, those backyards are fraught with problems.
From April's freeze to the drought that has plagued the spring season thus far, many local growers are struggling to make ends meet. Others are spending as much time filling out FEMA paperwork as they are working in their fields.
Franklin County has been granted disaster assistance thanks to what looks like a disastrous crop year.
That's right. Things are bad enough to where the state and federal government have pulled out the word "disaster."
Earlier this week, Gov. Bob Riley has announced a drought warning for Franklin County.
Forget about engineers and technology. Our farmers are the backbone of our economy, just as they have been since the dawn of civilization. When they hurt, we all hurt. We encourage everyone to support the state's Buy Fresh, Buy Local program and show our local growers we support them.