Is there such a thing as "farmer" being a derogatory word? I'm from middle Wisconsin Dairy country and farmers are occasionally looked down on for smelling but so are the factory workers, constructions crews and mechanics in general big deal smells happen. Other than that I don't understand farmer being derogatory. Used car salesman and politician maybe but farmer?

Have you read "The Wisdom of the Last Farmer" by David Mas Masumoto?

I know a lot of great Organic Farmers and many have fields as clean as conventional farmers. It's hard work and it take a great deal of knowledge about crop rotation and attention to detail. Before you try to say something cute about organic farmers perhaps you'd better visit a few. Here's a link to a story about one of the leading organic farming families in the Northern Plains. http://dakotafire.net/people/johnson-family-brings-in-the-next-generation-to-their-organic-farm/

I do not see the humor in organic, unless you have a relative that works for Monsanto. We need to live closer to the land and not dump chemicals all over our world. We need to leave our children a healthier world than we inherited, so far we are not close. I am 64 and grew up on a farm that embraced chemicals. My uncle the farmer died young from cancer, I feel caused by the chemicals. I prefer not to eat or give my grandchildren food with chemicals in their makeup.
Thank you for listening.

"Anyone who uses the word "farmer" in a derogatory way has no idea what the term means!..."

"Anyone who uses the word "organic" in a derogatory way has no idea what the term means!..."

Controversy over the merits and comparisons of organic and "conventional" agriculture are wide-ranging and intense; this slur against organic farming simply ignores that complexity. The comic is not funny, and not helpful...

I don't know the date of the original strip, but the final panel reads as dismissive of organic farming, or at least, a joke at the expensive of organic farmers. I am wondering if I am reading this correctly and if you reflect the attitudes of the farmers you worked with when you wrote. Reflections? Has your perspective changed in any way?

Thanks.

Eliz.

Dear Lynn,

My name is Jim. I live in Bethel Vermont and truly enjoy reading your "For better or For Worse" comic strip. I have followed it for many years as I have lived in various parts of the United States.

However, the strip you created for July 19, 2012 I found to be very offensive to organic farmers. The last frame particularly creates the impression that organic farming is inferior because of the weeds. Children and young adults who read this strip will think that organic farm products are less healthy when exactly the opposite is true.

At a time when millions of people in the United States and other countries are rebelling against bio-chemical crops laced with GMO's, we , in Vermont, are trying to foster a trend to organic farm products. Companies that create and sell GMO laden seeds like Monsanto and Dow receive huge subsidies from the government to create those products - and they are POISONOUS. If you don't think so then enter "gmo poisoning" into a Google search window. On the other hand, organic farmers receive little or no subsidization from the government which causes organic products to be sold at higher prices.

It would be nice if you could weave a little pro-organic farming segment into a future strip while the family is still on the farm.

Thanks for a great comic strip, (99.999% of the time). I will continue to read it.

Sincerely,
Jim