I imagine there are a number of people who are wondering why exactly I'm working on a farm and, more generally, what my "plan for life" is. It's a topic that grates the ears of nearly every recently graduated college student, and yet it's the same topic that's fueled my thoughts for the last seven months, ever since I came up with an answer to that question. Now there are some people who've already heard my spiel (and it's definitely a spiel in every sense of the word, as you're about to see), but because there are many more who haven't, without further adieu, here's...
The Dream
Note: If you're in a rush or daunted by the length of this post, the stuff in bold will get you by.When I grow up, I want to run a juvenile detention facility on a sustainable farm. Basically, for lack of better terms, I want to set up a youth farm prison. Why, you ask? There are tons of reasons actually, but here are the two biggest ones:
1) Juvenile prisons aren't working.
See, the difference between the juvenile justice system and the adult justice system is that, while the adult justice system is punitive (meaning: you're an adult, so you should've known that was wrong and we're punishing you for it), the juvenile justice system is rehabilitative (meaning: you're a child, so while we're telling you that you should've known that was wrong, our purpose in punishing you is to change you for the better so you can make the most of your second chance once you're out). The former is retributive while the latter is theoretically forward-thinking. For better or worse, that's the current status quo.The problem is that juvenile prisons simply aren't any different than adult prisons. Really, they aren't. Adult prisons have all the same GED courses, therapy programs, and other amenities that people imagine sets juvenile prisons apart from the rest. And juvenile prisons have all the same gang problems, drugs, and violence issues that make the adult prisons so ineffective. The culture is the same, and the effect is the same. Out of every ten kids that leave a juvenile detention facility, seven will go back into the system (recidivism). Yet can we really expect a change when we're locking up thousands of criminal children underneath the same roof, letting them create their own Lord of the Flies-esque social order, and leaving any hope for correcting this culture and their lives up to the classes and programs that are offered?
Currently, the only existing alternative to a youth prison is a military-style boot camp. The hope here is that, through building self-esteem (by completing the camp), discipline, and teamwork/social skills, the child might be changed and the prison system might be avoided. Unfortunately, the boot camps haven't proven any more effective than the prisons, with a recidivism rate of 70% as well. Another problem with the boot camps is that they don't actually divert kids from prisons. Instead, there's a net-widening effect where a still-increasing number of kids are getting sentenced to prisons, and the kids who might've otherwise received community service and continued to live with their families get sent to the boot camps. That's why I want to pull juvenile inmates out of prison, as opposed to working with delinquents who are at the cusp of entering the system. We don't need any more net-widening, we need to change what's already there.
All that to say, a real alternative is desperately needed, and I think a farm might be just the ticket. As you can probably tell by now, I can (and will) write for hours as to why, so I'll leave some explanation for later posts. Okay, moving on...
2) In ANY prison, there are those who would ultimately do good if given the chance.
While the percentage may be tiny and certainly unknowable, the fact remains that in any prison (if not all prisons) there are those who regret what they've done and would do more right than wrong if released. And I believe this percentage would literally jump if we added the caveats of a correctional program that was actually effective and real life-opportunities upon release. Unfortunately, if the design and recidivism rates of these institutions is any indicator, especially considering the juvenile system, they don't seem to be focused much on an inmate's life after release, beyond the basic courses/programs prisons are required to offer by the state. This is a major problem for a system that claims to be rehabilitative, as nearly every child will be released at some point - ready for the world or not. And it would seem that most are not.So now you know the problem that I want to address, and the belief that inspires me to address it. Basically, I believe that there are kids sitting in prisons that have the potential to change the world for the better, and that that potential is being rotted away due to a lack of any viable alternative.
The Plan
To be perfectly clear, this whole farm prison thing is still years away from reality (I imagine at least 11-15 years out). But what's the point of deciding to pursue a destination without a way of getting there? As it turns out, my map has four basic stages, and I'm currently on Stage One (and loving it!).Stage One: Spend a year WWOOFing
On average, I'd say my most critical audience has been the farmers with whom I've talked. They're naturally skeptical of a 22 year old who says he wants to operate a major sustainable farm operation, with juvenile inmates no less, and I don't blame them - work doesn't get much harder or more humbling than farming! That's exactly why I wanted to spend a year getting my feet wet in the trade though, because if I don't like it now, I can't reasonably expect myself to spend the next ten years preparing for a venture that I won't be able to handle. Besides, I haven't left the country since I enrolled in college and my feet have started to get itchy! As it turns out, the WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) organization has provided the perfect platform for my first stage of the journey.My plan is to spend my first six months of WWOOFing in the U.S., working in regions where I'd actually consider setting up my future farm. Because many aspects of farming involve a knowledge specific to a locality, that's why I'm being particular about where I've been and where I'm going. I spent my first two weeks in rural Virginia where I had a wild and mildly unfortunate time, at which point I decided to move on to greener pastures. I learned two important things on that farm; that farm work was for me and that that farm wasn't! I'm now in North Carolina, having a much better time, and will be here through October. I'll likely end my U.S. WWOOFing experience with a few weeks in Missouri, on a farm that specializes in greenhouse production (allowing them to grow all winter long!) before going home to California for Christmas.
After my six months of domestic farming, I'll be traveling abroad for at least another six months. This is as much a treat to my traveling taste buds as it is an opportunity to continue my agricultural education and experience. Though I haven't bought the tickets yet, I think my first stop will be Argentina, which is the world's mecca for grass-fed beef and rotational grazing. Hopefully I can take advantage of their thousands of years of sustainable agricultural expertise, and plant myself onto a large cattle ranch. Working with cattle has been a real joy for me (a couple of my steers are more fun than the ducks and little pigs, which are by far the most entertaining groups of animals to work with on the farm), so I think three or four months on a big ranch would be a perfect fit for me.
After Argentina, I'll head to New Zealand for another three or four months. If Argentina is the mecca for pastured beef, then New Zealand is the mecca for sustainable agriculture in it's fullest scope. Pretty much every big idea currently put to use on sustainable farms in the U.S. has come from somewhere or from somebody in New Zealand. While I can't wait to travel the countryside and take in the culture of the country, I'm also looking forward to seeing and understanding how they create their agricultural systems. See, each farm is a system of inputs and outputs. It's just that some farms are much more efficient, effective, and ecological-friendly to the earth than others. The Kiwi's are masters at creating systems, so I'm hoping the experience will plant a few system-seeds in my own head for future use.
Stage Two: Join the Military as an officer.
Did this one shock you? While it very well might have, it wouldn't if you had lived in my head the past ten or so years. If you'll humor me, I'll explain this stage a little more thoroughly than the others because I think it deserves the explanation. Ever since I was little, I have always been fascinated by the military. Before I was ten, I was captivated by books like Johnny Tremain and The Red Badge of Courage. When I was in middle school, I was checking out encyclopedias on weapons and military strategy. In high school I was planning on enlisting in the Marines, even after applying to colleges. The military has been on my mind for reasons that have always changed as I've matured, so the fact that it fits into my plans now doesn't surprise me in the least.For what it's worth, and it probably won't mean much to veterans or those who are currently serving, I intend to join the Army Rangers. This is a stage that I haven't researched as much as the others, so the plan may change in time and I understand that, but for now, that's where I'm headed. Why join the military instead of continuing with farming or working with youth? The reasons are as much personal as they are preparatory.
Partly, I plan to join for the development that I'll undergo as a person. If I'm going to pull this whole gig off, it will require levels of discipline, self-control, determination, strength, endurance, and work capacity that I currently don't possess. Even if my plans were to change entirely, these are skills that are universally applicable to life in general. And while there are other ways of building these qualities, none serve my purposes in all the ways that I think the military will.
Also, having served in the military (and the Special Forces more specifically) will be crucial in developing my relationship with the youth I plan to work with. Prisons, gangs, and the street all operate on the common currency of respect, which is closely tied to issues of authority and power. I've talked with several individuals who wanted to be teachers and started off, fresh out of college, in tough inner-city schools. Their experiences were frustrating and sapped their desire to work with older children, mostly because they weren't respected by many of the students. Kids who have grown up on the street and in gangs, struggling to survive, are a lot like sharks who can smell blood in the water. Any weakness will be exposed and capitalized upon, as many have gotten by on this knowledge, and I know that I just wouldn't be very effective if I tried to start this farm as a 20-something year old. It could take years before I built the relationship necessary for them to respect me, and I would likely lose many of these boys along the way before I could ever get through to them.
And to be honest, they'd be right in knowing that I can't yet relate to their struggles. I didn't grow up around violence, and frankly, I don't really understand it. Not that I don't think I could, but I just haven't spent any time in that environment and would have little credibility in their eyes. If I don't know violence and chaos, and if I haven't myself risen above it, I sincerely doubt my ability to relate to the places they've come from and to teach them that they can rise above it as well. In addition to the position of authority I think I'd gain with the boys is the position of authority I'd gain among the crowd of state, legal, and correctional figures with whom I'll be interacting. Because this plan of mine doesn't currently exist beyond the few "at-risk ranches" that work with troubled youths (as opposed to actual inmates), I'll have to do some serious convincing of some skeptical people who have the authority to say "yes" or "no". Yes, an Ivy League degree is a great start, but I'll need to construct any overwhelming resume if I'm to have them believe that I'm the type of person who can actually pull this off. Having led up to 200 elite, testosterone-crazed, young men in high pressure situations will go a long way in proving that I can handle working with 25-40 juvenile inmates.
Beyond these reasons, and to address the concerns of those who distrust the military as an institution, is the belief that I can affect some good in a system that probably needs it more than any other. With great power comes great responsibility, and the U.S. military is a power here to stay. Though it's design certainly constricts personal freedom, every order that's passed down is subject to interpretation, and I plan to interpret these orders to the most effective, efficient, and good ends that I possibly can while keeping within the bounds of the system. I've talked with several Rangers, and all have said that autonomy actually exists to a large degree in the military, especially in the SF and as one's rank increases, so I believe there will be opportunities to do right where there might otherwise have been done wrong.
Finally, speaking as an idealist, I believe the military works best as a scalpel that sharply and precisely cuts away as much evil as it can while leaving as much of the good intact as possible. A smart-bomb that is sent on bad intel and kills an innocent family can easily create a much bigger problem than the one that it was intended to solve. And while there is certainly much political influence that goes on behind the scenes of the military, I adhere to the philosophy that some of the greatest evil is good left undone. If the system is corrupt in various ways, I see that as all the more reason to try to change it for the better.
Like it or not, I truly believe there is a need for military power in the world. Fear can and should be an effective tool for immobilizing evil, and there is definitely evil (an evil that I believe can be seen by both U.S. military personal and villagers with family members in the Taliban, for example, if only a tactful dialogue could be had) in this world that doesn't belong. The hammer of justice has always seated itself behind every law, lending weight and authority to the rules, whether political or religious, and this social law won't be changing anytime soon.
So there you have it; a brief (yes, brief) introduction to Stage Two. Assuming I survive this stage and am fit to carry on with my journey, I'll move onto Stage Three. (Don't worry, Stage Three and Four will be much shorter.)
Stage Three: Degrees, certifications, experience, and the like.
As I mentioned earlier, I'm going to need an impressive resume to convince the necessary people that this farm can be functional and effective. After completing my military service, which will take at least six (though probably more like eight) years, I will re-start my hunt for more directly applicable education and experience. Since the crossing of this bridge is years away, I've given it the least of my attention so far, but I imagine I will seek a couple of masters degrees, as well as a host of certifications. The G.I. Bill will hopefully ease this process, and I can easily see myself studying any combination of the following fields; criminal justice, criminal law, corrections, juvenile justice, psychology, law, juvenile law, therapy, education, business management, agriculture, agribusiness, school administration, and the list goes on. Some of these field may just require a couple classes, while others will get a degree or a certification. In all likelihood, I'll have to get a majority of these fields on the farm by way of the staff that I'll eventually hire.In addition to the formal education I'll be hunting down, I will certainly need to spend more time on farms and ranches before I am ready to start one of my own. So much of farming knowledge is developed through the learn-by-doing method, otherwise known as the "school of hard knocks", and anyone who ignores this does so at their own peril. Thus, I could see it working out quite nicely if I could find a farm or farms to work on part-time, perhaps for room and board, while I continue my studies in the nearby area. I would hope that over the course of four or five years, maybe more though probably not less, I would finally be ready to consider launching the beginning of the real-deal. Though plenty of people, especially in the last decade and from the city, have jumped into farming on an ambitious whim, influenced by the imagined sanctitude of country-living and a few how-to books on the subject, I would rather be over-prepared than left grasping when shit will undoubtedly hit the fan.
This stage may also require that I work in the juvenile justice field, whether in a juvenile detention facility or in some other form or function. I'll only say that I'm hesitant about heading in this direction simply because I'm concerned I'll be tainted by the system. As awkward or pretentious as that may sound, sometimes I think it's worth making a few bone-headed mistakes if it's done to avoid getting caught in all the same traps that currently cripple the status quo. And lastly...
Stage Four: Starting the Farm
This is the stage that has really gotten my juices flowing - having kept me up for so many nights and distracted me for so many days, pondering the countless aspects of how I'll do this or that. Just like a farm, what I ultimately have in mind is the construction of a grand system of multiple intertwined operations, built of layers like an onion, where the more I peel back and uncover different ideas or areas that will have to be addressed, the more I'm captivated and motivated to do it better. I could go on and on, sharing the concepts and ideas I've developed or come across out of the various notebooks I've filled on the subjects. The fact that it has only garnered a larger share of my mental energy since starting Stage One is one that I find very affirming and exciting!How exactly I'll start the farm is a plan that will have to be developed in due time. I'm sure there are a number of ways to go about it, some better than others, but for now, I won't waste your time theorizing about this method or that one. Just know that I literally spend every day thinking about it, so that, if and when the day finally comes, I'll be up to the task.
Passions are a funny thing in that they are a lot like a person's tastes. They aren't really something that can be controlled per say, as they seem to have a life and a mind of their own. That's probably why I feel so grateful for having stumbled upon the passion of agriculture. The way I see it from my current perspective, if I wind up realizing this dream of mine, the farm will be the passion and the changing of boy's lives will be the purpose. No doubt, in every aspect of the farm, the kids will always come first. It couldn't and wouldn't work any other way, and I foresee great satisfaction and happiness resulting from seeing the good that I know many of these boys will create in the world. However, the fact that I can mesh a purpose with a passion is, I think, the grease that will make all the gears turn smoothly.
The End(ing)
Welp, if you've actually made it this far - congratulations!! You're truly a trooper! Either that or you're just plain stubborn and/or bored. Regardless, I hope that you feel thoroughly informed as to where I'm going and why, and now you'll also have a much better understanding of why exactly I'll be posting on such a wide, and otherwise random, assortment of topics and ideas. I can only imagine that you have questions, thoughts, or advice for me, now that you've committed half your day to reading this novel of mine, so I'll equally commit myself to responding to anything that you'd like to discuss, on or off the subject. While I can't guarantee expediency due to the current nature of my work and lifestyle, if you'll comment below or email me at scottyale13@gmail.com, I will guarantee a response (assuming you want one) as soon as I'm able.
Thanks again for soldiering through my spiel (see, I warned you it was a spiel!), and I'm looking forward to keeping you all updated as I wind my way along this journey!
Make some good out there,
Scott
