"The traditional farm, like this, is pretty much done," he said. "I've worked with my hands all my life, but my kids aren't going to do it."
Blogger Note: You can easily why >
Furthermore, although it's true that Freeman has worked with his hands all his life, he's worked full-time for 31 years as a Medical Fire Captain, enjoying generous retirement benefits of over $200,000/year + a $46,000+ part-time salary as a City Councilmember.
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. . . and O yes
Here's an easy-to-see time-lapse of the explosive expansion of Suburbia into what once were agriculture lands here in Maricopa County taken over by the Real Estate/Industrial Complex from 1900-2010.
It does not include the 3,600 acres in east Mesa, formerly the General Motors Proving Grounds, where new massive secluded suburban enclaves of Master-Planned Communities Eastmark and Cadence at Gateway are being built.
No mention of the new wealth for more family fortunes in suburban real estate speculation and development East Valley communities, instead we get this assertion from Freeman: "like Mesa's Eastmark and Gilbert's Agritopia, [they] already have embraced urban farming. . . " HUH? Urban farming in Suburbia?
Mark Freeman casts a long shadow here in Mesa, claiming generations-old roots to the Crismon Family, early Mormon pioneers sent by Brigham Young in Salt Lake City 'to colonize Arizona" in the 1850's in both Lehi and later in Mesa.
"Freeman's family has been farming in the Valley since well before statehood. He traces his family's Valley farms back to 1878 — the Freemans have leased their current farm, off Center Street and Brown Road in Mesa, since the 1930s, he said. . ."
Hey! Let's throw in some real nice NOSTALGIA:
"He looks at his tractor and the field of alfalfa he's growing just a mile and a half north of downtown Mesa. He remembers a time when more of the city looked like this. . . "
"He looks at his tractor and the field of alfalfa he's growing just a mile and a half north of downtown Mesa. He remembers a time when more of the city looked like this. . . "
Before what?
Answer: Before real estate and unsustainable suburban expansion ruled the East Valley
"It's not going to make you any money," Freeman said.
"It's got to be a labor of love."
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Family farms made Phoenix livable, so why are so many going away?
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OK that was then. This is now
The need to fix 19-years of Drought in the lower Colorado River Basin and Salt River Valley when the State of Arizona has failed to meet a federally-imposed deadline for any Drought Contingency Plans.
But what else is Josh Bowling trying to tie-in writing in his feature?
You'll have to find out for yourselves by reading Josh Bowling's feature click here
What's interesting is another assertion made by Vice Mayor Mark Freeman:
"If traditional farming is going to keep bringing in cash for the county, it will likely be from farmers on tribal lands, where land isn't being developed as aggressively," he said.
There's a balance to achieve between the Valley's growing urban areas and fading agricultural areas, . . Lately, that balance is shifting toward more development."
RIGHT. Since 1900 - Now
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So what's going on now with another conservative Mormon Mesa Republican Rusty Bowers?
A top Arizona Democrat is accusing the Republican House speaker of risking the collapse of a drought plan for the Colorado River by pushing legislation that has angered the Gila River Indian Community, a key player in the negotiations.
Feb. 15, 2019
The Drought Contingency Plan, approved by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Doug Ducey in January, could be in trouble.
Feb. 15, 2019
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