Personal Journey into the Participatory Aesthetics of Farming

Much of my life has been involved with creating and valuing art as a painter, teacher, researcher, and writer. I am aware of aesthetic philosophies and values as diey affect my work in art; yet, I believe that those who are unaware of formal aesthetic theories also create environments and react to their surroundings in a perceptual and valuative sense. Among those individuals who are not conversant with formal aesthetics are farmers or tillers of the land, who undet ordinary circumstances might not be expected by aestheticians to be engaged in creative and aesdietic behavior. One simply cannot consider aesthetics as a single quality. Art historians are concerned about an approach to aesthetics that allows diem to stylistically categorize works of art. Philosophical aestheticians argue their sufficient qualities to call a phenomenon aesthetic, and the psychological empiricist attempts to quantify and measure aesthetic qualities.I am interested in developing a view of aesthetics that takes into account the multifaceted dimensions and processes that constitute a farmer's engagement with his/her environment. It is not feasible to apply a singular definition of aesthetics, such as a philosopher might do, without doing severe injustices to the acts of farming. My view of aesthetics originates from farmers' many interactions with the environment; thus I do not intend to create an a priori definition of farming aesthetics.My examination of farming literature, interviews widi farmers, and my own insights as a farmer and artist suggest a broader cultural view. Perhaps, I also have been interested because my ancestors were Norwegian farmers who sought new opportunities and land in America to continue dieir cultural and social ways. Furdiermore, I was raised on a Wisconsin farm as a child and youdi, and continue farming practices today. I have investigated views of farming through literature (see Neperud, 1996) and have interviewed farmers about their involvement with the land (Neperud, 1998). Beyond a utilitarian level, I believe that all people are aware of and value their surroundings, whether or not they have traditional formal aesthetic education. Relatedly, Alanen and Melnick (2000) have researched the preservation of cultural landscapes in America, proposing new ways to think about places and aesthetics, maintenance, and care as cultural landscapes. Earlier, Cronon (1985) suggested that we need an environmental ethic that informs us as much about using nature as not using it. The problem according to Groth and Bressi (1997) is that most people do not consciously notice their everyday environments, seemingly, a prerequisite for appreciative and informed environmental actions.The goal of this essay is to connect meanings of farming, environmental design, and aesthetics, particularly as derived from my engagement as a farmer and from my interviews with those who till the land. Following are some observations and reflections that I have made through interactions with my own surroundings: walking down the lane beside the river, running farm equipment such as a haybinder or baler, and spreading manure over the fields. I draw upon these in developing views that recognize the creative and aesthetic interactions of farming.I present my farm for all in the community to see-neatly cropped fields and hwns that wrap around the farmstead, beyond which trees and shrubs serve as a wildlife corridor ahng the river. After a rather depressingly gray morning, patterns of sunlight, golden and shifting, reveal the phins beyond.Hilhide contoured fields, whether patterned by color, value, or textures, are delightful to see; yet, they do not result from primary motivations to make a work of art but from a desire to prevent erosion. Satisfaction following a good harvest, in spite of contrary weather patterns, engenders feelings of warmth and comfort. Basking in emotions of relief, contentment, and pride, the wonderful sounds of Beethoven's "Triple" concerto flow through my mind. …