As summer draws to its close and the meaning of “outdoors” shifts from recreational swimming and home lawn maintenance, to the ebb and flow of accumulating leaves dropped from deciduous trees, so, too, does this month mark the start of 2022 Scarecrow Contest planning for the City of Saline.
Earlier this week, event organizer Dr Robert Borer sat down with Saline Journal in his West Michigan Avenue establishment to announce the theme for this year: “Farming & Agriculture: Getting Back to Our Roots.”
“It’s an obvious connection to the history of Saline,” he began. “Rentschler Farm next to Emagine Theatre and across Michigan Avenue from the hardware store is a reminder of that for all who come into town from the east. [1,2]
But we’re also seeing a global focus on farming that is particularly significant as a result of the war in Ukraine. There is widespread agreement that all nations — not just ‘third-world countries’ — will increasingly face food insecurities in the coming months, this winter, into 2023. [3-5]
A lot of experts say that it is already here, now. [6]
It’s also valuable to have a perspective on what goes into putting food on store shelves at Walmart and Busch’s or Vestergaard Farms. We’d like to bring more attention to our farmers markets, downtown and at the Pittsfield Township center. [7-10]
In terms of financial interests, this theme invites additional consideration of trends in farm ownership and controlling interests. Last November, for example, Congressional Research Service released findings that the “total number of farmers in the United States delined by 67% between 1900 and 1997 …. [11,12]
The number of Black farmers declined by 98%, the steepest decline for any race. The number of White farmers declined by 62%, and the number of American Indian farmers declined by 47%.
The number of Asian farmers increased by over 600%, and the number of Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino ethnicity increased by over 100%.
Following a pattern well set over the past decade now, Dr Borer was quick to emphasize that implementation of Scarecrow Contest themes is given wide berth. “As I said when we gave out awards last year for ‘Let Your Patriotism Shine Through!’ I am always surprised by the depth of imagination and creativity that we see when Scarecrow entries hit the streets. [13]
Scarecrows started with agriculture. But I’ll still be amazed by what comes in. I think a lot of people will be; visitors and long-time residents tell me that year after year. [14,15]
The Saline Scarecrow Contest website is now live, updated to reflect key dates for 2022.
- Right now! Plan your amazing scarecrow entry
- September 18 through October 18: Scarecrow entries accepted at Borer Family Chiropractic
- October 1: Scarecrows begin to be displayed in downtown Saline Michigan
- October 14: Voting begins
- October 25: Voting ends
- October 26: Winners announced, ribbons placed on scarecrows
- October 30: Scarecrows may be removed by individual creators
- October 31: All scarecrows must be removed (either by creators or event staff)
Our own 2022 map of scarecrow locations will begin updating here on =Saline Journal= starting October 1.
References
- “Saline’s History” Agnes Dikeman, Saline Area Historical Society.
- “Rentschler Farm Museum” Saline Area Historical Society.
- “The Russian invasion of Ukraine” Britannica.
- “The war in Ukraine is fuelling a global food crisis” (May 30, 2022) Reuters Graphics.
- “The war in Ukraine triggered a global food shortage” Heinz Strubenhoff (June 14, 2022) Brookings Institution.
- “We’re in a global food crisis that will wreak havoc on local economies and trigger civil unrest” Harry Robertson and Ayelet Sheffey (August 1, 2022) Business Insider.
- Busch’s Fresh Food Market (home page).
- Vestergaard Farms (home page).
- “Saline Farmers Market” City of Saline.
- “Pittsfield Township Farmers Market” Pittsfield Charter Township Michigan.
- “Farmland Ownership and Tenure” (May 16, 2022) Economic Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
- “Racial Equity in US Farming: Background in Brief” (November 19, 2021) Congressional Research Service.
- “Tenth Annual Saline Scarecrow Contest winners announced, ribbons awarded; displays continuing into Halloween weekend” Dell Deaton (October 26, 2021) Saline Journal.
- “Hay, Man: The Curious Life and Times of Scarecrows” Lori Rotenberk (May 28, 2014) Modern Farmer.
- “Scarecrows: An ancient tradition” CBS Sunday Morning (October 30, 2016) YouTube (4:58 minutes).
- “Eleventh Annual Saline Scarecrow Contest” Borer Family Chiropractic.
- “Saline Scarecrow Contest 2022” Saline Journal.
