Office of Justice and Peace

Rural Life and the Family Farm

RURAL LIFE AND THE FAMILY FARM

"So much the more, then, must great care be taken to preserve for the nation the essential elements of what might be called genuine rural culture. We must preserve the qualities of industriousness, simple and honest living, respect for authority, especially for parental authority, love of country, and loyalty to traditions which have proved a source of good throughout the centuries. We must preserve readiness to aid one another within the family circle and amongst families, from home to home. All of these qualities we must have animated with a true religious spirit, for without such a spirit these very virtues tend to degenerate into unbridled greed for profit. May the fear of God and faith in God, a faith which finds daily expression in prayers recited together by the whole family, sustain and guide the life of the workers of the fields." [Pius XII, Address to National Convention of Farm Owner-Operators, 1946].

Project Milk
We wish to thank everyone who has given so generously during Lent and June Dairy Days for Project Milk! Your contributions are not only an act of charity for the orphans of Casa Hogar in Peru, but also a strong show of solidarity for our dairy farmers suffering under an unfair pricing system! Visit the Project Milk website.

Hotline number for farmers in crisis
Don't wait until you think a farmer has suffered all he can. Let him know that help is available. The Wisconsin Farm Center offers a one-call one-stop resource for legal, financial and psychological counseling: 1-800-942-2474.

How can you help the farmers?
Show that you care through prayer for our farmers. For more information on the rural crisis, check out the National Catholic Rural Life Conference website at www.ncrlc.com or call Brother David Andrews at (515) 270-2634. For information on the Green Ribbon Campaign resource materials, call the Office of Justice and Peace at (608) 791-2675.