Farms provide almost all the food, and much of the fibre, for the world.
Families who live from the land live close to the day-to-day changes in weather, the ebb and flow of the seasons, and threats and promises of changing climate patterns.
They share their space with the remnants of an old landscape, and the emerging of a new, man-made one.
They know the birds, and animals, and trees, in their patch of country; curse them sometimes; delight in them at others. They have space in which to think, and independence as they work.
They have a wide range of skills, and they work hard and long, men, women, and children.
But…
They are the first step between the land and they folk in towns and cities all round the world who need that they produce from it. As such, they are price takers, not price setters, and they are at the mercy of world-wide markets.
For most, it means careful management of their resources, and a life which is comfortable, but seldom luxurious.