Rural living trumps city life

By Jim Thompson
HCP columnist

My family moved from a rural location (Marshall/Brush Creek townships) at the fall equinox in 1968 – nearly 56 years ago. Much earlier, we had lived in a smallish town, Troy, Ohio (then, population about 12,000). But at the time of which I speak, we moved to Cincinnati – not the biggest city in the country, but certainly a large one.  

I’ve spent the time since then trying to convince myself that big city living is OK. In the summer of 2018, the late Scott Richardson of the Hoover Mennonite community around Sugar Tree Ridge invited me to come visit with them. I did, and I have tried to go back every year (and intend to go back this fall once again).

But a bit earlier, during the winter and spring of 2017, I was very ill. One of the things I did to pass the time was watch farming videos on YouTube. I particularly liked the wheat harvests; they seemed so satisfying.  

One family’s videos, the LaRosh Family of Osborne, Kan., really affected me. I resolved if I ever drove out to my daughter’s in Golden, Colo. again, I would stop by and thank the LaRoshes.  

In the summer of 2023, I had this opportunity and drove to Golden and stopped to see the LaRoshes. I caught Mr. LaRosh at the machinery shed that day and told him my story. I gave him my business card and went on to Golden.

Two days later, I am sitting on my daughter’s front porch in Golden and my phone rings.  

“Jim, this is Jhan LaRosh (that is his first name, pronounced Jan). I have got to tell you a story. On Wednesday, the day before you arrived, I was out on the tractor in the field and asked God, ‘Have I ever been a good influence to anyone?’ The next day you showed up.”  

“Well, Jhan,” I said, “God answered your prayer way before Wednesday, I had been planning this trip for years.”

Jhan and I have kept in touch over the past year, and he has kept me up to date on this year’s wheat crop (the 2023 crop was a failure – no rain). I’ve prayed for the Kansas wheat crop all winter and spring. A couple of weeks ago, on the 15th of June, Jhan called me up and said, “Looks like we will start combining on 20th or 21st if you want to come out.”

We’ll be there, I told him.

Now, Laura and I were supposed to be in Vienna, Austria, where I was to give a keynote speech. I have had some small health problems and canceled that trip.  

Laura said, “Where would I like to be? Vienna, Austria or Osborne, Kan.?”

“We’ve been to Vienna before," I replied. "Besides, you might get to ride in a combine.”  

My city-girl wife gave me a funny look.

We arrived at the LaRosh farm Sunday evening, June 23 after flying to Kansas City and driving for five hours. It is in the middle of nowhere.

As soon as the dew was off Monday morning, we were in the combines. These are big CaseIH combines that each cut 25 acres/hour with 40-foot heads. We both rode in the combines for two days (up to about midnight when the dew came on again), Laura even rode to town in a semi to deliver wheat to the elevator.

Jhan LaRosh and his son farm 7,000 acres (1,700 of wheat) and have 600 head of beef cattle. This is dry land farming, nothing like Highland County. My friends in Sugar Tree Ridge probably have farm sizes around 100 acres each and farm with horses. But the LaRoshes and the Mennonites both have God first in their lives, no matter the size of their operations, no matter their equipment.

Big cities are often sterile and godless. They are artificial. How many city kids today have ever picked up an earthworm? Or would know where to find one? How many city people of any age know that farmers, big and small, often pray over the food they provide to them in the grocery stores?

Cities have been around for millennia, but today, especially with the electronics that are available at way too young an age, they are often godless and artificial. Life in the big cities can collapse in a New York minute. In the big picture, they are poison to humans and other living things. 

Jim Thompson, formerly of Marshall, is a graduate of Hillsboro High School and the University of Cincinnati. He resides in Duluth, Ga. and is a columnist for The Highland County Press. He may be reached at jthompson@taii.com.

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