Flooded Fields

My normal commute takes me through some very pretty farm country. Now that we are into the fall and it is dark going to and coming home from work I usually don’t pay attention to the scenery but this morning in the dark I caught a faint reflection out of the corner of my eye and when I looked over to the left it appeared as if I was driving along a lake. Over the weekend the river that runs through the valley had risen over its banks leaving the field flooded. As the night sky lightened I could see that most of the area had standing water and the horses that once grazed in that larger pasture were now in a small pen next to the house up on a hill.

Farming along a river has many advantages; the soil is rich, the water is plentiful and the land is flat. However, there is the price you pay for the seasonal flooding. Flooding in this valley is common and that means the residents are more than able and prepared to handle it. It is a price that the owners of this land pay for all the benefits that it offers.

There is always a price to pay; we just need to make sure the benefit out ways the cost.