Thursday, April 30, 2020



Here for your consideration is a post I recently put up in a local neighborhood forum. What do you think?


Time to allow small livestock?

Good morning neighbors,
As I'm sure many of you know, reports are coming out with increasing frequency, warning about the fracturing and breakdown of our national food supply. I've been following this since March and have been collecting news reports attesting to this. Just this weekend, John Tyson, chairman of Tyson Foods put an open letter in the New York Times stating "The food supply chain is breaking". Why do I bring this up? I don't want to cause fear or panic, but as I have been following this I have grown increasingly concerned.
The reality is that in a month or two we will likely see food shortages across our country. There are multiple contributing factors stemming from COVID-19 that have created this perfect storm. There is the lack of farm labor due to our consular immigration offices being closed in Mexico. There is the increasing shortage of corn for animal feed stemming from the drop in crude and resulting drop in ethanol demand. There is the closure of large meat processing plants across the U.S. due to illness or fear of disease. As a result, hundreds of thousands of gallons of milk are being poured down the drain, millions of chickens have been euthanized, and cattle and pig herds are being culled. You see, our food supply chain is very finely tuned for safety, efficiency, and profitability. The downside to this is that when one or more legs to that supply table are knocked out, it begins to crumble.
So what can we do? We can't panic. That won't help anyone. We can't just buy our way out of it. You can't press rewind or throw money at crops and herds. I think we need to take a lesson from history. Some of you have probably seen the vintage poster floating around on social media that reads, "Uncle Sam Expects You To Keep Hens and Raise Chickens". That actually comes from an ad put out by the USDA in the World War 1 era. In publications like "Everybody's Poultry Magazine" they called on citizens to raise and keep their own supply of food. I found an ad like this in the February 1918 edition of said magazine. What was going on in 1918? It was World War 1, the war continued to grind on, and the outbreak of Spanish Flu that would claim the lives of thousands was just months away. In that moment of crisis, people planted gardens, raised their own small livestock; simply put, they relied on themselves.
I think now is a time that we need to return to a little bit of that self-reliant and self-responsible spirit. I am trying to do that myself right now. I've put in a vegetable garden and I'd like to raise some small livestock like chickens and rabbits in my back yard. But there is a problem. In the City of Fairfield today, you can't keep small livestock on properties smaller than 3 acres. I think now is the time to change that.
I understand that this is a debated topic in Fairfield. Unfortunately, due to the negligence of one citizen in the past who did not keep their chickens in a responsible way, the freedom of the rest of us has been curtailed. And I understand the need to respect our neighbors. No one wants the nuisance of poorly kept animals. But there are ways to keep animals like chickens, rabbits, and other small livestock that is responsible, respectful, and humane. Just look at cities nearby like Cincinnati, Springfield Township, and others. It can be done. I have emailed and called our city officials. I plan to attend the next council meeting to request an amendment to our city code to allow this. But I don't think one voice is enough. So, I want to know, do you think it is time to allow the responsible and respectful keeping of small animals in the city? What do you think?
If you are interested, please contact your council member. You can find your council member at https://www.fairfield-city.org/655/Wards. Also contact our state representative, Sara Caruthers http://www.ohiohouse.gov/sara-p-carruthers and our senator, Bill Coley https://www.ohiosenate.gov/senators/coley and ask them to pass legislation that would allow this at a state level. My hope is that we can face the challenges ahead and help our neighbors do the same.
Thank you for your consideration, Michael Roe P.S. Here are links to some of the reports about the fracturing and breaking of our food supply:

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Highlights 1.29.2017

Hebrews 4:14 - 16 (HCSB)

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to the confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.




Thursday, January 26, 2017

Highlights 1.26.2017

Matthew 22:34-40

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Psalm 117

Praise the Lord, all nations!
     Extol him, all peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us,
     and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Highlights 1.25.2017

Matthew 20:25-28

But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Psalms 119:176

I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant,
for I do not forget your commandments.

Matthew 18:10-14

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Highlights 1.24.2017


Matthew 13:44 

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

Psalm 119:162 

I rejoice at your word
like one who finds great spoil.

Matthew 19:23-30

23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, x“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world,2 when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold3 and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Heads Up: Bible Sale

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See the advert below. If supplies are already out and you haven't already, sign up for their email list. They frequently have great sales on good books and Bibles.

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Monday, January 23, 2017

Highlights 1.23.2017

Matthew 18:1-6

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Psalm 119:160

The sum of your word is truth,
and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.