Ukukhula epulazini likazambane likayise eCyr Plantation, uDominic LaJoie uthe ubengakaze acabange ukuthi inkampani yomndeni wakhe, iLaJoie Growers LLC ingafinyelela kuphi. Akazange futhi ahlele ukungena kwezombusazwe.
Yize kunjalo, uMkhandlu Kazwelonke Wamazambane ukhethe uLaJoie, umlimi wamazambane wesizukulwane sesine iSt. John Valley, umongameli weqembu lezintshisekelo elizinze eWashington, DC ngoFebhuwari 22.
ILaJoie izosebenza isikhathi sonyaka owodwa, lapho ezohola khona umkhandlu ngoguquko lwayo ekusebenzeni nabaphathi bakaMongameli uJoe Biden, asize ekuxhumaniseni impendulo yalo eqhubekayo embonini yamazambane eguqulwe ubhubhane futhi imvamisa iphishekela izinto eziseqhulwini zale mboni ezingeni likazwelonke. Uzobamba nomhlangano waminyaka yonke woMkhandlu Kazwelonke wamazambane ePresque Isle ngoJulayi, uma imigomo yokuphepha ye-COVID-19 ikuvumela lokho. Uma umhlangano uba khona, kuzoba ngowokuqala ukubanjelwa e-Aroostook County emlandweni womkhandlu.
"Ukumela iMaine kanye nabalimi bamazambane ngokujwayelekile kuyinto engizizwa kahle kimi," kusho uLaJoie. "Konke kubuyela emsebenzini onzima owenziwe izizukulwane ezingaphambi kwethu ukuze sizuze futhi siphile impilo enhle futhi sikudlulisele esizukulwaneni esilandelayo." U-LaJoie waqala ukuzibandakanya nohlangothi lomgomo eminyakeni engu-15 eyedlule, ngenkathi omunye umlimi wase-St. John Valley, owayehlela ukuthatha umhlalaphansi esikhundleni sakhe kwi-Maine Potato Board, waqasha uLaJoie ukuba ayomela izintshisekelo zesigodi kuhulumeni izinga.
Eminyakeni eyishumi nesigamu edlule, uLaJoie usebenze eMaine Potato Board - echitha iminyaka emibili njengomongameli waleyo nhlangano - kanye neBhodi yeMaine Potato Board. Kungakabiphi, wathuthela eMkhandlwini Kazwelonke Wamazambane lapho asebenza khona njengephini likamongameli wokuqala nephini likamongameli wezindaba zezemvelo. "Ubehlale ecabanga kahle futhi ubheka nezinkinga zemboni," kusho uMqondisi Omkhulu weBhodi leMaine Potato uDon Flannery. U-LaJoie ulinganise umsebenzi wakhe wenqubomgomo ngokuqhuba ipulazi eceleni komfowethu, umzala kanye nabashana ababili abamele isizukulwane sesihlanu sabalimi beLaJoie. Ibhizinisi likhiqiza izinhlobonhlobo zamazambane, ama-beet, izaqathe, ama-parsnips nokusanhlamvu epulazini lamahektare ayi-1,300.
"Kuthatha iqembu elihle ekhaya," kusho uLaJoie.
Ngesikhathi sakhe njengoMongameli weNational Potato Council, uLaJoie uzoqhubeka nokuthembela kulelo thimba, njengoba kungenzeka abhekane nonyaka omatasa ngemuva konyaka ka-2020 ongakaze ube khona. ULaJoie uthe imboni kungenzeka "iguqulwe unomphela" yilo bhubhane njengokuthengisa imakethe isuswe ezindaweni zokudlela yaya embonini yezitolo. Ngonyaka odlule kuphinde kwaguqula izinto eziza kuqala kuLaJoie njengomlimi.
"Angisafuni ukuchitha futhi uma kukhona umuntu ngaphandle ongayisebenzisa," kusho uLaJoie.
Ngokuhamba kobhadane kanye nokuwa komnotho okwalandela, kwavela amaqembu okuthenga ukuze axhumanise abalimi nezinhlangano ezisiza umphakathi ezinjengamabhange okudla, lapho bengathengisa khona imikhiqizo yabo ngentengo eyehlisiwe. "Kuhle kakhulu lokho," kusho uLaJoie. "Baningi abantu abebengancikile emabhange okudla [abebengazi] ukuthi bazoyitholaphi isidlo sabo esilandelayo ngalolu bhubhane." Khonamanjalo, uMkhandlu Kazwelonke Wamazambane uvumelana neziphathimandla ezingenayo, ulungiselela ukugxila emithethweni yezemvelo neyomsoco engathinta abalimi ezweni lonke. ILaJoie ikhathazeke kakhulu ngokuqinisekisa ukuthi abalimi bathola amanzi.
Kuyinkinga enamandla e-Aroostook County, ebone izinkathi ezimbalwa ezomile zilandelana. U-LaJoie uthe ngenkathi cishe nje amaphesenti angama-30 wabalimi baseMaine benisela isivuno sabo manje, ulindele ukubona lelo nani likhuphuka kakhulu eminyakeni ezayo - ulinganisela ukuthi amapulazi aseMaine angafinyelela ekunikelweni ngamaphesenti ayikhulu eminyakeni engama-100 ezayo.
“Sizolandela imigomo…. Kodwa leyo mithetho idinga ukuthi ibe ngendlela yokuthi abalimi bakwazi ukufinyelela [emanzini] futhi abalimi basengayivikela imvelo kodwa basebenzise izinsiza kusebenza, ”kusho uLaJoie. Okomkhandlu Kazwelonke Wamazambane, uLaJoie uthe kukhona akungabazeki ukuthi ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu kungokoqobo, kusuka esomisweni ezinambuzane ezikhulayo, kuthinta abalimi bamazambane ezweni lonke nsuku zonke. Kuyena, kumayelana nokushaya ibhalansi - ukuthola izixazululo ezivikela abalimi nemvelo.
"Ngisho ukuthi, sikhiqiza ukudla, sondla abantu," eqhubeka. "Ekupheleni kosuku, kuzofanele kube khona ukuvumelana phakathi lapho." Yilapho i-crux yefilosofi kaLaJoie njengomholi. Indoda egodliwe, eboshwe ngokulinganayo enomkhuba wokuhlafuna umbuzo imizuzwana embalwa ngaphambi kokuphendula, umphumela omuhle kaLaJoie uhlala uyekethisa. "Ngibona okuningi, futhi ngicabanga ukuthi ngiyathanda ukuzwa imibono ezungeze itafula," kusho uLaJoie. “Ngibheka indawo ephakathi nendawo ngaso sonke isikhathi…. Uma abantu bethatha isikhathi futhi bengihlonipha futhi belalela umbono wami, ngibanikeza sonke isikhathi abasidingayo ukuze bazwakalise uvo lwabo futhi ngibona sengathi kuhlale kukhona ukuyekethisa. ”
Naphezu kwesimo esibonakala siphikisana neWashington evaliwe, uLaJoie ubala abomthetho abasuka eMaine baya eColorado baya eFlorida njengabalingani. Ubheke phambili ekuxazululeni izinkinga zomsebenzi wakhe - ukulungisa inkinga kuze kube lula ukuyiqonda nokubhekana nayo. Ngonyaka olandelayo, kuzoba kuLaJoie ukuhola leyo nkokhiso - ukwakha izixazululo ezizuzisa wonke amaqembu.
"Awukwazi ukubhala incwadi yesizukulwane esilandelayo," kusho uLaJoie. “Njalo ngonyaka unyaka omusha futhi siyilungele inselelo. Kepha awukwazi ukulala esondweni. Kuningi kakhulu okulinywayo nokukhulisa amazambane kunokuba abantu bengacabanga. ”
Kumele ube kwangenwa ukuze ngibhale.