UDanny Murphy wake wakhokha u-$10 ngesikhwama sembewu yesoya, amasenti angu-18 kuya kwangu-30 ngegaloni likadizili, u-$200 ngethani le-urea, u-$20 ngosuku kwabasebenzi abaqashiwe, kanye nerenti yemali engu-$25. Kwakungaleso sikhathi; lokhu kumanje. "Ukulima kuhlala kushintsha ngandlela thile, kodwa ungaqiniseka ngento eyodwa: Izindleko zokufaka zizoqhubeka zikhuphuka".
Ngo-1974, uDanny Murphy oneminyaka engu-21 ubudala wakhokha u-$10 ngesikhwama sembewu yesoya, amasenti angu-18 kuya kwangu-30 ngegaloni likadizili, u-$20 ngosuku kwabasebenzi abaqashiwe, kanye nerenti yemali engu-$25. Kwakungaleso sikhathi; lokhu kumanje.
Ekhumula amabhuzu akhe okulima ngo-2022 okokugcina, uMurphy ulandisa indaba yokwenyuka kwamandla emali kanye nokwenyuka kokufakwayo eminyakeni engama-48 esensimini: “Ukwenyuka kwamandla emali kushintshe yonke indawo kusukela kumanyolo kuya ekutshalweni kwemithi yokubulala ukhula, kodwa imishini yilapho engizizwe khona kakhulu. Uyakhumbula ukuhlekisa? Ngisho namanani ezitshalo aphezulu njengoba enjalo ngo-2022, uma belandela indlela yokwenyuka kwezimoto noma ogandaganda, lawo manani ezitshalo aphezulu kufanele abe kabili kunalokho ayikho njengamanje.”
Nakuba kuyisithombe nje sesipiliyoni somlimi oyedwa, ubufakazi bukaMurphy buwubufakazi obucacile bokwenyuka okukhulu kwezindleko okubhalwe esikhathini esifushane somsebenzi owodwa wokulima.
Ukwehla Kwentengo
Phezu kwenhlabathi enodaka ebhidliziwe eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane edlule evela eMidwest, Murphy walinywa enkabeni yeMississippi, kanye nomfowabo, uTommy, kusukela ngo-1974 kuya ku-2021. Emasimini athambile ahlukahluka ngokwethambeka kusukela ku-1% kuya ku-4%, uMurphy watshala ukotini kanye nobhontshisi, futhi kamuva ummbila, kumahektare ayi-1,600 eMadison County.
Ukotini wabusa amasimu akhe kwaze kwaba cishe ngo-2000, kodwa ngemva kokufika kokwehla kwentengo kanye nokwanda kwe-reniform nematode, uMurphy wanezela ummbila ohlwini lwakhe lwezitshalo. Eqaphe kakhulu izinombolo zokufaka, uMurphy waqala ukushintsha kancane kancane waya ku-no till ngo-2005, kwathi ngo-2009, wonke umsebenzi wakhe wawusuphelelwe yindlela yokulima evamile.
"Uma ubheka emuva ngo-1974, sadlula kaningi ekulawuleni ukhula kuphela, ngezinye izikhathi silima njalo ngeviki, kodwa sasingenakho ukukhetha okuningi. Kwabe sekuphuma ama-GMO/Roundup Ready kusukela ngo-1996-1997, futhi ngokuzumayo saba yi-minimum till. Kwakuyintuthuko eqhubekayo eya ku-no till futhi ngangibona ukonga okukhulu kudizili, abasebenzi, ukuguguleka kwemishini, ukuthuthukiswa kwesakhiwo senhlabathi, kanye nokwanda kwezinto eziphilayo."
"Uma uqala ukonga ezintweni ezifakwayo, kwenza umehluko omkhulu epulazini lakho lonke—futhi ngeshwa, okuphambene nalokho kuyiqiniso ngokuphelele, yingakho ukwehla kwamandla emali kungakuhlasela futhi ngezinye izikhathi ungakuqapheli."
Isikhathi Sokuya
Inhloso kaMurphy yokuphila konke kwakuwukuthatha umhlalaphansi eneminyaka engu-70. Kodwa-ke, isilo esibi kakhulu sokukhuphuka kwamanani ngo-2021 sadonsa amehlo amaningi kuMurphy oqaphile. Phakathi nesivuno sika-2021, amanani kamanyolo enyuka, kanye nokwenyuka kwezindleko zokubulala ukhula kanye nemibuzo ngokutholakala, uMurphy waba nesikhathi sokucabangela engu-69.
"Amanani ezimpahla ayengahambi kahle ngaleso sikhathi. Amanani ayeqinile, kodwa ayengadlali. Empeleni, kwakuyimakethe eqinile, futhi njengoba uTommy esekulungele ukwehla esikhundleni, ngangazi ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokuhamba. Ngangibheka izindleko zikaphethiloli, ukhula lwezinambuzane, i-nitrogen, nezinye izindleko ezikhuphuka kancane kancane. Ngangingafuni ukubeka engcupheni ukulahlekelwa unyaka wonke bese ngikubuyisela emuva kokuthatha umhlalaphansi. Lokho kwakusemicabangweni yami impela."
Asikho isikhathi esifanele sokuba umlimi athathe umhlalaphansi, kodwa uMurphy wayethembele emuzweni wakhe. “Ngayeka ngenkathi amanani enyuka futhi ngizizwa kahle. Impela, ukube bengazi ukuthi amanani aphezulu nakakhulu ayeza, bengizonqikaza, kodwa i-69 inezinhlungu eziningi, futhi mhlawumbe ngisho nobuvila obuncane,” kusho uMurphy ehleka. “Ngizizwa kahle ngokushiya, futhi akusekho indlela yokwazi ukuthi lezi zinto ezifakiwe zizokwenzenjani ngokulandelayo, kodwa ngingakuthembisa into eyodwa—ziye zakhuphuka empilweni yami futhi zizoqhubeka zikhuphuka ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.”
Idola Elinciphayo
Uma ecabanga ngezomnotho wezolimo kulo lonke umsebenzi wakhe, uMurphy uqala ukudonselwa emngxunyeni womehluko phakathi kwamanani emishini yezolimo yangosuku lwangaphambilini nawanamuhla. “Ngaqala ukuzwa impumelelo emishinini. Ekuqaleni kwawo-1970, itrektara entsha yangibiza cishe u-$25,000, i-combine yayingaba ngu-$30,000, kanti umshini wokusika ukotini iJohn Deere 9900 wawungaba ngu-$35,000. Yebo, lezo kwakuyizimali ezinkulu ngalolo suku, futhi izimpahla zaziphansi, kodwa konke okufakwayo kwakuphansi kakhulu.”
Esebenzisa imishini, uMurphy ukhumbula amanani kadizili ngo-1974 phakathi kwamasenti angu-18 kuya kwangu-30 ngegaloni. “Sasihweba ngogandaganda njalo eminyakeni emibili kuya kwemithathu futhi senze okufanayo nabakhi. Iphuzu liwukuthi, umlimi wayengathutha imishini futhi angalimali.”
Kungacatshangelwa ukuthi amanani omhlaba ayephawuleka kakhulu kunemishini, uma kuqhathaniswa namanani angaphansi komhlaba. Eminyakeni emihlanu ngaphambi kokuba uMurphy aqale ezolimo, uyise, uCarl, wathenga ipulazi elincane elinenhlabathi enhle eMadison County ngamadola angu-200 ngehektare. Eminyakeni engaba ngu-14 kamuva, uMurphy wathenga ipulazi elifanayo eMadison County ngamadola angu-900 ngehektare. “Zonke lezo kwakuyizindleko ezivamile ngaleso sikhathi, zingaphansi kakhulu kwamapulazi ajwayelekile angamadola angu-3,500-$4,000 endaweni yethu namuhla. Lokho akusondele kakhulu kulokho abakukhokhayo e-Iowa noma e-Illinois, kodwa umehluko eminyakeni edlule usabonakala kalula.”
UMurphy uphawula ukuthi indlela efanayo ayizange ibe nkulu kangako emalini yokuqasha. “Endaweni yethu namuhla, endaweni enganiselwe, uzokhokha imali engaphezu kuka-$80 ngehektare ngalinye. Ngo-1974, leyo ndawo efanayo yaqasha ngo-$25 ngehektare.”
Umshwalense wezitshalo wawungeyona into okufanele icatshangelwe uMurphy—okungenani ngo-1974. Ukukhipha u-$15 ngehektare ngesisekelo esibi kakhulu (futhi uma ubheka ukuthi abalimi abaningi babenamarekhodi/amadokhumenti amancane) kwakuyinto ekhangayo kakhulu. “Kwakungeyona into ebaluleke kangako ngaleso sikhathi futhi sasingakaze sicabange kakhulu ngakho. Konke lokho kwashintsha kamuva futhi ngangingeke ngiphile ngaphandle komshwalense wezitshalo, kodwa kwakunzima kakhulu ukutshala imali ngaleso sikhathi.”
Futhi umanyolo? UMurphy ukhumbula amazinga afanayo okusetshenziswa kwe-phosphate, i-potash, ne-urea ngo-1974—kodwa ububanzi bentengo obuhlukile ngokuphelele. “Umanyolo omningi wawuhlanganiswe ngendlela efanayo futhi wawusuvele unesibabule kuwo. Ngingathi sikhokha u-$150 ngethani nge-phosphate ne-potash, kanye no-$200 ngethani le-urea.”
Abasebenzi bezolimo eMadison County bavame ukuthola u-$2-$3 ngehora noma cishe u-$20 ngosuku.
Ukusetshenziswa kokubulala ukhula kwakugxile ku-Treflan, Karmex, kanye ne-Cotoran—ikhemikhali ngayinye efakwayo yayibiza cishe u-$5 ngehektare.
Izindleko zembewu zazihlukahluka kakhulu, okungenani ngokotini, futhi zazincike kulokho okwakungatholakala nge-gin. “Ukotini wawuletha endaweni ethile ebangeni lamasenti angu-50. Sasithenga imbewu eqhutshwa nge-gin, futhi uma ungayithola endaweni ekhiqiza kakhulu, wawuzoyisusa, uyiphathe, bese uyithenga ngentengo ephansi. Bese ufaka izikhwama ezimbalwa eshalofini lohlobo olusha cishe ngama-$60 ngesikhwama. Ubhontshisi wawungenazo izinhlobo ezivikelayo futhi cishe sasisebenzisa izinhlobo zomphakathi. Sasikhokhela iprimiyamu yokufaka emasakeni futhi ngingathi imbewu yesoya yasibiza ama-$10-$14 ngesikhwama, futhi yayibiza ama-$4-$6 ngebhasi.”
Ehlanganiswe ndawonye, uMurphy ubeka izindleko zakhe zizonke zika-1974 zekotini cishe u-$200 ngehektare kanye nobhontshisi ku-$125 ngehektare, uma kuqhathaniswa nezindleko zakhe zika-2021 ngehektare zommbila ku-$550 kanye nobhontshisi ku-$400.
"Ukuqhathanisa amanani okufakwayo kanye namanani esivuno akulula unyaka nonyaka ukuhlala ebhizinisini, ikakhulukazi uma izinto zihamba ngokushesha noma ngokungalindelekile ngendlela engavamile," Murphy uyanezela. “Ukhuluma ngenselele, kodwa yilokho abalimi abashiye namuhla okufanele babhekane nakho. Ukulima kuhlala kushintsha ngandlela thile, kodwa ungaqiniseka ngento eyodwa: Izindleko zokufaka zizoqhubeka zikhuphuka.”
