Insect Appreciation Time

After visiting David Kline’s farm, I was struck by his fierce defense of insects. As memory serves, he defended insects, bemoaning their near extinction almost as many times as he did the greater dairy farming business. Although this could just be indicative his train of thought on the particular day that we visited, I would argue that David Kline’s interest in insects shows through inĀ GreatĀ Possessions. Among other insect-centered chapters, Kline wrote a chapter named “The World of Insects”, a collection of short descriptive narratives highlighting various insects he has witnessed on his farm and throughout his community. He writes fondly about these strange, small creatures. My entire life I’ve only ever heard farmers and gardeners complain about insects bothering animals and eating crops, with exception to the bees and earthworms that so obviously improve crop growth. Some farmers defend spiders as a countermeasure against mosquitos. Still, the little creatures like the praying mantis of katydid don’t usually get the attention they deserve.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Privacy Statement