I’m not sure where some of those politicians live, but here, on my farm, in my county, climate change is understood to be real. I see it every day when I look out of the window, so does any farmer with eyes. It is drier and warmer, and the winter ice and snow pack is a fraction of what it was even a decade ago.

I see it in our pastures, which shoot up later, are shorter, and fade long before Fall. Our response to this – we have a pony, two donkeys, seven sheep – is a rigorous schedule of rotational grazing.

Todd Mason and Tim put up a fence to block off one third of the pasture, and we have two other areas – to the rear and the other side of the farm house – fenced off. We are on a two-or-three day rotational schedule. We grave for three hours in the morning, three hours in the late afternoon.

The area behind the pole barn is a paddock, really, the pony and other animals can graze a bit, but there is not enough sugary grass to  make them founder or sick. A few years ago, we would not have  had to do this, we had more than enough tall grass to last through the summer.

If nothing changes, it will become too difficult and expensive for people to keep animals, the cost of hay is rising and the grass just does not get enough water to stay tall for months. Hopefully, the rotational grazing will get us through the summer.

We reap what we sow, in every way, and Pope Francis reminds us to fulfill our moral obligation to care for the earth, so the earth can care for us. We are breaking our end of the contract, so she is free to break hers. This new fenced off area is worn down, it will need a couple of weeks with rain and sun to come back. Fingers  crossed.