It has been a long time since the Great K Rat Revolt. Remember, we paraded tractors in Fresno and elsewhere? A farmer in the South Valley got tangled up with the enviros and government agencies for discing a field because the local kangaroo rats moved in. Twenty five years ago that was seen as a great example of government overreach.

Have you been paying attention to our fellow farmers in Europe? Those guys know how to protest. They don’t just have tractor rallies blocking traffic and dumping manure in the town square. Their newest tactic seems to include spraying pig manure on government buildings. Eww. I am not recommending we go that far. But you get the idea. They are big mad. And what are they mad about? Rising costs, lower commodity prices and increased government regulations that are interfering with their ability to make a living farming. Does any of this sound familiar?

One of my pet peeves is when people say, “We ought to do it like the Europeans.” It is usually from people who enjoy a vacation and become instant experts. To me it would be the same if people came back from Cancun and say, “We should do it like they do in Cancun.” Sure, we should be on holiday, nice weather, waited on hand and foot. But that is not real life, is it? (For the record, I have never been to Cancun, or Las Vegas and Hawaii for that matter. But I digress and you get my point.) Maybe it is time we start protesting like our fellow farmers in Europe.

Have you seen Clarkson Farms on TV? The guy from BBC’s Top Gear decided to buy a farm. The show is about his adventures in farming. It is a crackup. One constant theme is bumping into the government bureaucracy. It would be a lot funnier if it wasn’t so true. I guess misery really does love company.

We are like the proverbial frogs in the pot — slowly getting boiled. If something does not change soon this will not end well for many of us. Some major farms have gone toes up recently. There is glib talk of taking a million acres out of production because of SGMA. These guys do not seem to be able to protect the environment and our farms.

I am not saying it is time to take to the streets. But maybe soon. Maybe we have been too polite. Lobby trips to Sacramento and D.C. seem to be only slowing the slide. Writing columns like this and letters to the editor are not making enough change fast enough. Their attitude is the same. I heard once upon a time when I was Fresno County Farm Bureau President. I still can’t believe how many politicians, journalists, bureaucrats and academics said, “Well, if you can’t handle the new rules we will just import our food.” Seriously? Like they are going to jump through all the hoops you keep setting up?

I think we are getting closer to our next tractor rally. We do have a First Amendment Right to “petition the Government for redress of grievances” and to “peaceably assemble.” I think we have a righteous cause — our Valley is an asset of global proportions, and it would be tragic to lose it. I am not just talking about our farmers and farmworkers, but the state and the nation as a whole have a stake in what happens here.

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Farmer, writer and educator, Paul Betancourt is a lecturer at Fresno State and written books on Swiss political history and environmental policy.