I started blogging eons ago. Why? One reason - I wanted my sons and husband to have the respect they deserved. I decided I would be an open window to whoever wanted to see just how much work, determination and commitment went into farming.
I’ve tried to follow in the footsteps of other ag bloggers and there sure are a lot of good ones out there. At times I feel like I’ve done an OK job and other times I feel I’ve failed.
At times, especially this past year it feels like all I’m doing is whining and complaining.
It’s difficult to share everything and not be negative when it seems that’s all that’s coming our way.
So, I would like to set a few things straight here.
I am very happy and blessed to be a farmer. Yes, I am a farmer and not just a Farm Wife (my Facebook page title is deceiving). I feed animals, I drive tractor, I do bookwork, a little of just about everything.
There is an awful lot of hard work – long hours, dust, dirt and crap that is part of it.
The blessings that come are numerous and wonderful.
Another reason is to help clarify the whys, whens and hows of farming.
We are conventional farmers – we are not organic. What I want you to know about organic is that is it just another way to farm. It’s not better, nor more nutritious, just different. I have friends that farm organic and I support their way of farming 100%. Often times the marketing between farmers and consumers are the ones that pit farming practices against each other. Just another way for them to make money.
GMOs are not a bad thing. They happen in nature and using GMOs have helped us take better care of the land. We use less pesticides and crops thrive where they couldn’t have before. People’s lives are enhanced – GMO rice prevents blindness, GMO in general helps feed the world. I never could understand why someone would be against a proven benefit – until I realized companies will use fear to drive you to their products. Back to the all mighty dollar.
Pesticides when used correctly help feed the world. The hysteria behind the use of weed, pest killers is blinding people from the truth. And, once again, there is someone behind the fear driven propaganda that will benefit – the money thing again.
Importantly, CAFO farms, or Factory Farms or whatever you call them are NOT evil.
Let me tell you a story about a farmer who farmed with is brother. The brother wanted out and the farmer had four sons – three that wanted to join in the farm. So, the farmer increased his herd size in order to provide for his family members. Eventually the farm grew to CAFO size. It was run the same way as before the size created a different category. They hold the same values and adhered to excellence with the animals, land and employees. They are third and fourth generation and support other families. It was size and size alone that deemed them a CAFO – that is us.
Surprise – for those of you who didn’t know.
We just recently started a satellite dairy in order to stay in business. It’s sad to say, but just like other businesses it’s survival of the fittest. I also don’t believe our decision to grow to benefit our farm did anything to hurt other farmers.
I am saddened and grieve with those who have had to pull the plug. Some of my friends have had to make that hard decision. It isn’t easy anyway you look at it.
For some reason we all want farming to be the mom, pop and kids on the small farm with a red barn and a cow or two in the pasture. That would be blissful – totally unrealistic but wonderful.
Farming feeds the world. It is a business like no other. It’s a business that becomes a life or vice versa. With farming there are no open/closed signs on the doors. There are no “coffee breaks” built into the day or holidays that bring a day off. Snow days, tornado warnings have no effect on farming other than something we have to deal with.
Somewhere along the line when it comes to farming, bigger became bad. Bringing farms together under a title – corporation or company became bad. Why is it we have a problem with larger farms but for instance we have no problem with the fact that there are no more single doctor offices? When doctors came together to provide better services that was fine and dandy. When medical advances changed the way we looked at illness and the way they are treated for the most part is praised. Why then, when we farmers have increased our production and lessened land use, water use, erosion, etc. are we considered a hazard to the public?
Marketing. Once again.
Lack of connection between farmers and all of us who consume food is another huge problem.
As a consumer how am I supposed to deem whether or not a label or advertisement is correct? Especially when the labeling is fear based to drive you to their product?
That irks me to no end. The food processors have bowed down to the changes that were demanded by the public (which really isn’t us average folks, it’s once again a group or business that was the loudest). Now, all changes aren’t bad. We are all for safe, affordable food. As farmers we are constantly looking for better ways.
The problem comes when an activist group or celebrity creates a “problem” that needs to be solved. It comes with a higher price for us consumers to bear.
A scenario – a mother or father is in the grocery aisle and is trying to purchase a box of cereal. One brand has Non-GMO on the front and the other says nothing about GMO. There are many things wrong with this. First the marketers are banking on the person buying the Non because there must be something wrong with it if they are blatantly putting it on their package – thus they can charge more. The parent very likely buys into the fear because who doesn’t want the best for their family. Yet, sadly on some packaging the label is attached when there is no way possible to have a GMO ingredient. Also, there is no scientific nor medical proof that there is a problem with GMOs.
Therefore, because of the pressure of the “group”, celebrity or whoever the driving force is, the product is labeled, a higher price is slapped on and the parent will choose that product with the intent of choosing the best for their family.
Not everyone has the extra money to pay for no increase in value. It saddens me that so many are purchasing less food items because of the cost.
That’s where us farmers that have chosen to transparently share our lives come in. It’s not easy sometimes to show our failures. Even when we do show our short comings and what we are trying to do to correct it, we know we will be damned by some of those following us.
No, we don’t want a choir behind us, we want people of all thoughts and concerns reading, sharing questioning. But, in a conversation not condemnation.
Bottom line – we are all in this together and the more we can connect, converse and care about each other the better off we will all be.
Please, if you have a question, find a farmer – I will attempt to add some other farm pages at the bottom of this – I fear I will unwillingly forget someone. There are a wonderful group of men and women who bare their souls and have personal experiences and knowledge. Also, please share the farm pages on yours.
Becoming acquainted with the source, the process of production and the whys behind it will bring us together around the food table.
Here is a small and incomplete list. These people are doing a way better job than I am. I value and appreciate each one and have the pleasure of being friends with several. Please visit their pages, find other farmers on their sites to follow also. There are many, many more.
Messy Kennedy
Dairy Carrie
TDF Honest Farming
Janice Person aka JP loves cotton
Browning Homestead Farm
Spruce Row Farming
The Farmer’s Daughter
Trent Loos
The Farmer’s Wifee
HarvestHer
Real Faces of Dairy
