Traditional Farming, Organic Farming & Buying Direct from Local Farmers
When I go to the doctor, I don’t ask to be treated with methods from 1912 because I know science and technology have improved medical practices throughout the years. The same is true today with agriculture. Thanks to technology, farmers and ranchers are better able to produce safe and abundant food for our growing nation. There is a movie that’s been released in cities across the United States that misrepresents how farmers and ranchers produce food in this country. After reading several reviews of the movie, I am disturbed by the one-sided information being spread about how farmers and ranchers produce food.
As a farmer, agriculture is our life calling, and we have dedicated our lives to producing safe, nutritious and affordable food. Our farm operation revolves around our family, and we manage every aspect of our farm in a socially responsible manner so we can pass it down to our children. Animal agriculture is the backbone of many rural communities across this country. We understand that contemporary agriculture doesn’t look like it did in the past. But agriculture is like many other industries that have had to become more efficient to survive. If our farm was not efficient, we wouldn’t be able to stay in business or provide for our children. The production practices we use are ethically grounded, scientifically verified, and economically viable.
Makers of the movie attempt to paint us and other farmers like us as victims of an evil food system. Nothing could be further from the truth. We freely choose the technology we put into place on our family farm, and I am grateful for it. We decide what works and what does not. Ultimately, our goal is to safely, efficiently and humanely produce food for Americans. The practices that the marjority of farmers employ to do that are all geared toward protecting the well-being and health of the animals so they can produce healthy food for consumers, and sustain their family’s ability to live on and care for their land and raise their animals.
Our farm is our sustainable legacy and we have an obligation to our family, neighbors, community and animals. Our farm makes it a priority to protect our environment, not just for our family, but for our community and for future generations so they have it as good, or better, than we do. There are very strict standards in place and we respect, support and abide by these standards. We do this because we care about providing safe food for our family, and your family.
As a consumer, please do not buy into scare tactics that aim to put modern family farmers and ranchers out of business. Contact a farmer or rancher who uses science and technology; learn more about why they use it and how it works. And, while you’re at it, you might want to check out the Web site www.safefoodinc.org. It sheds light on specific issues raised by the movie and provides facts about agriculture, not fiction from the silver screen.
Why Buy Direct from Local Farmers?
Local farming provides more than fresh, safe food and fiber. Preserving local farmland and farmers benefit:
Economic Diversity. Diversified local economies are less susceptible to outside events (e.g. energy costs).
Food Security. Local agriculture ensures sustainable production of and access to fresh, safe, food.
Preserves Heritage and Culture. Local farming connects us with our heritage and to the earth and landscape in which we live.
Economic Development. Local farms provide jobs and keep more of your food dollars in the local economy.
Preservation of Landscapes. Agricultural lands provide productive green spaces and maintain a more rural aesthetic character.
| “The food we eat…
…is the landscape we create.” —Gerard Bentryn Gerard believes reconnecting food with our sense of place will help us all see that local food is precious because it preserves both beauty and local community. And this, in turn, will preserve local farming. |
Quality of Life. Farmland affords scenic relief from more developed landscapes and contributes to the our sense of place.
Tourism. Local farms showcase how food and other products are produced to visitors and urban residents alike.
Reduced Transportation and Energy Costs. Most food travels hundreds of miles to market which impacts the environment and the economy. Do you know where your food comes from?
Environmental. Thousands of acres of farmland promote groundwater recharge and flood control since it stores rainfall and slows runoff.
Habitat. Farms often provide a buffer for urban areas and provide wildlife habitat.
Threats to Local Farming
People are often unaware of the value of local agricultural products (produce, dairy, meat, fiber, flowers nursery plants, etc.). As our country developed, most people lost their connnection with the land and the food it produces.
The number of US farms has significantly decreased while the land in production has remained about the same. Corporate agribusiness manufactures and markets over 95% of the food in the United States. These multinational corporations only rarely connect with local communities.
Our local food systems and family farms face pressures from increased population and competition for land use, especially around urban areas. Some of these pressures include:
Development and Population Growth. In areas of high population growth, conflicts arise between the suburban and rural residents and famers.
Low Awareness of Local Food Production. With less than 2% of the population involved in agriculture, most people are unaware of what food production involves. Global food systems have separated us from the food we eat and the farms that grow it.
Land Costs. Increasing land costs make it difficult for new farmers to buy good farmland, while existing farmers find it difficult to resist economic pressure to sell their land and leave farming.
Profitability. Competition with large corporate farms that sell products on a very large scale at low retail prices means that many local smaller scale farms rely on direct marketing techniques to increase the value they receive for their products.
Future farmers. High land costs and low profitability discourage new farmers. As the current, aging farming population retires, farmland will be increasingly be purchased by those who can afford it, but who have little interest in sustaining commercial agriculture.
Regulations. Regulations often challenge farmers more than most businesses as they deal with environmental, health, labor, and building regulations. It can be costly to comply with regulations and sometimes discourage efficient farming practices.
Global Economies. Multinational corporations drive the world food economy and make it difficult for small-scale farmers to compete in the conventional marketplace. Domestic and international trade agreements often strengthen corporate farming at the expense of family operated farms.
| Direct marketing and promoting alternative crops to local consumers can help overcome some of the constraints to maintaining local farming. |
What Can You Do?
Buy local farm products.
Ask grocery stores and restaurants to stock your favorite local farm products.