[deMolay]

Small producers are being regulated out of existance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGZL6q-3 ... re=related

[Ludi]

You just noticed?

[Novus]

Been going on for ten years atleast. The real death blow to the small farm was the end of farm subsidies for farms that were not a certain size. The connected corporate farms cut out the small farmer.

[deMolay]

Ludi has a chapped ass today or what?

[Ludi]

Sorry! It's just death of the small farm is such old news, at least here in the US. The goal for decades has been to get people off the land. "Get big or get out" has been the mantra.

For an excellent overview of farm policy in the US I recommend "The Unsettling of America" by Wendell Barry. It's an older book but still very pertinent.

[mcgowanjm]

Small farms are just like communities.

It takes violence to keep both from naturally
forming.

And taking care of themselves.

The Small Farms are there. Start by raising 5 ears of corn.

And not Farmville, either.

[threadbear]

This is a perfect example of the real problem. The left versus right is a distraction. The big versus the small, on all fronts is the real story. Look at what is happening to Mainstreet? Walmart has replaced mom and pop stores across the continent and turned small interior towns and cities into urban meth-scapes.

[deMolay]

Here in Alberta the small farmer/rancher is being regulated out of existance. Under the regulations now in force, every animal born on a small farm must be kept track of from birth to death. An almost impossible task for a small farmer. It entails the eventual micro chipping and reporting to government of every animal except household pets. I understand the concern was BSE. But BSE was a problem created by the big feedlots yet the laws are aimed at the little guys. Record numbers of Alberta Ranchers are shutting it down. The population of beef in Alberta has dropped by over 1M head in a year. People do not support the small rancher/farmer, the eat local thing is a myth. Due to health issues and over regulation by government I have sold off all of my small herd of grass fed, natural raised, purebred Highland herd of cows almost 40 head. Not worth the hassle.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('deMolay', 'H')ere in Alberta the small farmer/rancher is being regulated out of existance. Under the regulations now in force, every animal born on a small farm must be kept track of from birth to death.

[pablonite]

The attack is underway on "small" producers of anything and everything no doubt but strange on the other hand governments usually publicly support small business. Chaos and confusion until a solution is reached, in this case complete control of the food supply. Hmmm, now why would that be so important?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/the-battle-over-raw-milk-will-spill-into-the-future/article1521666/
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'R')aw milk continues to flow from a Chilliwack dairy even after a B.C. Supreme Court decision in March which ordered the Home on the Range farm to stop distributing the product for human consumption.

Raw milk is a health hazard, wrote B.C Supreme Court Justice Miriam Gropper in the decision. When coupled with B.C.'s Public Health Act, which “prohibits a person from willingly causing a health hazard,” Home on the Range is ignoring the court's decision with ongoing distribution, said provincial Health Officer Perry Kendall.

“People continue to want to take risks,” he said.

But Alice Jongerden, who is paid by nearly 400 individuals and families to manage a 21-cow herd, said Home on the Range is working within the law and following the order.

When people pick up the milk, she gives them a letter outlining the risks of consuming raw milk, including the fact that the Fraser Health Authority deems raw milk a health hazard. She recommends other uses for the unpasteurized milk, such as milk baths. And each jar of milk bears a label stating “Not for human consumption.”

[Ludi]

The People in Charge often seem to want to make things harder for people, but I think it's more likely they think they are doing "what's best" and not consciously or deliberately stopping people from doing beneficial things like having small farms. I'm not convinced most of TPTB are evil - I think they are mostly self-involved and self-important (like most of us are). By virtue of being "public servants" they think they know what's best for everyone. But we shouldn't let them stop us trying to do things differently. A lot of claims of government obstruction of different ways to live are false (like laws against growing your own food - there are no such laws). I think people often confuse not being supported in their endeavors with being prevented from their endeavors. They seem to want approval for their actions, and seem to feel if TPTB do not approve of their actions, then TPTB are "stopping" them from doing something. Mostly TPTB don't care what we do if we don't flounce around making a big deal about it.


Obviously a cow farm is going to get noticed.

[SeaGypsy]

Traceability laws came into force in Australia for our 70, 000,000 cattle a few years back. Most farmers like the system as it prevents theft of stock on the usually very large properties. There was a recent attempt to get the same chipping protocol in place for sheep, but the sheep farmers lobbied against it successfully on a cost basis.
Farmers markets are growing in popularity in leaps and bounds, which most be a good thing.
The worst impact on small farmers in Australia is not from regualtion but from monopolist retailers price fixing. The only way to get the supply contracts with the 2 big supermarkets is to be at scale to produce literally truckloads every day in a monoculture system. Contracts are often drawn up fixing a wholesale price for 5 years which is usually about 5-10% of the eventual retail price. Usually these contracts contain an exclusivity clause, whereby it is a breach to sell ANYTHING to anyone other than the contracted buyer. This prevents the farmer from even having a roadside stall or supplying his/her tiny local store. It is normal to find the most expensive vegetables and fruits right where the farms are. This because the produce is being bulk freighted out, then sorted and packed and micro-freighted back to the local store.
I believe this contract farming system is the norm in the USA and Europe as well as other industrialised countries.
The 4000 mile avocado is alive and well and can be purchased at the store next to the biggest avocado farm in Australia for $3, the farmer will get 15 cents of this.
Disgusting.
Some of this madness could be gotten rid of simply by government legislating against exclusivity clauses. Something along the lines of "No company shall be allowed to monopolise more than 90% of a given primary producer's supply in a given year or growing season." This would mean a farmer has the right to sell 10% of the crop anywhere, including the local store. The cost of living in farming areas would go down considerably, whilst the local economy would directly benefit, rather than some mega chain supermart.

[Revi]

We must not have gotten the message around here. Small farms are actually increasing here in Maine. This place has always been marginal, so the farms weren't that big to begin with. The forest products industry is another story. They own millions of acres and run like a large corporate farm.

There are farmers markets in every town now, and small farms market most of their product through them.

[Ludi]

That's really good to know, Revi.

[dinopello]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'W')e must not have gotten the message around here. Small farms are actually increasing here in Maine. This place has always been marginal, so the farms weren't that big to begin with. The forest products industry is another story. They own millions of acres and run like a large corporate farm.

There are farmers markets in every town now, and small farms market most of their product through them.

[dinopello]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', 'S')mall farms probably are seeing exponential growth around the country. I know they are here in groovy Calif. Farmers are actually making money at farmers markets. More CSA's come on line every year. We are now seeing direct-market grain and livestock sharing programs. (I'd love to start, fund, invest in a farm stand on the right well-used road). But like solar and wind power, this growth is built upon a minuscule base. What fraction of anyone's food is local? Who get the bulk of their food btu's, grains or meat, from local sources?

[Pops]

My opinion, as usual, is don't blame the politicians for giving us what we demand.

Look at most food related news stories or threads here or anywhere really, and there are mainly 2 topics: BSt, GMOs, CAFOs, and all the rest of the cheap food industry alphabet on the one hand - and on the other the tainted product stories - and those stories run because we lap 'em up.

We like to think our milk comes from "happy cows" but let me tell you, there are no happy cows on a dairy, they don't have time to be happy, they are on the clock! We feel the same about every other product, I saw an ad for some prepared food, I can't remember what and it boasted of containing some ingredient "farm picked". At first I thought, where else would they be picked? But then the magic image of the bucolic little truck patch and dew kissed rutabagas came to mind and it made sense.

So complain all you want about politicians killing small farmers if it makes you feel better, but it's the disease-phobic and lowest price always consumer - us in other words, is who's to blame.

Farm Picked • Industrial Cheap • Laboratory Safe!