Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: Organic industry vs. organic movement

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Rick Williams" <mrfarm AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Organic industry vs. organic movement
  • Date: Wed, 2 Oct 2002 19:09:13 -0500


paul and barb wrote:
> Rick, I'd like to agree more, but whether we call it democracy or slavery
> or whatever the evidence tells us modern industrial agriculture can't
> survive much longer the way it's going, with ever higher fossil fuel
> inputs, pesticide poisoning, and the destruction of stable rural society.

As time goes on it will keep changing and evolving toward whatever system is
sustainable. My view is that it can continue the present course for many
more decades. Even with a curtailment of fossil fuels, the federal
government would insure that farmers received special status so that they
could grow crops. That is a given.

The pesticides are being reduced, not increased. And the pesticides that we
have today are dramatically safer than the older ones. Some are banned or at
least banned in certain control areas. For example, in our county we have
atrazine prohibition areas because of water table contamination. Some want
to change the rules, but many of us want it kept restricted. I am lukewarm
about the use of herbicides, but also realize that they may be used in an
integrated manner with sustainable agriculture and may in some cases,
especially with HEL, to be more sustainable than some of the organic
practices. Of course being a grazier, I am also biased toward grass farming
as the ultimate form of sustainability. But we can not all be doing that
either:)

We see no destruction of the rural society. We do see changes. And we see
opportunities for young people in those areas that are seeing an actual
reduction of their population. Especially if land prices trend down again.
And my view is that when interest rates go back up eventually, and someday
they will, you will see a drop in real estate values. Probably not as
precipitously as the 1980's, but could be a help to younger people. Then
maybe we would not have to have those absurd "programs" to help new farmers.

> And closer to home, too many individual farm families are reaching a dead
> end with costs and prices what they are, as many on this list surely
> realize all too well. There are alternatives and that's where the current
> boom is in research and experimentation, including market farming.

Market farming is OK for a few folks, but I don't think that it can support
very many farmers. At least not in terms of making your living farming. In
our area, you could do organic produce, but to make a living would require a
very large operation with additional employees during the summer and a large
amount of management savvy. I am skeptical that many people can do it. Or
you could do organic dairy in our area if you wanted to remain small and
wanted to do livestock farming. Pastured hogs would be a possibility but not
easy. A medium sized grazing dairy producing commodity milk might be one the
current sweet spots here. Say around 100 to 150 cows. But like many things
it is a moving target. And what is true today, may not be true in a decade
or two. But it gives you a window of opportunity.

Sincerely,

Rick Williams
Misty Ridge Farm
Dairy heifers and dairy beef graziers
Viroqua, WI

www.mistyridgefarm.com





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page