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  • From: "Kevin Ancell" <kancell AT goodearthgardens.com>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Marionville farmer says union is beneficial
  • Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2003 06:07:16 -0700

Marionville farmer says union is beneficial

By Mike Surbrugg
Globe Farm Writer

MOUNT VERNON, Mo. - Missouri Farmers Union is fulfilling its purpose by
encouraging legislation, establishing cooperatives and taking other steps to
improve the income of family farms and rural communities, according to
regional members.

Rick Hopkins of Marionville is among the union's 1,500 members. He raises
natural beef and sells veal meat. He is a member of the Missouri Farmers
Union's board of directors.

His niche means not worrying about prices buyers will pay for cattle at a
sale barn, he said. "I like this organization (the union). It is getting
things done," he said.

The union was founded March 24, 1999, and is headquartered in Jefferson
City. Dues are $20 a year for initial membership and $30 annual dues, said
Jill Lucht, director of member services. Members include people living in
cities as well as on farms, she said.

Kyle Vickers, the union's cooperative developer, talked and answered
questions at the annual Lawrence County Soils and Crops Conference in Mount
Vernon on Jan. 9.

Information he supplied said the legislative platform seeks:

Mandatory price reporting of all livestock sales.

Country-of-origin labeling on all food products.

More enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act and other antitrust laws.

More accountability from land grant universities to their statutory mission
to work on behalf of family farmers and ranchers.

Address consolidation in agriculture and lessen its impact on family
farmers.

Protection of contract livestock producers by supporting fair and open
contracts with corporations.

Vickers said he gained experience in how to start value-added cooperatives
while he worked at the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

Such cooperatives can qualify for state and federal grants to get started.
Other money comes from those who join the cooperative and agree to sell a
set amount of the commodity to be processed.

Some examples to bring producers closer to consumers:

A plant to produce Certified Angus Prime beef is to open soon near St. Louis
to sell beef to restaurants and specialty markets. Cattle that reach the
quality can be worth $1,100 to $1,150 a head, he said.

A cooperative in Western Missouri is possible to sell Choice and Select
grade beef to grocery stores.

Martin Dairy at Humansville sells its as pasture-based milk in outlets such
as Madewell Meats at Mount Vernon. That store also sells its own all-natural
pork.

There is potential for a cooperative to obtain poultry litter to compost and
dry, to be certified as an organic product for use on organic farms and
gardens.

A cooperative could be established to produce organic pet food. "It may be
hard to believe, but a big market is developing for organic pet food,"
Vickers said.

Not all ventures succeed. The key to success is a cooperative that has
members with needed experience who can work together, he said.

One that is succeeding was established a year ago by 34 Farmers Union
members who have a hog processing plant southeast of Springfield. It markets
Heritage Acres branded pork products in Associated Grocers and independent
stores in several cities.

Vickers said the effort found the biggest price spread in pork prices is
between the packer and retailer - twice as much as between producers and
packers.

A difficult obstacle is not production, but getting the products into the
retail markets, he said. It means securing shelf space and having attractive
displays. The goal is to have quality pork at lower prices for consumers, he
said.

Details about Farmers Union and cooperatives are available by calling (573)
659-4787 or writing Jill Lucht, 325 Jefferson Street, Suite 100A, Jefferson
City, Mo. 65101.




  • [Market-farming] Marionville farmer says union is beneficial, Kevin Ancell, 02/02/2003

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