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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] local, naturally grown food becoming more competitive

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  • From: Brigette Leach <avalonfarmshomegrown AT earthlink.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] local, naturally grown food becoming more competitive
  • Date: Sat, 01 Oct 2005 18:39:40 -0400

Although you seem to be happy about these developments, I am not. When we did the business plan for our hydroponic grrenhouse operation we were using "reasonably" priced natural gas. 2 years ago we put in a wood burning stove to heat the 2 greenhouses. Now my husband spends the winter months cutting wood and stoking the wood burner. Although we figure it cut our fuel costs about 40% before the recent hikes, it isn't how we planned to spend the winter months. The equipment that used to get repaired over the winter and readied for spring field work doesn't get done to the same degree as before. Our farm shop hasn't been cleaned since the woodburner went in. Interior building maintanance doesn't get done either. All of our greenhouse and market garden production is sold within 30 miles, definitely "local". I will pay higher shipping costs for the rockwool, oasis and nutrients that we use.

It is imparative that we all consider issues in a context outside of our personal opinion. How does losing the primary industry (ie wheat) in a small Nebraska community build a stronger community, agricultural industry or nation? Where will those people who farmed, worked at the elevator, equipment dealer or the local diner work? We farm in a small community that is essentially a bedroom community for 2 nearby and much larger communities. Other than those of us who farm, work at the post office, telephone company, bank or post office, our residents "drive" somewhere to work. Most of those work places manufacture a product or provide a service and they certainly will be negatively impacted by higher fuel costs. We are already seeing a loss of jobs due to loss of the paper industry, a consolidation of pharmacuetial and cereal companies, layoffs by vendors whose primary customers are auto companies.

We also live in an area where soils are particualry suited to agricultural production. Due to non-farm residential development, using animal manure is constantly underfire. Few of us are any longer willing to have *any* livestock. Manure is too often seen as a waste product rather than a useful by product. I don't see compost as a viable substitute on the acerage under production in my community.

Remember too, that agriculture products food *and fiber*. Do some label reading and research how many non-food items have ingredients or contents that a a result of agricultural production. I rather appreciate soybean based inks and paints.

I will concede that we Americans use more than our share of the earth's resources and that Americans do need to change attitudes about *a lot* of things, up to and including being clueless about where their food comes from, but the people who farm conventionally have families to support, too. And you are not their competition, Chile, China and Mexico are.

My point is that people without jobs don't buy...local or not. Natural or not. An no issue is as simple as it might seem on the surface.

Tradingpost wrote:

For some time we've been urging a return to local, naturally grown food.
We've warned that fossil fuel and chemical fertilizer prices would go up
and keep going up, and they are, and shortages and higher food prices are
in the making now. And we've predicted local, naturally grown food would
become more competitive with storebought as a result. Local food doesn't
need fuel to move an average 1,500 miles to the store. Naturally grown food
doesn't need gas and oil inputs from fertilizer and pesticides. We see it
beginning now. Local growers like us can benefit from it and provide
healthier and more affordable food items in our communities.
A Walla Walla Washington newspaper reports fuel and fertilizer prices are
close to pushing wheat farmers there out of business. from
http://www.union-bulletin.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSecti
onID=1&ArticleID=28443
"Over a relatively short period of time, fuel prices have tripled and the
cost of fertilizer has doubled. . . At the same time, the price for soft
white wheat, the type which accounts for 88 percent of the wheat grown in
Washington state, is hovering slightly above $3 a bushel, ``a 20-year low"
. . . The price for fertilizer, particularly anhydrous ammonia, which is
widely used by growers in this region, has also climbed. `Fertilizer prices
are almost double what they used to be...it's a pretty sad situation," said
Jack DeWitt, past president of the Washington Wheat Growers Association. .
. His son, Jay DeWitt, voiced similar concerns. ``I guess the worst part
of the problem for me is the natural gas prices. Nitrogen fertilizer is my
number one expense item, and it's more than doubled over the past 30
months". . . For farmers who use anhydrous ammonia to fertilize their
fields, the reason behind the price increases lies in the price of natural
gas, which is used to make the fertilizer".

Also: Fertilizer Costs Soar; Farmers Face Tough Decisions http://farmweek.ilfb.org/viewdocument.asp?did=8379&drvid=105
&r=0.81831&r=0.6571924&r=0.7403986
"Farmers this fall will have to scrutinize their fertilizer purchases like
never before due to recent price hikes that have pushed the cost of
anhydrous ammonia to new highs. . . "Natural gas has been called the
forgotten fuel because so much attention is being placed on high gasoline
prices," said Jean-Mari Peltier, president of the National Council for
Farmer Cooperatives. "
-------------------------------

paul, NM tradingpost AT gilanet.com
http://medicinehill.net

The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all
our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to
foster its renewal is our only hope.
- Wendell Berry

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