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[bobf <bobford79 AT yahoo.com>]

In this am Washington Post, an article 'not' about big ag, but about regular 
small farms.  Soem stuff about USDA requirements like Lynn has mentioned.  
'has a couple of photo galleries at the link

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Old MacDonald Wouldn't Recognize This Farm

Bitten by Livestock Market, Owners Test Other Moneymaking Ideas


A Changing Farm

Farmers across the country struggle to revamp their business as the average 
cost of meat sinks below the climbing cost of raising an animal. In St. 
Mary's County farmer Jim Moore decreases the number of cattle in his heard 
and begins raising alpacas to sustain the crunch.


 By Jenna Johnson

Washington Post Staff Writer 

Saturday, January 3, 2009; Page B01 

Jim Moore has slowly sold off the animals that once made up his St. Mary's 
County farm. First went nearly all of his 30 hogs. Then, late last year, he 
got rid of 17 of his 30 cows. In their place are more than two dozen 
long-haired alpacas, reminders that difficult times have forced him and other 
livestock producers to adapt. 

The alpacas eat less than traditional farm animals, and their cashmere-like 
wool can be harvested without hauling them to a slaughterhouse. Moore escorts 
them to dog-show-like conventions, where the quality of their wool is judged. 

"Here I am, a big, burly farm boy, in the show ring with an alpaca," Moore 
said. "I get razzed pretty good by my friends." 

The economy and other factors have forced many livestock producers to 
virtually halt or dramatically refashion their operations. Nearly all of the 
few dozen producers in Southern Maryland have cut the number of animals they 
raise by at least half or gotten rid of their animals altogether, 
agricultural officials said. 

Last year, feed prices shot up, mostly because of new demand for corn and 
soybeans to produce ethanol. Record-high gas prices during the summer made a 
trip to a slaughterhouse more expensive. Drought drove up the price of hay 
and made it scarce until late summer. 

And after livestock producers invested more than usual in raising their 
animals, they were met with lower-than-usual prices at market. Not wanting to 
lose any more money, many turned their attention to other sources of income: 
greenhouse-grown vegetables, grain, specialty animals such as alpacas, 
agri-tourism or jobs off the farm. 

"It's economics 101," said Mike Russell, a St. Mary's soil conservation 
engineer who works closely with farmers and livestock producers. "They have 
no other choice. They weren't making any money. They are not out of the 
business completely, but as the economy changes, they are cutting back." 

It could be a while before the cost of raising animals evens out with the 
income that can be made by selling them. Adding to the problem: The recession 
has pushed many people to cut back on steak dinners, said Mike Brannon, 
director of operations at Roseda Beef, based north of Baltimore. Although 
Roseda did not cut back on production last year, the farm is considering 
doing so in 2009. 


"Everyone wants bargains right now," Brannon said. "Anytime you see something 
agricultural on sale, someone somewhere is losing money. And it's usually the 
farmer." 

In recent years, demand for locally raised meat has grown, driven by meat 
contamination scares, the trendiness of buying local and ethnic groups in 
search of mutton and goat meat. 

"Plus, there's the taste," said Donna Sasscer, St. Mary's agriculture and 
seafood development manager. "Once you've tasted local meat, you can taste 
the difference." 

But the logistics and expenses involved in raising animals for slaughter in 
Southern Maryland are daunting. Federal regulations require any meat that is 
to be sold to be processed in a facility certified by the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture. Maryland's few USDA-approved slaughterhouses are in the northern 
part of the state, and some producers find it easier to travel to 
Pennsylvania or Virginia. 



Producers who don't sell their meat to a wholesaler at the processing plant 
must transport it back to their farm and store it until they can sell it to a 
grocery store, restaurant or other buyer. 

Farmers sometimes attempt to sell an entire live animal directly to the end 
consumer. The buyer is then responsible for having the animal slaughtered and 
processed for personal use, losing the need for USDA inspection and 
increasing the number of available slaughterhouses. 

But, not surprisingly, finding a buyer interested in purchasing an entire cow 
-- or a group of friends willing to purchase one together -- is difficult. 

"If a cow was just New York strips, we would have no problem," said Brannon, 
whose company sells cuts to grocery stores, restaurants and individuals. 
"Today's consumer wants to buy what they want to buy when they want to buy 
it." 

For years, the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission has 
advocated for the creation of a USDA-certified processing plant in Southern 
Maryland, perhaps even a mobile one that could travel from farm to farm. But 
it has yet to find funding or adequate support for the project. 

The commission had been slated to receive grant money from the Maryland 
Cigarette Restitution Fund Program -- settlement money from tobacco companies 
-- to help livestock producers with smaller aspects of their operations, such 
as renting a refrigerator truck to haul meat. But that money was cut late 
last year, and the grants were canceled, said Christine L. Bergmark, the 
commission's director. 

Moore, the Bushwood resident now raising alpacas, said farmers have to adapt 
to the market and select crops or animals that can make their farms 
profitable. 

Moore also drives a dump truck and does excavation work, but he hopes that 
someday he and his wife can cut back on their jobs off the farm and live off 
money made selling alpaca fiber and baby alpacas to other farmers. They also 
hope to attract more tourists and school groups to their farm, an effort they 
began years ago. 


"We struggle every day to keep this farm going," he said. "I couldn't live on 
the [income from the] farm alone. Would be nice, but can't. Not yet." 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/02/AR2009010202260.html