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  • From: "Bill Shoemaker" <wshoemak AT inil.com>
  • To: "market farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: college ag program competes with farmers
  • Date: Tue, 2 May 2000 15:36:12 -0500


Shame on them! As a Superintendent of a research farm I find it to be
thoughtless on their part to put together a program like that without
consulting with the local industry. Obviously they are competing unfairly
against you who are trying to make a living growing the same crops. I think
you should raise the issue in the local media and with local and state
politicians. That should get their attention.

Bill Shoemaker
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
Univ of Illinois - St Charles Hort Research Center


-----Original Message-----
From: Julie M. Willingham <farm2gates AT excite.com>
To: market farming <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Date: Tuesday, May 02, 2000 2:35 PM
Subject: college ag program competes with farmers


>
>I am preparing a response to the president, appropriate dean, and ag
program
>director of our local community college and could use some ideas.
>
>This program is provided equipment, supplies, seed, and technical
assistance
>by (conventional)industry, local megafarmers, and various state crop
>commissions. Students pay for classes where they plant, grow, and harvest
>the crops.
>
>Last year the ag director sold red potatoes at 8lbs/$1(!!!)and Yukon Golds
>at 4 lbs/$1 at our local farmers market where I was selling (trying to)
>organic potatoes at $1 per pound. (However they gave away 11,000 lbs of
>potatoes to local foodbanks, etc.)
>
>This year they are doing spuds again, but also plant to sell squash,
melons,
>tomatoes, corn, and other popular crops at 2 farmers markets. In addition,
>they want to expand their crop program to include asparagus, grapes,
>berries, and fruit trees. (And no, none of this is organic ag or even
>sustainable ag.)
>
>This has really made me mad, because I have just finished planting
>asparagus, grapes, and raspberries myself. My response is basically going
to
>be that the college receives its inputs for close to nothing, has students
>pay to do all the work, and doesn't have to pay any taxes of any kind. How
>can a farmer like me possibly compete? Especially when they sell their
crops
>for so little?
>
>I also believe that most state entities are prohibited by law from
competing
>with private enterprise.
>
>Please respond if you can help me with my argument against them.
>
>Julie M. Willingham
>The Farm of Two Gates
>zone 6b in the low, dry, hot part of Washington
>
>
>
>
>
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