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market-farming - Re: Making a living

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Subject: Market Farming

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  • From: "Jill Taylor Bussiere" <jdt AT itol.com>
  • To: "market farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Making a living
  • Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2001 08:56:24 -0600


Most of the farmers here - a large percentage - also work off the farm to
support their farming - major dairy farms, I am talking about.

Value added is a way to allow some people to continue to grow things and
make a living.

But we need, I think, while we are trying to find a way to make a living
and produce good food, to find a way to work together to change the economic
policies towards growers - to take the power back from the agribusiness
conglomerates that are controlling the market. Is there a nationwide
organization that we could work with? If not, should we not start one?

In addition to the livelihood issue of value-added, there is also the
issue of nutrition. Many of us grow some of the healthiest food around. It
is healthiest when it is fresh. The more we process it, the more nutrition
that is lost. It seems idiotic that this system forces us to add energy,
labor, and time in order to offer a product that has less nutrition, in
order to make a living. Something is majorly wrong with this picture.

I know that those of us who live in northern climates need to eat
processed foods in order to eat in the winter - or at least need to learn
how to store vegetables conducive to lasting through the winter, and I know
some foods will not have useable nutrients until processed (dried soybeans,
etc), so I am not trying to say that all processed foods are bad. I am just
trying to look at this whole system, at a time when the earth demands less
energy use, and less packaging.

Jill

> Dear Crystal and list, I don't think your message sounds negative but
> realistic. When we began to plan running a CSA my husband figured he
could
> quit his job in 2002 when our youngest graduates high school. Well that
> appears not to be realistic and I know it frustrates him, its just as you
> said, if he quit he'd have more time to farm and that would increase farm
> income but and this is a big but health insurance. With a regular job
> health insurance is easy not so easy (although I know available) for the
> self employed, plus of course liability insurance. Then there is the
> youngest going to college. I read somewhere that most a big % of all
> Massachusetts farmers (we are neighbors) have a "regular job" income, in
> some instances its the spouse but the farm is not producing enough income.
> I don't know what the answer is keep looking for the niche, which is what
> the value added products are. I keep telling my husband success isn't
> instant I mean most of our area population doesn't even know there is a
farm
> in the area, so I think we have potential its finding the right mix of
> products, marketing, and working butt off to see what will be successful
$.
> Keep up the good work. Beth






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