Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: Making a living

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Kevin Ancell" <kancell AT getonthe.net>
  • To: <jdt AT itol.com>
  • Subject: Re: Making a living
  • Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2001 08:21:14 -0600



----- Original Message -----
From: Jill Taylor Bussiere <jdt AT itol.com>
To: market farming <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2001 8:56 AM
Subject: Re: Making a living


> 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.

More importantly Value Added is a way to take your 2nd's or non-marketable
produce and turn it into something that is marketable such as salsa, bbq
sauce, jams and jellies.... Many times you can make more money by adding in
the exta labor than if you were sell a #1 quaility produce.


> 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?

While that is a noble cause you would just be spinning your wheels. Focusing
your time, money and energy into your own operation will produce more
results that will benifit YOU in the short and long term.

btw... I have a good friend that is in a big agribusiness (15,000 acres or
row crops and beef) and he marvels at the prices that I charge for the
things that I produce. It makes him want to set up a market farm and outlet.
The only thing that keeps him from selling fresh fruits and veggies is the
economies of scale. He makes a couple of million a year virtually tax free.


> 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.


Well it is a way to extend the season and allow people in the dead of winter
to enjoy a peach picked at the hieght of ripeness. This keeps people coming
to your market. Also it keeps you from tossing your hard work on the compost
pile when you can't sell it!!




>I am just
> trying to look at this whole system, at a time when the earth demands less
> energy use, and less packaging.

Well it is only going to get worse as population grows....








Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page