Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: corporations

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Willie McKemie <mckemie AT austinfarm.org>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT franklin.metalab.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: corporations
  • Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2002 09:49:19 -0500


> Anyone in south Texas? Any farmers wondering where all the irrigation water
> has gone. Mexican farmers want it to make their own profits. To hell with
> Texas agriculture, eh? With NAFTA we're flooded with their produce and at
> whose costs? Ours. Mexico can drain the Rio Grande and farms in south
> Texas will fold without irrigation. Who cares? It's profit but not for
> many south Texas farmers.

MY! but I'm feeling chatty this morning!
>
> Del Williams
> "Just one small market grower whose little farm goes up for sale next June.
> Not for lack of success at growing good produce. Lack of livable profit.
> I'm sure gonna miss it."
>
Sorry to hear it. There is a lot of optimism the first few years of
one's "market farming" career. One keeps looking for and expecting a
good year. I've been doing it about twenty years and am still looking
for a really good year! At income tax time, when all the expenses are
added up, the result is ALWAYS disappointing. My suppliers make money,
my labor makes some money, but there is never much left for me.

The problem, of course, is that our competitors produce food cheaper
than we can. I don't mean other local farmers; I mean the mechanized
and off-shore (low cost labor) competitors. "Organic" growers have
done a terrific job of creating a premium price and potentially
profitable niche; unfortunately that niche has grown to such a size
that it is attractive to both the US mechanized and the off-shore
producers. Should I make the assertion that the organic niche is based
on the un-supported contention that "organic" food is safer or more
healthy than other? No, maybe some other time. What is the answer?
->I<- don't have one. Other than selling the farm. If only I had
enough sense to do it sooner rather than later. But, I don't.

--
Willie Onward! Through the fog.
Are YOU an html abuser? http://www.expita.com/nomime.html
Linux system uptime 111 days 23 hours 52 minutes




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page