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market-farming - Re: Organic industry vs. organic movement

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Subject: Market Farming

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  • From: "Rick Williams" <mrfarm AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Organic industry vs. organic movement
  • Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2002 23:26:23 -0500


Liz Pike wrote:
> You know, it just gripes my butt when words are put in my mouth. I never
> said, intimated or hinted at despising the FB. For your information, and
> since you seem to be so full of it, Rick, offices of the FB operate
> differently from state-to-state. It not only varies from state
> to state, it
> varies depending on what type of farmer you are or the region in which you
> farm. I've farmed in two different counties/regions here in NC,
> and let me
> tell you there's a world of difference within my own state. 99%
> of the jobs
> they do here in my present county are farm insurance, (and now they're
> getting ready to expand into financial & retirement services for
> the general
> public--they are "farm" in name only, oh, yeah, I almost forgot.
> Some people on this list love their FB, others have similar
> experiences
> to my own. It's different in other states, and has been discussed here ad
> nauseum.

You sound extremely unhappy about your FB in your area based upon the above
comments. So if really do not "intimate or hint at despising the FB" your
words seem to say the opposite.

The FB is not insurance. The insurance operation is a separate company that
is owned by the farmers who are members of the farm bureau. This is a
cooperative. Or are you saying that in your area the FB is some kind of
combined company? There are some rules on how the county and the state
cooperatives are formed in order for them to participate in the policy
decision-making process from the county level to the state level and to the
national level.

There was a farm family in the State of Washington who felt that the FB was
not the kind of organization that they would care for ... until they took me
up on it and went to a meeting and were surprised that the members were
actual farmers like themselves. They now need the political clout of the FB
for some serious issues that have come to the table. There really was no
other organization that could represent all the farmers in that area and
have political power. Realistically, FB has perhaps 80% of the farm
political power in the U.S. Even if you don't agree with the policy (and all
policy comes only from the grassroots membership input), that is what the
majority of farmers have decided at the current time.

From what I have repeatedly seen, the folks on the fringes, who do not agree
with FB policies, instead of being active with the organization and changing
policies, will make all kinds of claims about how the FB doesn't represent
farmers or as you have done, claim that the organization is insurance sales.
Please investigate the structure of the organization and see if that is
true. I bet you will find it separate, except that State President and some
district directors are also in control of the insurance portion and other
cooperative operations. Which is the way you would want it to be. This way
the farmers have the control over the business cooperative that they
collectively own.

Maybe your state or area is somehow operating contrary to most state farm
bureau's, but for anyone to EVER say that the FB does not represent their
farm members, there is some kind of disconnect on their knowledge of the
cooperative. Our FB at the county level represents whatever views the
majority want. Period. And same thing for state. I bet you have never been
involved have you, in order to make such statements? I have been a delegate
as well as a director and I can assure you that it can get VERY heated at
the state annual convention when we decide policy. Some of the votes were so
close they had to do a recount and the leadership was sometimes surprised
that the vote went opposite to what they might have expected. There is a lot
of different views on many subjects to deal with every year. Usually,
several dozen. And there are many hundreds of delegates, so please do not
misrepresent what is going on.

> Now that really gripes my butt. That's one thing you WON'T find on this
> list, is stagnation. We're the kings of adaptation. We're trying to keep
> up with the times without losing how we want to live. And for alot of us,
> that means choosing not to become larger (farmwise, not girthwise ; ))

I am not sure this was directed at any one person. But in order to try and
stop the direction of the economic forces you have to try and keep the
status quo. You can call it what you will, but that is reality. There are
times I would love to just be able to wave a magic wand and make it possible
for everyone who wants to farm at their comfort level, size, style, etc.
could do so and make a living at it. But it is just not possible. I am
basing my comments on the views expressed by several people here who lead me
to believe that they would go so far as to want to change the U.S.
Constitution in order to do this.

> We have 46 acres. Before that I had another farm that was 40
> acres. These
> are tiny farms compared to some, and large compared to others. I
> only chose
> to "market farm" 1/4 -3 1/2 acres, as many on this list do who may have
> access to many more acres. It's done for many reasons: labor, personal
> preference, market demands, etc. Some choose just to do produce,
> others add
> livestock. But we don't hold anything against someone who's
> farming larger
> amounts. More power to you.

Glad to hear it. You did not give me that impression when you said:
"> Rick, lest you forget, this is a list for market farmers, which means,
for
> the most part, we're SMALL farmers (small acreage, small output, small
> sales, etc as compared to larger farms). If some resentment
> towards larger
> farms shows up, it isn't sour grapes, just frustration. For whatever
> Robert's views, he's pointed out issues that concern us SMALL
> farmers, as we
> attempt to wedge ourselves into a piece of the market out there.

But small can mean different things to different people. The concept of
market farming to me is that you are direct oror otherwise marketing in some
way from your own farming operation.

> You've also generalized wrongly about list members. Not everyone here is
> organic, sustainable, political, "green", "small" acreage
> whatevers.

I understand that but the people who post to the list are the ones who set
the tone. So after a few weeks one starts to get a feel for the posters
world views.

> We've got everything from large farms (one that's a couple thousand acres
> that I know of) to list members who don't even have gardens.

I thought you had indicated small? even a section of land to most would be a
huge farm. But it could still be a market farm in my view. So that is why
size seemed less important than the approach one is taking.

Sincerely,

Rick Williams
Misty Ridge Farm
Dairy heifers and dairy beef graziers
Viroqua, WI

www.mistyridgefarm.com





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