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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Corporate farms

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  • From: "Bruce & Joyce Caldwell" <thecaldwells@Access4Less.net>
  • To: <mrtejas@lycos.com>, "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc:
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Corporate farms
  • Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2003 15:29:25 -0600

>>The myth of the small farm died in the 1930s after tractors became widely
used. You might be suprised that the average farmer...<<

It isn't suprizing that most families don't have a cow these days. A good
milk cow will give gallons of milk daily, some over seven gallons a day.Not
many farms can use that much themselves, but it is almost totally illegal to
sell milk for human consumption. You are supposed to be certified, which
costs a bundle. Then there is the issue of working seven days a week while
the cows are lactating. Health maintenance expences, breeding fees... It is
expensive to mantain one cow, and not likely to be sustainable, let alone
profitable.

Can your own vegetables you say? It costs less to buy a can of most
vegetables than it costs to buy the rings for canning. Then there is the
equipment, the jars, and have you checked out the cost of fuel for the
stove? You can't compete with the commercial producers that way!

Personally, I would like ot produce all my own food, but you have to be
realistic about it, and few people today have the interest to resurect the
old ways, like root cellaring, cold frames, ice houses, etc.

Our government is doing all it can to support those big commercial farmers,
to the direct harm of the shall family farm. It isn't just about wages. Just
having to file farm taxes is a nightmare for an individual with a small farm
income. If the big guys had to spend a proprtionate amount of resources on
the paperwork, they might well go out of business too.

Joyce





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