When people talk about local food and farmers there are certain things that come to mind. Farmer’s markets, organic, sustainable, restaurants who buy local, all natural or whole foods stores, and even urban farms. But what about farmer’s like me? Am I not local to my location? The problem is I don’t currently grow anything that goes to the local farmer’s markets, roadside stands, and so on.
Don’t get me wrong, these are all great things. Who doesn’t love picking up some fresh sweet corn in the summer, or going to the local berry patch? By all means go out and support these farmers, but don’t forget that farmers like me are local to somewhere as well. We’re not nameless, faceless corporations. We live in or near your communities and pay local, state, and federal taxes just like you. We also employ someone full-time. The vast majority of farms in the United States are family owned and operated, including mine.
We might be bigger than a lot of farms. In fact recent studies show my farm is in the top 6% of farms as far as sales go. But we are also smaller than a lot of farms. We’ve got a few neighbors that farm double or almost triple our 2300 acres, and they are family owned and operated just like us and the guy with the wagon full of sweet corn in the parking lot. Oh, and they employ more people than we do to cover those acres, so it’s not just our families who benefit from our operations.
If you buy this, you’re supporting me.
So where does Wal-Mart or any other big grocer come in? Well, the food in there didn’t come from thin air. It came from a farm of some type, which is local to somewhere. I’d even bet the food in a big box grocery store came from farms of all sizes and agronomic practices. The crops we grow on this farm end up in all kinds of places for different end users, but if you want a sure-fire way to support this farmer then look for that logo next time you’re shopping for popcorn.
What do think of me being a local farmer?
Great post Brian, many people just don’t seam to realize that ALL and I mean ALL of the food they eat and the cotton they use was grown by a farmer. Now you and I would much rather they buy food and fiber that was grown in the good ole USA, but EVERYTHING on the shelves was grown by a farmer somewhere. The only exception I can think of would be fish caught in the wild, but those folks are just like us farmers. Men and women working hard to provide for there family.
People complain about “Corporate Farms”; well my tiny farm in west Alabama is organized as a corporation, because thats what my CPA told me to do. (I won’t even get into how much of what I do is dictated by our overly complex tax code and lawsuit happy society) Does that make me one of these vilified “Corporate Farms”?
I am sure that fortune 500 companies own farm land and farm it. But the vast majority of farms around here are family operations, just like you. Most of them work large acreage – because they have to – to make a living. You can’t justify the cost of a cotton picker unless you work large acreage.
Any way this reply is getting a bit long winded (I think I have an idea for a new post!)
Thanks for your blog, I hope there are many non-farmers that read it and think about it.
Blessings
James
Love this post! I am partial to the local famers myself. My dad is one of the local farmers as well. Unfortunately most people don’t understand the local farmer. It breaks my heart to hear people spout off things that they don’t understand about the farming industry. Instead of arguing with those people (most of them just want to talk and not listen), my dad will smile a wry half smile and wink at me. We know the truth. I am glad that you are out there telling the real story, and that people are listening. I will definitely be buying some Pop Weaver popcorn the next time I make a purchase.
Appreciate the comment, Shannon. Good to know there are others like me out there!
I think you’re really not understanding why purchasing farm products from your literal local/regional area is so important. Speaking of Walmart and local food like you do is like saying, “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere!”
I understand that it takes all kinds of farmers and food choices to give people the best chance to choose the kinds of foods they’d like to eat. Farmers who make a living selling at markets, to local restaurants, etc are very important and provide a sense of community. I’m just taking a different view of what a local farmer could be.
I agree that the sense of community is important and just one of many benefits of local/regional farm economies. I’m just not buying that you can redefine “local” to mean something it’s not. If it’s local to somewhere, then that’s true and you have to stop there. But if it’s local to somewhere and then you truck it 1000 miles away to a grocery store, it’s no longer local by definition.
I’m not trying to make that leap. I’m only saying that all farms are important to their communities in different ways. There are some who may not realize that products from a big box store might come from a family owned and operated farm like mine. Thanks for your comments and perspective!
I guess your main intention was not clear to me in the post. I still think you might consider that shopping at Wal-Mart supports “a” local farmer, but not “your” local farmer. The distinction is very important and I still think using the term local to describe a family farm from 1000 miles away is a stretch, even if it is somehow “local” to where that farmer lives. Thanks for the replies!
I like that line of thought. A local farmer, just maybe not yours. I just want people to know that buying at big stores doesn’t have to mean the food there comes from a “factory farm.” In addition, I’m sure I’ll be eating sweet corn this summer from someone like the guy with the wagon full of it parked on Main Street.
Do you go to The West Lafayatte Wal Mart?
I went often when I was at Purdue.
This is fine and dandy unless you are trying to push some gmo crap down our throats. I find it offensive that gmo products are not forced to label it as such.
Well, Bob, our popcorn isn’t GMO. I’m not sure if there even is GMO popcorn available. On the other hand most of my field corn and all my soybeans have biotech traits.
Well its nice to hear that on your popcorn. But as for my meal corn and my soy products I do my absolute best to make sure they are organic or come from a source that I know.
You won’t get any complaint from me. My popcorn isn’t biotech, but we aren’t organic. What are your feelings on that?
As long as it isn’t gmo thats fine but when they start messing with the way god put it together they are creating poisons. If it is poisonous to insects or other plants it is poisonous to humans and livestock to some degree. I prefer natural pestisides but I understand the need when you are working on a large scale. But when farmers use gmo they are using something that hasn’t even been properly tested and there are links to neurological problems sterility problems and problems down to the genetic levels. so a farmer using gmo that is fed to livestock then to humans is no different than feeding it directly to the human.
Thanks for your input, Bob. So you aren’t necessarily looking to buy strictly organic rather you’d just prefer to avoid transgenic? I’d venture a guess you understand that many corn fields are planted that express Bt toxins thanks to biotech. The same insecticide used in organic production. But I think for someone like yourself the concern isn’t the chemical itself, but that the plant produces it. Am I close?
that is pretty much it. The thing with bio-tech is there intention is not always the outcome. by changing one thing they change a whole host of things in the plant. there is no testing or regulation to it we are the testing and regulation and I prefer not to be a guinea pig so I do my absolute best to regulate it out of my life.
Bob, what is your feeling about radiation induced gene expression modification being extensively used and accepted in certified ‘Organic” food/seeds/products?
It is not ‘GMO’, but it is used all the time in organic strain creation… and it definitely is never labeled. Ever eaten a ruby red grapefruit?
The use of radiation to cause trait changes in strains is like using a machine gun in the dark. compared to GM breeding techniques.
Shared on my facebook page. Great post. I farm 4000 acres and would probably be considered average size in my area. I don’t know of any farms in my area that aren’t family owned but most are corporations. Its funny how people seem to view incorporated farms as this factory farm with all robots and no humanity interaction. Thanks for agvocatiing
A corporation is just a piece of paperwork. We are not incorporated but if we set up a corporation tomorrow it’d still be the same family farm.