Choices farmers have to make, you chose

[journey11]

Came across this quote while I was mindlessly surfing at 3am. Thought it relevant, so I'll share.

"If you think organic food is expensive, have you priced cancer lately?" JOEL SALATIN

 

[wifezilla]

That is a good one

Here is another place that I find very inspirational...
http://www.pathtofreedom.com/about
They are harvesting up to 6,000 lbs harvest annually on 1/10 acre. Of course they are in California so they "cheat" a bit. Even if I could only do 1/4 of that, I would seriously dent the food bill.

 

[lu king]

Cheap food requires mass production so........

Do you want.....

--10# of insecticide/acre or RW technology?
--insecticide apply over the top of crops or Bt to stop corn borer? organic producers stopped farmers from using dry Bt
--RR technology where you use 1pt/acre or conventional crops where you will use gallons of herbicides------or let weeds go unchecked and have about 1/3 of a crop?
--use oil ran equipment or go back to horses?

Farmers are the healthiest people in world but because of the chemicals used, they have the highest cancer rates in the world. They prefer to NOT use chemicals.

OR, would you be happy to pay 3X more for your food and Ag goes back to 1950 type farming--used chems in 60's.

-----------------

I'll go with the natural way. Using insecticide is not for me. I would plant my own garden, but, if not that, would pay 3 X more for food.

Most Americans are not slim, and could lose some of the extra weight.

 

[lu king]

Came across this quote while I was mindlessly surfing at 3am. Thought it relevant, so I'll share.

"If you think organic food is expensive, have you priced cancer lately?" JOEL SALATIN

Been there done that.

 

[Jacobtaylar]

The farmers are also turning out to the indoor growing and slowly but surely they will know the benefits of the indoor hydroponics grow. This way as less chemicals are used so it will also decrease the chances of cancer to the farmers.

 

[RidgebackRanch]

We just picked up some hay from our "Hay Guy" and we always chat after loading. It is amazing all the decisions that go into every thing that they do. We chatting about the recent rains and how the season has progressed for the winter wheat crop, and about pulling a certain field and replanting grass and alfalfa.

I'm sure most city folk that don't understand where their food comes from think what farmers do is easy. Farmers are scientists, engineers, chemists and miracle workers in my opinion. And to think that their family depends on them making the right decision makes the whole process even more impressive, in my opinion.

Hats off to Americas' Farmers!

 

[ducks4you]

I'm sure most city folk that don't understand where their food comes from think what farmers do is easy. Farmers are scientists, engineers, chemists and miracle workers in my opinion. And to think that their family depends on them making the right decision makes the whole process even more impressive, in my opinion.

Hats off to Americas' Farmers!

I live adjacent to farm fields, in IL, north of where the glaciers stopped, where pretty much any seed you put into the ground (that doesn't get eaten by birds) will sprout.
Still, the farm soil is wearing out bc the farmers have stopped rotating their crops. It used to be, at LEAST, every other year, corn or soybeans. This is year #3 of corn behind me. It's NOT that the farmers here are greedy. Do a search here and on the I'Net about Monsanto and the seed companies who police their seeds so vigorously that the farmers are caught between a rock and a hard place about who they HAVE to buy from and what they NEED to plant in order to stay in business. The field behind me is owned by family who has since moved to Arizona, but pay the next guy over to do the work for them.
Farmers canNOT save their seeds and sell them in a Coop (or other) to others bc the litigation would put THEM out of business. So, they are held hostage.
It USED to be a 5 crop rotation, with Alfalfa right before corn bc alfalfa fixes nitrogen in the soil, and corn leaches more nutrients out than the other 4 crops do. RARELY do I see a local crop of wheat here anymore. The farm report is constantly talking about last year's, this year's and next year's YIELDS bc the famers HAVE to make/sell enough to stay in business. Wifezilla, we hear THIS as often as KOA talks about the water shortage, LOL!
Here's hoping a new President will repair the economy and we can start working on keeping our farms going and their fields fertile.

 

[seedcorn]

ducks4u, farmers don't have to buy from Monsanto, there are 4 other breeder companies in hybrid corn. They can also use open pollinated if they want to. Noone tells the farmer what to grow, he looks at what he can produce, what it will cost per unit, then what he can get paid per unit.

The reason farmers don't grow wheat is because it doesn't gross enough $$ to pay the bills.

No one develops a better mouse trap and then gives it away or allows it to be stolen.

Farmers are like every other business, make a profit or go under. For those that want them to grow certain crops or farm a certain way, be prepared to pay for it.