I read this while wearing my Trust Farms Not Pharma t-shirt so it goes without saying that I concur. It is more important than ever to support what remains of our local farmers and ranchers so I shop at farmers markets in the hopes that I can somehow make a small difference by giving them my money. Your cow, Sindy, is quite lovely. Thanks for sharing a photo of her.
Nice essay. There is no benefit to "rewilding" other than further consolidation of wealth into the hands of the already ultra-wealthy. I have written about rewilding a few months ago:
Driving through the once beautiful Catskills mountains in upstate New York you now see the de Giant whirling monsters trampling the once stunning landscape from before Binghamton to buffalo. It is a most hideous desecration of beauty. It is shameful to the generation we leave behind.
Appreciate your opinion and analysis, but I think we are in for less farming in America, with causes outside of “green” initiatives.
The truth is that US Ag policy, at least since the 1970s has actually been a tool of foreign policy and influence. A part of hollowing out of the American manufacturing base by intentionally exporting intellectual property and moving factories overseas was getting off the gold standard, the petrodollar and American commodity food production. Kissinger et al saw the changes coming from globalism and knew that the elites and American foreign policy projection could be increased by moving America into the “brave new economy” based on finance instead of real goods. Why would Americans work in factories when they could be the managers of the world? This proved to be a disastrous policy and caused the hollowing out of the middle class and the rust belt.
The USDA doesn’t care about anything except for creating a market for expensive machinery and for cheap commodity grains (John Deere, Tyson and Cargill are the main patrons of the USDA). Since the “green revolution” (Monsanto company propaganda) the USDA has told American farmers that they are “feeding the world” with their increased productivity (with declining profits per acre) but are actually just increasing the profits of the meat cartel (Tyson and Cargill) and ensuring cheap grains for USAID (CIA carveout) to destabilize poor countries by flooding their market with overseas grains which drive local farmers out of business and create violent political chaos based on famine (Sri Lanka, Sudan, West Africa, East Africa).
Unfortunately for us the “green revolution” of Monsanto has spread throughout the world and they are doing 300+ bushel corn in Pakistan, Argentina and Iran. But their equipment costs are 1/10th of Americans for the same 32 row combines. Because Europe and the US have very stringent diesel regs for ag tractors our equipment costs are literally an order of magnitude higher than someone buying Chinese equipment to farm the Argentinean Pampas. What does this mean in a globalized world? Americans will not be able to make any money farming conventionally. In a globalized marketplace there is no way that an American farmer can compete (the nature of Cargill’s business, who owns about 80% of grain processing, distribution and storage is to connect the lowest cost production to the highest cost consumer - this is why retail beef is at an all time high in the US but commodity input grains are at multi-decade lows). We will continue to have farmers be underwater on their mortgages because there is no way that they can climb out of debt by increasing volume, their expenses are too high. If you are a farmer you should think long and hard about getting out of the commodity volume market and move towards smaller acreage, higher value, more niche crops that you have more say in setting the price. Demand will increase for local meats and fruits and veggies, but anyone who is producing on contract will get squeezed harder and harder and I can promise you one thing: the USDA will not be there to help.
Brilliant summary. Kenya has apparently outlawed seed saving -- and you forgot Mexico, whose maize farmers displaced by NAFTA US GMO corn shifted to weed and poppies. But a global economy depends upon global security and economic stability -- the plan only works with a one-world government to impose totalitarian compliance, and what group of humans would ever acquiesce to such a dystopian enslavement?
Growing one's own food or having a secure supply is different from being commercially viable -- and you are absolutely correct about the USDA and the continuing negative pressures on farm productivity.... I have another book coming out that addresses many of these issues, and I hope to discuss some of the nuances of what you have written to improve my work....
I would like a food sovereignty bill passed, much like Maine's. And don't we have protection for farmland? I seem to recall that. But it could be an individual farm preserved as opposed to a statewide legislation.
I read this while wearing my Trust Farms Not Pharma t-shirt so it goes without saying that I concur. It is more important than ever to support what remains of our local farmers and ranchers so I shop at farmers markets in the hopes that I can somehow make a small difference by giving them my money. Your cow, Sindy, is quite lovely. Thanks for sharing a photo of her.
I hope to invest more time soon here sharing our sheep and cows with my readership.... :)
Stay tuned!
That would be so lovely and welcomed. Being with animals and in nature are my way of decompressing. Thank you!
Nice essay. There is no benefit to "rewilding" other than further consolidation of wealth into the hands of the already ultra-wealthy. I have written about rewilding a few months ago:
https://www.wildhorsewisdom.xyz/p/big-banks-net-zero-pledge?r=31a4ti&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Driving through the once beautiful Catskills mountains in upstate New York you now see the de Giant whirling monsters trampling the once stunning landscape from before Binghamton to buffalo. It is a most hideous desecration of beauty. It is shameful to the generation we leave behind.
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel *, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
Appreciate your opinion and analysis, but I think we are in for less farming in America, with causes outside of “green” initiatives.
The truth is that US Ag policy, at least since the 1970s has actually been a tool of foreign policy and influence. A part of hollowing out of the American manufacturing base by intentionally exporting intellectual property and moving factories overseas was getting off the gold standard, the petrodollar and American commodity food production. Kissinger et al saw the changes coming from globalism and knew that the elites and American foreign policy projection could be increased by moving America into the “brave new economy” based on finance instead of real goods. Why would Americans work in factories when they could be the managers of the world? This proved to be a disastrous policy and caused the hollowing out of the middle class and the rust belt.
The USDA doesn’t care about anything except for creating a market for expensive machinery and for cheap commodity grains (John Deere, Tyson and Cargill are the main patrons of the USDA). Since the “green revolution” (Monsanto company propaganda) the USDA has told American farmers that they are “feeding the world” with their increased productivity (with declining profits per acre) but are actually just increasing the profits of the meat cartel (Tyson and Cargill) and ensuring cheap grains for USAID (CIA carveout) to destabilize poor countries by flooding their market with overseas grains which drive local farmers out of business and create violent political chaos based on famine (Sri Lanka, Sudan, West Africa, East Africa).
Unfortunately for us the “green revolution” of Monsanto has spread throughout the world and they are doing 300+ bushel corn in Pakistan, Argentina and Iran. But their equipment costs are 1/10th of Americans for the same 32 row combines. Because Europe and the US have very stringent diesel regs for ag tractors our equipment costs are literally an order of magnitude higher than someone buying Chinese equipment to farm the Argentinean Pampas. What does this mean in a globalized world? Americans will not be able to make any money farming conventionally. In a globalized marketplace there is no way that an American farmer can compete (the nature of Cargill’s business, who owns about 80% of grain processing, distribution and storage is to connect the lowest cost production to the highest cost consumer - this is why retail beef is at an all time high in the US but commodity input grains are at multi-decade lows). We will continue to have farmers be underwater on their mortgages because there is no way that they can climb out of debt by increasing volume, their expenses are too high. If you are a farmer you should think long and hard about getting out of the commodity volume market and move towards smaller acreage, higher value, more niche crops that you have more say in setting the price. Demand will increase for local meats and fruits and veggies, but anyone who is producing on contract will get squeezed harder and harder and I can promise you one thing: the USDA will not be there to help.
Brilliant summary. Kenya has apparently outlawed seed saving -- and you forgot Mexico, whose maize farmers displaced by NAFTA US GMO corn shifted to weed and poppies. But a global economy depends upon global security and economic stability -- the plan only works with a one-world government to impose totalitarian compliance, and what group of humans would ever acquiesce to such a dystopian enslavement?
Growing one's own food or having a secure supply is different from being commercially viable -- and you are absolutely correct about the USDA and the continuing negative pressures on farm productivity.... I have another book coming out that addresses many of these issues, and I hope to discuss some of the nuances of what you have written to improve my work....
I would like a food sovereignty bill passed, much like Maine's. And don't we have protection for farmland? I seem to recall that. But it could be an individual farm preserved as opposed to a statewide legislation.