Don't forget that most are onto to the above deceit and that in part is causing grain prices to fall. Low carb. intake is best.
Perhaps it is time for some to move away from grain production.
Posted on 07/20/2018 6:10:06 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
try looking at buying farm land in Montana/idaho/washington/oregon, wyoming etc...its astronomical.....
Don't forget that most are onto to the above deceit and that in part is causing grain prices to fall. Low carb. intake is best.
Perhaps it is time for some to move away from grain production.
We really need a new vision for farming. Instead of our major farms needing to be increasingly large to ship out low-margin crops worldwide, we would be much better off farming the diversity of higher-quality and higher-margin foods that our own market demands locally.
We also need to re-imagine our farming jobs to have more appeal for modern American workers. That increased diversity would go a long way toward enabling us to do that. E.g., we should fashion our to appeal to organic-style college students, complete with local universities offering semesters that work around the harvest season.
There should be far less food shipped across oceans in either direction. Time for a little localism and more care in what we are serving up to our fellow Americans.
Apparently you do need to expand. Your response offers no explanation why butter and cheese are so expensive when milk is cheap.
At Kansas State, in our Dept (Animal Sciences & Industry) rents 8 tractors (100 hp+) every year for all of our animal units.
The new contract (per hour) was raised to $32/hr vs the $8/hr we have paid the last 8.
The farm economy is depressed. No demand for low hour used tractors...
** 2,000 acres in Sterling, Kan**
Probably NEAR Sterling. Inside city limits Sterling probably doesn’t cover half that. My sister went to the college in that town almost 50 years ago. Looked at it on gugul erth and its size hasn’t changed much.
The American farmer just never dreamed that many nations around the world would catch up mechanically and scientifically. They can compete now.
They need to find a different crop to grow...like chick peas. Worth a small fortune.
And at the same time i hear of Farmers buying tractors that are remote controled which must cost a million dollars.
You can not get every thing done for you and expect to make a big income, you have to use a little muscle and do it yourself.
I told them not to plant corn for ethanol, did they listen?
The most successful small farmers I know of follow value added practices and sell direct to retail or retail themselves.
All local. One cattle place butchers, packages and freezes then sells direct out of their farm and distributes to local retail outlets and restaurants. “locally sourced and grass fed” brings a premium at those places.
Another farm bought a candy company’s building and equipment to make it’s own peanut candy bars.
And a few others open their own retail space to sell what they grow and retail produce from other local farms.
Anyway they do it they’re working their assess to the bone.
“This is what happens when the government interferes with [Insert Area of Unconstitutional Meddling Here].” :)
That food pyramid IS really out of date. I love pasta and bread, but ONE serving a WEEK is plenty, IMHO. More veggies and a few fruits. Lean meats that you fish or hunt yourself. ;)
“Perhaps it is time for some to move away from grain production.”
My answer? Grow Kale! Kale is in seemingly everything these days! You can’t escape it, LOL!
“There should be far less food shipped across oceans in either direction. Time for a little localism and more care in what we are serving up to our fellow Americans.”
I loved every word of your post! My thoughts, exactly. We can feed all Americans locally and more healthfully!
Here’s what each state grows. We really should treat our Agriculture like a HUGE CSA. And get Government out of it! (Total pipe dream, I know!)
https://www.jobmonkey.com/farming/state-top-crops/
Wisconsin is also tops in potatoes, carrots, onions, cranberries, apples, cherries and all kinds of artisan cheeses and craft beer, wine and spirits. We live like KINGS, I tells ya! KINGS! :)
That’s probably because I grew up on a farm myself!
And I will never, ever eat as well as I did then—fruits and veggies, dairy, eggs, meat (even smoked), etc., from the ol’ farm. (And even fresh seafood in appreciation from the hunters we allowed to keep the woodchuck count in control in our fields.) All sorts of baking, too.
Farms should be wonderful places to spend time, with as many of our older youth and younger adults putting some work time in on as possible.
Idaho and Washington far exceed WI in potato production.
Washington produces about 60% of the nations sweet cherries.
12 states produce more onions than Wisconsin. Georgia leads by a sizable margin. Washington,Idaho, and Oregon produce 3.45 Billion pounds. Wisconsin, a mere 73 million pounds.
I didn’t say we were first in production of any of those things; I was just listing other things that we grew.
I love the diversity of all of our states. Every state produces something good to eat.
I’m hungry! Where’s my dinner? LOL! :)
four LARGE fields on the way to work are all full of wheat this year and not the corn they have been for the past forever
I can offer no explanation for that, excepting the processor is actually able to pass on the increase of doing business. I was merely acknowledging the “cheap milk” as well as the ever shrinking margin for the dairy farm. As a side note, I run a retail produce farm...but I am still in touch with dairy as well as commodities.
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