The Juggernaut Continues...

[Up North]

Watching the 5 am John Phipps farm show this morning. John's analysis was that despite policymakers' efforts to steer legislation that would reverse the ongoing trend of fewer and larger U.S. farms, the policies have only accelerated and fueled the Juggernaut of expansion and consolidation.

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

And Crap like NAIS won't do anything to slow the "PROGRESS"

[muzzelloader]

As usual.."I'm From The Government And I'm Here To Help You "

[RobertRogers]

Yep. There is nothing in it for big politico's. The greasy palm gets fixed, or something like that.

[texican]

Economies of Scale are hard to beat... that and free water out west...

If your trying to feed your family and a few neighbors, small farms are great...

If your trying to feed a metropolis, mega farms are probably going to increase...

If you're a buyer, would you rather buy from a thousand different people, or three megafarms?

Personally, I like small... but if Large farms keep humans huddled together in urban prisons, I'm all for it....

[Beeman]

Originally Posted by Up North

Watching the 5 am John Phipps farm show this morning. John's analysis was that despite policymakers' efforts to steer legislation that would reverse the ongoing trend of fewer and larger U.S. farms, the policies have only accelerated and fueled the Juggernaut of expansion and consolidation.

I don't know what legislation they passed or proposed was that they thought would reverse the trend. Urban or rural area, it doesn't matter we're all now extremely dependent on large farms and processing plants.

Next step will be foreign frams and processing plants as land becomes more valuable.

Then What???

[Labrat407]

Originally Posted by Beeman

I don't know what legislation they passed or proposed was that they thought would reverse the trend. Urban or rural area, it doesn't matter we're all now extremely dependent on large farms and processing plants.

Next step will be foreign frams and processing plants as land becomes more valuable.

Then What???

PIGS IN SPAAACCCEEE!!!!! :1pig: :1pig: :1pig: :1pig:

Sorry as a long time Muppet fan I could not resist.

But I think there will become a market for Vat grown nutrients. It is either mass starvation and a destroyed environment, or an acceptance of alternative production for food stuff for the people in the city. The Rich and the small land owners will be able to afford or grow their own foods. It will become a luxury market.

[pancho]

Even the mega farms will some day loose out to farms in other countries. In Brazil a 100,000 acre farm is not uncommon. One employee for every 400 acres is common. Brazil will soon pass the U.S. in the production of soybeans, if it hasn't already. It is already the world's largest exporter of beef. Cargill, a Minnesota based company, is already in Brazil and is exporting over two million tons of soybeans.

[silentcrow]

Originally Posted by Beeman

Next step will be foreign farms and processing plants as land becomes more valuable.

Then What???

Soylent Green?????

[watcher]

Slowing this process would be like trying to slow the automation process in industry. Machines are cheaper then people (in the US) and it doesn't make sense to pay 100 people to grow/make something when you can do it with 10.

Also a large operation can sell for less because they can survive with a small profit per unit as they put out a huge number of units. Using hogs as an example I don't think a farm selling 100 hogs per year would last long if they only made $10 profit/hog. But if on the same land and with the same number of employees a farm can sell 100,000 hogs a year it can.

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

I'll continue to grow my own thank you!!!

I wonder how long it will take before it becomes illegal in all states as it already supposedly is in Florida to kill and process your own meat at your own home.

[bbbuddy]

Originally Posted by YuccaFlatsRanch

I'll continue to grow my own thank you!!!

I wonder how long it will take before it becomes illegal in all states as it already supposedly is in Florida to kill and process your own meat at your own home.

(Falls off chair) you're kidding right????????

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

NO I am not kidding. Was in the news somewhere the other day.

[Up North]

It is the loss of diversification.
It is the loss of livestock/crop rotation.
It is the loss of livestock doing the fertilization.
It is the loss of natural water purification.
It is the loss of rural socialization
It is the loss of family participation
It is a great loss to this nation.

Hmmn...Maybe I'll sell the farm and become a speechwriter for Jesse Jackson.

[RedHogs]

consilidation is often just capitalism.....just one man adjusting quicker than the competition....The buyers, have the right to buy from who they want....If one farm is more efficent and serves the need of the buyer he will get 1st service.

In My neck of the woods, I'm trying to work into an arrangement with a local buyer to provide a majority of his pork needs....This sausage plant is not super large but large enough.....It has for years purchased all the retired sows from the area... buying from 25+ farmers....

This past year 90% of the hog purchased have been from just two farms (Mine and another local farm).... I have had several lunches with the owner of the other farm providing hogs and we have worked out a month on month off plan to take 100% of the business....The plant owner is very pleased at the idea of a structured plan to provide consistent hogs.....A 12 month supply contract would mean being willing to lower the price of our hogs by 2 dollars per cwt.....

We would be on the hook for X number of hogs at a certain weight range.... The price would be a certain multiplier of the price of corn....so that both sides are getting a fair price.

If we enter into this plan for 2008, we will have effectively shut out 23 of our competitors...

My father made me get an Accounting Degree, I was kicking and Screaming the whole time...now I understand that farming is not about crops, animals, or rain
it's a very mean and competitive business....I am often sad when I see business minded farmers ridiculed because they went to college and not the rodeo.

[rambler]

Don't know of any 'real' ag legeslation that is aimed at keeping farms smaller in size. Govt is about 'helping some, and 'controling' others. It is what they are elected to do. Without that, we have chaos. With it, we have more & more & more controls. Darned if we do, darned if we don't.

So, anyhow, govt is about putting controls on things. They realized in the 60s that it would be easier to control 1 million farmers rather than 20 million.

As well, free market & capitolism _always_ rewards larger ecconomies of scale. Farmers are one of the last bunch to fall to that - we sacrafice our time & safety to some degree to outproduce mass production techniques in 'real farm' situations.

But, raising corn, beans, cattle, chickens, hogs in a capitolistic society is a commodity - people want to buy the cheapest, so we have to produce a bu of corn for less than the next farmer. Getting bigger is one way to make corn cheaper.

The only way to farm small is to produce something other than a bulk commodity. Specialty, direct sales, etc. However the govt wants to control, so they will put expensive controls on these small operations.

It will only get worse.

That is govt's job, after all.

Whatever your farming goals, understanding all this, and finding a way for your goals to work within this framework will get you ahead.

--->Paul

[Beeman]

You have to know the market they are selling to. Americans want cheap and they want quantity along with availability. Strawberries don't have to be good they just have to be on the shelf 365 days a year. Milk doesn't have to be fressh, it just has to have a long shelf life and be cheap. Bread doesn't have to be good or nutricious, it just has to look like bread and there has to be a lot of it and cheap.

If Americans had any culture concerning food the food supply would be drastically different. Instead American food culture is driven by TV and the latest bogus medical research.

[Up North]

Originally Posted by RedHogs

If we enter into this plan for 2008, we will have effectively shut out 23 of our competitors...

With amusement and a dash of humor - I am reminded of two Guppies who agree amongst themselves to equally share in swallowing up all the minnows. After the feast, they swim about smugly with full bellies and become complacent.
Then a big old Carp swallows both of the Guppies, LOL.

[milkinpigs]

Well Said, my friend. All the small towns in the Texas panhandle that wanted dairies to move in to keep the towns from dying have discovered that nobody is making that much more money......except the folks that sell money orders to send back to mexico. Instead of a 5000 cow dairy ,why not 25 family farms of 200 cows? Twenty five families to buy groceries and shoes ; to keep classrooms full as well as churches; all that keeps a community alive and growing.....

[slu]

Having watched the passing scene seriously for the last ten years and been exposed to it many years longer, I have long felt that the whole trend has been toward control.

As someone stated, it is easier to control several large corporations than hundreds or thousands of small businesses, farms included. Yes, the economy of large may be better, but....what becomes of national security issues with large, just to mention one? Want to shut down the country's food supply or totally control it? It becomes much easier with a few than with thousands.

Many small businesses in fully integrated and diversified communities, become harder to control than mono-cultures, purchasing at big-box stores owned by a few regional/ national sized businesses.