Disinformation

That's sad 2 generations who saw the damage but kept on going because they really thought it was right. Glad it stopped at your generation and that your kids will be better informed and start off on the right foot!

This same issue presents itself over and over in our culture. Big biz, via advertising agencies, creates and reinforces a sense of "need". It's how they get people to buy all the crap that they really don't want or need. Repeat any lie long enough and often enough and sooner or later it will become considered fact. Advertising 101. And when it comes to growing vegetables there are many myths and lies to be found.

We're doing all sorts of things here that should be downright impossible (if you listen to the so-called experts). Hell, we're practically violating the laws of physics. We grow open-pollinated plants with organic methods in the high desert of Arizona where the soil is all but dead and inert and the hot dry winds blow too often. Our plants don't look puny and pathetic. We're feeding ourselves and selling our surplus. We make a fair price on our veggies. We don't even use a tiller and we didn't have to go into debt.

Now it's fair to say that we're not supporting ourselves out of our garden and livestock -- yet. But we're definitely making a profit and, provided we can keep our expenses modest, I believe there will be a day (soon) when we could make most / all of our money needs via our small farm.

I have learned that it's best not to limit one's self to what others think possible. People have so many convoluted motivations for the things they say and believe. The only way to know anything for certain is to see and learn it for yourself.

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Patrick Harris
http://ByExample.com

Good point!

People around here tend to sniff at organic, so we avoid the word like a plague. Instead we use natural, grassfed, holistic, whatever... I believe strongly in sustainable farming, and do it primarily to show that it can indeed be done. Next year, we plan on getting a one-acre garden garden... Maybe I'll start with 1/4... Sounds more manageable.
The goats are cleaner and easier than a milk cow, and the sheep are "supposed" to be easier. They are, but to an extent. I believe in sustainable farming, because I believe in taking care of our land. I do not view our land as being owned by us, rather we are stewards, here to tend for it for another generation.

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I'm an environmentalist, left wing, Ron Paul loving Prius driver with a farm. If you have a problem with that, kindly go take a leap.

I studied ag at Penn State in the 70s. Organic farming was definitely considered a fringe. Thankfully, attitudes have changed: http://agsci.psu.edu/susag/newsletter

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Cindy in SW PA

I'm a firm believer in vertical integration, incontrolling as much of my sourcing, production and marketing as possible. I've done this with my previous businesses and do it with farming. This is why we raise our pigs breeding to finish, why we're building our own on-farm slaughterhouse and butcher shop, why we market direct to consumers, stores and restaurants and why we do our own delivery route. The wholesalers have repeatedly approached us about carrying our pastured pork but there's no reason to give them a cut. I would rather produce less and earn more.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project:
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/csa

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SugarMtnFarm.com -- Pastured Pigs, Poultry, Sheep, Dogs and Kids

I agree! Chemical free or sustainably grown seem to be the 2 newest words around here just because the USDA has pretty well sewn up the use of the word Organic. People are starting to figure out it doesn't necessarily mean much anymore too. One nice thing about farmer's markets is my customers all get to know me, ask me questions about my philosophy of farming and such. We are always happy to have people visit too.

That great!

Good to hear!

I wonder how much debt plays into these issues.

For example, highlands has a thriving business (nice website, too - great photos of the animals). I am not prying, and not expecting any specific answer from highlands, but I would bet that family farm has grown "organically" from a small start and without debt. This seems to be a theme for successful local producers.

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The three divine teachers of man: worldly calamity, bodily ailment, and unmerited enmity, and there is but through God alone a deliverance from them. Maine Farmer's Almanac

That's the way I see it also, times change and business either changes or fades into history. If farming isn't paying the bills then farmers need to evaluate how they can improve their operation to be more efficient or if that doesn't work maybe produce a different product. Nothing in this world is guaranteed, be it making a living off a small farm or going to medical school and making a living as a doctor, if the people are not willing to pay you what you want for what you produce you need to either find a different market or produce something else that you can make a living off of.

USDA would say that "Organic" is better now, now that the Consumer has a definition to trust--one that doesn't confuse things with discussions of soil ecology and concerns about energy inputs. But IMHO, USDA Organic has become yet another cog in the multinational Agribusiness model of quantity over quality, outsource to wherever costs are lower, and transport inputs and products across the globe if that's what it takes.
The part of the original organic movement that supported diversified family farms and local markets, has gained some respect but has a long way to go.

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Cindy in SW PA

My 2¢

Dollars. Sound business practices by big business. Capture market share.

Dollars. Keep money circulating. Everyone involved gets their portion.

Dollars. Keeps people working and paying taxes.

Peer pressure to keep up with the Jones'. Surely most know someone who is on the verge of bankruptcy, but they look good on their way to the poor house.

Public education. The teaching of being able to think for onesself went out the door 40 years ago.

Amen to that!

You mentioned in another thread that you have been able to farm full time without an outside job is there anything that you do differently that has made that possible?

Good question.

A short list. Wear ragged and threadbare clothes when working. Do without a lot of the things that are considered necessities by most. Use old and outdated machinery. Never hire someone to do something I can do myself, or it is something that is worth the cost of me not having to do it. Drive old vehicles. Have only purchased 1 new vehicle in my lifetime. Got tired of having to walk home.

Hmm sounds like we have the same philosophy on life....weird.....

Then they're doing it wrong. We work entirely on the farm. That's why we do it. We want to be here, working together and with our kids. It's a far better life than an office job, I get exercise which is better than a gym, our kids have a better life and we have better food - the reason we started farming. We happen to be very good at it so we produce a great deal more food than we need, enough to pay sell to our bills, the mortgage, buy a computer once in a while, buy the books we want, etc.

I've also done chemical engineering, am an inventor, mechanical engineer, programmer, had my own manufacturing companies, publishing company, written books, etc. Farming is like anything else, it is a business. If you're losing money at it then fix it or change jobs. It isn't for everyone. Of course, it could just be habit forming...

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project:
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/csa

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SugarMtnFarm.com -- Pastured Pigs, Poultry, Sheep, Dogs and Kids

Yes, we grew, and continue to grow, very carefully and slowly. We do use debt but carefully. It was worth it to use a loan to buy a tractor which saved us a tremendous amount of money from having to pay someone else to do work we could do. The savings almost paid for the tractor and gave us the tool that let us do other things.

There are ups and downs and false starts that aren't visible. We tried to make meat chickens work (3 times), sheep, etc. We couldn't make money with them. For us the pigs pay the bills and we're very good at them. For someone else with different skills, resources and markets something else would be the 'right' product. Maybe broccoli or beef.

The reason we're building our one on-farm USDA/State inspected slaughterhouse and butcher shop is that the costs we pay out just justify it, we need the security (they're vanishing) and we need the quality (big issue). It's a long process. We've spent 18 months apprenticing. We're doing all the construction ourselves which keeps the cost down. That makes it affordable. If we hired out the construction and hired employees then it wouldn't work. The irony is that it will take us almost the same time to do the work as to drive the pigs to the butcher and back each week. But again this works because of special factors that fit our situation. Might or might not work for someone else.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project:
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/csa

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SugarMtnFarm.com -- Pastured Pigs, Poultry, Sheep, Dogs and Kids