craig k harris
dept of sociology
michigan state university
east lansing michigan 48824-1111
u.s.a.
t: 517-355-5048
f: 517-432-2856
> ----------
> From: Greg and Lei Gunthorp
> Sent: Sunday, December 28, 1997 12:59 PM
> To: sanet
> Subject: Dennis Avery Article on Confinement Hogs
>
> Whoa! Did Dennis Avery ever make some sweeping generalazations
> about confinement
> and pasture hog producers.
> It all comes down to his last paragraph. He states Iowa confinement
> swine farms project
> 18% returns on investment(12% if they have no use for the manure).
> Why didn't he find out
> a return on investment figure for pasture operations? It would have
> ruined his whole article.
> Pasture hog operations will at least double those confinement figures!
> They also don't smell.
> They don't pollute the environment if they are pasture
> operations(grass or legumes not bare
> dirt). He made a lot of statements describing outside operations.
> (Ones on bare dirt that never
> rotate pastures.)
> And pasture operations give economic power to independant farmers.
> Isn't that the true problem with low input farming? If managed
> properly it can be too profitable for agriculture? We apparently
> don't want farmers to make a decent living. We also apparantly don't
> want farming systems that
> have long term sustainability. My family will continue to raise pigs
> on pasture for at least another
> 50 years if we have a market.(And still basically the same size as
> when it started!) Tell me a
> confinement operation that can say that.
> Best wishes,
> Greg Gunthorp
> hey4hogs@kuntrynet.com
>
>
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