Re: Sustainability, Year round production, and marketing

tom abeles (tabeles@tmn.com)
Fri, 12 Jun 1998 06:50:33 -0500

Greg & Lei Gunthorp wrote:
>
> Its beginning to become clear to me that the marketing of
> sustainable livestock production is going to take year around production.
-----------------------------------------------------
I would like to see more serious discussion of this issue. In very few
agricultural commodities is the US consumer interested in seasonal
production.
Can one just say to the consumer that they are going to have to go back
to seasonal variations for fresh or accept preserved (canned/frozen) at
the market or do it themselves, which is counter to what the consumer
wants?

But Greg and Lei's question goes even deeper since they want to narrow
their output even more because of lifestyle and cost considerations.
This means that another sustainable farmer, willing to produce the year
around will not only fill the void but potentially capture the market
because they represent a needed stable supply. Large farming operations
can now switch to sustainable and organic certified production and
continue to meet the year around market demands. In fact, certified
organic comes to the US from global production, today, often through
"fair trade" driven organizations.

Somewhere, it seems, that a person has to make decisions and trade offs-
Farming vs another occupation and seasonal production vs year around,
etc. The issue which Greg and Lei raise is the serious issue of whether
one who makes decisions to stay small and seasonal can then expect to
have the same life benefits of one who chooses a different path. That
could include giving up certain consumer amenities including, even, the
internet and urban style health care coverage-and therein lies the rub.

tom abeles

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