Iowa.
2300 miles down, 1000 to go on the Mad Inspection Tour. 25% increase overall
in new farmer applicants and a dearth of inspectors has stretched the organic
certification trade to the limit. Midnight oil time, and "was that third
gravel from the IBP plant or the second?"
Oh, but these farmers are the real deal. I will have seen 12,000 acres by the
time I am done, and such genuine and honest folk need every bit of help we
can throw their way. No kidding here, SANET. This is the day to figure out how
to keep these soil experts at home, in community.
Hog rumors:
Go get 'em for free in Arkansas.
The Swine Lock-ups are euthanising to bring the price up.
Why in the hell does the supermarket still charge 2.39 for pork chops when you
can buy whole sows for $15/hwt?
The Pork Barons will be first in line for the federal money.
The 140 million bushel overstatement on soybeans ( fewer beans than estimated)
shot the price back up, and now its in the $5.80 range. Hogs followed suit,
but they are still 30 dollars cheaper than it takes to raise them. My take is
that USDA said:" Report soybeans short. These people are going down in
flames."
Oh yeah, and as for that report on the "producers" wanting the foreign labor
restrictions lifted: The townships in Iowa are crumbling down, and the new
villages being built are trailer parks in the shadow of the packing plant. The
demographics are simple: Just count the new restraunts on Main Street called "
Guadalajara" and multiply by 50.
No jingoistic kneejerking here. Its the result of a long slide towards rural
mediocrity. You get rid of all the family farmers ( through environmental
variances and tax breaks) and when there is no one left to handle the hogs,
what else to do but import labor?
Why these people don't blockade I-35 is beyond me. From border to border
farmers and ranchers are getting hammered, and their leaders just say that
they wish that the Freedom to Farm act had been fully implemented.
Hello?
Freedom to Farm brought them to this disaster.
Even 2000 acres of beans will not cut it today.
Steve Sprinkel
Crossing the Des Moines River
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