craig k harris
department of sociology
michigan state university
429b berkey hall
east lansing michigan 48824-1111
tel: 517-355-5048
fax: 517-432-2856
> ----------
> From: Mark Ritchie[SMTP:mritchie@iatp.org]
> Sent: Monday 9 August 1999 12:28 PM
> To: Harris, Craig; Paul Schmitmeyer; Sanet; 'Jim Worstell'
> Subject: RE: Future Generations of Family Farmers
>
> peanuts
> sugar
> some marketing orders
> tobacco
> a few dairy coops I think
>
>
>
>
> At 10:58 AM 8/9/99 -0400, Harris, Craig wrote:
> >jim,
> >could you say a little bit more about the "few supply management programs
> >left in the U.S." . . . perhaps a list or some brief description
> >thanks,
> >craig
> >
> >craig k harris
> >department of sociology
> >michigan state university
> >429b berkey hall
> >east lansing michigan 48824-1111
> >tel: 517-355-5048
> >fax: 517-432-2856
> >
> >
> >> ----------
> >> From: Jim Worstell[SMTP:jvworstell@futura.net]
> >> Sent: Monday 9 August 1999 10:23 AM
> >> To: Paul Schmitmeyer; Sanet
> >> Subject: Re: Future Generations of Family Farmers
> >>
> >> Paul et al.,
> >>
> >> You have one good point: most farmers like to farm, not worry about
> >> markets.
> >> And that's exactly why Barbara is right. The only type of government
> >> program which will help small and moderate sized family farms is some
> sort
> >> of supply management based on allotments attached to the land. In
> such
> >> programs, supply is managed so that farmers get a fair return, farmers
> >> don't
> >> have much worry about selling their crops, etc. and the taxpayers only
> >> have
> >> minor adminstrative costs
> >>
> >> The train wreck of present farm policy is resulting in a bipartisan
> $7-10
> >> billion giveaway this year after a record $6.4 billion giveaway last
> >> year.
> >> But the ag economists are so wedded to their faulty assumptions that
> they
> >> can't even see the cost of those assumptions, much less their effect on
> >> family farms and rural communities.
> >>
> >> The few supply management programs left in the U.S. are the only ones
> >> which
> >> have resulted in prosperous family farms and rural communities.
> >>
> >> Jim Worstell
> >> www.deltanetwork.org
> >>
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: Paul Schmitmeyer <ps@erinet.com>
> >> To: Sanet <sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu>
> >> Sent: Monday, August 09, 1999 7:14 AM
> >> Subject: Fw: Future Generations of Family Farmers
> >>
> >>
> >> > Hi all,
> >> > First off, you offer some very good points! There are some areas
> I
> >> would
> >> > like to offer my view points on. I have had some first hand
> experience
> >> in
> >> > direct sales, that is farmers to consumers. The problem is most
> farmers
> >> are
> >> > not good direct marketers. They aren't good at it and DON'T want to
> do
> >> it.
> >> > It's not part of their farming plan. Not to say you arn't right, it's
> >> just
> >> > that most people won't do it.
> >> > A note on dairying program like the one in Canada, most of them
> are
> >> not
> >> > happy at all with their program. They DO give up a lot of their
> freedom
> >> to
> >> > do what they do.
> >> > Go with God,
> >> > Smitty
> >> >
> >> > -----Original Message-----
> >> > From: Barbara R Buchmayer <organic-harvest@juno.com>
> >> > To: sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu <sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu>
> >> > Date: Sunday, August 08, 1999 7:36 PM
> >> > Subject: Future Generations of Family Farmers
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > >Dear Marian
> >> > >
> >> > >My view of where future farmers will come from is quite different
> >> from
> >> > >Ann Clark's.
> >> > >
> >> > >My husband and I have farmed for about 20 years, never quite
> >> conventional
> >> > >farmers more like lunatic fringe. We have known a lot of
> conventional
> >> > >family farmers and have seen some of them evolve into sustainable or
> >> > >organic farmers. We have also known and been friends with the "new
> >> > >"farmers, those that have chosen to farm but were not really raised
> on
> >> a
> >> > >farm or even in a rural area. In fact my husband is from a century
> >> farm
> >> > >and I was raised in the 5 acre suburbs, but I always knew I was to
> be a
> >> > >farmer.
> >> > >
> >> > >We have recently started bottling our organic milk and selling it in
> a
> >> > >metropolitan area. So after 20 years we have moved from intensive
> >> > >grazing on our dairy to not only being graziers but being organic
> and
> >> > >adding value as well.
> >> > >
> >> > >I believe the future family farmers will be four major groups,
> >> depending
> >> > >on how you define "family farmers". These groups being:
> traditional
> >> > >farmers that have evolved into direct marketers or value-adders or
> >> both;
> >> > >"new" farmers that are innovative but not terribly tied to the land;
> >> > >contract growers that really are surfs on their own farms for some
> >> large
> >> > >corporation; and large conventional farmers.
> >> > >
> >> > > 1) The strongest or toughest of these will be the farmers that
> >> > >have evolved or young farmers with traditional backgrounds that are
> >> > >drawn to sustainable farming as the only alternative they and the
> land
> >> > >can live with. These are the people who are committed to farming
> and
> >> > >will work their butts off because they can see no other meaningful
> use
> >> > >for their lives that can provide comparable satisfaction. These
> >> people
> >> > >know how to work and we are talking 80 hours a week as being nothing
> >> > >unusual. Some will evolve because they realize it is the right
> >> direction
> >> > >for them and others will be forced by finances to change or get out.
> >> > >
> >> > > 2) The "new" farmers will be around, from my experience about 5
> >> > >years before they realize they don't have the skills, money,
> commitment
> >> > >or whatever it does take to hang in there. They will add much depth
> >> and
> >> > >bring a lot of diversity to the farming community but in the end
> they
> >> > >really aren't committed to the land and will move on to greener
> >> pastures
> >> > >in other career areas. These are the ones that want to farm, have a
> >> lot
> >> > >to offer the ag community but really don't want to sacrifice too
> much.
> >> > >
> >> > > 3) The contract growers will survive on their farms but most of
> >> > >their freedom will have been taken from them in exchange for
> security.
> >> I
> >> > >don't have a clue how large this group will be but I doubt there
> will
> >> be
> >> > >very many "happy campers" among them.
> >> > >
> >> > > 4) Large conventional farmers will still be around. There seems
> >> > >to be no limit in size for these guys and yet they truly are family
> >> owned
> >> > >and managed farms. How many dairy cows can one farmer deal with?
> Ten
> >> ,
> >> > >twenty or maybe even thirty thousand. Its not for me but they are
> >> > >expanding every day with the only limits in sight being laws
> governing
> >> > >total numbers of animals per acre and "safe" manure disposal.
> >> > >
> >> > >Sadly, I don't see a lot of farmers able or willing to be direct
> >> > >marketers or value-adders or a lot of "new" farmers with the
> resources
> >> > >and desire to make a go of it. I would like to see lots of
> sustainable
> >> > >and organic farmers for the good of the land and future generations.
> >> > >
> >> > >I think if we really want to have lots of family farmers we would
> have
> >> to
> >> > >impose some type of quota system guaranteeing good prices for
> specific
> >> > >amounts of commodity with any overage selling at much lower market
> >> > >prices. Something similar to the dairy quotas in Canada with all
> the
> >> > >pros and cons inherent to a quota system. It boils down to: Are we
> >> > >willing to trade our freedom and independence for security?
> >> > >
> >> > >How far are we willing to go to preserve the family farm?
> >> > >
> >> > >Barb Buchmayer
> >> > >Green Hills Harvest
> >> > >organic-harvest@juno.com
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >___________________________________________________________________
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> Mark Ritchie, President
> Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
> 2105 First Ave. South
> Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404 USA
> 612-870-3400 (phone) 612-870-4846 (fax)
> mritchie@iatp.org www.iatp.org
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