Sustainable swine production

marklsp@aol.com
Mon, 09 May 94 15:08:26 EDT

I am working with family farm livestock producers in the Midwest who are
dealing with the efforts of investors and agribusinesses in various states to
vertically integrate the swine industry. We are working on this issue on
several levels. I would be interested in hearing from sanetters about:
1) information on sustainable swine production -- journal or magazine
articles, researchers doing good work, farmers developing sustainable
practices;
2) environmental, social, and economic costs/risks with very large-scale
livestock confinement operations, such as those established in North
Carolina, and being established in northwest Missouri and Oklahoma. The Land
Stewardship Project, working with several other midwestern organizations, is
compiling information on environmental hazards of highly concentrated hog
production, and will be releasing a draft report in late summer.
3) Innovative marketing and local processing efforts linked to sustainable
rural development efforts. How are people addressing the economic
sustainability issue with regard to access to markets for livestock from
moderate-sized diversified farms?

Thanks in advance.

Mark Schultz
Land Stewardship Project
3724 12th Ave. So.
Minneapolis, MN 55407
ph (612)823-5221
e-mail: MarkLSP@aol.com