Comments on: Small Farms

By: The Almond Doctor

The Almond Doctor — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:39:02 +0000

Rachel,
I respect and agree with your stance on the disappearance of the small farm. Ironically enough, in America, with a government that “supports small, family farms,” regulations that the government passes will be the end of small, marginally profitable (family) farms.

In California, everything is regulated – tractors must meet certain emission standards, chemicals can not be used if they emit too many volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), labor is becoming to scarce, expensive, and reliant upon our (hard working) Mexican neighbors, and paperwork must be filled out for just about every application of pesticides. Currently, the government wants to pass a cap and trade system which will undoubtedly raise the price of agricultural inputs. Granted, it is a noble attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but I am sure it will be the end of many small farms.

I can not say that we would be better off without regulations, because they have prevented damage and preserved our environment – but we need to understand what the consequences are when we enact a new piece of legislation.

America’s food producers: 2% of the population and still declining!

By: Judith Klinger, Aroma Cucina

Judith Klinger, Aroma Cucina — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:02:35 +0000

I’m wondering about the small wheat farms that surround us in Italy. I believe the system works there because many of the tractors are leased and because all of the wheat is combined and milled at the local ‘molino’. But you certainly have me wondering how the small Umbrian farmers are making a go of it.

By: Kay Curtis

Kay Curtis — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:03:54 +0000

People whose ancestors have lived in the city for several generations have no memory of why those earliest city dwellers left the family farm — could barely wait to leave the farm. Farm work, not hobby farming, is excruciatingly back and health breaking and stressful AND so uncertain as to outcome that people die quite young. Too much rain, not enough rain, hail storm the day before harvest, a wolf in the lambing shed and an infinite host of other catastrophes can make for a starving winter with NO recourse. In the city one can, at least, go dumpster diving as a last recourse.

By: Cindy

Cindy — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:22:45 +0000

I meant to say
good,” not “god,” but that’ll work, too.

By: Cindy

Cindy — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:22:15 +0000

Oh Rachel, god, hard-hitting post. I am going to send this post to my father, who’s a retired plant pathologist who did a lot of work on wheat and later on cacao. He’s always said that while it’s admirable that people would want to do organics and smaller farms, that’s there no way it’s going to be the norm.

By: maria

maria — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 07:21:24 +0000

part-time farmers (ie farmers who also held another job that provided them with their primary source of income) are on the wan in crete, greece.
with the rise in crop yield (it’s much easier to grow crops now than it was before), and hence the decrease in prices, even full-time farmers are having a hard-time making a profit.
the small farm has now practically become a hobby – it’s no longer affordable to be a profitable farmer on the island