- Apr 19, 2009
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Quote:
I found the part of your statement that I've highlighted rather humorous.....since it seems the the "food inc" goupies are already thinking along those lines in that they know better than the families who have been doing it for many, many years how to farm and feed this nation and a good portion of the rest of the world. The way I see it they are the uneducated & ill-equiped group that wants to be in charge. I'm sure there are some that have some sort of ag background, but for the most part, that group seems to be made up of people who have never made their living or life from agriculture and have a "rose colored glasses" prospective of the whole thing. Are there things that need to be improved?....sure there are, but I'm really tired of people reading a book or seeing on a movie screen issues portrayed in a way to suit the writer or director's point of view and taking that as the gospel truth. "Facts" can be found to prove whatever viewpoint a person wants to put out there......doesn't mean it's the truth.
Well put, Katy. I dont believe anyone should talk down on a group until they've been in their position. If you've never raised livestock/crops for mass production, you dont realize all of the work put into it. You dont raise thousands upon thousands of chickens and then treat them like garbage like many people want you to believe. If you did that, you'd never get any to market & you'd be broke. I could ramble, but I have to go to a rehearsal dinner. Again, well said, Katy.
Well, the way I see it Respect Street runs both ways. If an agricultural model is to be formed that can benefit all members of it and the rifts in the ag community that are compounding daily are to be repaired it is going to require both the conventional and alternative agricultural supporters to come together and work collectively.
Are there sustainable and organic farmers and their supporters who are loathsome of conventional farmers, who let their tongues slip when they shouldn't? Sure. But they're far fewer and far less common than the conventional farmers who are taking aim at the other guys these days. Most members of the alternative movement whether farmers or just advocates are mindful of the work of farmers in general. In fact, much of the current literature and media on the subject makes a point to include at least a portion of the material covering the genuine difficulties facing American farmers of all sizes including how hard it is to make money.
For the first time since the WWII era the message is beginning to be something other than 'get big or get out' and that's scary for those that have spent much of their lives adjusting to dealing with that agricultural climate to begin with. But what's going on now is a good thing. If meaningful conversation is going to take place however, it's going to require alternative ag proponents to see the big farmer, not just his unsustainable tools of the trade. And just as much it's going to require the conventional farmer to see his alternative counterpart not as a threat, a "groupie", an uneducated, ill-equipped and rosy-colored glasses wearing enemy, but a farmer and an ally. Plain and simple.
I found the part of your statement that I've highlighted rather humorous.....since it seems the the "food inc" goupies are already thinking along those lines in that they know better than the families who have been doing it for many, many years how to farm and feed this nation and a good portion of the rest of the world. The way I see it they are the uneducated & ill-equiped group that wants to be in charge. I'm sure there are some that have some sort of ag background, but for the most part, that group seems to be made up of people who have never made their living or life from agriculture and have a "rose colored glasses" prospective of the whole thing. Are there things that need to be improved?....sure there are, but I'm really tired of people reading a book or seeing on a movie screen issues portrayed in a way to suit the writer or director's point of view and taking that as the gospel truth. "Facts" can be found to prove whatever viewpoint a person wants to put out there......doesn't mean it's the truth.
Well, the way I see it Respect Street runs both ways. If an agricultural model is to be formed that can benefit all members of it and the rifts in the ag community that are compounding daily are to be repaired it is going to require both the conventional and alternative agricultural supporters to come together and work collectively.
Are there sustainable and organic farmers and their supporters who are loathsome of conventional farmers, who let their tongues slip when they shouldn't? Sure. But they're far fewer and far less common than the conventional farmers who are taking aim at the other guys these days. Most members of the alternative movement whether farmers or just advocates are mindful of the work of farmers in general. In fact, much of the current literature and media on the subject makes a point to include at least a portion of the material covering the genuine difficulties facing American farmers of all sizes including how hard it is to make money.
For the first time since the WWII era the message is beginning to be something other than 'get big or get out' and that's scary for those that have spent much of their lives adjusting to dealing with that agricultural climate to begin with. But what's going on now is a good thing. If meaningful conversation is going to take place however, it's going to require alternative ag proponents to see the big farmer, not just his unsustainable tools of the trade. And just as much it's going to require the conventional farmer to see his alternative counterpart not as a threat, a "groupie", an uneducated, ill-equipped and rosy-colored glasses wearing enemy, but a farmer and an ally. Plain and simple.
