Food Inc.

[domino7]

I watched it, but took it as mostly propaganda. I feel the same about overpopulation, and global warming. I would, however, love to be able to buy directly from local family farms. For the most part, it's just not possible.

 

[Teach97]

Well...I will be offended. I have run a large scale factory farm. I was manager of 50,000 feeder hogs. I had 50 barns at 5 sites with 5-7 employees. We worked our tails off to produce the most consistant, quality product we could. Would I have let you into my facility...NO! It is called bio-security. I don't know where you have been and what you might be carrying and as a proteective barrier to my animals you weren't going near them. They got quality food, clean water, and a properly controlled environment to ensure they gained to maximum efficiency. Did they romp and play in a field...no. Were they beaten and abused..NO! That would have been counter productive.

The "family farm" is a myth. My family was dependent on that farm for us to live...did I own it? NO. Did that make me less concerned? No. At the end of the day it doesn't matter what size facility something comes from...the goal is the same...is the product of a quality the consumer wants, is it consistently that, is it priced so they will buy it...all busineses must answer this size doesn't matter. Oly those that meet this requirements stay in business... Farms have gotten bigger because of technology. A large family isn't needed to run a farm and it takes too many acres to meet the needs of a family. Plus most farms see a benefit to incorporation...so "family farm" is a silly phrase to me.

Folks that took short-cuts and didn't do what was right quickly found new forms of employment.

And as far as being shut down...we had an out break on a farm. We traced the source of our outbreak. A section away a lady had some hogs she was raising in her backyard...they carried the virus that caused our problem. It was wind-borne and traveled to our facility. She couldn't figure out what had been wrong with her animals but didn't have the money to call the vet. And no...the wind patterns out here are very predictable...we keep records...the wind never went from us to her.

 

[theghostandmrchicken]

Quote:
I disagree!

The product that you sell and the famliy farmer sells is different.
Yes, you both sell meat, but since you ran a large scale factory farm I would say (logicaly guess) that you fed your pigs corn, and similiar corn type products. Yes, you still sold meat just like the family farmer does, but the biology and chemistry of the animals are completely different.
Your pigs, when slaughtered for meat, had traces of corn in them and then whatever germ or bacteria that trives on the taces of corn will overpopulate the meat. Whereas the family farmers pig (logically) has more of a variety of food to eat (since the family farmer has to have a variety of items to sell in order to make a living), thus conludes that whatever germ or bacteria that is on the meat has to fight other germ and bacteira just to survive.

In order to be a good and proficient farmer you need to know Chemistry, Advanced math (past Algebra II), Economics, and have the ability to learn from your mistakes.

Unfortunatly it sounds like you have made your living doing this without ever really relizing what you were really doing.
Mr. Masanobu Fukuoka-San

had a very similiar feeling.
I reccomend that you read his book. He get's very Philosophical on growing food for Reason, and why we do what we do. The One-Straw Revolution

 

[BarefootMom]

Quote:
the family farm is not a myth- our farm has been in our family for over 150 years- we have the documents to prove it. We have 350 acres and raise all of our own meat. We love our animals and aren't trying to make the big buck. We DO OWN our farm (obviously) and all the buildings on it. We work together and farm the land and ENJOY LIFE. We aren't organic not by any means, but we treat our animals fairly--they have acres to roam on. I feel sorry for you that you think that it is a myth and never got the joy of experiance. Yes most people on family farms have to have other jobs to survive, but not all of them. We only have about $1500 income monthly from an outside source (My DH works for the county road and bridge dept full time) But we are happy and love our life. We have 2 kids under the age of 5 that are well fed and taken care of. I am glad that they have not witnessed the CAFO's yet. Farming to them is watching the cows come up to eat and drink, baling hay, combine wheat and fescue, growing soybeans and corn, raising chickens-ducks-and rabbits; growing a HUGE garden and putting everything up for storage.

 

[Laurajean]

Quote:
I don't understand why you would be offended at a comment that apparently does not apply to you? If you don't fall within the aforementioned complaints, why be offended?

Also, my father's going to be heartbroken when I tell him that family farms are a "myth". I wonder what he'll say when I tell him that his livelihood for the last 40 years has been nothing but a "silly myth". He seems to be doing pretty well, I don't think I'll mention that and ruin his delusions.

 

[little_grey_bantam]

Noooooooooooo Not Algebra II ::runs screaming::

LOL

 

[Katy]

I don't think the family farm is a myth but what most people who have no connection to ag think of as a family farm is. In this day and age it doesn't make any difference if you farm 200 acres or 2000 acres, have 20 cows or 20,000 on feed...it is a business and if you don't treat it as such you will soon be bankrupt and be looking elsewhere for employment. I don't think what most off-farm people think of as a family farm has ever really existed. I've seen too many people in my lifetime who think it is an idealic way of life when in reality it is has always been one of the most dangerous and uncertain ways to make your living. There are very few other jobs where you work the hours we do for as little per hour as most farmers and ranchers do. That said, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Confined animal feeding orperation (CAFOs)is the correct term....there is no such thing as a factory farm. That is a phrase coined by people who want all large operations looked upon as evil, which they are not.

We have what I would consider a family farm, about 1000 acres which is really fairly small in this day and age in our area. It has been in our family since the early 1880s.

Many CAFOs are also owned by and run by families......so technically they are also family farms.....just on a larger scale and with more employees.

 

[PineappleMama]

Yeah my kids, 12 and 8, cannot stomach the thought of McD's now... weren't HUGE fans before but now they can't even imagine going there. Prolly the reason my mom, sis, etc refuse to watch it.

 

[Teach97]

education - BS animal science production industry option Texas A&M
BS agriculture education minors in Biology and agronomy Oklahoma Panhandle State university
Masters of education School Counseling South Western Oklahoma State University

Yup...think I covered the education part

LauraJean - you said what I did (and the company my wife still works for) is not a "farm" You did go on to say that there were some that were good but for the most part what you wrote was that factory farms were less. That would be offensive...does it make me want to go cry...nope...didn't even raise a hackle. But it did seem to put down an industry that employs many people...by the way...for those looking for a job there are openings

barefootmom - Glad to hear your family farm has been in the family for 150 yrs...in-law's has been going for about 125...they have a big plague at the entrance certified by the State of Texas!...it wouldn't support any of us in its original form...nice hobby...pays for a vacation...but wouldn't buy homes, cars, education, and all that...now add on several other neighbor farms (which has been done) integrate some modern practices...still not something I would want to expect to support me 100% but fun to be around. I have plowed more acres than I care to count, pulled calves, pigs, and other critters, helped calves drink and treated cows with mastitis, I have hauled hay from first light till pick-up light, sat a horse waiting for dogs to bring calves out of the brush and herded them to the sorting pens...I have not missed anything...and still do it on a regular basis. My boys can move cattle through a chute with ease and efficency...they have even doctored a duck with a broke leg on their own...feel no sorrow for me! Heck me and the boys make a pretty good team driving grain in from the fields (great navigators and runners of paper work)

Katy probably puts it in the best way...when the land were I live was first plowed a section was alot of work for one family...as technology has increased he was able to take on more land...profit and a better life drove him. We have several families that farm and operate so called family farms...but they are not 350 acre operations or even section operations...you must have several thousand acres to make it. Most do several different things....couple crops, cattle, etc...some also run other businesses...hunting, tax services, etc. But they are far removed from the family farm that was here 100 yrs ago. the idealic life doesn't exist. I will bow to yours being a better explanation...thus why I don't have degrees in English...although i took enough of them...

as far as biology and chemistry being different...well...you can win on that one cuz...well...my nanna warned me about folks

 

[PineappleMama]

Quote:
Don't have a thought about anything else in your post Teach, but when I saw that phrase I immediately thought of Polyface Farms (minus the meaties that're cornish X of course)... if you haven't snooped that then you should, it's a really interesting farm. Joel is in Food Inc, and it's their farm that Michael Pollen visits in Omnivore's Dilemma which is also very much worth the effort. I was lucky enough to get that book and Food Inc for Christmas.