Want food raised the way you want it? Here's how.

[seedcorn]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080521.wxlplanting21/BNStory/lifeFoodWine/home

Good story out of Canada where people knew what they wanted and paid for it. If all they got for their $100 was 100 lbs. of wheat locally grown, that's a stiff price but they were willing to pay the farmer to grow it the consumer's way. That could be easily done here in USA as well.

 

[Katy]

I'll gladly grow and sell our wheat for a dollar a pound! $60 per bushel ?!?

 

[gumpsgirl]

This could easily be done, but would the government allow it is the question here? Our farmers would probably have to pay heavily (taxes) for growing the wheat or anything else we wanted. I actually remember seeing an article of some sort on here about how the government was controlling where wheat could be grown or something like that. Does anyone else remember seeing that article?

 

[fullhouse]

We are a member of a CSA, I don't see why we couldn't grow wheat!

 

[seedcorn]

Quote:
Farmers would pay huge taxes at $1/lb. for corn, soybeans or wheat.

No controls on crops unless you are being federally subsidized or it's an illegal crop.

Just goes to show, if you truly want it, you can have it if you are willing to pay for it.

 

[kstaven]

Think of it this way $7.00 and up for 5 lbs of flour or $100.00 for 100 lbs of fresh grain. I know the bakeries that are part of this venture are very happy to be onboard. The bakery here at the lake is part of this. Will mill onsite for their own use. So in the end it is cheaper to go this route than buy from the store. Great for regional marketing. The bakery here doesn't pay a bundle to get product shipped in this way. It is a win, win situation.

""Farmers would pay huge taxes at $1/lb. for corn, soybeans or wheat.""

They would pay huge taxes! They would also make HUGE profits that would actually make it profitable to farm. More custom cropping going on in Canada than many seem to realize. Personally I think it is great that small farms have found a way to make a decent buck.

 

[seedcorn]

Quote:
K, we are in AGREEMENT here. The idea of "farmer would pay huge taxes" is a GOOD thing. I was being sarcastic.

This is a all a good thing. I would support more people doing this. It's a win-win. Consumers gets what they want and farmers get to make a profit and the small farmer survives. Again, it starts with the CONSUMER being willing to pay for what they want.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
Farmers would pay huge taxes at $1/lb. for corn, soybeans or wheat.

No controls on crops unless you are being federally subsidized or it's an illegal crop.

Just goes to show, if you truly want it, you can have it if you are willing to pay for it.

I say lets do it then! It would help our economy locally by supporting those farmers. If the government couldn't control it, then hey! I'm all for it!

The food would be healthier and taste better too!

 

[Rosalind]

I would love to have grain CSAs! We've got veggies, fruit and meat around here, no grain.

Where I grew up, there was an antique historical water-mill, and you could buy stone-ground flours and grains in bulk that were ground by just the waterwheel power. The millstones were HUUUUUUUGE! and powered by this relatively small stream. Wish we had something like that around here, there are lots of rivers and streams, also lots and lots of support and grants for antique re-creations. One of the maritime museums in the state helps support its costs by selling goods that were traditionally shipped from overseas--spices, coffee, tea. Love going there to buy candy, coffee, tea, spices. It smells heavenly.

I was thinking of growing a smallish patch of grain next year. This year I'll have flour corn from the garden, but I accidentally failed to sufficiently compost some chicken litter that apparently contained rather a lot of scratch. So now one of my herb beds is a wheat bed...If I had a grinder, I'd give it a whirl and plant more, on purpose this time.

 

[seedcorn]

I wish some of you were in NE Indiana and we would set you up..........

for those that want grains grown a certain way and are willing to pay shipping, let us know and the farmers will fill your wishes.....