Hi I’m Mike.
Farmers and ranchers are in a business that
influences, even if you don’t realize it,
everyone.
In some shape or form.
But at the same time there is a disconnect
growing larger and larger by the day between
rural and urban communities and businesses,
leaving many farmers wondering if its even
worth it.
Today we take a look at what is happening
and how we can combat the issue and once again
care about agriculture on our Wyoming life.
Welcome back.
This week I've been doing alot of checking
cows.
It's calving season and I've spent alot of
time in this gator.
Just driving around and sometimes just sitting
and watching.
While I'm out here I get a chance to read
and catch up on some industry news and today
I figured I'd take advantage of a bit of a
lull and share with your what I've been reading
about.
I hope that this information resonates with
you a bit.
I hope you think about it and I hope you share
it.
Because for those of us that eat.
This is a big deal.
Cam Houle a dairy farmer said that farming
is the art of losing money while working 400
hours a month to feed people that think you
are trying to kill them.
Farming here in Northeast Wyoming means ranching,
and that might be were the problem begins.
If someone asked you to explain the difference
between a farm and ranch, would you be able
to tell them?
Some people use the terms farm and ranch interchangeably,
although there are specific differences, and
some view farming as wholesome, while ranching
may stir up images of outlaws, rustlers or
at the very least the slipshod cowboy.
And really, although they can be very different,
the products of both end up at your grocery
stores and eventually your dinner tables.
Both farms and ranches can be small or large
lots of land, but they all are tended to by
hard working individuals who care way more
than you may think.
I’ve heard it said that all ranches are
farms, but not all farms are ranches.
A farm is a term to describe a plot of land
that primarily focus on producing agriculture.
They can produce from food to fuel to raw
materials like cotton.
And although a farm is usually focused on
growing crops, diary farms, hog farms and
poultry farms are popular types as well.
Its been stated that farms are usually smaller
than ranches, but that doesn’t mean the
workload is any different, in fact a ranch
is just a specific type of farm, ranches usually
carry cattle or sheep and the primary focus
is the animals while at the same time farming
the natural or seeded grasses of the country
side to feed those animals.
So we go back and ask again, what’s the
difference between a farm and a ranch?
And I am going to go out on a limb and say,
there is no difference.
The goal of a farm or a ranch, 10 acres or
10 thousand is to provide for the masses,
to take on that responsibility, and to do
it safely.
In the 1890’s each farmer in the us grew
enough each year to feed on average 3 to 5
people, a hundred years later, in 1995 that
number had grown to each farmer feeding 128
people.
We went from 90% of the population living
on farms to one percent.
Today that number has grown even more, with
one US Farm annually feeding 165 people.
The global population is expected to increase
to 9.7 billion by 2050, which means that between
now and then, farmers are going to have to
grow about 70 percent more food than what
is now produced.
Food today that arrives at your dinner table
and your plate travels an average of 1500
miles, more than likely it was produced on
an industrial scale farm, in fact only 8 percent
of us farms, market food locally.
Corporations and industrial farms control
the global food system.
The five largest supermarket companies control
46% of all food sales, that means they can
take the risk and control the price and what
the farmer makes off his own product.
American farmers continue to produce more
and more food, but receive less and less of
each dollar spent at the retail level.
A recently the farmers share of the retail
food market has hit an all time low, according
to the USDA.
For every dollar consumers spend on food,
the farmer receives just 14 cents and shows
a decrease of 5 percent from last year.
Beef producers received less than 2 dollars
per pound last year for beef that costs an
average of 10 dollars at the grocery store
a 50% difference from only 4 years before.
Wheat farmers, 12 cents on a loaf of bread
that costs 3.49 a drop of 25%
and diary producers are receiving on average
1.34 from a 5$ gallon of milk, showing a loss
of 20% since 2014.
Food has become big business.
The rest of the cost the consumers are paying
goes for what is called cost beyond the gate.
Wages and material for production, processing,
marketing, transportation and distribution.
While the CEO’s of the largest retail supermarkets
make salaries of 10 to 20 million per year,
farmers and ranchers are finding themselves
struggling to deal with the stresses that
continue to lean on them.
From Antibiotics, to GMO’s to Hormones farmers
today are facing challenges when it comes
to selling their products that those back
in the 1800’s would have never dreamed of
all the while being pressured to produce more
with less.
Where is the breaking point?
When will the system collapse?
Because the course its on now will not sustain
the added stress.
There is a better way, and that is going to
come from the consumer, citizens and elected
officials, not powerful multinational corporations
taking control of trade policies, informing
the public where their food is grown and who
benefits.
We need to favor family owned sustainable
farms, fair prices and local food systems,
but its much easier said than done.
Country of origin labeling ensures that consumers
can make informed decisions about their food
purchases and help them support domestic producers
if they want to.
Bills that ensure farmers a fair price in
which taxpayers are not feeding a lopsided
subsidy system and good things like community
food projects such as farmers markets.
Programs like farmers markets and community
supported agriculture build local food systems
by purchasing products direct from local and
regional farmers and keep money circulating
in local communities.
In fact, one state’s agricultural agency,
Vermont, stated that if consumers shifted
just 10% of their food purchases to locally
grown food products, it would add more than
100 million dollars to the states economy.
USA today says that the average family of
4 spends nearly 800$ per month on groceries.,
if only 80$ of that was spent on the local
level, that could make a huge difference.
But lets be realistic, finding a local produce,
meat or milk supplier is hard.
It might mean an extra few minutes of your
time, or a little more in gas.
Plus you may not find what you are looking
for, our daughter Mackenzie is still looking
for the farmer that raises M&M’s and I doubt
she will ever find him.
Is it important to you, because I guarantee
its important to the farmer.
The food he strives to feed your family, is
the same he feeds his own.
He’s not out to kill you, in fact, he may
be the only one who is really looking out
for you.
Our local food business started small but
I am proud to say that we are part of the
8% of US farms that market locally, its not
easy but it is worth it.
Local sales buy our kids clothes, and put
money away for education and support everything
we do.
If you are producing and not selling locally,
I would encourage you to do so, even a small
percentage, because the benefits are amazing.
By selling locally, we set our prices, meet
the consumer face to face and build relationships
the build toward a healthier food system.
Thanks for coming along today and sharing
something that needs said.
We are all a part of a team that is important
to the health and stability of our nation.
From the teacher to the fireman to yes, the
farmer.
No one is more important than the other, but
take one away and the whole system suffers.
Please subscribe as we continue to explore
the ranch life and strive to bring those closer
to agriculture and the families behind it.
If you would like to know more, go to facebook,
and sign up for the group all things agriculture,
talk to the producers that make the food and
those that support industry, ask questions
and if you have answers, you can help others
learn.
Join us on Tuesday once again as calving continues,
we have a storm front moving in and that always
means that things are going to get very interesting
around here over the next week.
Until then have a great week and thanks for
joining us in our Wyoming life.
