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From our farmers
Feb. 5th, 2011 08:51 amSome fascinating stuff in here from the farmers we buy our meat CSA from:
Winter is a time when we actually have a bit of a chance to catch up on reading –farm and food policy is a favorite topic – Acres Magazine, the Weekly Market Report (NH Dept of Ags weekly paper) Lancaster Farmer, Country Folk and Farming are a few of the publications Rich and I enjoy. A few interesting news items;
Food Safety Bill: (Or Now you can eat again!! The government is here to help!!): As many of you know, the Food Safety Bill did finally pass Congress in December, at the end of a very convoluted political process. The bill was originally designed to address the Food Safety concerns from the Wright County Egg facility that generated the huge egg recall last summer and the peanut crisis of a year ago. The bill does give the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) mandatory recall and direct the agency to inspect facilities at least once every five years. However, it does not address the underlying cause of food-borne illnesses; namely CAFO’s and industrialized practices of corporate agriculture. Nor does the bill address the very cozy and continuing relationship between the FDA and corporate agriculture; witness Michael Taylor, current FDA food czar and past Monsanto executive.
The bill’s new requirements for producers are far more onerous for small scale producers. There are many more legal and paperwork requirements that have little to do with the actual act of farming and far more to do with generating paperwork for people in government offices to shuffle around. For example, a Hazard Analysis Plan must be written and submitted to the USDA. The bill imposes extensive new regulations on medium sized producers and empowers the FDA to administratively detain food on a much lower standard than was previously required. If the FDA has a question about contamination of a truckload of apples, it has the power to detain and destroy an entire truckload. For many mid-sized Northeast producers a full truck to Whole Foods may represent their entire annual profit.
On a positive note, the Tester Amendment was included in the final bill, much to the dismay of the large corporations. This allows small farmers who gross less then $500,000 AND who sell more than half their products directly to consumers or “qualified” retailers (in state or under 275 miles away) to be exempt from the produce safety standard and hazard analysis plans. Even with the Tester Amendment, The Food Safety Bill poses problems for the local foods movement. However, it does recognize that local food producers selling directly to consumers are different and should be regulated differently than corporate producers. We should all continue to be vigilant and thank Senator Tester for acknowledging that farmers are growing food, not commodities.
Wiki-Leaks and Farming – Really! Turns out that WikiLeaks supported the previously presumed close connection between our Diplomatic Corps and our Corporate Agriculture Barons. A confidential cable U.S. Diplomatic Cable released by WikiLeaks show that in 2007 the U.S. Ambassador to France state that the U.S. should encourage France to buy bio-tech (genetically engineered) seeds from the U.S. in order to obtain a foothold in the EU. This cable also recommended that if France failed to follow through on the purchase, the U.S. should retaliate by banning products from France. Other cables showed that diplomats put the same pressure on several African nations to buy the Monsanto seeds.
Corn Prices Killing Livestock Farmers: (Even us and we don’t feed corn!!) Corn Prices have skyrocketed (up 33% just since September of 2010) this fall putting the squeeze on livestock producers and dairy farmers. Dairy farmers are also feeling the pinch from declining milk prices – and have lost most of the gain they experienced in the last few years. The USDA noted that estimates for this past years corn crop has been reduced by 6.5 %. Corn futures are running above $6.00 per bushel compared with $4 just a year ago. It is projected that supplies will tighten even further with a strong export market and the demand for ethanol. In 2004, 12% of the U.S. corn crop was used to make ethanol, in 2007, 25% of all corn grown was used to make ethanol, by 2010 over 33% of the corn crop grown in the United States was used to make ethanol. Feedstuffs recently published an analysis showing that since 2005 when the government subsidies and protections for domestic ethanol production began, the price of feed grains has become directly influenced by the price of petroleum. “In effect,” the authors note, “By driving ethanol production with demand guarantees, biofuel policy has caused significant cost increases for all users of feed grains.”
The high demand and price for corn in good news in the mid-west where the majority of the nations corn farmers reside. Land prices for farmland are at all time highs and farmers out there are growing more corn; but fewer soybeans and wheat and other grains. The reduction in feed supply causes the cost of all livestock grains to spike. As feed prices continue to rise and squeeze margins for livestock farmers, more animals are culled. This reduced production causes the increase in price for replacement animals. As recently as last week, cattle that previously sold for under $1 per liveweight pound (usually a feeder cow weighing 350 to 500 lbs) were selling for $1.76 lb. Feeder piglets that sell for $50 to $60 are projected to be $98 each this spring. Given that we raise our own animals and our replacement animals, the spike in livestock is not a concern. However, the increase in grain is hard. Our hogs and chickens primarily eat grain, while our goats and sheep get very little in the summer and a bit more in the winter. Our cattle are 100% grass-fed (hay with molasses in the winter). Our hog grain prices have increased nearly 18% since September – so we will be watching the energy price-livestock grain prices closely.
Shareholder Question of the Month-What can I really DO to support local farms ??: Rich and I get lots of GREAT questions – most are about our farming practices, our animals, our slaughterhouses or is Ham Steak fully cooked??? (No – pan fry or bake low and slow to finish off!!) However, this month a wonderful CSA member emailed that one of his New Years Resolutions was to more fully support local food producers and farmers – what could he do that would make a difference?? I responded that Farmers Markets are a great direct link between producers and consumers. Farmers are there to sell products that they have raised or made. By attending and purchasing goods at local markets, consumers totally cut out the middle man and provide direct income to the farmer. The consumer is also able to speak directly with the farmer or friend/relative and learn more about how food is produced. However, farmers markets require organization, promotion, web site development, maintenance etc…. So the most direct and effective way to support local farmers is directly connecting with them!! If you have limited time and/or resources simply attend them when you can, if you have more time volunteer!! Join a market committee, promote the farmers market, help with website development, put up signs – anything to help people know that markets matter, local food is important and with support local farms will flourish!!
Chestnut Farms in Winter; Our animals are all surviving the snow. We have over 15 cow-calf pairs and the calves are the cutest little guys and gals. The run and jump in the snow and play with each other. Their mothers are like all moms – looking slightly askance and had enough of the snow already! The pigs are going a bit stir-crazy. Last Saturday we had a big barn break-out. A group of sows (barely pregnant) decided that they had had ENOUGH of being inside the barn. They broke out of their stalls and spent the day roaming the pasture in the sunshine and snow with the cows and calves. It was quite a sight and we had people stopping to take pictures. Our pigs were following the calves that were following the cows through the fields. Rich and I did not have the heart to make them go back in til it was dark. They have seemed content this week, so I think a day out did them well.
Our chickens are sick of the school buses, sick of the snow and sick of each other. They can go out each day and sometimes will spend a bit of time in the snow – but generally prefer the warm, dry of the bus. However, they are cranky and will pick on each other to relieve their boredom. Over the past month we have had three separate chickens spend a day or up to a week in our basement next to the woodstove to make sure they remain healthy and give them a break from being picked on. Our goats (that remain freezer-free) are well and waiting for green grass. Rich and I are staying warm and Sam is becoming adept at splitting and hauling wood. He is also learning to use a chain saw this year. A great skill for every 12 year old boy!
We do look so forward to connecting with you tomorrow. The long, dark winter nights and the solitude of the barn and the farm are both wonderful and isolating. We really enjoy our monthly sojourns to share distributions!! Thanks so much for supporting local farms!
Naturally yours
Kim and Rich
Chestnut Farms
www.chestnutfarms.org
Winter is a time when we actually have a bit of a chance to catch up on reading –farm and food policy is a favorite topic – Acres Magazine, the Weekly Market Report (NH Dept of Ags weekly paper) Lancaster Farmer, Country Folk and Farming are a few of the publications Rich and I enjoy. A few interesting news items;
Food Safety Bill: (Or Now you can eat again!! The government is here to help!!): As many of you know, the Food Safety Bill did finally pass Congress in December, at the end of a very convoluted political process. The bill was originally designed to address the Food Safety concerns from the Wright County Egg facility that generated the huge egg recall last summer and the peanut crisis of a year ago. The bill does give the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) mandatory recall and direct the agency to inspect facilities at least once every five years. However, it does not address the underlying cause of food-borne illnesses; namely CAFO’s and industrialized practices of corporate agriculture. Nor does the bill address the very cozy and continuing relationship between the FDA and corporate agriculture; witness Michael Taylor, current FDA food czar and past Monsanto executive.
The bill’s new requirements for producers are far more onerous for small scale producers. There are many more legal and paperwork requirements that have little to do with the actual act of farming and far more to do with generating paperwork for people in government offices to shuffle around. For example, a Hazard Analysis Plan must be written and submitted to the USDA. The bill imposes extensive new regulations on medium sized producers and empowers the FDA to administratively detain food on a much lower standard than was previously required. If the FDA has a question about contamination of a truckload of apples, it has the power to detain and destroy an entire truckload. For many mid-sized Northeast producers a full truck to Whole Foods may represent their entire annual profit.
On a positive note, the Tester Amendment was included in the final bill, much to the dismay of the large corporations. This allows small farmers who gross less then $500,000 AND who sell more than half their products directly to consumers or “qualified” retailers (in state or under 275 miles away) to be exempt from the produce safety standard and hazard analysis plans. Even with the Tester Amendment, The Food Safety Bill poses problems for the local foods movement. However, it does recognize that local food producers selling directly to consumers are different and should be regulated differently than corporate producers. We should all continue to be vigilant and thank Senator Tester for acknowledging that farmers are growing food, not commodities.
Wiki-Leaks and Farming – Really! Turns out that WikiLeaks supported the previously presumed close connection between our Diplomatic Corps and our Corporate Agriculture Barons. A confidential cable U.S. Diplomatic Cable released by WikiLeaks show that in 2007 the U.S. Ambassador to France state that the U.S. should encourage France to buy bio-tech (genetically engineered) seeds from the U.S. in order to obtain a foothold in the EU. This cable also recommended that if France failed to follow through on the purchase, the U.S. should retaliate by banning products from France. Other cables showed that diplomats put the same pressure on several African nations to buy the Monsanto seeds.
Corn Prices Killing Livestock Farmers: (Even us and we don’t feed corn!!) Corn Prices have skyrocketed (up 33% just since September of 2010) this fall putting the squeeze on livestock producers and dairy farmers. Dairy farmers are also feeling the pinch from declining milk prices – and have lost most of the gain they experienced in the last few years. The USDA noted that estimates for this past years corn crop has been reduced by 6.5 %. Corn futures are running above $6.00 per bushel compared with $4 just a year ago. It is projected that supplies will tighten even further with a strong export market and the demand for ethanol. In 2004, 12% of the U.S. corn crop was used to make ethanol, in 2007, 25% of all corn grown was used to make ethanol, by 2010 over 33% of the corn crop grown in the United States was used to make ethanol. Feedstuffs recently published an analysis showing that since 2005 when the government subsidies and protections for domestic ethanol production began, the price of feed grains has become directly influenced by the price of petroleum. “In effect,” the authors note, “By driving ethanol production with demand guarantees, biofuel policy has caused significant cost increases for all users of feed grains.”
The high demand and price for corn in good news in the mid-west where the majority of the nations corn farmers reside. Land prices for farmland are at all time highs and farmers out there are growing more corn; but fewer soybeans and wheat and other grains. The reduction in feed supply causes the cost of all livestock grains to spike. As feed prices continue to rise and squeeze margins for livestock farmers, more animals are culled. This reduced production causes the increase in price for replacement animals. As recently as last week, cattle that previously sold for under $1 per liveweight pound (usually a feeder cow weighing 350 to 500 lbs) were selling for $1.76 lb. Feeder piglets that sell for $50 to $60 are projected to be $98 each this spring. Given that we raise our own animals and our replacement animals, the spike in livestock is not a concern. However, the increase in grain is hard. Our hogs and chickens primarily eat grain, while our goats and sheep get very little in the summer and a bit more in the winter. Our cattle are 100% grass-fed (hay with molasses in the winter). Our hog grain prices have increased nearly 18% since September – so we will be watching the energy price-livestock grain prices closely.
Shareholder Question of the Month-What can I really DO to support local farms ??: Rich and I get lots of GREAT questions – most are about our farming practices, our animals, our slaughterhouses or is Ham Steak fully cooked??? (No – pan fry or bake low and slow to finish off!!) However, this month a wonderful CSA member emailed that one of his New Years Resolutions was to more fully support local food producers and farmers – what could he do that would make a difference?? I responded that Farmers Markets are a great direct link between producers and consumers. Farmers are there to sell products that they have raised or made. By attending and purchasing goods at local markets, consumers totally cut out the middle man and provide direct income to the farmer. The consumer is also able to speak directly with the farmer or friend/relative and learn more about how food is produced. However, farmers markets require organization, promotion, web site development, maintenance etc…. So the most direct and effective way to support local farmers is directly connecting with them!! If you have limited time and/or resources simply attend them when you can, if you have more time volunteer!! Join a market committee, promote the farmers market, help with website development, put up signs – anything to help people know that markets matter, local food is important and with support local farms will flourish!!
Chestnut Farms in Winter; Our animals are all surviving the snow. We have over 15 cow-calf pairs and the calves are the cutest little guys and gals. The run and jump in the snow and play with each other. Their mothers are like all moms – looking slightly askance and had enough of the snow already! The pigs are going a bit stir-crazy. Last Saturday we had a big barn break-out. A group of sows (barely pregnant) decided that they had had ENOUGH of being inside the barn. They broke out of their stalls and spent the day roaming the pasture in the sunshine and snow with the cows and calves. It was quite a sight and we had people stopping to take pictures. Our pigs were following the calves that were following the cows through the fields. Rich and I did not have the heart to make them go back in til it was dark. They have seemed content this week, so I think a day out did them well.
Our chickens are sick of the school buses, sick of the snow and sick of each other. They can go out each day and sometimes will spend a bit of time in the snow – but generally prefer the warm, dry of the bus. However, they are cranky and will pick on each other to relieve their boredom. Over the past month we have had three separate chickens spend a day or up to a week in our basement next to the woodstove to make sure they remain healthy and give them a break from being picked on. Our goats (that remain freezer-free) are well and waiting for green grass. Rich and I are staying warm and Sam is becoming adept at splitting and hauling wood. He is also learning to use a chain saw this year. A great skill for every 12 year old boy!
We do look so forward to connecting with you tomorrow. The long, dark winter nights and the solitude of the barn and the farm are both wonderful and isolating. We really enjoy our monthly sojourns to share distributions!! Thanks so much for supporting local farms!
Naturally yours
Kim and Rich
Chestnut Farms
www.chestnutfarms.org
