The Rural Voice, 2000-02, Page 23time and semi -retired farmers.
Smaller growers feel threatened by
larger operations. People see big,
think bad, and people "see" water
quality with their nose. Consumers
are boggled with media filled with
health. environment, social impact,
and economic debates of large or
"intensive farms" and genetic
technologies used in agriculture. Are
these changes good or bad? It is safe
to say, nobody really knows.
primary producers of most
agricultural commodities do
not establish market prices.
They must accept the price they are
offered. Viable businesses are
maintained by controlling expenses.
Some farmers control costs by
blending the economies of scale and
vertical integration. Others subsidize
costs with off -farm income, or
established equity. Large farms are
the alternative to all producers
requiring off -farm income. The
idyllic, old-fashioned farmsteads of
the 1960s cannot afford university
education for the kids, provide a
retirement fund for mom and pop,
plus pay today's farm expenses. The
local grocery store, shoe store,
muffler shop, doctor's office and car
dealership are not small like they
were in the 1960s. We call them
modern, progressive and up -scale.
Why does society think it has the
right to tell farmers to farm in the
past?
I just spent two days at the
Southwest Ag Conference in
Ridgetown and three days at the
Michigan Agri -Business Conference
in Lansing. Corralled is how a lot of
farmers feel today. It doesn't matter
which side of the border you're on,
the opinion is the same. All farmers
are becoming very wary at being
herded into a corral. Pressured into
early orders and volume discounts.
Pressured into doing business with
only one company. Pressured into
accepting production contracts where
you accept all the risks, all the
manure, all the mortgages and a real
short cancellation notice. Production
contracts where you must guarantee
purity or risk forfeiture. Production
contracts where you must purchase
the seed, the fertilizer, the crop
protection chemicals, the custom
application, and the crop scouting, all
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FEBRUARY 2000 19