This callused quote is attributed to the Secretary of Agriculture in the early seventies, Earl Butz. In almost prophetic accuracy, this has been exactly the result in agriculture over the last 50 years! Farms have been getting bigger and bigger ever since. This trend has been across all types of farms and all farm production. A jarring example is the change in the size of pig farms in Iowa, the nation's leading pork producer. In 1982 the average farm sold 486 market ready pigs per year, by 2017 that number had grown to 9600! Sticking with Iowa, in 2018 the average net income from farming activities was $48,700 but the average off farm income was $77,600. Sadly even with larger farms becoming the norm, more than half of the households' income is coming from off farm sources.

How to make a million as a farmer...

This is an old joke in farming circles. How to become a millionaire as a farmer? start with 2 million. Its not far from the truth. Sadly most farms will fail, its only a matter of time. With stagnant prices the only way to counter increasing cost of fuel, fertilizer, interest, labor, machinery, etc.., is to make more and more and more product as cheaply as possible. The smaller farms simply do not have the economies of scale to compete with larger farms. Think of the fish in a pond. Each fish is prey for a bigger one and so on. Just as the biggest fish in the pond feels it's safe..... wrong!! An eagle swoops in!!

Power to the people!!!!

Farms can not fix this situation on their own. Government isn't going to help, their misguided policies often only make situations worse. The real power for change is where it has always been, in the wallets and purses of the consumer. The choice of where you spend your money is the truest form of voting. The way you choose to spend that dollar can either support the "get big or get out" status quo or support a local, smaller scale model that is responsive to your preferences. The entire organic food movement was built by folks like yourself, supporting local growers offering products grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Look how far reaching the organic movement is now!!!!

Pay now or Pay later

The United States has the lowest per person food cost as a percentage of earnings and the highest per person medical cost of any of the wealthy countries in the world. The average American spends $7,317 dollars on groceries, dining out and food items. The average per person health care expenditure per year is $12,318. That is a jarring comparison!

There is a better way! Every item in our diet is an opportunity to make a better, healthier choice. Read labels, ask questions, demand answers! Whenever possible, buy from local growers that use methods and practices that are acceptable to you.

These healthier options may cost more today but what is the return on that investment in terms of better health and quality of life? Health, wellness and fitness are top priorities for us. They guide us in all the decisions we make in the way we operate our farm and the way we raise our animals. We raise the kind of food we want to feed our family without exception or compromise. Please reach out and ask us questions.