I think the trouble with organic farming is the red tape. I know, a shocking response from team renegade. To have permission to label what you grow as organic requires farmers to wade through a lot of bureaucracy and expensive permits. Farmers then have to increase their prices to make up these ongoing expenses. These are just a few of the hidden fees behind the price of organic food that most people can't afford on a regular basis. And if people can't afford to buy what you're producing, how can you make a living?
Coming from a family of farmers, that article makes me sad. Although, I do recognize how expensive farming is to do. My uncles all have other jobs or businesses but they love farming. It's a lifestyle. All of my family that still farm together are so close with one another too.
Matt and I understand the struggle to start a farm. We've taken years to find affordable land and the expenses don't end there. We almost postponed having a family until we were set up but realized we might never have a family if we continued waiting.
I am hoping there is a movement afoot. That people are starting to understand CSA's and eating seasonally. That farmers can educate the masses to the benefits of locally grown food and supporting their home economies. That permaculture takes root and farmers can find methods of producing food without breaking the bank like most farmers are experiencing with traditional methods.
An additional side note, it's not just farmers struggling with this reality. Working for myself in graphic design and photography has been a constant struggle. Clients are always trying to pinch pennies and I am forced to work for low wages, or not at all. I had student loans following me around, and expensive gear to buy to run my business. And I'm sure there are more industries experiencing similar realities too. One has to wonder what's really going on. Why are so many business trying to operate on a shoestring budget? Why are consumers unable to afford locally grown and produced goods?
Thought provoking share! -Aimee
Aimee, thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. I always enjoy reading your insights. Two thoughts came to mind after reading your response. One is that the red tape and labeling ought to be put on big ag, whose methods are truly ethically questionable. The other is that organic farmers, rather than big ag, should receive subsidies instead of push back.
In regard to value/cost of food, this is another interesting issue. On the one hand, food has been made so cheap by mass production that it's difficult of us to pay more than what we're used to paying - especially if we are accustomed to budgeting based upon our wages/salary. To ask families to pay 2x more for food, while salary remains the same, seems unreasonable. On the other hand, if we look at it from the point of view of healthcare and the long-term cost of managing diabetes, obesity, heart attack, cancer, all which have been shown to directly correlate to the current diet/lifestyle, then the additional cost is actually unavoidable. Our healthcare system is another enormous financial beast - one I'd rather not feed.
On graphic design/photography...I know what you mean! Statistically, only 20% of new businesses succeed past their first year. According to that same article, the reason for such a low success rate is that most entrepreneurs underestimate the cost of running a business and the amount of time it takes to establish a customer base.
It seem to me that as we pose these questions and find ourselves banging our curious minds against the enormous walls of our system, we begin to see the many ways it prevents us from imagining anything different. And I think we must imagine as we are doing now and here so that something else can come to be.
I agree 100%. I am always perplexed as to why big ag is receiving subsidies, while organic farmers are being buried in paperwork. Especially when the government is often making statements about environmental accountability. They have no problem taxing us for the sake of the environment yet neglect to actually make intelligent changes to industrial practices. Instead of counting carbon particles, why are they encouraging something more useful like planting trees?
I understand budgeting all too well and asking people to pay more for their groceries when wages can't keep up with the ever increasing inflation is unfair. Some ask how I afford to shop at the farmers market but I often look for ugly produce because it's priced lower. Also, by shopping there often vendors want to reward my patronage by offering me better prices. We probably do spend more on our groceries if you include supplements but we figure we can either pay upfront and be healthy now, or pay later with declining health.
We might be dreamers but Matt and I really want to show people that sustainable agriculture is possible. We can work in harmony with the land, while staying fed and affordable. There seems to be an increasing number of permaculture farms and CSA's cropping up. Sustainability is the future and we want to be a part of the movement.
Cheers, Aimee