Liz *** wrote:

> Sorry Greg, the farmer is not getting the money. Just looked in the
> regional farm newspaper ( Capital Press based in Oregon) and the dairy
> farmers are getting $1.15 to $1.25 a gallon. There used to be 20 dairy
> farmers in Snohomish County just north of Seattle, now there are 2. Why?
> farming is no longer profitable, kids are no longer following in their
> parents foot steps. The average age of the family farmer is nearing
> retirement age.Those kids that want to farm can no longer afford the
> land. Too many environmental laws and urban sprawl are taking care of
> that. Unless you have been there , most people do not know that farming
> ,especially dairy farming can be pretty smelly. City slickers move to
> the country and then complain that their neighbors are causing odors or
> creating air pollution. Or just inconvenience the city slicker. Well
> farming is a 24/7 business. lots of hard work and in many cases now
> either the husband or the wife of a farm family work off the land to
> help support the farm. Taxes are unbearable, the local government would
> like you to divide your land up into 5 acre plots so some one can build
> a huge house on it and they can get the revenue, so they tax you like
> you have already done so. Locally 10 acres of land sells for $200,000
> or more. So, support your local farmer if you can, tell your grocer you
> would like local produce. If you would like in depth news of what it is
> like to farm in the real world subscribe to the Capital Press or your
> local farm newspaper and find out where your food really comes from.


I agree with all your points. I come from Western Illinois, where farmers
have taken a real beating in the last 20 or so years (in fact my dad had to
give up the farm in *1959*, working at J I Case or other farm implement
makers offered a better way of life for us; at one time our prosperous
extended family seemingly owned half the county...now there are not any
Morrow farmers left in the county..it's the same with other formerly
"prominent" families....). Used to be a lot of smaller farms that could
support a family, it's not so today. The area where I grew up is now fairly
poor and the population is declining. Young folks cannot afford to go into
farming (unless the family is rich). The middleman is making the money, not
the farmers for the most part....

Dairy farming was such a financial black hole that in the past year of so a
lot of dairy farmers simply gave up in protest, which is why milk and cheese
and such is so sky - high in price...

Adjusted for inflation, farmers in some cases are getting *less* per bushel
or acre or gallon or whatever than they were in the Depression.....

It is a sad reflection on rural life, but it's part of an overall greater
pattern in rural America - unless you are relatively well - connected you
just can't make a decent living (BUT WAIT! - that's true of the US in
general now, isn't it...!!!???)


> Well, it is time to get down off my soap box, the hubby is sleeping in
> this morning. We normally get up at 4AM and yes, he is the one who works
> off of our small farm. During the summer he gets home at 3:00PM and puts
> in another 5 hours of work. But today we will go to our local hometown
> country fair and see what our neighbors kids are doing in 4H and FFA and
> enjoy what rural living all about. Then we are off to the stock dog
> trials to see real working dogs in action. Nothing is more awesome than
> seeing a border collie working a herd of sheep. liz


County fairs are fun. And yeah, farming is HARD, HARD and backbreaking
work. How many times did the sows decide to give birth on a bitter cold New
Year's Eve when we just wanted ONE night to celebrate...Oy!

--
Best
Greg