here Podcast #3: FFA, Farms, Farmers and Farming

03/08/62 🙂

This is definitely the most comprehensive and compelling 12 minutes of agrarian information I have ever heard.

WOW and thank YOU! I am energized…..

Farmers are some of the hardest working and least appreciated people I know. And I DO know them, they are my friends and co-workers. Co-workers, because many have been forced out of farming or they take part time work to help pay the bills. They constantly fight the weather, the bugs, the economy, and the ever-changing regulations to bring my (and your) food to the table. I may be a “city” girl, but I am proud to live and work in Iowa — a small part of this great country that was built on the strong backs of our farmers.

People today may not be suffering but think about your children, and grandchildren and their future to come. During my weekly grocery shopping it never fails to amaze me, walking in to the meat section I hear at least 3 complaints about the roasts being to expensive, or the chicken is over priced, then they throw the package back on the shelf and walk away with a gloom of disappointment. These are the people that really have no idea of what real life is, they don’t think about the work that goes it to getting the meat, fruits and vegetables on the shelves of our local grocery stores. Next time your doing your groceries and you look at the price of the package of chicken you want for supper on Sunday, think about the price of the feed, the time the farmer took to raise the chicken, the electricity that was run in the barn day and night to keep the chicks warm, the bedding for the chicken coup, the cost to have the chickens killed cleaned and packed…… etc. the price on the package of chicken doesn’t cover the cost the farmer paid out.

If everyone continues to live the way they are, soon there wont be enough farmers to provide our stores with what we need to live from day to day. by then it will be to late. i think its time we start taking in to consideration the long hours and hard work the farmer actually does.

I could go on and on and on, but instead I just want to send a special thanks out to all the farmers of today, its hard work, and a dirty job from time to time, but I’m happy the food on my table is grown or produced locally, cause I really don’t know if I would enjoy those eggs imported from China…

Dewar

Rather than not using the word “Farmer” to describe themselves, isn’t it more to the point to educate the public. And I don’t mean by talking AT them. Until I grew my own gardens and raised my own chickens (pets with benefits, we say around here), I probably didn’t have a clue about what was really involved in putting food on the table.

And I grew up in small towns, where growing a garden was a possibility, at least. But gone are the days when EVERYONE knew at least one serious farmer, and understood what it meant (if not personally, then at least by watching) to till a field, slaughter a pig, gather eggs.

My granddaughters haven’t a clue, and I’m not altogether sure that we can blame them, their parents, or PETA, for that.

Instead of focusing on recruiting Future Farmers from just kids who grew up on farms, maybe the FFA (at it now chooses to be known) should be thinking about recruiting some youngsters from small towns, suburbs and cities. Even if those kids don’t finally go into farming, they’ll have a much better idea of what goes into the meal on their table.

And, in the interest of full disclosure, I should say that I am one of those people who eat a mainly – gasp! – vegetarian diet. I still respect anyone who hasn’t made the same choice I have and all I hope for is that animals raised for meat be treated well and dispatched humanely. I’m not some crazy who thinks no animals should be killed – I just have certain spiritual beliefs about good and bad energy, and think that everyone is affected in a ripple effect when bad things are done.

I know that a lot of farmers DO treat their animals well – but, let’s face it, there’s some room for improvement, too. If farmers took the initiative to police their own ranks, those other “acronyms” wouldn’t have a leg to stand on. You’ve done shows in egg production facilities – do you think a battery hen is leading a good life? And you’ve worked at a hatchery – are the “boys” always dispatched humanely?

There’s nothing easy about this issue – but it’s good to know that you are here, starting the discussion. It’s always a pleasure to listen to you! Thanks!