Small Farmers This is a short discussion on small farmers and farmers markets in the US.
This summer i learned that the small farmer is almost extinct. When i mentioned this to people they were not very interested or thought it was an exaggeration. After much probing i learned that few people knew anything about small farmers or could define one. Todays definition of a small farm seems to include anyone living in the country who grows something. It might be Christmas trees, flowers, rasberries, or whatever. Well... here are some facts. 1. Political polls have dropped the category of small farmer. 2. The biggest problem facing farmers markets is lack of farmers. Some farm markets can't find a single farmer. 3. A high percentage of todays small farmers hold down a second job and could not support themselves from farm income. 4. Older farmers tend to die eventually. New farmers have trouble buying the land and starting a farm. The surviving small farms tend to specialize in one crop and are run like a factory. They are usually large and involve a whole family. Often they import workers. Their biggest competitor is often crops from Mexico or Canada. The classical small diversified small farm with a few animals and food crops is gone. A few niches hang on by selling on roadside stands or through farmers markets but they are rare. What advice does a struggling farmer get? Ask the various agencies and you get the same message. "Work smarter and find a niche. Get the latest information, make a plan and market your product." HUMBUG!! This works till the niche gets taken over by a bigger farm. The experts then say "that is the system becoming more efficient and now the small operator needs to move on" They never mention that big farms have significant tax advantages and get payments from various programs. Is that the "system becoming more efficient"? We could talk about the impact of todays farms on the land and local wildlife, but that is depressing. We could talk about the quality of life on todays factory farm, but that is also a sad tale. Then there is the quality of todays food. The good news is that todays food is cheap and a few people a making good profits. My solution to all this is to start a farmers market and imitate the classical small farmer. It isn't profitable but our market is fun. We curse the bad weather and tell bad jokes. We get a glimpse of what community can be and wish the world was different. jeff PS. here is one definition of a small farmer. A small farmer works with a piece of land to support a family. The land includes a diverse set of crops to minimize risk and help provide food for the family. Most of the work is handled by the farmer. Know anyone who fits this definition?
