Blake Hurst is a farmer in Missouri…
I’m dozing, as I often do on airplanes but the guy behind me has been broadcasting nonstop for nearly three hours. I finally admit defeat and start some serious eavesdropping. He’s talking about food, damning farming, particularly livestock farming, compensating for his lack of knowledge with volume.
I’m so tired of people who wouldn’t visit a doctor who used a stethoscope instead of an MRI demanding that farmers like me use 1930s technology to raise food. Farming has always been messy and painful, and bloody and dirty. It still is.
But now we have to listen to self-appointed experts on airplanes frightening their seatmates about the profession I have practiced for more than 30 years. I’d had enough. I turned around and politely told the lecturer that he ought not believe everything he reads. He quieted and asked me what kind of farming I do. I told him, and when he asked if I used organic farming, I said no, and left it at that. I didn’t answer with the first thought that came to mind, which is simply this: I deal in the real world, not superstitions, and unless the consumer absolutely forces my hand, I am about as likely to adopt organic methods as the Wall Street Journal is to publish their next edition by setting the type by hand.
Required reading for all but those who spent the last 2 weeks on a combine.
Farming is no different from any other industry. It’s about getting things done. It would be nice if every farmer could afford to follow these so-called ethical guidelines, but we’d have food shortages in no time flat. Farmers are small business owners, just like I am. We don’t work for the good will, or some ideal. We follow the rules we’re presented, and try to be good corporate citzens.
I don’t get the same support when my industry has a rough patch, but that’s a subject for a different post.
One (very minor) complaint is that Mr Hurst refers to “making” Nitrogen, when he means “fixing” Nitrogen. I am sure he is aware of the difference, and this was just sloppy writing (or editing). Other than that little nit, a terrific article.
When someone asks if the farming you do is organic, the proper response is “Of course it is, I’m growing corn/wheat/cotton/cows/sheep, not steel bars.”
Pretty damn well written if you ask me. Yet another example of the “elites” not knowing what the hell they’re talking about.
When asked whether he was an organic farmer or not. he should have answered Yes as all grown food is organic.
Whenever I go to safeway and see organic carrots in the store I always ask the attendant for the In-Organic Carrots.
They always look at me a little stunned until I inform them that all carrots are organic.
When asked if he was an organic farmer he should have answered Yes as all grown food is organic.
Whenever I go to Safeway and see Organic carrots at twice the price I always ask the attendant where the In-Organic carrots are. The attendant always looks a little stunned until I inform him that all carrots are organic.
I hate it when the Greenies start making new definitions for common words.
If you don’t want to eat ‘industrial’ food laden with pesticides, herbicides, GMOs; meat loaded with growth hormones, antibiotics and other garbage, from animals encaged all their lives: there is a solution.
Grow/raise you own.
I only spent 5 days on a combine and I did read Hurst’s article. Hurst is bang on, but the Greenies would rather read the garbage their favourite eco-nut writes. The organic farms in my area produce less bushels per acre and at the same time have a lot more weeds that produce seeds that contaminate their non-organic neighbours fields.
Strange how our food is so “bad”, yet we live longer and healthier lives than ever before.
Many have died from “organic” tomatoes, spinach, ect., but not one person has died from genetically enhanced food. Not one !!
If it weren’t for the well kept, and clean, fields of neighbouring farms, these organic operations would be impossible to manage.
Those who tend to criticize agriculture tend to have no first-hand experience with it. I love when he says that of course farmers still have their connection to the land or they wouldn’t farm. Truth is that technology has made farming a business of small margins (unlike the companies they support) and in order to stay in positive territory you must, I repeat, must get larger and more technologically advanced. Our forefathers would have done the exact same under the same circumstances.
No one understands how farmers can accept payment that is the same per bushel of grain as in the 1920s and yet pay modern day costs to keep all of the seed companies, chemical companies, elevators, Wheat Board, shippers, railroads, maltsters, oil and gas companies, farm equipment dealerships, grain bin manufacturers, flour mills, livestock feed plants, auction markets, retailers, trucking industry, and all of the other middle men who make their money off of the farmers’ back. A side note: most farm chemical companies are owned by large pharmaceutical companies. It is only through the efforts of sheer willpower on the farmers’ parts and plant breeders that have increased yields so dramatically that farmers have managed to stay afloat thus far. Farmers are the most adaptable and ingenuitive of people and they will continue on through necessitated drive and discovery.
Farmers will find a way to feed the worlds’ population – there is no doubt in my mind.
The Farmer
The king may rule o’er land and sea,
The lord may live right royally,
The soldier ride in romp and pride,
The sailor roam o’er ocean wide,
But this or that, what’er befall,
The farmer, he must feed them all.
The writer thinks, the poet sings,
The craftsman follows wondrous things,
The doctor heals, the lawyer pleads,
But this or that, what’er befall,
The farmer, he must feed them all.
The merchant, he may buy or sell,
The teacher do his duty well,
The men may toil through busy days,
Or men may stroll through pleasant ways,
From king to beggar, what’er befall,
The farmer, he must feed them all.
The farmer’s trade is one of worth,
His pasture with the sky and earth,
His pasture with the sun and rain,
And no man loses for his gain,
And men may rise and men may fall,
But the farmer, he must feed them all.
God bless the man who sows the wheat,
Who finds us milk and fruit and meat,
May his purse be heavy, his heart be light,
His cattle and corn and all go right,
God bless the seed his hands let fall,
For the farmer, he must feed us all.
– Author Unknown
Whenever I’ve read criticism of farmers,it quickly becomes evident the author knows little about farming. And usually the loudest and most strident critics are the furthest removed from any real experience in agriculture.
I grew up in Manitoba,surrounded by farmers,went to school with their kids until THEY grew up and took over the family farms. They were honest,hard working,practical people, and ihmo are the type that made this Country great.
Funny how “city slickers” will denigrate the people who grow their food,and criticize everything they do,but the same people will believe every word a bitter,defeated ex-politician says about a fantastic theory that can’t be proven.
And one from which that ex stands to make billions.
I guess it all depends on who you trust.
We are the victims of our own success. The reason people rag on about genetic modification, factory farms, free-range farming, organic farming, “100-mile diets”, and so on, is because they can afford the luxury of stupidity.
In less-wealthy parts of the world, such fads get little attention because people need good food at low prices. They can’t afford rich people’s silliness.
An oil worker can provide fuel so you don’t freeze to death.
A dentist can fix your teeth so you can eat.
A Teacher can teach you how to read.
A doctor can keep your heart beating.
But it will all be for not and you will have a miserable death if the Farmer does not(or is not allowed to) put food on your table.
—————-
Dear Farmer
We give thee thanks
For the food
We are about to gobble down 🙂
If these weirdos ever successfully legislated farming back into the 1920s, there would eventually be a mass exodus out of farming. Then, in a self-fulfilling prophecy, there really would be world wide hunger and starvation on a massive scale.
Then we really would see the beginning of truly industrial agriculture when governments would take over food production and no one would really care about regulation because their main concern, and rightly so, would be to feed their own starving populace.
There would be pollution and degredation on a mass scale.
Farmers are wonderful stewards of the land. No farmer would ruin the land he farms on because, whether they admit it or not, they still dream of passing on their life work to their sons and daughters.
Now there are ignorant people in every workplace but the vast majority of farmers are smart people – not country hicks like city people sometimes believe. So if you’ve eaten a bite of food today, you’d better thank a farmer.
Among other things I am an X-farmer.
I have several witicisms, I employ on the ignorant bed-wetters….
Q: How can you tell “organic” produce from GMO chemically fertilized etc produce?
A: The organic stuff is shrivelled, wrinkeled, moldy, with hair on it!
Q: In a fuel shortage, why will buses be the last to run out of fuel?
A: They will be needed to transport YOU to the farms to hoe/hand pick the corn!
I was always amazed that the urbanites viewed/styled an air-conditioned, roll over cab on a tractor/combine as a luxury. Up until the 60’s-70’s the primary health problem farmers had was “farmers lung” from breathing organic/inorganic dust……
Rhett- I’ve seen farmers who are damaging the land. They’re called hutterites, and they don’t play by the same rules as other farmers. Ask their neighbours, and you’ll probably get quite an ear full.
Rhett – like you
Rhett – like you
Dr. Ross McKitrick was on an Ottawa radio program for a short interview this week. He is formerly from the University of Guelph (reknowned Ag. School). One point he made about all the falsified data from the CRU is that if seed companies direct their efforts towards developing crops for a hotter and drier climate and in fact it is not getting hotter and drier it could result in a crop failure. Imagine the starvation on the planet earth if there was total crop failure in North America.
Jema- My ex father in law could analize, and fix, just about any mechanical problem. It didn’t matter if it was something he’d never seen before. He’d just apply the same logic as if it were a piece of equipment, and come up with a solution.
I see that same skill in some of these Mexican Mennonites, who are moving to Alberta. A lot of them are working at jobs that usualy require schooling. They just seem to be able to figure out mechanical problems.
Please, not more rumours about Messier, we have had to put up with Freddie Mercury, Lambert whatever, Tiny Tim, MJ. I can’t take anymore. Uh .. er, am I off topic here?
if ALL farmers went on stike for just 1 year, they could dictate to the “city slicker” politicians, lawyers, and experts
one farmer would have MORE common sense than all the members of above group combined
sasquatch
I used to build those luxuries at one job I had:-))))
and yes, I grew up in a farming family
Those of us who grew up on the farm were truly blessed to have first hand knowledge of how where our food comes from and how to take care of the planet. As a farmer, my Dad wore many hats: small businessman, environmentalist, mechanic. If you wanted the real “dirt”, so to speak, he knew more about animal care and crop rotation than any six latte sippers will ever know. I miss my Dad.
If farmers don’t like non-farmers commenting on their business they should quit blocking the damn roads everytime they have a bad year!
Seriously Kate, how can you condemn the actions of Native protesters who set up road blocks and not the white farmers who do the exact samething when ever they have a tantrum?
The difference between Indians and farmers? Indians don’t curl.
Who/what is this mythical farmer being of which you speak? I thought that all the lovely produce,breads,meats,etc came from the hopey-changey fairy,unicorns,and rainows. Next you’ll be telling me that the Easter Bunny is just a tale!
Glengarrian, actually the seed companies are developing seeds for all extremes. So more grain can be produced from the variety of lands availlable to grow crops. But of course Greenpeace will put a spin on that to make seed companies look like their stealing farmers seeds. And that seed companies are resulting in Indian farmers committing suicide. Is that still really what a lot of people believe? A little research on that issue proves it false also.
trent
“””The difference between Indians and farmers?”””
farmers can be from any were in the world, Indians are from India
As a dairy/grain farmer, I’m proud of our advances in food production which seems to go largely unappreciated by many urban people. The exception would be our organic neighbors( the agricultural equivalent of leeches in modern medicine). But many other hardworking people make this possible by mining (all of our machines, potash etc), energy producers( fuel, oil, nitrogen fertilizers). These are the three reasons we are not faced with mass starvation today, but you can’t remove any of these from the equation. What I find so astounding is the urban disconnect I see when these are the favoured targets of protesters. They don’t seem to know “what side their bread is buttered on”.
Here’s fatuous blowhard Alan Partridge, a failed TV talk show host now relegated to the humiliating position of doing the overnight shift at Radio Norwich, in full damage-control mode after he half-wittingly made ignorant, uninformed, insulting on-air remarks about farmers. And here’s the dissatisfied local farmers getting their revenge by rudely interrupting his promo gig for Hamilton Water Breaks.
Reality can be messy. Blathering passengers take note.
Note to dp 6:45 We have Hutterite neighbors who are great farmers and fine people.
For some reason this reminds me of the grace my father used to say before meals:
Good bread,
Good meat,
Good God,
Let’s eat.
Much to my God-fearing mother’s chagrin. But that’s another story.
Let’s hear it for the farmers.
The Farmer Song
Trent at 9:44
The difference is that farmers hold LEGAL protests. Getting the proper permits to do so. I know..it’s hard to believe that we still do have the right to legally protest in this country.
Roughly one year ago the lads set off to Ottawa with tractors/heavy equipment/log skidders to legally protest the possible establishment of a coalition government…were you the guy yelling “Go home and grow our food!” out the car window at them? or possibly the member of the press stating “Not the dirty farm tractors again”.
Been there done that…as the saying goes.
For anyone who hasn’t been close to farming or know what goes on here is are a collection of phots I took from spring planting to fall harvest.
A year in farming. My photo collage.
http://www.pbase.com/djstefanik/farming_2002
Trent, the difference is that farmers feed you and everyone you know, ya putz. Sometimes I wish we could choose who to feed…
I love America and apple pie. Personally (that means just for me), I just want both of them to have as few embedded pesticides and herbicides as possible. Especially the latter of the two since I eat apple pie.
I also love capitalism. I think it is the purest and best system for empowering all individuals to become self sufficient and successful by their own measure. I am a true believer.
(The following is a run on sentence.)
Having said that, if I had the choice of eating a side of bacon filled with nitrates from a pig that had been pumped with antibiotics and/or hormones raised in completely unnatural conditions 1,200 miles away, or, I could instead eat a slab with no nitrates, chemicals, pharmaceuticals or hormones and was raised in somewhat natural living conditions within a 30 mile radius of my home, I’d choose the latter. Even if I had to pay a 10%-20% premium.
And, if you look at the success of Whole Foods, you can plainly see that I am not alone.
All I’m saying is that, if you chose the industrial (Monsanto) based form of capitalistic farming, that’s totally cool. But, that’s no reason to marginalize in any way the locally, organically grown, non-irradiated form of capitalistic farming. There’s room for both. And, if I’m wrong and one of these types of farming is just a passing fad then capitalism will gradually do it’s job by purging the unnecessary one of the two.
Have faith. 😉
Considering that the dirtiest and messiest job that faces most people in north america is either cleaning the toilet or taking out the trash, I guess it’s easy to become divorced from the realities of life.
I grew up in coastal nova scotia, keeping a cow for milk, a steer for beef, couple of pigs and some chickens, grow a kitchen garden and mostly commercial fishing for lobster to actually make some cash. Funny, $4.00 a pound selling price at the wharf for lobster was common in the 70’s and 80’s and that’s still a common price today, so much for progress.
Most of those that follow the “green” movement have never seen what it takes to put that pork chop (or onion, or loaf of bread, or fillet of halibut), on their plate, and most if they did see the whole process might find it hard to swallow.
Reality seems to escape most folks.
PS. In my dad’s childhood lobster was poor man’s food, if you were eating lobster it’s because you could not afford anything better.
I always remember a quote from the economist John Kenneth Galbraith:
Every young man should work on a farm. After that, nothing else will seem like work.
All those consumers who are seeking everything organic are so… misguided!
Considering the current situation with food it does not matter how it was grown. It matters how it was processed and what chemicals were used in processing.
They, those chemicals, are many times more poisonous than everything allegedly poisoning crops and livestock. Those things are not necessarily absorbed, most of them would not even enter the system or will be removed thru metabolism. But those that are used in processing will stay in the product and enter our bodies.
Study, people, study. You don’t know so many important things.