Farmer Pirates
April 25th, 2006 by Northern FarmerAfter yesterday’s cool down and almost rain, today was beautiful and sunny. It’s getting a bit dry but that can change in the blink of an eye. So we’ll just get as much work done as possible while we can. Yesterday JM was over, so now instead of somebody from way over in Indiana stopping here it’s a fellow Central Minnesotan. As soon as calving winds down in a few weeks I’ll be making a pilgrimage over his way to see what’s up over there.
Before my Lenten break from blogging I posted about going organic around here and we are. In fact as far as food quality it’ll be beyond organic as the word is known today. In fact I think that I might even be breaking the law writing the last sentence. Since the government claimed ownership of the word a few years ago I don’t even know if I have the freedom of speech to use it about our farming practices. So I’m in kinda a pickle here blogging about this. But, I’ve been researching the whole mess and my conscience is telling me to stay away from government, oops, I mean big ag, and just raise the highest quality food without having to report to the high government folks that were working for big ag before they got appointed to the USDA and other anti-American departments, totally representing the interests of their parent companies.
It’s getting to the point that more and more folks are starting to realize what’s labeled organic in the super markets could be of the same low quality as the regular foods that are stocked. Because, face it, your not going to get real organic food from a huge company, period. The rules are being bent more and more everyday so the huge big ag companies can label products organic. And with a USDA that has the seemingly only goal of destroying independent family farms from the face of the earth it would seem like an uphill battle for the producer of truly quality foods. But, them desk jockeys in big ag and it’s puppet, the USDA, have a hard time figuring out what’s happening with the people out away from their upside down world. They don’t take into account that people can read and study what’s happening with the food supply. They figure they’ll just keep dumbing down the population and make sure that big ag gets all the profits from every plateful of food served. But people do catch on! People are starting to understand the deception all over this country and it’s picking up steam. The newspaper here has had numerous articles the past couple of years about city folks looking for family farmers to buy direct from for their family in order to have the highest quality food possible on their tables. And according to the articles there’s a shortage of farmers to fill the demand.
Now, big ag seen the organic movement picking up steam a while back and couldn’t stand the possibility of family farmers getting a share of the food dollar so they bought off the government, short and sweet. Oh, a person can argue, “no, no, our government is for the peopleâ€. All I can say to that is, Congratulations, you’ve just won a trip to Wally World to continue your fantasies! Be happy.†I like the term in Small Farmer’s Journal for the emerging family farmers that refuse to produce poisoned foods for the population. They’re called “Farmer Piratesâ€. I like that! I also know that the family farmers are one of the last bastions of freedom this country has. It’s the very backbone of everything good in this country. Wall Street is small potatoes compared to the family farmers as far as the health of this nation.
So I guess, to sum it up, we’re going to raise the highest quality food possible on the farm. One incredibly important reason is we are our number one customer. We eat what we raise. And when I sell something to a customer I know their family, I know who they are. And they’ll only get the best. I can sleep at night knowing that. Trace back is simple, the customer knows where they bought it from, me. We will probably not be using the word “organic†for our products; it just gets me after studying it all that I’d have to purchase the right to use the word from Big AG/USDA. And we’re talking thousands of dollars a year for the right to use the word. We’ll use other words while we can and when the government says we can’t use those words we’ll find others. Farmer Pirates, it has a ring to it!
April 25th, 2006 at 7:52 pm
I definitly have noticed the quality of meat in the stores is worth feeding to the dogs. We haven’t bought hamburger meat from the store in a couple of years. And we probably won’t ever again. We are now on the same page with you. Pretty good for a city fella. Keep up the good work Northern Farmer. God’s blessings are coming your way. PJ
April 25th, 2006 at 8:00 pm
I agree! We are drinking and selling goatmilk along with making cheese. Its a new thing for me but it gets better each time I make it. We have our chickens and a much bigger garden than usual. Anything we can grow or raise ourselves is a good thing. I hate throwing money away on food when we could make it ourselves much better!
April 25th, 2006 at 8:27 pm
It is too bad that the government has overstepped its rightful and Biblical bounds. Today our local county offices called to say that we have exceeded our allowed animal units. I think the rub is that we have 30 muscovy ducks. The county, in their infinite wisdom, considers 5 ducks equivalent to a single animal unit (1 cow). The 6 animal units due to 30 ducks, plus the 6 or so animal units due to cows, sheep and goats puts me over the 10 animal units that I am supposedly allowed.
Jim V
April 25th, 2006 at 9:21 pm
I like that….Farmer Pirates! Yo ho ho and a bottle of raw cow’s milk! I agree with all of the points you made. You keep on speaking out, Tom, and doing what you’re doing. Your last paragraph says it all. Growing good food the way the Lord intended it to be done….pure and simple. Additive and government-free.
April 25th, 2006 at 10:50 pm
You Said:
One incredibly important reason is we are our number one customer. We eat what we raise. And when I sell something to a customer I know their family, I know who they are. And they’ll only get the best. I can sleep at night knowing that. Trace back is simple, the customer knows where they bought it from, me.
It is a good feeling to tell customers, I drink what they drink. It is affirming marketing for sure.
Argh! Did I tell you I was glad you are blogging again matey?
I like the farmer pirates too. I am working on the peg leg in short order. Tomorrow I whip out the chainsaw. It is so good to have you blogging again. Tell it like it is Northern Farmer!!
April 26th, 2006 at 4:56 am
PJ,
And if the average person knew what was in the average pound of hamburger from big ag they’d have to hate their dog if they feed it that. Last summer sometime I posted about myself and daughter Rachel going to one of Big Ag’s beef packing plants in LP. Rachel was visibly shaken and said never to go back there. There was evil in the place. Kids can pick up on things us adults have hardened up on.
Peggy,
You got it! Us too, we have expanded our garden greatly this year and can’t wait to be eating “every” meal from it soon. By the way, I got a package in the mail yesterday. I’ll get back to that in a couple of days. Tonite is church so I won’t be around. Thank You my friend!
Jim,
Oh, for cry’n out loud! That just gets me. That’s what I can’t believe sometimes, the incredible lack of common sense with the government. I would say it’s closer to a hundred to one, or at least fifty to one, ducks verses a cow.But lets see, a five pound duck time 100 is only five hundred, OK, it’s closer to 250 ducks to equal an average smaller framed 1200 lb beef cow. Frustrating!
Emily,
I’m just getting limbered up around here, believe me. My head is cluttered with things to write about. Stay tuned.
Christina,
There’ll be some changes coming here in the next few days as far as the blog location goes, and I haven’t begun to write all the things that I want to. Funny part is , I was so incredibly rusty after the break, which is OK. But things are starting to flow again, and will.
God Bless
Tom
April 26th, 2006 at 1:44 pm
Great post, Tom!
And we agree about the meat in the stores–yuck. My husband REFUSES to buy ANY meat from the grocery store any more. We don’t have any access to any farmers to buy directly from here at the moment, so the next best thing is that we support the guy who owns the small meat store. He grinds his hamburg daily, and the hamburg you get is from ONE piece of meat, not the little bits of hundreds or thousands you get all mixed together if you buy it in the grocery store. I used to work in a grocery store, and had to grind and package hamburg a few times–believe me, if you saw what went into it, you wouldn’t buy it.
April 26th, 2006 at 2:28 pm
Tom-
Did you see in ACRES that Colgate bought out Tom’s of Maine - an organic health and beauty company? They report that everything within Tom’s of Maine will stay the same but I dont see how that is possible. What saddens me the most is that the Tom’s of Maine owners allowed it- searching for the all mighty dollar I suppose. We are enjoying reading your blog again!! Keep it up.
April 27th, 2006 at 4:55 am
Becky,
Thanks, I can see you folks know what I’m talking about! If people only knew how their food was processed by big ag………
AB,
No, I didn’t see that about Colgate but thanks for letting me know. Another example of what I posted about. And this is happening daily. And thanks for the encouragement.
Afterthought for Jim V,
I was brainstorming your comment yesterday while working and again you’ve come through and inspired me. Next time some joker wants to develope near any of our property lines I’ll put in a duck feedlot! And I’m not kiddding. I could have a 50 to 299 animal unit feedlot put in lickidy split. The feedlot setback would wipe out any developers plans. And it’s legal! Thank you sir!
Tom
April 27th, 2006 at 3:22 pm
Tom,
I did talk to the county yesterday about the fact that they think 5 ducks is equivalent to 1 animal unit. The person I talked with decided to “look the other way” for a few months because he thought they are going to change the feedlot ordinance this summer. So I guess this is progress. Muscovies are very productive, raising at least a couple batches of ducklings each year. Some of my hens have already been sitting for a week or so. It should take you no time to get an additional 50-299 animal unit feedlot setup - and the manure you will need to haul will ba a fraction of that from your cows. (The down side is that the hens can fly. They can get to the barn roof and in the dead of winter they periodically fly around our building site in a big circle to get warm.)
Jim V
April 27th, 2006 at 7:05 pm
Hey Jim,
Then I’ll have to change my plans to Rouen ducks. Them fatsos have a hard time getting off the ground. Don’t want any critters from the duck feedlot heading to the modern folks suburban style houses and greasing up the steps, eh.
May 2nd, 2006 at 6:56 am
Tom,
I was so frustrated when the Gov’t stole the word organic! We found an organization, owned by farmers, run by farmers etc. called Certified Naturally Grown….check out their website!
It so good to be able to get your dose of wisdom each day! My boys and I look forward to it!
Cheri
May 2nd, 2006 at 6:41 pm
Thanks Cheri,
Every step that we take here is to get less and less involvement from the government and from multi national corporations, you know, the Culture of Death. There, I feel better now, I haven’t said that in a few days. Life is easier when one identifies the enemy, eh.
Tom