My Life in Big Ag
January 31st, 2007 by Good Farmer JohnIn keeping with the theme of Authentic Agriculture, it seems a good time to share some background on how all this came about. Some of this is my own personal history, which some folks are aware of, but it should lend some clarity to the definition of “Authentic.â€
I was very well trained in many principles of Authentic Agriculture. However, I didn’t know it. I grew up on a largely Authentic Farm.
I left the farm and studied Industrial Agriculture, at one of the key sources of Industrial Knowledge, Purdue University. To say that Big Ag and Purdue are closely affiliated is a major understatement. At any rate, up obtaining paperwork declaring me learned in the field of agriculture, I immediately went to work for Big Ag.
My first job was as a retail salesman for Terra International, a large supplier of chemicals, fertilizers and seed to farmers. I absolutely hated this job. I was required to work 90 hours a week in the springtime “helping†farmers with their chemical and fertilizer application needs. I liked working with farmers, but I didn’t like having to represent products and companies that didn’t fulfill the expectations they had promised. One thing I did notice was that the farmer was seen not as a person, but as a certain number of acres. The more acres a farmer represented, the more important he was to us as a customer and consequently the better service and price he got from us. I also noticed that the chemical and seed representatives all had nice vehicles and ate out for breakfast lunch and dinner every day. We used to joke that if we didn’t have a rep. coming in for lunch on a particular day, that we better get on the phone and bring one in for a “meeting†so that we could all have lunch.
The job just wasn’t for me, so, in the mid-90’s, I landed a job with Purdue University as a County Extension Agent in northeastern Indiana. I enjoyed this job very much, because I got to do what I really enjoy and that is teach. I thought I was really helping farmers by providing unbiased, research-based information to assist them with decision making. In the course of my work, I met a west coast biotechnology consultant who was very interested in the progress and acceptance of biotechnology in the Midwest. He asked me to help him with his research, so I spent a day touring around the county with him and introducing him to farmers. He asked them questions like, “If Roundup Ready soybeans were available today, would you use them, and what percentage of your acres would you use them on?â€
The answers these and other farmers gave helped the consultant to formulate recommendations for Monsanto regarding their launch of RR soybeans, corn and other crops. During our travels, the consultant encouraged me to consider employment with one of the biotech companies. “It’s the cutting edge.†He said, “There are significant amounts of money to be made by someone with your combination of education, experience and skills.†One of the companies he mentioned specifically was Mycogen Plant Sciences. I thought about what he said, and just sat on it for a year or so.
Then, out of the clear blue one day, I got a call from a recruiter, a “head hunter†as they are known in the business. This person was looking for an agronomist for a company called Mycogen Plant Sciences and wondered if I was interested. During the interview process, I was impressed with how much biotechnology was controlled by this little company. They only had about 600 employees, but clearly, they had a leading position in the biotech race. In fact, Mycogen had patented the whole Bt gene expression process well ahead of Monsanto, and was in litigation over that at the time of my interview. They offered me what seemed to be a tremendous amount of money, and to be honest, that was the deciding factor.
I took the job, got the nice company vehicle and went to work. Very quickly the job began to consume me. I was good at it, and was excited about it, and was willing to do anything and go anywhere they asked me to. I advanced quickly, not because of my skill or intelligence, but rather because of my willingness to say, “Yes.†Within a year, I was managing the entire Agronomy Services Department for the Eastern Corn Belt, a territory covering Indiana and east to the Atlantic, as well as southeastern Canada. Pretty heady stuff for a Minnesota farm boy.
About this time, my wife and I had a long talk, actually several. Our first child had been born, and I wasn’t much help around the house, because well, I wasn’t around the house. I was off driving my new company vehicle, entertaining clients, jet setting here, there, and everywhere. During this time, I was spending about $2-3,000 a week on expenses. My salary climbed right along with me up the ladder, but I was unsettled. I knew the job was taking too much of me. Meanwhile the company was purchased by Dow Agrosciences, a subsidiary of Dow Chemical.
I topped the 6 figure mark in 1998, and landed in the company headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. If you’ve ever seen this building, you’ll understand the rest of this story. Internally, it’s called the “Crystal Palace†for its 5 stories of glass walls. It truly is a beautiful building. It has office space for about 2500, as well as a company cafeteria and health club. A walk through the parking lot one day shook me to the core. Every car was new or less than 5 years old. No one drove a beater. These were not all company cars. These were employee cars. BMW’s, Mercedes, Buicks, lots of BIG SUVs, Saabs, you get the picture. (Please, don’t tell me I’m judging all who drive SUVs, I’m not) Secretaries (er, Administrative Assistants) made $40,000 to start in 1998.
I began to think more deeply about what my life was contributing to. Who paid for these cars? Who paid for my $150,000 a year expense budget? Who benefited from those expenses? The answers honestly sickened me. The luxury we were experiencing at Dow Agrosciences was multiplied manifold in other organizations, Pioneer, DuPont, Monsanto, etc… The answers were the same there. This largesse was the product of the American Farmer. Yes, the one whom we celebrate for producing the cheapest food on the planet. That’s right, the farmer who is supported by tax dollars so that he can be profitable.
I began to see that corporate America was literally raping the farmer, the land and ultimately the American People, all in the name of cheap food and technological advancement. I began looking for a way out. One day, I went to a meeting where the director of Research for the company was talking about the latest up and coming technologies that we would see soon. He was most excited about an anti-sperm gene they had patented, and were going to put in corn. The idea was to help third-world countries with birth control. Within 2 hours of that meeting, I had an interview scheduled with Purdue. High income or no, I could no longer give the best, most productive years of my life to such and ungodly, wicked endeavor. There are over 50,000 employees at Dow Chemical. I know I wasn’t the only one who was uncomfortable with some of the potential impacts of the organizations work. Why weren’t others leaving? I thought long and hard about this, as I left behind some good friends and colleagues, many of them Christians. They didn’t leave, because the pluses outweighed the minuses. For most, the biggest plus was the salary. So in a sense, they were selling their loyalty.
When I left, a family member who had worked for many years for a large pharmaceutical company told me, “Hey, I didn’t agree with everything ________ did either, but I didn’t run off an quit!†To me that just seemed like sitting on the fence. If it’s wrong, it’s wrong, and if I keep on as an employee, it’s the same as saying I agree with what the organization is doing, and I couldn’t do that.
Another stint at Purdue didn’t seem too bad. I knew Purdue was in the hip pocket of Big Ag, I also knew my time would be temporary, because I knew we were going to farm. I just needed to transition for a few years. Purdue seemed a decent choice, because I wouldn’t be asked to directly promote biotechnology. It was OK, no problems, but after 4 years, it was time to leave. Time to start our dream, to live and farm Authentically.
Authentic Agricultureâ„¢ is more than organic farming and grass-fed beef. It is living in such a way that you are true to your convictions, even if that means going through some hardship as a result. There is no middle ground here. If you are working for or supporting Big Ag, you are working against farmers, the land and ultimately, the whole notion of independent freedom.
There is nothing Authentic about Big Ag employees driving around in new pickup trucks, eating out at the finest steakhouse in Chicago at $100 a plate while the farmer has to take government handouts just to make ends meet.
There is nothing Authentic about university Extension Agents carrying around the latest high speed laptop computer, purchased at taxpayer expense, while farmers are clunking along trying to hold an old desktop together with glue and baler twine… Government employees and offices should not be better equipped than an independent businessman would be in his own business.
I know this because I’ve been there.
James 5:4: Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
GFJ
January 31st, 2007 at 7:04 am
Hey John,
Wow!! If you were Catholic, you’d be alright with a couple of Hail Mary’s and a Glory Be
I think I’m pretty lucky down here in that we have the Alabama A&M University Small Farms Research Center close by. These guys sponser events all over the state tailored to small farming acreage and different animals. Now, I know how most people feel here about big ag extension agents, but except for cotton, there are a lot of small productive farms around here.
I’m curious about your organic production too. Seems certified organic is going the way of conventional farming. I looked into it for a while, but decided the costs for everything wouldn’t be worth the returns. Even grass based enterprises are beginning to go “big ag”!!! arggghhhh.
Oops, not enough room for both of us in this soapbox
. Anyway, another good post.
Have a GREAT day!!
Brad
January 31st, 2007 at 10:52 am
John,
However much I’ve found reason to disagree with some of your posts in the past, this one hits the nail on the head. Thanks for an enjoyable read. It was helpful to see a little of your background and to understand a little better where you’re coming from. I was visiting with a colleague the other day regarding vertical integration in the swine industry, after some rather heated discussion I realized that our real reason for dissent was not with regard to the merits (or lack thereof) of vertical integration, but in where the farmer should exist on that vertical line (smile). She was advocating the current “wisdom” that for food safety, animal welfare, and economic reasons, the processor should be in control of the process- that corporate control produced a better product. (I restrained a chuckle here). I was suggesting that the exact opposite would be better, that the best product would come from a system where the farmer was in control of the process; better yet, where he was the process, in charge from conception to sale. But I guess this all depends on what one’s definition of “the best product” is, doesn’t it? At any rate, I enjoyed your post and wanted to let you know.
Sincerely,
Ben
January 31st, 2007 at 11:01 am
I should mention for clarification, that I wasn’t suggesting to my colleague that merely setting up a farmer led system would solve agriculture’s problems- obviously corporate agriculture would find much else wrong with such a system- including the fact that in order to succeed such a system would need to be local in scope, to the exclusion of outside markets until absolutely necessary, and this of course is not consistent with being a good global citizen (feel free to detect a note of sarcasm ;^) ). As a side note, I’ve frequently found it interesting and mildly amusing to hear fans of corporate agriculture defending the safety of their product. I’ve spent enough time in packing plants and small abattoirs during my educational tenure to know where my vote would rest- especially if their confidence lies with inspection, 15 seconds per carcass at the average line speed vs 15 minutes in the average locker plant… even here the numbers speak for themselves.
January 31st, 2007 at 11:10 am
Good Farmer John,
I really enjoyed this post. I had a similar experience, not with BigAg, but with corporate America in the banking industry. It seems all our morals and values can be bought if the price is right. If you have a conscience, there comes a day when no matter what ill effects your career and budget may suffer, you have to walk away. It’s a hard decision to make. I’m glad you made the right one.
Amy
January 31st, 2007 at 11:30 am
GFJ,
I surmise, that the only restraint that kept you fro clawing your way to the pinnacle of the ag-business corporate world, is your Christ-centered character and your deeply rooted sense of fairness and justice.
My reading of scripture tells me that, in the eyes of the Lord you have indeed achieved a very high level of success (”To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne” Rev. 3:21).
In a prior old-self life, I was so committed and successful at spreading the darkness in the corporate world, that it took me much longer in life than it did you to see the Light of Truth.
But, praise be to the grace of God, in the eyes of Jesus Christ I am now in a very high position with some really great company.
January 31st, 2007 at 11:54 am
“our real reason for dissent was not with regard to the merits (or lack thereof) of vertical integration, but in where the farmer should exist on that vertical line”
Ben, Thanks for your comment and you hit the nail, my friend. One little story I forgot to mention was a diagram I saw once where the “value chain” of biotech was highlighted. tThe diagram gave stars to the various entities within agriculture that could extract value from the new advances in biotech. The seed seller had 4 stars, the chemical company 3 stars, teh biotech lab 5 stars, and the farmer had one star. Commercial ag the farmers who are locked into that mindset are in a race to the bottom. Who can be the lowest cost producer, and the most efficient. If we don’t push back against this, it will mean the death of ag as we now know it in this country. BTW, we are already a net importer of food in the US… So in some sense the end has already arrived. Thanks for your thoughtful reply.
Amy,
Very encouraging, and glad to know there are others who can stand on principle…
GFJ
January 31st, 2007 at 5:39 pm
Barry,
You are too kind. But I continually marvel at how antithetical God’s ways are to the world’s.
I Cor. 3:18 “Let no man decieve himself. If any man among you things that he is wise in this age, let hime become foolish that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is the won who catches the wise in their craftiness… The Lord konws the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.”
The TRUTH shall set us free!!
GFJ
January 31st, 2007 at 5:54 pm
Brad,
Sorry, I missed you earlier! Hey, don’t get me wrong there are a few, and mabye many Extension folks who are working on principle and really trying to help out farmers like us. The problem is the WHOLE SYSTEM is unGodly and wicked. I could write a book about the political correctness in the USDA and university extension system.
This PC focus really limits the capacty of the system to address real needs by clients. I was actually told by an assistant director at Purdue, (who considered herself a Christian), that I just couldn’t pray at a public meeting, even if the clients asked me to… She said, “We can offer generic prayers that speak to no god in particular, but focus on the general notion of thankfulness, etc…” So, whenever I was up front speaking at a dinner or time when prayer was appropriate, I quoted the founding fathers! Lots of prayer in their history… My boss thought I was clever!
Certified Organic is really becomming a part of the overall ungodly system and is no longer AUthentic in my opinion. Certified Organic farmers are wonderful, and we need more of them. Again, however, the term is controlled by legisative appeal, and has lost all Authenticity. Farm organically, farm beyond organic, but let’s carve out our own niche… Let’s raise our products using the principles of Authentic Agricultureâ„¢!!
GFJ
January 31st, 2007 at 8:53 pm
I happened upon your blog reading other people’s blog rolls and found myself spending quite some time reading. This post in particular is pretty interesting. We have found the exact thing you talked about with the company that supplies fertilizer to our small dairy farm. When we need services we are last behind whoever is bigger, even though we pay our bill much quicker than most of them.
The parking lot story was very telling too. I was wondering where all our money went, since the processors claim they aren’t getting any of it, the stores say they aren’t making money on dairy, and I know that we sure aren’t.
January 31st, 2007 at 10:28 pm
Brad, Could you explain ? thanks
Hey John,
Wow!! If you were Catholic, you’d be alright with a couple of Hail Mary’s and a Glory Be
January 31st, 2007 at 10:34 pm
Interesting article. I remember the cotton gins my grandfather ran. All around were fields of cotton. And they stank. I mean really stank, with chemicals. I never went into the feilds. Anything that stank like that, could not be safe. One thing I noticed. All the Ag salesmen, store clerks, and chemical company men, did not have to be exposed to these dangerous chemicals. They only saw the sealed tanks and bags the chemicals came in. Only the farmers, were actually exposed to them. I wonder if industrialized chemical agriculture would have turned out quite different had all the sales people driving those nice cars, working in those cool office buildings , working in those neat sanitary laboratories, and lobbying for subsidies in Guchi Gulch, etc, had to work with and be exposed to those “wonder” products themselves. Like the farmers had to do. God never meant a cotton field to stink.
January 31st, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Three Collie,
Thanks for dropping in. If you stick around, you’ll be treated to some much better writing when the others around here take their licks!… I have to tell you, at one point in my work in the big ag circus, I was told to only visit farms of 2,000 acres or more…. The other farms just weren’t worth my time!!
Mark,
Nice perspective. God never meant a cotton field to stink. Not very Authentic there!! The amazing thing is that most people within the Big Ag world simply shrug their shoulders at the stink and say, “Yeah, it stinks, but what ya gonna do??” Most feel trapped by the system that has been developed.
The amazing thing is that this “System” has only been around for about 60 years. Authentic Agriculture, on the other hand, has been feeding the world just as well if not better for over 5,000 years!!
Thanks for your reply!
GFJ
February 1st, 2007 at 6:51 am
Patti,
Going to a Catholic church for the last 18 years, it was a weak attempt at humor about his confession at being in “Big Ag”.
Without getting too much into the dogma of the church, after confession, Catholics are given pennance to go reflect on their sins. These penance are usually the recitation of three prayers called in short Hail Mary, Glory Be, and the Our Father (Lords prayer). When saying these prayers, the person meditates and reflects on his wrongs.
All that said, I’m sorry if it didn’t come off with its intended meaning. Everytime I try to say something funny to the wife she’s always telling me not to quit my day job
. John feel free to tell me the same.
Woke up to a slushy wonderland here. About an inch of snow and some slush and ice on the road made me wonder why I took the 300 lbs of fenceposts out of the back of the truck yesterday that I’d been carrying around for about a week.
Looks like we’re getting back to the normal 50’s this weekend though. Good thing cause were having a cross fencing party this weekend!!
Have a GREAT day,
Brad
February 1st, 2007 at 11:08 am
Ahhhhhhhhhh…Now I get it Thanks
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:49 pm
John,
It’s not just big Ag doing that sort of thing. It’s happening all over America in all kinds of jobs. It’s happening in large industries and small businesses. It’s happening in law offices, and court rooms. It’s happening in Congress, the Senate, and all levels of government offices. And the poor are as guilty of it as the rich on account of the way they vote. That is one of the sins of America, the lust for wealth.
Anything goes as long as everyone is making money. For many people right and wrong is determined by whether or not it makes money. If it makes money it’s right. If it doesn’t it’s wrong.
In the past we bankrupted the Soviet Union because they were an evil empire. It opened the Soviet Union and Communist Eastern Europe to more liberty, religious freedoms and the free spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
However today instead of bankrupting the Communist Chinese we bankroll them. They have the worst human rights record on the planet. In America we call the institution of slavery in our history evil and rightly so. However we ignore the political and religious slaves in Chinese prisons. Because it makes lots of money for American businessmen it is considered right.
In the early 1990s the Chinese couldn’t even get their missles off the launch pad. But thanks to American technology those missiles are targeted on American cities and can hit their targets very well. It made a lot of money for American business.
America runs today on the principles of profit instead of on moral priciples of right and wrong as outlined in Christian teachings and the Bible. As a matter of fact to follow in business and politics the principles of right and wrong as outlined in the Bible is considered by many as biggoted and intolerant. Right has become wrong and wrong has become right. Good is now called evil and evil is called good. As long as everyone is making money all is good.
I know many Chirstians who will vote for anyone, good or evil, that they think might help them keep their high paying union job, investment portfolio, company paid health insurance, pension plan and social security. In other words their votes are for sale to the highest bidder, good or evil.
The money is what matters. We have even killed over 40,000,000 of our own babies for money. Money is all in America. Money is god in America. And it goes from the top of our society all the way down to the bottom. No group is innocent, not even true believers in Christ, given the way they vote. America may one day pay dearly for the lust of wealth with more than just money.