Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2009 7:43:02 GMT -5
As for people who cannot afford our food: For some it is simply a matter of prioritizing, we have customers who eek a living cleaning houses. We also have In-laws whose bonus is more than our annual net income,
Many people who can't afford healthy food do not have the luxury of changing their priorities. I can't afford the healthy food I serve. I can't afford my cow. But I keep doing it because of my priorities. I have that luxury, and carefully carry debt to pull it off. (Wow, that is a political can of worms I won't touch here.) Many truly poor people do not have that luxury. So, do we admit we only grow food for rich people? Because, basically, that is true. Or, rich enough and true enough. Back when we were poor my highest priority was to not hand my babies over to someone else to raise. Which meant I stayed home with them. Which meant, we didn't always have enough money for food. But make no mistake - we did without vacations, cell phones, computers, a second car, babysitters, dinners out, fancy clothes, organic food - except what I could pull out of the ground in College Station Texas, which was not much. Basically, we did without anything that could not be found in a thrift shop or made. And I'm proud of that. But we certainly did not support the local organic movement in those years, except in spirit. Again, by organic I mean to say Real Whole Food not from Cargil.
I guess the answer is to push our tax dollars in the direction that supports Real Food, rather than the "food" products -so called- that are now produced on our money. But don't forget, when you tally all your loses in farming, you still get to live on the farm. You own the fences and the lifestyle. When you tally hidden losses, don't forget to tally hidden gains as well. The extra beef you get out of your dairy program, for instance.
If small local farmers could change their thinking and their price structure just a bit, they could sell more food. I think that is true. Its more work. But it makes more money. And it spreads more food around to more people. Which makes us all stronger. And makes our economy more local, which makes our economy stronger. Right?
Again, please understand, I am on the farmer's side. I am milking my cow. I KNOW its work and time and money. I get it. I just also understand actual poverty. Not the faux poverty some, including some farmers, will claim. And I am not pointing a finger to anyone here. I'm just trying to see clearly and think deeply about this difficult topic.
Many people who can't afford healthy food do not have the luxury of changing their priorities. I can't afford the healthy food I serve. I can't afford my cow. But I keep doing it because of my priorities. I have that luxury, and carefully carry debt to pull it off. (Wow, that is a political can of worms I won't touch here.) Many truly poor people do not have that luxury. So, do we admit we only grow food for rich people? Because, basically, that is true. Or, rich enough and true enough. Back when we were poor my highest priority was to not hand my babies over to someone else to raise. Which meant I stayed home with them. Which meant, we didn't always have enough money for food. But make no mistake - we did without vacations, cell phones, computers, a second car, babysitters, dinners out, fancy clothes, organic food - except what I could pull out of the ground in College Station Texas, which was not much. Basically, we did without anything that could not be found in a thrift shop or made. And I'm proud of that. But we certainly did not support the local organic movement in those years, except in spirit. Again, by organic I mean to say Real Whole Food not from Cargil.
I guess the answer is to push our tax dollars in the direction that supports Real Food, rather than the "food" products -so called- that are now produced on our money. But don't forget, when you tally all your loses in farming, you still get to live on the farm. You own the fences and the lifestyle. When you tally hidden losses, don't forget to tally hidden gains as well. The extra beef you get out of your dairy program, for instance.
If small local farmers could change their thinking and their price structure just a bit, they could sell more food. I think that is true. Its more work. But it makes more money. And it spreads more food around to more people. Which makes us all stronger. And makes our economy more local, which makes our economy stronger. Right?
Again, please understand, I am on the farmer's side. I am milking my cow. I KNOW its work and time and money. I get it. I just also understand actual poverty. Not the faux poverty some, including some farmers, will claim. And I am not pointing a finger to anyone here. I'm just trying to see clearly and think deeply about this difficult topic.