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Swine Flu on The Big Show

Mike — Thu, 14 May 2009 01:08:28 +0000

WHO radio in Des Moines, Iowa airs The Big Show from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM on weekdays. I happened to be listening today and heard the hosts discussing the swine flu. If you are not familiar with The Big Show, it is agriculture-focused. WHO has a long history and stellar reputation for its support and reporting of agriculture.

In their discussion of the swine flu, they were making observations about the severity of the outbreak, geographical location, and the different methods of raising pigs.

Poor countries have small farms raising pigs outdoors. (Implies this method of agriculture breeds disease.)
The U.S. have large farms raising pigs in large, confined operations. (Implies this method of agriculture is safe.)

I don’t think that the means of production is causative of swine flu or H1N1. The higher mortality rate in poorer countries most likely has everything to do with the general level of health in the population.

It is also a misnomer that people don’t raise pigs outdoors in the U.S. (although this is a rare sight anymore). The Beginning Farmer is from Iowa and his pigs enjoy the sunshine and green pastures!

The biggest worry in the U.S. is that people will infect the pigs! Yes, the worry at the large confinement operation is that someone will bring a virus into the barn and it will spread like wildfire in the close conditions. They better watch out where their workers come from!

A Good Morning

Mike — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:04:21 +0000

This morning was particularly good for a farmer like me. I was just getting up and my wife asked me to check on Beatrix. Beatrix is our new heifer who is due to have her first calf any day now. Because of that she is staying in the barn at night and we are on watch.

It was beautiful t 4:30 this morning. Lark, our very friendly Aussie, met me outside the house and escorted me to the barn. Once inside, I turned on a light to see a box full of cats. (How they sleep like that, I don’t know.) I looked in on the sheep pen to see them and the llamas chewing their cud. Next, it was on to Beatrix.

I opened the cow side of the barn, turned on the light and saw both Beatrix and Debbie (another cow) lying down, chewing their cud. No calf and Beatrix is not in labor. I gave each cow a scratching and then checked on our other sheep pen. They were all up and wondering if I was going to feed them.

Time to go. I left the barn and Lark joined me. We went back to the house. A great way to start the day!

Government Paperwork

Mike — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:10:54 +0000

It has been a while since I took the picture below. What is it? It’s paperwork!

My farm came with a few acres along the creek in a Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Along with the CRP came paperwork and lots of it. In fact, I was shocked by the amount of paperwork, information, and signatures required for these few acres.

This takes me back to when we purchased another parcel of land. We went across the road to meet the neighbors. After talking for a while they asked me, “Are you going to get your money?” I replied, “What money?” This older couple went on to explain that I needed to go to the county FSA office, sign the papers, and get my money. They told me it would amount to about $600 a year.

Curious, I looked into it, including reading the paperwork. Do you want to know what I found? In order to get “my money” I would have to agree not to do certain things on my land. For example, I could not raise peanuts or plant nut trees. I didn’t like that restriction, as we have raised peanuts in our garden and had plans to plant some nut trees. No, the money was not worth the restrictions.

The next time I saw our older neighbors they asked if I went down to get my money. (I think they were just trying to teach me the ropes!) I told them no, it had too many restrictions. They didn’t understand and probably thought I was an idealistic dreamer.

Government farm programs are designed to make you do certain things while stopping you from doing certain other things. When you sign the papers, you are under their control and jurisdiction. This is true even for my few acres, at least until the CRP agreement expires. I did look into buying out the CRP contract but that is so expensive, it is like buying the land a second time. Unfortunately, I will have annual papers to sign related to my CRP acres for many years to come.

One last point. If you think these farm program are bad, just wait until NAIS is the law of the land. Now that will be a lot of paperwork! I am wondering if you went into farming to become a paper-pushing, cubicle dweller. Did you?

What is happening to the bees?

Mike — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 15:25:01 +0000

There is an interesting discussion about a NY Times article going on over at Slashdot. It is titled, Vanishing Honeybees Will Affect Future Crops.

Most of the posts are concerned with whether or not genetically modified (GMO) organisms are the cause. That is the most likely suspect. However, I also believe that other agricultural chemicals have to share the blame. What is the true toxic load of all the pesticides, herbicides and fungicides that are typically applied in modern, industrial agriculture.

Starting Point

Mike — Sun, 30 Jul 2006 22:34:37 +0000

I have started this website, Free to Farm, as a place to discuss the erosion of our freedoms as farmers and ranchers. In particular, NAIS, the National Animal Identification System. I am in my mid-forties, with a dream to raise my family on a farm. I am also a Christian, with the desire to obey and follow Jesus Christ.

Just a few months ago, I took up the opportunity to caretake a farm in southern Iowa. This is my family’s first step into farming. It is a grass farm with beef cattle. My goal is to eventually own a farm and raise livestock for sale. This livestock will consist of beef and dairy cattle, sheep, goats, and chickens. I believe in raising these animals in the open and feeding them what they would naturally eat. I also believe that the best defense against disease and poor health in livestock is good diet and nutrition. This belief is not based on my limited personal experience, but rather on the experiences of friends and farmers who do this already.

Beyond livestock, our farm plans include raising fruits and vegetables, in a natural and wholesome way. Our customers will be people we know in the region where we farm. This is commonly known as Community Supported Agriculture. I prefer to call it Relationship Farming, where the relationship between the consumer and the farmer is built on trust. My customers trust me to raise food in a natural, humane and healthy manner. I trust the relationship my family has with our customers to provide a modest living. Is this idealistic? Yes, perhaps it is. However, I believe it is a sound formula for prosperity, based on pastoral economics and the increase that God provides. It is a place where people can help each other and the wider community benefits.

This is where the “catch” comes in – NAIS. A soon to be mandatory national animal identification system, which threatens my privacy and my freedom to farm. I do not have a problem if farmers and ranchers participate in this program voluntarily. If it is a benefit to them, then they can choose it. However, I am constrained not to participate, both by my Christian convictions and my love of the principles of freedom that the United States of America was founded on. I will be expanding on this and other issues, such as patents on seeds. It is time for American farmers and ranchers to make their voices heard. It is time for us to stand up for our freedoms. The future of farming and our children’s right to do so is in our hands today.