FarmerChick
Super Self-Sufficient
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
- Messages
- 11,417
- Reaction score
- 14
- Points
- 248
I didn't see it getting out of hand at all....if anything, I thought it was winding down...HA HA HA HAreinbeau said:
but yes, I hear you!!
Interesting dairy farm-- definately not a homestead
- Thread starter miss_thenorth
- Start date
but yes, I hear you!!
Frosting
Lovin' The Homestead
Yes, larger farms have more requirements with their manure, storage and spreading but, I think at this point it's at more of a state level than federal--I could be wrong there though.
Our milk is tested every pickup, that is the same for every farm no matter the size. They test the loads for antibiotics before it's unloaded and if it's postive then they test individual samples to find out who is quilty. They also test the samples for things like butterfat, somatic cell, bacteria, water levels (to show if someone is adding water to up their production an thus their pay). There are more things they can test but, those are the basics and are used to keep the milk supply of good quality. Every farmer should carry insurance to cover the bulk truck load in case there ever is a contamination as accidents happen. One always hopes it's not themselves but, it could be. We have been lucky and never needed it but, that's not to say it couldn't happen.
Our milk is tested every pickup, that is the same for every farm no matter the size. They test the loads for antibiotics before it's unloaded and if it's postive then they test individual samples to find out who is quilty. They also test the samples for things like butterfat, somatic cell, bacteria, water levels (to show if someone is adding water to up their production an thus their pay). There are more things they can test but, those are the basics and are used to keep the milk supply of good quality. Every farmer should carry insurance to cover the bulk truck load in case there ever is a contamination as accidents happen. One always hopes it's not themselves but, it could be. We have been lucky and never needed it but, that's not to say it couldn't happen.
Frosting
Lovin' The Homestead
She's just doing her job and heading off any trouble. We were winding down but, posts were coming fast and she may not have seen that because it could have been while she was typing.FarmerChick said:I didn't see it getting out of hand at all....if anything, I thought it was winding down...HA HA HA HAreinbeau said:
but yes, I hear you!!
reinbeau
Moderator Extraordinaire
Egg-zactly! I love it when things resolve themselves!Frosting said:She's just doing her job and heading off any trouble. We were winding down but, posts were coming fast and she may not have seen that because it could have been while she was typing.
Blackbird
Goat Whisperer
For a second there I thought this thread was a goner..
I do have to say though, do you have any idea how many businesses there are that don't fully support themselves? Ones that people rely on everyday..
As long as your happy, not poluting the earth, killing people, or causing too much damage, I can't say that I really care a whole lot.
Anyway, back to the dairy..
I guess I'm having mixed feelings. Kind of have to feel bad for the animals in the situation. However, my uncles are getting into the automatic milking this year. How they can afford it, I don't know, but it sounds like its happening.
I do have to say though, do you have any idea how many businesses there are that don't fully support themselves? Ones that people rely on everyday..
As long as your happy, not poluting the earth, killing people, or causing too much damage, I can't say that I really care a whole lot.
Anyway, back to the dairy..
I guess I'm having mixed feelings. Kind of have to feel bad for the animals in the situation. However, my uncles are getting into the automatic milking this year. How they can afford it, I don't know, but it sounds like its happening.
As long as there are families like my DH's family....and some people in my family... there will be a demand for a farm like this. I think my cousin would rather starve to death than have any kind of animal that she would have to take care of....and for her milking would be out of the question! My cousin and her DH have money but I can not convince them to even stock up at all!! She literally runs to the store EVERYDAY for her meals! My mom and I went up to see her and her new baby and her DH ran out to the store and got stuff to make a salad and stopped at the local pizza shop and brought it back for us to have dinner! I can not convince her that the store will not always be there if there is a major disaster.
So as long as there are people like my cousin who will run to the store everyday there will be large operations that will provide that service for them!!
I thought the farm was very clean and the animals were well taken care of. The methane gas portion of the operations was neat!
I thought the birthing center was totally cool! For some people I am sure that is a once in a lifetime experience to see a calf born like that.
So as long as there are people like my cousin who will run to the store everyday there will be large operations that will provide that service for them!!
I thought the farm was very clean and the animals were well taken care of. The methane gas portion of the operations was neat!
I thought the birthing center was totally cool! For some people I am sure that is a once in a lifetime experience to see a calf born like that.
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
Pam, I think the folks you describe is the nature of these "millions" that we are supposed to be feeding with these agribiz farms. The colossial amount of wasteful living, regarding our foods, is there for everyone to see. Its a new age where folks want microwave meals and they like to eat out, no matter how poor they say they are.
Imagine farms based on the Salatin model. Smaller, more sustainable and still providing food for people within the 50 mi. radius in which he delivers. He makes a very, very good living off of his farm with no need to work off the farm. He would still make a good living if everyone was doing it his way and he could no longer get the higher prices than your average farmer for his meats. He has no problem getting people to work for him and, in fact, has a waiting list for apprentices who want to learn his farming model. This man started small, as small as some of you folks.
What it all comes down to, is America expects fast, easy to obtain foods and they don't really care how they get it. That's not going to change but it doesn't necessarily mean that its the way it absolutely has to be to feed "all those people". Did you know that a steak in a better restuarant in NY costs around $40? Just the steak.....that does not include the other food on the plate and each side costs anywhere from $6 to $18 dollars. My friend went there last year and was horrified at the prices at the classy restuarants....not even the best ones.
Does this sound like folks who can't afford to pay more for their every day foods? Nope. How about the welfare level folks? Do they eat out? You betcha! Do they have cell phones? You can bet on that too. I have been on foodstamps before, folks, and I can tell you that they give you enough to buy better, healthier foods. Do folks do it? Not often.
This country is fat and sassy.....the millions we are supposed to be feeding on this cheap, substandard food can afford to go on a diet. A diet of expenses. Cut costs, cook more meals at home, buy staple foods to build a meal upon. Stop parking in front of the TV and make their own breads. Branch out into the country to buy from local farmers.
If a single mom like myself has made it on one income, albeit struggling very hard at times, then the city dwellers can do it also. They may not be able to grow their own but they can afford to be selective and support the smaller farms. They just have to want to do it.
It won't happen but it doesn't mean its a good excuse to produce food in this manner.
Imagine farms based on the Salatin model. Smaller, more sustainable and still providing food for people within the 50 mi. radius in which he delivers. He makes a very, very good living off of his farm with no need to work off the farm. He would still make a good living if everyone was doing it his way and he could no longer get the higher prices than your average farmer for his meats. He has no problem getting people to work for him and, in fact, has a waiting list for apprentices who want to learn his farming model. This man started small, as small as some of you folks.
What it all comes down to, is America expects fast, easy to obtain foods and they don't really care how they get it. That's not going to change but it doesn't necessarily mean that its the way it absolutely has to be to feed "all those people". Did you know that a steak in a better restuarant in NY costs around $40? Just the steak.....that does not include the other food on the plate and each side costs anywhere from $6 to $18 dollars. My friend went there last year and was horrified at the prices at the classy restuarants....not even the best ones.
Does this sound like folks who can't afford to pay more for their every day foods? Nope. How about the welfare level folks? Do they eat out? You betcha! Do they have cell phones? You can bet on that too. I have been on foodstamps before, folks, and I can tell you that they give you enough to buy better, healthier foods. Do folks do it? Not often.
This country is fat and sassy.....the millions we are supposed to be feeding on this cheap, substandard food can afford to go on a diet. A diet of expenses. Cut costs, cook more meals at home, buy staple foods to build a meal upon. Stop parking in front of the TV and make their own breads. Branch out into the country to buy from local farmers.
If a single mom like myself has made it on one income, albeit struggling very hard at times, then the city dwellers can do it also. They may not be able to grow their own but they can afford to be selective and support the smaller farms. They just have to want to do it.
It won't happen but it doesn't mean its a good excuse to produce food in this manner.
Dace
Revolution in Progress
Back to the issue of people feeding themselves, remember Cuba?
The went thru a very difficult time and found a way to persevere. A lesson that we could all use.
http://www.cityfarmer.org/cuba.html
The went thru a very difficult time and found a way to persevere. A lesson that we could all use.
http://www.cityfarmer.org/cuba.html
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
Yep, where there is a will, there is a way.
FarmerChick
Super Self-Sufficient
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
- Messages
- 11,417
- Reaction score
- 14
- Points
- 248
it takes a "in your face crisis or catastrophe" to change people---for a little while usually
while the "ideal farms etc" can be done on a small scale...you are not feeding monster cities with this type of system. It is just not happening.
Any change over to better farm practices are wonderful and I am all for them....but I still applaud the big agri. companies who DO FEED the people now that they are trying to improve and be a viable business.
But that is my views, LOL, I am too pooped to be typing to much more...LOL
while the "ideal farms etc" can be done on a small scale...you are not feeding monster cities with this type of system. It is just not happening.
Any change over to better farm practices are wonderful and I am all for them....but I still applaud the big agri. companies who DO FEED the people now that they are trying to improve and be a viable business.
But that is my views, LOL, I am too pooped to be typing to much more...LOL
