On the death of my family's dairy farm (2019)

Post by mitjak » Fri, Mar 12, 2021, 5:46 PM UTC

nineplay wrote: post #156

mitjak wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

what a strange point. "the obvious" is not that there's concentration of power but that farming is hard? what about small farms where many people are happy to continue working because they find it fulfilling?

The "obvious" is that operating a family farm as a profitable business is hard. Harder than three of the four adult children in the article are willing to work. That doesn't mean there aren't people who want to do it, that means that a lot of family farms are going out of business because there aren't enough people who want to do it, regardless of external pressures.

Post by ip26 » Fri, Mar 12, 2021, 5:47 PM UTC

derriz wrote: post #112

duxup wrote: post #87

Farming as a business gets idealized in the US and there's often this concept of a good old days when family farming was profitable and stable. But historically speaking farming has always been a boom and bust industry. Even during the land rush days in the US the amount of space granted per farm was barely enough / not enough to scrape by, even at that time. Now everything is so heavily tied up with legislation to t…

I agree nostalgia can cloud judgement but there has been a fundamental shift in the nature of farming in the last few decades. Btw, this is a perspective from Europe - the same thing has happened with family farming here. While I didn't grow up on one, I spent a lot of time on my grandparent's farm. Farming has never been easy but the amount of capital required (represented by land, livestock and machinery) to run an…

Post by u678u » Fri, Mar 12, 2021, 5:49 PM UTC

speeder wrote: post #18

ainiriand wrote: post #13

As a vegan, I am concerned about the cruel treatment of farm animals. Losing family farms only aggravates the problem in this price race against the bigger actors in dairy production. While dairy is not strictly necessary for grown ups, I recognise that it will be present for some time so we should care about how it is produced. Dairy should be more expensive than it is now, similar to what happens to meat.

Mind you, activist veganism is one of the biggest reasons family farms are being destroyed all over the world. Basically, low quality food is flooding the market, and getting purchased by the poorer population, that don't feel they have a choice in what they eat, because they eat whatever is necessary to fit in their budget. Meanwhile people that CAN afford to buy high quality food from family farms, don't, because o…

Post by hc-taway » Fri, Mar 12, 2021, 5:50 PM UTC

pja wrote: post #63

refurb wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I remember the first time I saw cheese prices in the US and almost cried. A 1 kg block of good cheese was like $20-30, not $60-90.

! Decent cheddar is £7 / kg in the UK & that’s ignoring the cheap stuff.

Post by rtrdea » Fri, Mar 12, 2021, 5:52 PM UTC

andrew_ wrote: post #105

cies wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the conditions under which bull calfs for veal production is abhorrent To you! To me (also vegan) any animal in a cage is abhorrent. I want to be free and wild and I also want all others to be free and wild. Maybe some humans deserve to be caged for their behavior. Animals can never be guilty... > Next time you see that on the menu, take a moment to think about where it's coming from and how it's made. Exactly. Was…

This is yet more the kind of nonsensical, insufferable drivel that turns people away from rationally thinking about their food. Someone's preference for how and what they eat contributes nothing to conversation, and exists only to project a belief of superiority and collect pats on the back from like-minded thinkers.