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I must warn you all before you read any further, that this is going to be an emotional post for me as the people that it invloves are dear to me and so is the subject. Our neighbor called me this morning to tell me that they are going to have to sell out and quit farming. Do you have any idea how hard it is to try to comfort someone who has just decided that they cant fullfill their dream. To find the words among the tears of a person who is just coming into being a great man. Who just had a son born in October that he WILL NOT be able to carry a legacy on with? There is NO justice in the inability to continue to do, what runs in your blood. SO many people say, well thats life - get on with it. Oh isnt that to bad, what happened? Did they have poor financing? DId they mismanage their money? And all the other stupid things that people say in these situations. This farmer is a good farmer, good cow man (for all of those who know what that means) and AWSOME neighbor! He is a young man that deserves a chance to do what 3 generations have done before him!!! How is it that someone who has WORKED can NOT get any 'assistance', yet if you have not worked, because you dont want to, you get a stimulus check!! OR our wonderful president wants your land to be 'community property'.... you know what I say about all that dont you???? You dont? Well let me enlighten you...
HORSEHIT - HORSESHIT - HORSESHIT - HORSESHIT
For all the Christians out there that are condeming me for my language I truely apologize, I dont like to swear but this is all I can come up with to convey my emotions about this right now. SO much has happened to the FAMILY FARMER that no one knows about. Did you know that if you wanted to buy milk from my farm you couldnt...its against the law. The dairy cooperatives made sure of that. Did you know that if you want to buy meat from me and have me butcher it for you is against the law - you can buy it from me, but it has to be state inspected by a liscened butcher. I understand 'some' of these rules, but this is where SO much of our freedoms started to be put to an end. Go ahead and agrue with me, I can take it. But know this, for all of the arguing you do - prove me wrong. When the government started to 'regulate' the dairy/farm industry - you started to loose your freedoms. The freedom to not drink milk/eat beef or eggs that you didnt know where it came from. If you know the farmer down the road has a shit hole for a farm with sick animals guess what - YA DONT BUY FROM THEM RIGHT? At least if you are able to buy from a farmer, you know where the $$ is going and I know that everyone appreciates knowing where there $$ is going. Another thorn in my side is the friging Milk Marketing board - what a lame ass joke they are. Lets pay people, who are already millionaires, to put a white stripe across their faces!! IDIOTS!!! People DONT CARE who drinks milk, they care WHO PRODUCES IT! Come take pictures of the people who make the milk - the familys that are suppored by your purchase!! But the Milk Marketing board is payed weather they make $$ or not... A$$ hats... Like I said - sorry for the language - I truley am. However, I know in all of this anger, pain, hurt, frustration and disalusion one thing holds true. Gods plan for our lives - does this mean I like his plan - not always, but what child does like what is best for them? Above all else, God is soveriegn and my prayer is always that His will be done.
Sorry about the rabid post, the swearing, anger and hurt - I will be back later with more detailed things about farming. I started this blog for that reason and have strayed away from it. However, this is now going to be a DAILY dose of real life on a REAL FARM!!!!! later...
The Weather.... .always!
11 years ago
27 comments:
It is heartbreaking, and I see it happening around me too.
Im so sorry for your neighbors
Oh Heidi... I am so sorry to hear that another farm is about to go down. My family is directly affected by all the laws and legislation to regulate farming. My BIL and my brother are Hoof-trimmers... and their business is next to nothing these days. I like the idea of buying local... but legislation is making that harder and harder to do. Granges come to together and lobby, but the Grange is getting weaker as the old farmers are dying off. Just where do people think the milk and eggs and meat they buy in little packages comes from???
Hugs to you...
Suzanne @
http://sugarloafcottage.blogspot.com
Heidi... I feel you... I am sad and more sorry for the people who really are just mindless followers.. I would hate not to have my fresh milk, pork and fixin' from the families around here that bless us.... I grew up w/ fresh milk daily.. Nothing like it anywhere...
Heidi- my thoughts and prayers are with you guys all up there. Tell Farmer Man to hang tough- there is also nothing saying he can NOT farm again in the future. Getting there may be misery, but trust in God, and know that nothing is set that he can NOT fill his dream.
Much loves to you all...
You sound as if you live in the Republic of California too!
That being said and gotten out of the way...it is a shame that hard working farmers get %&@#*&-ed for working hard, honestly and with a purpose~to supply food to ths country as well as others. (Sorry, looking into the cameras and smiling while wearing big $$ jewels, clothing, ect. is not MY idea of working hard...neither is sitting behind a desk an making no-common-sense laws and spewing lies that not even my DOG can believe...and he's a gullible guy...give him a milkbone and he'll help you load your truck with all my priceless treasures!oh, wait, those would be my husband and kids...hmmm, well he CAN be bribed with a biscuit, just ask the meter reader!)
And I ask you:
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO COMON SENSE??????
AMEN! People DO NOT understand about farming or the cost of farming or the rules and regulation. I AM ALL FOR YOUR RANT!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/
Yes, I sooooo agree with your frustration. As with the beef producers here...the market sucks. Inputs are the highest they've ever been, taxes go up every year, equipment costs are astronomical, and the selling price is the lowest in years...
BUT!!!
When you see the retail price for beef in the store...has it gone down? Heck no...it's just as high as ever or higher!!
It's not the farmer who put his financial life on the line to produce food for the masses that is rewarded for his hard work...it's the fat as*es sitting at desks making up crap to line their pockets with money...and no one is stopping them!
I pray your friend and neighbor can hold on a lil' bit longer...we pray everyday for this economy to right itself.
I know about the family farm ... ours is leased out to someone who grows alfalfa ... we barely get enough money to pay the taxes. When we worked and lived on the farm ... the adults only farmed at night or on weekends, because they had to get regular paying jobs to support living on the farm. The kids had to deal with the milking and haying ... and weeding the strawberries.
it is a shame to see this kind of thing happening , i have worked hard all my life for my business as well and i watch aig execs getting major bonuses on tax payer dollars while this guy has to sell. its very frusterating.
Simple fact is , it isnt going to change .
oh damn. Girl, I'm with ya. This is some bullshit happening, has been for a long time. It's unreal that it's considered criminal to sell your own milk, or butcher your animal for someone else to eat.
Boy, looking back, I guess all my life I've been breaking laws right and left.
Unreal, that's all I can say. Makes me furious. You rant on, I'm listening. Wish Washington was...
:( It's happening around here too. Most family operations this way are counting themselves lucky just to keep food on the table and (some) bills paid.
My uncle calls it a "royal crock of shit" He says its the most assanine thing ever that he can buy mystery meat from the grocery store, but yet can't buy a side of beef from his brother.
My heart goes out to this young man and his family.
RANT ON!!!!
There's been yet another piece of legislation proposed that will essentially ban Farmer's Markets and the small producer.
That is so sad. When will it all change? We are just starting out with a farm & I am heartbroken for your neighbors. Everyone should try to buy directly from the farmer. In secret or whatever, We have to keep family farms alive.
Barb
U know, u have made a comment that u have steared away from everyday farm life , however i have looked and everything i see is exactly about everyday farm life , the positive side ! I know there is negeatives to it , and i know they need to be addressed sis , however part of why i come here , and some others as well may be to get away from the negative and brreath a breath of fresh positive country farm ( cow crap ) air . So That being said , address what you feel like , however please dont change the wonderfull positive tone we all love so much ! Huggs
I am sorry to hear about your neighbor. It is a sad situation, that people willing to help themselves, are not able to get a hand. Put people not willing to help themselves get a handout. I don't understand either my friend. I pray for his future.
So sorry to hear. We are doing everthing we can to buy local, but it is very easy to make it hard to do.
The further we get away from the "family farm" the less our younger folk know where our food etc. comes from. Hard to change however.
Dear Heidi, you know i feel and share your friends pain, there is nothing that will make up for the loss, everyday you remember something near and dear to your heart about farming. I can only say one step at a time, chin up and keep on a path that makes you the good person you are... Faith in what gives you comfort is individual and sometimes the only thing you have... As you know I am finding sometimes you are lead from one place to find you are needed and wanted in another... It is a hard pill to swollow and the not knowing can almost kill ya, but then a path you never expected can appear when you least expected it. blessed be...willow
Can they hang on a little longer?
Rant on girl enlighten us. Make the lazy hopping mad. We need to take this country back. With the radical liberal in full tilt boogie power there may be nothing left. I'm thinking the next thing will be the right to bear arms, they'll be taking that away. WE THE PEOPLE need to STOP the MADNESS! Cuss away sweetheart, sometimes there isn't any other word!
You and your neighbors are in my prayers. I'm going to write my representative. I'm not a farmer, but I grew up in the Midwest surrounded by them, and have friends who are farming now. One of them is thinking of switching from steers to turkeys for better pay. Best of luck to all of you, Karen
Being a forth generation farmer who took a factory job to support my family, I know what your friends are going through. Not fun! Family farms to corporate (so called family farms) transition just keeps martching on. Power hungry, know what is best for you types will own the land and keep us as tenats to do their bidding. And the cycle of history will go full circle again. Will we ever learn for our past? What do you think? Make the best of what you have to work with and be happy!
OH Hun,
Big hugs to the young man and his family..We live in a very sad, crazy world at the moment where nothing seems to make any sense...Hold onto your faith for comfort and guidance..
Love, Light & Blessings to you, your family and neighbours,
Sue
Keep supporting him! You can help him find the light, that's why he called you. Believe me I know. We started ranching with nothing & have fought for 12 years to get somewhat stable. If its only $, you can fix those problems. share details if you can.
This is why the barter system is coming back. Yet I'm sure those SOBs will find a way to stop that too.
We lost the ranch to Farm Home Administration in 1981. I ache to this day. Please send my best to your farming friend. Which will help in absolutely no way, but it's all I have.
My heart aches for this family farmer. I hate to hear anything like that....it is sooo frustrating and most people really do not understand anything about farming, the costs, the endless hardwork...ect...I could go on forever! Take care....
Hmmph. Preaching to the choir....wonder if the originators of these crazy laws have ever tasted a glass of 'real' fresh milk like I grew up on in the 60s and the 70s? Or tasted an honest-to-goodness tomato?
oh it's just horrible. and you are such a credit to good people everywhere, you are so caring and you FEEL the pain. I wish there was something we could all do. I hate hate hate seeing this happen, especially to our farming brothers.
As BeeContentRanch says...it does sound like you live in the People's Republic of CA. I do. I checked with the city to see if I could have two hens in my backyard. They said NO. I can listen to peoples yapping, barking dogs all day, but I can't have chickens? I'm so sick of this crap...and I'm going to get chickens anyway.
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