Farming, its natural and sustainable and needs more money invested.

My rant is fueled again by my discussion boards for my class where the unit is Agriculture and our topics were on biotechnology in farming, family vs corporate farming, intensive livestock farming, and farming subsidies.   My class is Environment and Resources and the boards were very much one sided saying farming today is unsafe or unnatural, not sustainable, unfair treatment of animals, etc.  Which on one hand they are right, however they were not answering the questions and it really irritated me.  I am from London, I went to RMC, I knew farm kids, I went to Guelph, I knew the Aggies, and my dad works in the industry.   It hit me close to home plus both my parents' extended family had farms.  So here are my arguments.  

Biotechnology 

I agree that Biotechnology is necessary in today’s Agriculture world.  My dad works in a plant that makes feed for turkeys, pigs, and other livestock.   The feed is formulated for each species and each use.   They use natural ingredients such as corn, wheat, hay, grains, etc but also put in extra nutrients and each farmer provides their needs in order to ensure they are getting the proper food for their livestock.   Without this food the farmers would have to grow their own corn and grains and only be able to support their own livestock during the months that they harvest these crops.   With this Biotechnology food advantage farmers can focus on their livestock and also the feed changes as the animals grow ie) chicks have different food then young adult chickens, roosters have different food, egg laying chickens have different nutrients than meat raised poultry.  Feed formula is made by veterinarians and animal nutritionists based on research.  These are provided to the plant, each species has a starter blend.   Feed is medicated for each developmental stage, once animals are ready for the meat market they are fed plain feed with no additives to ensure they are safe for human consumption.   

Family VS Corporate Farming

I think that it is important to buy produce locally.  I think its relative where you live.   If you live in a small town, or a town where you have to drive through the country and pass family owned farms that have a vegetable stand you would be more inclined to stop and buy from them.  If you live in the city it is easier to go to the grocery store.   I love buying from fruit and vegetable stands some even used to be around in the city on the side of the road or in parking lots.   I see them less and less I am not sure if it is because the farms are gone or that there are city laws against stands in public areas. 

I said my dad worked for a feed company, they prefer to buy from local farms cause it is cheaper but they have less supply than from the corporate farms’ crops.  Corn is expensive but the better choice.  Nutreco is attached to Cold Springs in Thamesford, which is a Turkey Farm supplier and processor and owns a lot of local farms, which are family run.   They own farms, supply the feed and in-turn take the turkeys back for processing.  The farms are run by families, which are “employees” they live on the farm and run it but are paid by the company. This provides hope and potential for family farms, instead of being bought out they are paid for their work and are provided with farm land and a house.

 

Intensive Livestock Farming (FEEDLOTS)  

This generated a lot of typical responses: eat free range meat, we eat too much meat, it is unnatural to keep animals in cages.    All of these are very valid animal welfare issues but it did not really address what we were asked.  First off I disagree that this is an unnatural process.  Farmers have been breeding, harvesting and selling livestock for hundreds of years.  How can traditional ways of feeding one’s family be unnatural? We can argue that the practices are “unnatural” and not proper ways to treat animals.  Or we eat too much meat and farms with vegetables or grains are more sustainable or natural. 

The question asked was do intensive livestock farms represent the natural evolution off farming in an era marked by increasing competition?
I would argue yes it is representing the natural evolution of farming in an era with increasing competition.  Lets face it we eat meat we need it, it is how we base our meals at home and in a restaurant. It's an ugly process, but what isn't it's an industry.

If farmer’s have developed ways to safely produce meat in mass quantities why not support it? I will return to the turkey farm scenario, because it’s not all red meat that is slaughtered poultry is too, some people don’t eat red meat because of how its raised when turkey and chicken are the same.     The turkey feed is produced with vitamins and minerals for chicks, and the medication changes as the chicks grow.  The feed becomes plain by the time the turkeys are market size and ensures meat that is safe for human consumption.  The turkeys are then taken back to the plant to be slaughtered…I won’t say how but it is the most natural way. 

Farm Subsides Problematic or Beneficial?

Farm subsidies should benefit the farmer, the economy, and the government or company, which is providing the subsidies.  The Federal Government has the Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, as well as Provincial Ministries of Agriculture.   The resources are there.  The problem is how to invest and divide the money between the provinces, each province is going to have different farming needs as we have seen in the graphs on the slides.  It is up to the provincial agencies to determine what is necessary.  

I read an article from CBC that was published in 2004 that says:
“Farmers in Europe received subsidies of about $6 a bushel, U.S. farmers got $2.50 a bushel, Canadian farmers received subsidies of only 40 cents a bushel.” 

In this case yes subsidies are just creating more problems and costing farmers more money: “Farmers have found that their expenses are rising while their profits are dwindling.”

Here lies the problem all of Canadian farmers were being treated as a whole, which yes they are all equal, however in this case the subsidies are much lower.   A provincial level of subsidy is much better, think about employment insurance you apply to the federal government service Canada, but it is Employment Ontario that helps you find a new job.

Also, the territories are often left out there were 200 farms in the territories 170 in the Yukon and 30 in the Northwest Territories and none in Nunavut.   These farms are much smaller, averaging under 150 acres.   Territory farm operations are often unique because they commercially harvest wild animals such as reindeer, musk-oxen and horses.  Hay is the most produced crop in the territories.

The territories, as well as other areas throughout Canada do have smaller family farms and are often unnoticed.  Farm subsidies are a must and must be determined by province or better yet by regions.  If the government delegates them properly we can invest in agriculture in our “have not provinces” in hopes to make them “have” provinces.    

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/agriculture/subsidies.html