Great to see this posted in the KC Star (I decided to read it on their web page -- give them an extra click!). Great way to educate more folks about small farmers.
My bride and I are anxiously awaiting the opening of our local famers market. Great way to support locally grown produce -- vegetables, honey, bread/bakery, chicken and beef, AND more!
Thanks for these great comments and for supporting the Kansas City Star. And thank you for supporting family farmers. We did the Des Moines Downtown Farmers Market for 14 years. Our amazing and dedicated customers made our success possible at Coyote Run Farm.
The teaser about small scale is in the eye of the beholder I guess, 20,000 seems massive to me but I guess in comparison to a million it is small. How many acres is this farm? Is it small, about 300 acres like my dad's was? I'm guessing probably not. In reading your article I know Trump won't go for any of this no matter how much sense it makes. DIVERSITY in farming! We don't want any of those colored eggs! And gay chickens wouldn't lay eggs anyhow.
The crucial points are not about size of operation, but the need to disperse both livestock and their waste in a responsible manner. The most feasible method is to create policies which shape the markets so that we have more farmers (and their support groups like veterinarians and nutritionists and Extension workers, etc.) who understand livestock, and more farmers tending livestock in ways that are healthier for both farmer and animal. There are many paths, most of which are complex. Ag policy has always been and will always be complex and nuanced. Very easy to err on policy.
Of course not one path toward improvement involves the leaders that we have in D.C. today. They have no clue, as you note. We need to get them out of office ASAP.
I'm not so much about getting them out as I am about getting new leaders in. I suppose the result is basically the same. But new leaders with different experiences and grounded in values that transcend the narrow focus of one aspect of an industry is greatly needed.
Perfectly sound answer to a real problem by people who understand how agriculture works. Simple and to the ooint answers unlike retorical bull shit or blaming Biden for things they have no answers for!
Great article. We wonder where our cage-free or organic eggs at local supermarkets are sourced? Prices lately are nearly equal to those of conventional eggs. Is there a path which will allow your subject’s farm to cease shipping his eggs to California? We know many smaller producers in our area also rely on the CA market.
Two points. I'm completely supportive of moving agricultural products where the markets are. So if there's a demand in CA, I'm all for Iowa farmers to meet that demand. At the same time, there are opportunities for more farms as markets grow. So this is not an either/or situation where we need to focus on localizing markets by shrinking other more distant markets. It's both/and. We definitely need to expand the kinds of farms we wrote about. If Arlyn wants to shift where he sells eggs, that's great. But the goal shouldn't be to shift his sales, it should be opening up opportunities for more farms like his. And that would get to what I think you want--more local access to these kinds of eggs from these kinds of farms.
No I’m quite agnostic about where the best markets are. For instance if 50% of our soybeans go to China and boost our prices, so be it. Makes a huge difference to the bottom line. I just wonder why we can buy organic eggs in Iowa for same price as conventional, while Arlyn must ship to CA to get best deal for his farm.
One pack of eggs in our refrigerator is sourced in CA, sold through Walmart. The other is CA SEFS compliant but packed in Kalona, Iowa. So sources are confusing sometimes. Both “organic”.
Great to see this posted in the KC Star (I decided to read it on their web page -- give them an extra click!). Great way to educate more folks about small farmers.
My bride and I are anxiously awaiting the opening of our local famers market. Great way to support locally grown produce -- vegetables, honey, bread/bakery, chicken and beef, AND more!
RINO -- Ed
Thanks for these great comments and for supporting the Kansas City Star. And thank you for supporting family farmers. We did the Des Moines Downtown Farmers Market for 14 years. Our amazing and dedicated customers made our success possible at Coyote Run Farm.
uplifting farmer story that gives me hope. we need to have more farms like this and the govt to quit supporting the megamega corporate farms.
Thanks for supporting farmers.
The teaser about small scale is in the eye of the beholder I guess, 20,000 seems massive to me but I guess in comparison to a million it is small. How many acres is this farm? Is it small, about 300 acres like my dad's was? I'm guessing probably not. In reading your article I know Trump won't go for any of this no matter how much sense it makes. DIVERSITY in farming! We don't want any of those colored eggs! And gay chickens wouldn't lay eggs anyhow.
The crucial points are not about size of operation, but the need to disperse both livestock and their waste in a responsible manner. The most feasible method is to create policies which shape the markets so that we have more farmers (and their support groups like veterinarians and nutritionists and Extension workers, etc.) who understand livestock, and more farmers tending livestock in ways that are healthier for both farmer and animal. There are many paths, most of which are complex. Ag policy has always been and will always be complex and nuanced. Very easy to err on policy.
Of course not one path toward improvement involves the leaders that we have in D.C. today. They have no clue, as you note. We need to get them out of office ASAP.
I'm not so much about getting them out as I am about getting new leaders in. I suppose the result is basically the same. But new leaders with different experiences and grounded in values that transcend the narrow focus of one aspect of an industry is greatly needed.
Perfectly sound answer to a real problem by people who understand how agriculture works. Simple and to the ooint answers unlike retorical bull shit or blaming Biden for things they have no answers for!
Great article. We wonder where our cage-free or organic eggs at local supermarkets are sourced? Prices lately are nearly equal to those of conventional eggs. Is there a path which will allow your subject’s farm to cease shipping his eggs to California? We know many smaller producers in our area also rely on the CA market.
Two points. I'm completely supportive of moving agricultural products where the markets are. So if there's a demand in CA, I'm all for Iowa farmers to meet that demand. At the same time, there are opportunities for more farms as markets grow. So this is not an either/or situation where we need to focus on localizing markets by shrinking other more distant markets. It's both/and. We definitely need to expand the kinds of farms we wrote about. If Arlyn wants to shift where he sells eggs, that's great. But the goal shouldn't be to shift his sales, it should be opening up opportunities for more farms like his. And that would get to what I think you want--more local access to these kinds of eggs from these kinds of farms.
No I’m quite agnostic about where the best markets are. For instance if 50% of our soybeans go to China and boost our prices, so be it. Makes a huge difference to the bottom line. I just wonder why we can buy organic eggs in Iowa for same price as conventional, while Arlyn must ship to CA to get best deal for his farm.
One pack of eggs in our refrigerator is sourced in CA, sold through Walmart. The other is CA SEFS compliant but packed in Kalona, Iowa. So sources are confusing sometimes. Both “organic”.