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5. Smaller farms can no longer operate due to the very high cost of machinery. Combines cost $300K and midwestern farmers with acerage of less than a thousand acres simply cannot afford to farm any longer. Just how then, would you propose, making farms smaller? The federal subsidies required for such inefficiency would be enormous and dwarf any healthcare spending.
There's small farm machinery being made in Japan. Balers, tedders, etc.
Priced right ($15K for the square baler) and made for the "small landholder".
Now you'd think JD or any of the other big Ag boys would jump on that ?
NOPE. You have to hunt and dig for these niche dealers in the US for them.
Just kidding. I think co-ops are a great idea. It keeps the money in the community and employs people.
A lot of Jersey people come to PA for food. I spent the last few Saturdays going to the farm stands to stock up on fall veggies. Saw NJ license plates at many of the stands. And we have a local butcher who has quite a large New Jersey clientele. The Mennonites and Amish are essentially organic farmers.
Um, because people can't afford $5.00 for an ear of corn?
Then why don't grapefruits grown in the valley of Texas cost me $5.00 each? Homegrown tomatoes don't cost anymore than that crap they call tomatoes in a supermarket, when you can find them.
1. Food poisoning was much greater prior to the advent of refrigeration, pesticides, and preservatives.
Refrigeration is the key word there. Pesticides do nothing to prevent food poisoning; preservatives do very little.
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2. There is ZERO nutritional or health benefits from "organic" food, according to NEJM.
There is no nutritional benefit but there is no large, reliable study that supports your allegation that there is no health benefit.
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3. Corn is in our food, medicine, and burgers. Of course it is. Would you prefer soy? If so, production could be switched to soy (as many farmers already rotate) for some unknown reason to placate those who fear corn. Soda could be sweetened with sugar (many do now- ever have a Jones soda?) if that would make you feel better as well.
Corn is subsidize and is sold to producers at about half the cost of production. Consequently it's everywhere. Ninety per cent of American soy is Roundup Ready. Farmers aren't allowed to keep seed because of patent infringement; they are forced to buy from Monsanto. Monsanto is going after and suing the farmers who don't buy their soy seed claiming patent infringement if even on of their seeds is found in the farmer's property which happens because of seed migration. Big Ag at it's finest.
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5. Smaller farms can no longer operate due to the very high cost of machinery. Combines cost $300K and midwestern farmers with acerage of less than a thousand acres simply cannot afford to farm any longer. Just how then, would you propose, making farms smaller? The federal subsidies required for such inefficiency would be enormous and dwarf any healthcare spending.
You probably ought to take PurpleLove's advice and watch Food Inc.....
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6. Most of the E-coli outbreaks in the US have come from imported Mexican food.
You are simply wrong about that.
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Could you remind me who started NAFTA?
That would be George H. W. Bush, unless you want to count the earlier treaty with Canada which spawned NAFTA. That occurred under Reagan.
"Following diplomatic negotiations dating back to 1991 between the three nations, the leaders met in San Antonio, Texas, on December 17, 1992, to sign NAFTA. U.S. President George H.W. Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Mexican President Carlos Salinas, each responsible for spearheading and promoting the agreement, ceremonially signed it. The agreement then needed to be ratified by each nation's legislative or parliamentary branch." Source: North American Free Trade Agreement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Then why don't grapefruits grown in the valley of Texas cost me $5.00 each? Homegrown tomatoes don't cost anymore than that crap they call tomatoes in a supermarket, when you can find them.
Because the government is not yet involved in the distribution of those grapefruits and tomatoes.
Nope - the small "family farmer" is a thing of the past. It won't and can't happen. It simply is too expensive to operate and cannot produce enough to be profitable.
And not just "anybody" can be put to work on a farm.
The OP while well intentioned, is seriously uninformed on what farming is all about.
There are quite a few small farms still in Texas...Maybe you need to put a hat on before you go back out into the heat of the sun!
"The small farm owner is a growing segment in Texas agriculture. Per Ag Census statistics, 33% of all farms and ranches in Texas are ranked under 50 acres in size."
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It keeps the money in the community and employs people.
