Farm Aid Point to Family Farmers as Critical to Economic Recovery

Over the summer Farm Aid released its report, "Rebuilding America's Economy with Family Farm-Centered Food Systems," making the case for the critical role family farmers can play in U.S. economic recovery efforts.

Back on 6/4/10, during a press briefing, Farm Aid President Willie Nelson showcased family farms as essential to jump-starting rural economies and contributing to the revitalization of our national economy. Small and mid-sized family farms are at the root of growing local and regional food systems, yet they are also the farms most at risk in this economic climate. Family farmers and advocates from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and Shepherd's Grain joined Nelson in calling on federal and rural leaders to pay more attention to the fiscal potential inherent in small and mid-sized farmers and to develop and fund policies to transform U.S. agriculture into a system that fosters innovation and economic growth.

"At Farm Aid, we've worked for family farmers for 25 years because when family farmers are on the land, growing good food and creating jobs, their communities are doing well, too," said Nelson. "We need our leaders in Washington and in rural America to understand that family farmers are the backbone of our country, the first rung on the economic ladder. Keeping family farmers on the land and bringing new people to farming are common-sense approaches to addressing the economic problems we're all facing. We can all benefit if family farmers are part of the solution."

Farm Aid sent letters to President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, sharing evidence that demonstrates the value of the contributions family farmers make to local and regional economies. For example, in regional food systems where farmers can sell their products to consumers for a fair price, research suggests that money is most likely to be spent within the region, boosting income and generating jobs. In addition, the work of these family farmers safeguards our soil and water, improves public health and increases accessibility to fresh, healthy food.

"The Obama administration has begun to invest in small and mid-sized farmers, which is good news for the economy," said Alicia Harvie, Farm Aid program manager and report author. "Unfortunately, the very farmers that can help revive our economy -- small and mid-sized farmers -- are in jeopardy because of tightening credit, volatile markets and rising production costs. Tomorrow's National Summit of Rural America has the potential to be a historic turning point for how we grow food in this country. We can grow in ways that increase wealth for communities and promote health for all Americans; we hope the outcomes from this meeting are in line with this vision."

Crisis concerning America's Dairy Farmers

I got this mail from Farm Aid & it concerns the Dairy Farmers

Top officials at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) are sitting on recommendations from their Antitrust Division to indict two of the biggest firms in the U.S. dairy industry: Dairy Farmers of America (the nation's largest dairy cooperative) and Dean Foods (the nation's largest fluid milk processor).

With thousands of dairy farmers going out of business this year alone, there is no excuse for any more delays. The crisis in the dairy industry may seem confusing, but the numbers tell it all. Since the mid 1980s, the gap between farm milk price and retail milk price has steadily widened. It's outrageous that over the last 20 years, farmers have received less and less for their milk even as consumers have paid more at the grocery store. The middlemen are making all the money!

America has lost over half its dairy farmers in the past sixteen years, with fewer than 60,000 dairy farmers remaining. During that time, the DOJ Antitrust Division has repeatedly allowed unrestrained takeovers and market abuses in dairy at the expense of both America's dairy farmers and consumers, and it's time we put a stop to it.

So what happens if we don't take action to save our dairy farmers?

We risk losing tens of thousands more farmers from the land and billions of dollars from our rural economies. We risk being forced to rely on more factory farms and imported milk substitutes that compromise public and environmental health and safety. We risk losing our choice for safe, local milk from family farmers we trust.

Carolyn Mugar, Executive Director of Farm Aid is calling on Attorney General Eric Holder to restore fairness to the marketplace, save our dairy farmers & fight against corporate control.

Now I didn't know the situation concerning our Dairy Farmers was this bad, with do many going out of business. My hope is that AG Holder steps in & restore some level of fairness toward Dairy Farmers

Farm Aid: They Don't want Farmers telling the Truth

I got this newsletter from Hilde Shelley from Farm Aid:

On May 21st, the Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Agriculture will hold a workshop to investigate the abusive state of contract poultry farming in the United States. Well, nobody knows more about the problem than family farmers. But the DOJ and USDA are having a hard time finding farmers who are willing to speak out. Why? Farmers are scared of retaliation by the big poultry companies, and for good reason.

They need us to stand up for them now. Tell the DOJ and USDA to protect family farmers and stop the abusive practices of big poultry companies.

Nowadays more than 90% of poultry is raised under a contract situation, meaning that farmers sign a contract with a big poultry company. And for a lot of family farmers, there's no choice – they are forced to sign whatever contract the company comes up with if they want to stay on the land and keep farming. The company controls the whole process from chick to market, and requires the farmer to build particular kinds of barns and use specific practices in raising the birds, all at the farmers' expense.

The company has all the control. The farmer has none. And that means they're left wide open to abuse.

We know why these farmers are scared of retaliation from these companies. We’ve heard the stories about what happens when a farmer speaks up about the unfair, one-sided and abusive contracts:

Poultry companies provide poor quality feed or sick chicks that die within days
The companies halt or delay the delivery of new birds
Farmers are required to make expensive farm upgrades without fair compensation
Farmers' contracts are dropped without warning
Farm Aid can tell the DOJ and USDA the truth because we’ve heard the stories from farmers themselves, and we want you to join us.

Send a letter to the DOJ and USDA. Tell them we need to overhaul the poultry system and ensure fair contracts and a living wage for our nation’s poultry growers. Without fair contracts, these farmers are trapped in an abusive system that they have little control over. We need to restore fairness in poultry farming, and you can help.

The big poultry companies can try to silence farmers with their intimidation tactics. But they can't keep Farm Aid quiet, and they can't stop you and me from standing up for family farmers. Let's show them what we can do.

It's sbout time!