Farm Voters | All things farming and politics, from subsidies to animal welfare

New Enriched Cages are Showing Signs of Increased Productions

JS West Has Joined Forces with the Humane Society to pass Legislature to Make Enriched Cages Normal Operating Procedure

Egg production is beginning to make a change that is directed towards the care of chickens. This change has been a long time coming. I understand the struggles that farmers at all levels go through, including operation cost, however sometimes sacrifice must be made for the better good.

The United Egg producers and the US Humane Society have sat down and come up with an alternative to housing egg laying hens in battery cages. It may not be everything that activist want, however it’s a compromise that both parties were able to agree on. Current movements are working to pass legislation to do away with battery cages for good and move forward to what is being called the new enriched cages.

JS West and Company is a mass egg producer in California and was actually the first to implement the use of enriched cages. The senior vice president at JS West, Jill Benson admits that though she was originally skeptical, the new cages seem to be an improvement. In fact this improvement can be heard in Jill Benson’s recent statement, “What was a surprise is that the hens are producing just as many eggs, if not more, and they’re living better. In fact, there’s less mortality.”

JS West has added live camera’s that provide real time viewing, giving transparency for the first time in egg production. Benson is so impressed with how well these new cages are doing that she is pushing alongside the humane society to get federal legislation passed to make enriched cages standard operating procedure. Her only concern is that like most farming industries, she worries that legislators will push for more legislation than is necessary, a common battle that is always a concern of farmers and ranchers across the country.

Choosing the Right Farm

Size really does matter

A lot times when people start to think about farming, beautiful huge farms come to mind. These thoughts are admirable, though they can destroy a farm and any would be farmer when they are sought out. It’s more important and productive to evaluate which farm size works on an individual basis.

Future farmers that have a large financial backing and access to a large farm worker pool can develop a business plan that will work with a large farm. They’ll have the financial ability to stay afloat during times that effect farming practices, such as unforeseen droughts. They’ll also be able to replace equipment at any given time. Additionally, they will have the labor force needed to handle all aspects of their farm, from planting to harvest.

Some farmers may need to consider operating a small farm. This is often the case when loans need to be taken out just to keep up with production cost that can arise within the first couple of years of farm operations. A small farm is also ideal for farmers who will be handling the bulk of or all of the labor that comes with operating a farm. The great thing about starting on a small farm is that as profits grow, the farm can be upgraded.

For any farmer that has a decent financial backing and will be able to keep farm employees, yet wouldn’t be able to fully fund farm operations, a midsized farm would be the ideal choice. These are farmers that can fund day to day operations, yet may need to rely on farm operation loans in times of crises, such as equipment needs or environmental issues. Anyone who falls into the midsize farm category has to be even more careful when choosing the right farm size, having more available finances and capabilities can often lead to false optimism.

Organic farmers take a Stand against Corporate Takeovers

Monsanto Corporation - just another greedy corporation destroying American lives

Monsanto a manufacturer of genetically modified seeds contaminates organic farms and then tries to sue the organic farmers for seed infringement. The organic farmers didn’t take this lying down, they quickly returned the favor and now have a group containing approximately 300,000 farmers that are countersuing Monsanto. Monsanto just may have a case against them, they have been attacking family run small farms through lawsuits and buying up organic farms when small organic farmers couldn’t keep up.

This at the very least is unethical however as to whether it will be deemed illegal and worthy of trial is yet to be decided. I certainly hope that Monsanto gets yanked into court over this issue. One difference is that organic farmers aren’t standing alone anymore, not only do they have a large number of plaintiffs they also have backing from many organizations.

Pushing small farmers out of their farms by large corporate companies has been part of American farming history. It has been a battle that many farms have had to face as part of farming, although usually this corporate takeover is done in the guise of helping the small farmer. This is the first time that I have become aware of a large corporation suing a small farmer for seed infringement.

The ideal that Monsanto specifically went after organic farms is disturbing to say the least. After all organic farming has enough barriers as it is, they lack the luxury that other farms have by using technological advances, such as chemically engineered fertilizer. I hope that lady Justice will bring down her heavy sword onto the Monsanto Corporation.

Stop Dreaming and Start Farming

New loan and grant programs make new farms a reality

Have you ever longed for your own farm? If so now is the time to enter into this challenging path. The US Government has set aside 1.8 billion dollars to help new farmers hit the dirt running.

It is the Federal Governments hope that new farmer growth will hit 100,000. We are at a higher risk than ever before of losing the small farming communities. To combat this potential for loss several programs have been put in place to help with purchasing and running cost.

There are guaranteed loan programs for new farm purchases that have minimal requirements through the USDA Farm Service Agency. This program offers either a joint program where they will provide 50% of funding with the other 50% being obtained through private lenders. You can also get 95% funding through this program, leaving the other 5% as your individual out of pocket cost.

The maximum loan amount is $300,000. The loans in this program are 20 year loans and have a low interest rate of at least 1.5% and at a maximum of 4% under direct FO (farm ownership) rates. The same loan amounts apply to existing operating loans.

For farms that are already established there are several microloan programs and grant programs. Microloan programs offer small loan amounts that cover basic operating cost or equipment cost. Grant programs are available in different amounts, though if you accept a grant it’s imperative that you follow the requirements of the grant that was chosen and laid out before acceptance.

Butter Goes From the Table to the Artist Block

A Unique artist medium

Butter has been a farm made favorite for many people. People have been known to put it on just about everything imaginable. Now butter has passed the toast and has been gaining recognition as an art medium. Look at some of these great pieces that were made out of one of America’s favorite staples.

This sculpture titled Farm Life was erected in 2008 by sculptor Jim vector. Jim Vector has completed numerous sculptures. He uses many materials, some of sculptures are done in butter, while others may be made from chocolate or any other suitable artist medium.

Sharon Bumann was the creator of this sculpture titled Blues Brothers. She has also completed many other pieces, her usual medium however is bronze. Interestingly, her butter based pieces are as detailed as her finer bronze sculptures.

Butter sculptures are usually designed either as an entry or as a tribute to various popular fairs events. In fact many fairs like the Pennsylvania state fair have had butter sculpture competitions for decades, so long that they have become a long standing tradition. My state fair sadly doesn’t have this tradition, we just have a tradition of eating cheese curds and petting a llama. I think I would prefer the butter sculpture tradition.

One little tidbit of information that I’ve just learned is that these sculptures aren’t wasted, as you would think. They’re actually turned into energy. In fact the life size sculpture that will be in the Pennsylvania Farm Show will be turned into farm energy.

Animal Activists Fires Cause Damage on Three Levels

This criminal behavior should be treated as an act of extremists.

The mere ideal that animal activist may possibly be behind a fire to 14 cattle trucks on Harris Ranch in Coalinga California is disturbing to say the least. Reading over the reports will leave you stunned. It’s as if time has been reversed and we have all somehow woke up back in the 1960’s when it was common place to play with fire and in some cases bombs just to get across a point.

Whatever happened to law abiding citizens? Destroying 14 cattle trucks and severely hurting a family run farm and the family itself shouldn’t be seen as the answer for individuals who are worried about animal welfare. In my opinion this entire incident should be seen as an extreme act and should definitely be pursued and prosecuted as such.

Let me just point out that I care very much about how animals are treated, though I also understand the entire food chain. Short of purposeful and unethical treatment, the Harris Farm was within their rights to raise cattle for the purpose of future beef production. Even if there was some form of animal abuse or neglect breaking laws, destroying property and endangering the lives of people and for that matter animals is inappropriate and certainly not the answer.

The thing about this single rather extreme act is that it didn’t just hurt the Harris Farm. It hurt other farmers as they sat back and watched in the aftermath, it hurt already struggling Americans as it wouldn’t surprise me if beef and dairy prices were to rise following this event. This criminal act went beyond the surface, animal activists that have struggled and fought to disassociate themselves with the extreme acts in their history are now being reconnected with that past, this single act has set them back decades, as a result they will have to strive that much harder to be taken seriously again.

Today in History Agricultural Adjustment Act found Unconstitutional

We still suffer the fate of the original Agricultural Adjustment Act

If you think that our current farming laws are harsh or unethical then you won’t believe what they used to be. Seventy-six years ago today, January 6 the Agricultural Adjustment Act was found by the Supreme Court to be unconstitutional. Sadly, government was able to get around that by rewording what they needed to so that it could be put back in place. Farming acts are still based off the original agricultural act of 1933, however they have remained somewhat less harsh.

A common misconception with this act is that farm crop production had to be reduced. In actuality and a point of unethical means is that it went beyond grown crops. Livestock production had to be reduced which equated to slaughtering female animals and young animals that were born to ensure that livestock numbers didn’t go beyond what was allowed.

This did more harm than good. First off farmers were having to kill the very animals that they raise to make a living on, the very animals that would have grown into further money as time went by. Secondly, crops were reduced drastically, in the case that a crop was limited and then drought kicked in, further limiting a crop the economic impact was high.

The reduction of crops and livestock spilled into every home across America. Prices skyrocketed in a time when people could barely afford to eat as it was, just as prices have skyrocketed today. If only officials would look back on their history in an effort to avoid past mistakes. Then maybe, just maybe farmers could just be allowed to farm and consumers could be allowed to consume.

3 Principles of the Farm Bill 2012

Education and Research, Safety Net Concerns, and Promotion of Markets

The USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack is planning to build the new 2012 Farm Bill on three core sets of principles. He plans to address education and research, safety net concerns and promotion of markets. This new farm bill will be similar to the old Farm Bill in some areas yet vastly different in others. Concerns rise every time a new Farm Bill is implemented, hopefully this will provide some understanding and extinguish growing concerns.

Education and Research

Vilsack is pushing to promote agriculture research investments. Studies have shown that for $1 invested $20 is returned. By keeping investments going not only will the economy be stimulated, the agricultural industries will remain superior and will be able to avoid dropping below standards.

Safety Net Concerns

Having a safety net in place can help farmers and ranchers survive disasters. Insurance companies make up a large portion of emergency payouts, however they aren’t able to handle all of the cost. This leaves a huge hole in coverage that causes farmer and public consumer to pay the price. By having an additional budget to cover emergency disasters farmers, ranchers and the public alike will be relieved from the high cost of unexpected occurrences.

Promotion of Markets

A large concern is that the promotion of markets continue and include market promotion both globally and in-house. Farm size or the type of farm shouldn’t matter, promotion of markets should include big and small farms growing any product. In fact, Vilsack is pushing to promote specialty farms, often overlooked. This section of the farm bill will also include nutritional programs that affect farmers and the general public alike.

3 Last Minute DYI Christmas Gift Ideas

Last minute gift ideas to make everyone on your list happy

As Christmas has been approaching, our time of getting everyone a gift has been dwindling. This last week can be an exhausting time, try any of these 3 DYI Christmas gifts project and give a gift that shows how much you care. Give a gift that will highlight the fact that you took the time to create something with the recipient in mind.

Make your own hot cocoa mix and place it in a gift bag or decorative jar. Everyone loves a hot cup of chocolate deliciousness, especially during these cold winter months. Make sure you include instructions.

Combine 4 cups of powdered milk, 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder and 2 cups of sugar into a bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour into container of choice and attached the following instructions.

Instructions – add 4 tablespoons to 8oz of boiling water.

If you’re feeling crafty, you can make some Hot Pad holders. These can be given in a set of 4, so that you’re not just giving a single hot pad holder. You can use festive holiday fabric or any fabric that you think the gift receiver would especially enjoy.

Start by cutting 2 pieces of fabric squares that are 6 inches by 6 inches. Cut another piece of quilt backing at the same measurement. Line up all three fabric cuts with the quilting in between the two decorative fabric pieces and sew all three together along all 4 edges. Next you’ll want to apply a matching border, to add design and hide your stitching. You can also add a hanging handle with extra edging if you prefer.

One especially popular gift idea is to make a treat basket. You can grab a basket of your choice a fill it with a selection of cookies, bars and fudge. Make sure that you decorate the basket either with the individual in mind or Christmas accents. For an added touch you can also include a few recipe cards of what you have in the basket.

Farmers Occupy Wall Street

Farmers make their first march to Wall Street tomorrow

Farmers are uniting and entering Occupy wall Street. It has been known for some time now that elected officials and big business are part of the farming industries struggles. They have made it so that farmers own less of their actual production that large companies do, such as the company Monsanto who controls 90% of the corn that’s grown in America.

That cost damage is passed on to consumers. As I’m sure you are all aware of, grocery bills have continued to climb to unreasonable amounts. Hopefully, the upcoming Farmers Occupy March will provide open the eyes of America to the ongoing struggles that farmers face each day as a result of big business and government officials.

The first march is scheduled tomorrow, December 4^th. You can view a schedule of events at the Washington Times. The events start off with a discussion and will then begin their official march straight up to Wall Street. Hopefully, everyone who is able to attend and provide their support will take a few hours out of their day to join, if you do plan to join you’ll want to arrive by 2 pm.

Another mention that sounds like it could actually be fun, is that after the actual march, they will be swapping seeds in Zuccotti Park which is also known as Liberty Plaza. I hope this march will turn into a larger event that goes beyond this single day. If the farmers occupy is able to pick up steam, I will definitely be following it and keeping everyone updated on the progress.

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