This is a report from the front
lines of agriculture were it is shown that the two desired outcomes are
naturally in conflict.
I actually think that raising
animals on organic feed stocks to be presently impractical. We forget that one of the purposes of animal
husbandry is to convert plant surpluses unsuitable for human consumption into
food.
What I do support is the steady
development of range raised animals of all types. It is simply better for the animals and
product quality is far better.
In this case range raised
chickens win out and I think they really should. I really do not think they should need more
effort or feed for that matter.
I also have long supported the
need for grower’s combines in order to manage supply and pricing control. This removes outright dependence on been a
price taker independent of his neighbor.
This has occasionally been mandated by government but would be better
handled by local groups at least.
After all the egg producers coop
of the Fraser Valley can talk directly to Safeway and enter into a long term
contract and know they will sell a certain tonnage every year. Guess what?
The buyer really does not have time to deal with an individual. Yet it never made sense to allow the selling
to fall by default into a third party.
Pasture-raised or organic: Why we can’t do both
18 NOV 2011 2:53 PM
My partner and I raise chickens for meat and eggs on 55 acres -- a
small farm by today's standards. Along the way, I've had to make many tough
decisions, be inventive, develop relationships with our customers, and
work a lot of 14-hour days to insure our farm's progress.
The work is hands-on. I spend most of the day out in the pastures collecting
eggs by hand, replenishing the birds' food and water, building coops and shade
houses, and managing compost piles. I'm proud of what we do -- but I can't
afford to give the birds organic feed.
While certified organic feed is desirable, many chickens are fed
organic grains but are still raised in confined quarters. And, when faced with
the choice, I believe that treating animals well -- and giving them the freedom
to walk and roam around, and enjoy their natural behaviors and habitats -- is
the most important piece of the puzzle. Organic grains will not alleviate the
inhumane conditions of overcrowded barns, poor housing, poor water quality, or
lack of access to fresh pastures and forage (nor the diseases associated with
those conditions).
Why do we have to choose? The answer -- as is often the case in farming -- is cash flow.
The cost of conventional grain has risen 30 percent since the beginning
of 2011. This is a considerable increase, since we already spend over $8,000 a
month on feed. By our calculations, organic feed would cost as much as 75
percent more. In short, it's financially impossible. If we passed the cost on
to our customers (a step that would result in our birds retailing at over $35
apiece), we'd be priced out of the market.
My partner and I have spent considerable time discussing what to feed
our chickens. And while conventionally grown feed is produced in ways that we
don't agree with, small-scale pastured chicken farming is already expensive.
The farm fronts all the costs of purchasing and caring for both the laying hens
and meat birds -- and in the case of layers, we need to make a six-month
commitment before we ever collect an egg to sell. When it comes to the meat
birds, even after the 10 weeks it takes to raise them, we still have the costs
of transporting them to the processor, slaughtering and packaging, and finally,
transporting them to market. And because we're small, we receive no
discounts on feed or slaughter costs. And because we've focused mainly on
chickens, we don't sell an array of other products to offset our expenses.
By far the most daunting cost on our farm is the chickens' feed. After
researching our options, we chose to buy non-organic feed and do business with
a small, owner-operated mill less than an hour away in Petaluma , Calif.
This mill buys as much grain as they can from California growers; and they don't add
hormones, antibiotics, or anything synthetic to the grains. What I like about
the mill is that I have the opportunity to talk with the people there every
time I buy the feed. And that's just as important as ensuring that our
customers have the ability to visit the farm and talk directly to us as their
farmers.
I don't buy grain from sources where I cannot speak to a person
involved in the growing or milling process. So many of the grains that go into
animal feed come from other countries (China has recently become one of
the leading producers of the soy used in animal feed, for instance). And I
would want to investigate the conditions of their soil, water, and work
environments before I invested in markets so far from my own farm.
Although it's far from the current reality, one of the most
transformative innovations -- and I believe the most ideal method for
grain acquisition -- would be an independent system owned and controlled by
local farmers. The grains would have to be grown far from pesticide and
herbicide drift and GMO contamination. They could then be sold to a neighboring
mill or cooperative. Local animal farmers could access organic grains at
an affordable price; producers would have a constant and steady market year
round; and communities would benefit from the rebuilding of rural economies.
We'd also have transparency and traceability, straight from the field, to the
mill, to the animals.
Alexis and her
partner Eric run Soul Food Farm, a 55-acre chicken and egg farm in Vacaville , CA .
They started the farm around 2004 with their daughters Emma and Morgan, and
their son Justin. For more about their history and philosophy, see their website.
1 comment:
I suppose I see it more as the quandry facing monoculture and cheap food being taken for granted. Cornish crosses are raised to supply the stores with those plump chickens. They suck at foraging and are quite delicate health-wise in comparison.
There are those applying techniques to raise several different types of livestock. One farm near us goes as far as even raising all of the feedstock. They utilize to their advantage the fact that the different species prefer different forages.
Such a set up is investment heavy. They have the good fortune that the family farm already had much of the needed equipment, facilities, and space. Those just starting out.. it can be a pricetag too daunting to accomplish. (Or in order to accomplish it.. years of building up to such levels.)
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