Thread: Have You Ever Felt? Farming Issue

Thank you all for responding to my post yesterday about the letter that I received from the farmer. Keep responding to that if you would.

Have you ever felt like you had the answer to a problem on the tip of your tongue, but you just couldn't articulate what that solution was? While allowing farmworkers to be here legally on a visa, and then going home after the time is up, and not using taxpayer benefits while here, or bringing their family members here, may work, I feel that we, the people, have enough people within the population pool who can do at least some of the work on local farms.

The farmer told me, politely and I believe in good faith, that his experience with American workers was that they were unreliable, and didn't enjoy physical labor. I think the solution is that we need to get our population, in particular young people, interested in farms and the outdoors once again, but how do you do it? This is why I say that the answer is on the tip of my tongue, but I can't articulate it yet.

Some schools have gardens that the students maintain, and that is a great idea. If there was a way that farms could partner with schools to get young students to come to the farm several times per year, and then provide them with part-time work when they are in high school, this may help as well. But there has to be a draw. Why should a kid get dirty at a farm for $8 an hour when they can stay clean as a cashier for the same amount? That is the argument. And there is nothing wrong with being a cashier, but for purposes of this post, we need people out on the farms and interested in performing outdoor work.

Do farmers provide a scholarship program to certain kids who work on farms? Does someone create a "Habitat for Humanity" type organization to help provide labor to farms? I'm trying to think outside the box, even though these ideas may not be sound. Or maybe they are.

Can some smart kids create a computerized map/grid of the farm, and learn programming/engineering skills as well as perform physical labor? In other words, help the farmer create a virtual farm, and then the kids help the farmer to perform tasks on the real farm?

There has to be a way to get people interested once again. And these ideas may not work in every town or every county, but they may work in some areas, depending on the willingness of the farmer and local town to partner-up.

Please post any ideas that you have.

Thanks,

Ostrich

This is a good thread Ostrich, thanks. Hope we can keep it going.

For farmers, it's first and foremost, about money. They can choose to automate, but why bother when they can hire illegal aliens cheaply?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvWZIj-XCjM tomato harvester at work.

In addition, we already have a temp ag worker program called H-2B (or is it H-2A), the problem here is that farmers don't want to be responsible for "sponsoring" the migrants and paying them livable wages. There are oo many regulations attached to this temp visa program. It benefits the migrants and US citizens, but cuts into the employers profit. Farmers want all the regulations to go away.

So what happens if all these illegal alien farm workers are amnestied? They quit their farm jobs to go into construction, etc., etc., etc. The farmers then need more illegal aliens. It's a vicious cycle.

The old bracero program would work best. I think Canada is using something like it now. Migrant comes to work for season and then is flown home to be with his family. Yes, the money goes with him, but his family is not sucking up taxpayer funded services. It's a win-win sitaution for the people, but obviously not for the elitists.

I've done farm work, it's back breaking, but it runs circles around a gym workout. Think of the money one can save in gym memberships, by working on a farm.

The main reason why Americans won't work on farms is that they don't earn enough to pay the bills and put food on the table, unless you're living 4 or more families to one house.

Hi Ostrich.

I think part of the problem is; citizens will do farm work BUT NOT at slave wages nor at bad working conditions or brutally long working hours.

I believe some Farm owners have gotten greedy and addicted to using desperate workers,especially poor illegals, they can bend to their will for their own financial gain.

I believe minumum security prisoners all across our nation could supply farmers with all the extra help needed at planting & harvest time. Plus it would give the prisoners,jails etc. many benefits,such as learning farm tech., exercise,spending money and help pay for their incarceration. Just a thought.

There is a grape farm in our area that hires groups that need to fund raise in the late summer. It was a win win for both the farmer and the groups that need money. The farmer provided breakfast and lunch and all ages of people were working. Groups that help to pick the grapes included high school band, high school clubs, church groups etc. I helped a few times in a group composed of parents and kids. We got a lot done and it was our best fund raiser ever.

These are all great ideas, especially the fundraiser idea on the grape farm.

Keep them coming!

Ostrich

The Ostrich asked:
"Do farmers provide a scholarship program to certain kids who work on farms?"

1) FUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA. When I went to high school in rural Kansas, there were far more boys wearing "FFA" jackets than letter sweaters. I sure girls have been admitted on an equal footing for many years now.

NATIONAL FFA ORGANIZATION - AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
http://www.ffa.org/


2) 4-H

4-H offers educational programs, social events, camps, and, ultimately, college scholarships centered around agriculture from elementary school through college. Originally based primarily in farm regions, 4-H has modified its programs to fit suburban and urban settings as our national population has shifted: my son belonged to a 4-H Club when he attended elementary school in Atlanta.

4-H
http://4-h.org/

"4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service of the United States ..." (from the Wikipedia description online)

Older youngsters are given an opportuntiy to raise their own livestock (which can include poultry as well as show sheep and show cattle), which they then show at local agricultural fairs. Obviously most of those participating live on family farms, and these projects, which are very closely monitored throughout, often become real "family projects". These animals are sold at the end of the year and the proceeds go to college scholarship funds for their young owners. The premier event at the end the "Fort Worth (TX) Stock Show" each year is the public auctioning off of the top cattle, steers, and bulls raised and shown by 4-H members and the announcements of how much will be paid into the 4-H college scholarship fund for each winner. These 4-H winners, together with the show's opening, always are broadcast on local television here.


I think much of the information you are looking for may be available through the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE, which also maintains offices in urban as well as rural areas. Try:
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/


I read that an increasing number of family farms in the north and southeast have adjusted to the new competition from "corporate farms" by offering "cooperative buying clubs" to groups of members, in addition to traditional "pick your own" services. The site below may be of some assistance in this area:

Local Harvest

Family Farms

There are almost two million farms in the USA. About 80% of those are small farms, and a large percentage are family owned. More and more of these farmers are now selling their products directly to the public. They do this via CSA programs, Farmers' Markets, Food Coops, u-picks, farm stands, and other direct marketing channels. Would you like to support your local farmer? Use our map to find a small farm near you!

Large scale chemical agriculture is poisoning our soils and our water, and weakening our communities. By buying direct from a family farm you can help put a stop to this unfortunate trend. By buying organic produce from your local farmer, you are working to maintain a healthy environment, a vibrant community, and a strong and sustainable local economy for you and your kids to thrive in.

More on Family Farms:

Visiting a Farm
Farm Products
Farm Subscriptions (CSA)
All LocalHarvest Listings

http://www.localharvest.org/organic-farms/

Various links within the original are available by clicking on the source link to the homesite above.

Good luck!

I remember driving in Southern NJ and seeing a prison farm...here's the link:


http://www.newjersey.gov/corrections/AgriInd/index.html

AgriIndustries is a self-supporting operation without appropriated funds. Annual revenues total approximately $11.5 million, with substantial savings to all users. The departments of Corrections, Human Services, and Military and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Juvenile Justice Commission, utilize products from AgriIndustries.

The various AgriIndustries food production plants utilize and train about 100 inmates daily in all areas of food production technology. The food production industry is the largest employer in New Jersey, and inmates receive training and experience that may qualify them to gain employment when they leave the prison system.

Detroit group, Triscuit partner on urban gardens

Detroit nonprofit, Triscuit build new community gardens as part of national urban ag effort

David Runk, Associated Press Writer, On Friday May 21, 2010, 3:05 pm

DETROIT (AP) -- A nonprofit that puts vacant urban land to use for growing food will kick off work next week on one of several new community gardens it's planning for the Detroit area under a nationwide partnership with Kraft Foods Inc.'s Triscuit brand.

Next Thursday's planned groundbreaking is part of an effort that Detroit-based Urban Farming and Triscuit began in March to create about 50 "home farms" in 20 areas around the U.S. from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C.

The partnership with Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft has allowed Urban Farming to more swiftly expand its efforts to use agriculture to fight hunger and improve neighborhoods, founder Taja Sevelle said.

"Having a win-win relationship with a company like Kraft is great for us," Sevelle said. "The private sector steps in. They're helping to feed people."

In Detroit, residents are increasingly working to transform vacant, often-blighted land into gardens and small farms. Urban Farming has been part of that push since 2005, when it put its first gardens in the ground.

The group currently has gardens at about 90 Detroit-area sites, Sevelle said. Along with one at the city's Northwest Activity Center, the Triscuit partnership is planning five other community gardens in Detroit and the suburbs of Farmington Hills and Wayne.

A mix that includes Urban Farming employees, volunteers and people doing community service tend the group's gardens. Area residents are asked to help decide what to plant, and they're encouraged to pick from the garden. Urban Farming also donates some produce to food pantries.

At the group's largest garden, which stretches for a full city block, 65-year-old Rose Stallard is among the local residents who volunteer each year. She's lived in the neighborhood since 1952, when homes and apartments stood on land that this year will produce rows of greens, tomatoes and peppers.

"Instead of being an eyesore, the blessing has been they have given back to the community with the garden," Stall said.

Kraft would not say how much money it is devoting to the effort. But, along with helping to pay for the new Urban Farming gardens, Kraft helped create a website to promote home gardens. And Triscuit included cards with basil or dill seeds in 4 million packages of its crackers to encourage shoppers to grow at home.

Detroit has an estimated 40 square miles of vacant property -- more than 25,000 acres -- and Sevelle said her group wants to help make the most of some of that land until there's interest in redevelopment. And while it's being farmed, she noted, the city doesn't have to worry about paying for upkeep.

"We want to be of service," Sevelle said. "We want to help beautify the city, but we'll move whenever they need us to."

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Detroit-g ... l?x=0&.v=1

Online:

Kraft Foods Inc.: http://www.kraftfoodscompany.com

Triscuit's home farming website: http://www.triscuit.com/homefarming

Urban Farming: http://www.urbanfarming.org


May 21, 3:06 PM EDT

Cities where Urban Farming, Triscuit plan gardens

Here is a list of 20 areas around the U.S. where the Detroit-based nonprofit Urban Farming is working on or planning community gardens this year under a partnership with Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods Inc.'s Triscuit brand.

Atlanta
Bentonville, Ark.
Boston
Chicago
Cincinnati
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
Los Angeles
Minneapolis
Naperville, Ill.
New York
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Raleigh and Durham, S.C.
San Francisco
Seattle
St. Louis
Tampa, Fla.
Washington, D.C.

Source: Kraft Foods Inc.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ ... TE=DEFAULT

ADDED:

SOURCES OF FREE SEEDS FOR COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL VEGETABLE AND FLOWER GARDENS:

1) America the Beautiful Fund
Providing free seeds to community groups seeking to better our world through gardening:
http://www.america-the-beautiful.org/fr ... yer_08.pdf

2) Free Seeds for Heirloom garden plants to schools and community groups ("sincere requests only", please):
http://www.tomatobob.com/Free%20Seeds%2 ... chools.htm

3) The Dinner Garden - providing free seeds to anyone in America
Posted by ivili on September 22, 2009 at 6:49pm
View ivili's blog

For several years, Holly Hirshberg's family had grown fruit and vegetables in a home garden during the summer months. She had enjoyed fresh tomato sandwiches, vine ripened cucumbers, red and yellow bell peppers, fresh herbs, like basil, thyme, and rosemary, potatoes, and watermelon. The fresh produce was a nice summer treat each year. Then in 2008, in the midst of a crumbling economy, the idea struck her that she could easily expand her garden to grow more produce, which she could donate to the food bank. That idea quickly grew into a plan where families and communities could weather the tough times and reduce or eliminate their reliance on food banks by growing produce themselves. Much like the Victory Gardens of the First and Second World Wars, these gardens would allow people to stretch their food budgets and enhance their nutritional intake. Individuals and families could have greater food security and take a direct part in that effort.

To help people achieve their gardens, she figured she would start at the beginning: provide people with vegetable seeds, free of charge. She could then support their efforts with gardening information and tips for cheap gardening in the space they had available, like patios, backyards, schoolyards, community lots, and church lawns. She envisioned a nation where front lawns, empty lots, medians, parks, schools, churches, and community centers devoted space to fruit and vegetable gardens. "The Dinner Garden isn't just about the seeds," she says. "It is about giving people hope. It is about showing people another way to live. The Dinner Garden is creating communities where families spend time together in a productive way and children learn that they can create something beautiful and useful to their family."

Holly registered The Dinner Garden as a non-profit corporation in the fall of 2008 in the State of Texas. At the beginning of 2009, The Dinner Garden began its mission of distributing seeds. In July 2009, the IRS granted 501(c)(3) status to The Dinner Garden. The Dinner Garden has reached into states all over the country and has provided seeds to thousands of families. They have partnered with organizations, food banks, and businesses across the country, like Catholic Charities, World Food Garden, Seeds for Food, the Wyoming Food Bank, the San Antonio Food Bank, One World Everybody Eats, Boys and Girls Club, Salvation Army, His Harvest Stand, and The Rubber Stamp Shop.

Find out more at www.dinnergarden.org

http://www.ivili.org/profiles/blogs/the ... -providing

And from Michigan

GRPS Promotes Farm to School Menu

Jennifer Pascua
Updated:5/21/2010 7:42:46 AM - Posted: 5/21/2010 5:18:32 AM


GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM)- The Farm-to-Cafeteria conference is underway in Detroit this week and promoting local growers in neighborhood schools is the main push. The conversation about healthy school meals happens often in Grand Rapids. In fact, this week the district is showcasing the importance of supporting Michigan agricultural businesses.

Grand Rapids Public Schools is among 400 schools statewide that has spent the week featuring local produce on its school lunch menus. It's all part of the "Mi Products, My Michigan, Mi School Lunches" initiative created by West Michigan school nutrition services.

At the GRPS Food and Nutrition services on Race St., in Grand Rapids, workers prep for the 20,000 students in the district who are served a hot lunch five days a week. This week's menu is all about Michigan.

"Michigan agriculture is the number two industry in our state and school meals is an excellent opportunity, excellent platform to support that industry," says Paul Baumgartner, GRPS Director of Nutrition Services.

He says it's important for people to understand what it means to buy local for school cafeterias and the challenges that come along with it. "Are we talking regional? Are we talking about our backyard? Are we talking about products being produced in Michigan or being harvested in Michigan? So we thought this would be a great time to highlight those issues and talk about them," he says.

Monday's turkey breast came from Michigan Turkey Producers in Grand Rapids. Wednesday's cherry burger has ingredients from up north. Baumgartner explains, "The cherries coming from Traverse City area." And Friday's red beans and rice "is produced right here in Grand Rapids," says Baumgartner. "The beans are from over in Bay City."

He notes students are already used to the food being served up on this Michigan week. "All of these items and meal components that are featured in this week are items we serve all throughout the school year. There isn't anything different," says Baumgartner. Except for those seasonal items, like the asparagus used this week from the Shelby-Hart area. Baumgartner says that's one an example why supporting some local farmers can happens only part of the year. He says, "We can't serve fresh asparagus from Michigan farms in September, there's only a limited harvest time."

Still, the idea behind this week's menu is one that district leaders hope will generate a lot of talk and thought on how to support the local economy in a tasty way.

On Friday, Baumgartner will meet with State Senator Bill Hardiman at the Southwest Community Campus in Grand Rapids to celebrate and promote the program.

Eventually, food directors from across the state want to host a school luncheon on the lawn event at the state capital. That's when they'll invite local legislators to brainstorm ways to make incentives for local producers to make product available to school meal programs.

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_story.a ... yid=121818

Ooohh, Ostrich (little excited squeel) you are right up my alley with this!!!

Let me give you some background where I have grown up and lived. Grew up in a berry farming community in the foothills of the Cascade mountains, close to Mt. Hood in Oregon. Each summer, all six of us were taken each weekday morning to one of the local berry fields by our mother, lunches packed, to pick berries for the local farmers, who paid by the pound.

Our parents felt we needed to keep busy while they were at work, and also learn to earn money for what we wanted. They provided the basics, but anything beyond that you had to earn on your own.

We would work till about 1pm, when our mother, who worked locally, came and picked up the dirty sweaty crew and dropped us off at home. There we would clean up, and count our daily earnings, putting most of it away.

When one of us would turn 15/16, usually would find a job in town. One by one, we left the berry picking, but it has always stayed with us. To be honest, I really miss it. The farmers were some of the best employers, the job was low key, relaxed and we were able to be outdoors.

I have reveled my kids with stories of our years berry picking, and truthfully, one out of three was interested, being our son, the two girls not so much. Of course he is the one I can get to go up the mountain to pick huckleberries in August/September with me for endless hours.....

Not every kid will be interested, but I think there are so many who have never had the chance to find out if they would enjoy it, they need that chance. My son, 16, works part-time at a feed store, takes care of all the animals, has learned a huge amount from his boss about gardening and has a strong desire to go into agriculture and farming himself. He has hopes to find a program, like an apprenticeship program, in order to go forward with his future.

There used to be FFA and 4H, but seems lately they have focused less on what they used to and are now getting into the "green" stuff with kids in the cities and suburbs. I think it would take convincing FFA to go back to their original roots and encourage kids to go back into farming, and also match up local farmers with young people who want to have some hands on learning, innercity and suburb kids who might never have the chance or might not otherwise have given it much thought.

Working on local farms is the first step I believe. Having kids back out in the open air, seeing something come from their efforts, helping with animals, seeing how great it can make them feel, is what we need.

We would need less illegal labor if we could get this accomplished. However, the big brick wall is state laws on letting kids back into it all, like I was as a kid. The state here legislated against having the local kids out in the fields working in the summer, paying them by the pound, and without their parents. It was the state here that got in the way of it all, and you can be sure in other states too.

So how to get around this? Guess you would have to find a way to match up farmers/ranchers with kids, and until the kids are old enough to legally work there, make it a "club". Having the kids out, encouraging them to get into the dirt to plant stuff, gathering eggs, helping with milk cows or cattle. Then when the kids are old enough, try to get the states to give the farmers a tax break for hiring young people in their own communities (or neighboring towns).

Really, this is what FFA used to do, but does not anymore really.

If more kids have the chance to see where their food comes from, and how it is done, they might turn from mall hopping city kids, into the farmers we need again, right now it is a novelty thng done only on field trips in school. The biggest barrier we would have is some of the parents and the state governments (of course we do have some issues with the many coddled suburbanite kids who think what they want should come wrapped up to them on their front porch).