- The number of farmers under the age of 25 has decreased 50% in the last 10 years!!
- 20% of American jobs have ties to Agriculture!!
by Sarah Brombaugh
part owner of a Family Farm Corporation, and wife of an American Farmer.
"I did not grow up on a farm. I
was raised in a big city, where I thought farmers had it made. All the food they could eat
for free!! Throw some seed in the ground and make money!! Wow, what an easy life. I have
now lived on a Family Farm for 27 years and I know differently...."
With the leadership in our country today like this, no wonder American farmers are being
driven from their land more and more every year.
Some day food may be the most expensive item you can buy....then people will yell, scream
and holler big time, but it will be too late. Until then, things will just continue to
progress as they are doing currently. Farmers are being run off of their farms by the
dozens, due to the leadership of this country, or should I say 'lack of leadership'. In
Japan farmers are practically revered because they feed the multitudes. Where are our
priorities anymore? It seems it's more important to have a new Ford Explorer in our
driveway than have food on our table at night.
....Many remember the years when farming was a way of life. When you grew all your own
food...eggs, pork, beef, poultry, gardens full of bountiful vegetables.
Tractors didn't cost as much or more as a new home. You didn't have to plant thousands of
acres to make a living.
Those days are gone. Gone forever we're afraid. Along with those days, the Family Farm is
disappearing.
What once was an occupation thought to be unskilled by many, (even though it wasn't), has
become a very technical job.
Today's American Farmer must know marketing strategies, environmental laws, be a mechanic,
electrician, accountant, among many other things.
Why is the Family Farm disappearing? Many farmers feel this is in the plans either by the
government or by big corporations. If they run most of the farmers off of the farms, big
corporations can take control of agriculture completely, thereby eventually being able to
set their own price for agriculture products.
Some feel oil companies want control of grain farms, so they can control the price for
ethanol and soy diesel fuels, which can be replenished and are more environmentally safe.
Today, while Family Farms still exist, these fuels are not being mass produced in our
country. This would greatly aid the farmer if this could happen, as it would increase the
price of our products and enable us to continue our heritage. It would also decrease our
dependency on other countries for fossil fuels.
Next: Today's prices are driving farmers out of business.
next page >
Sarah Brombaugh
Cherry Products