Recently I was asked how I felt about the local food
movement. My answer was; I am all for it up to a point. In fact, I am a willing
participant in it. Each year we market a few head of the calves and lambs we
raise locally. I must say that interacting with my customers is one of the
things I enjoy the most and maybe one of the most unrecognized benefits of
locally produced foods.
One of the things I do tell my customers is that the product
I am providing is not more nutritious than the meat you buy in the grocery
store. However, I do think that I have a better product. My beef is aged before
it is cut up and that makes for a much better eating experience. I have my
hamburger made much leaner than most of what is bought in the grocery store. I
also probably feed my animals longer and give them more grain than most of the
beef or lamb on grocery store shelves. Finally, I believe that I have animals
that produce genetically better beef than the average calf.
All of this adds up to a better product, not a more
nutritious one. However, because I feed my animals longer and because my
hamburger is leaner, I must charge a premium price. Unfortunately, the higher
price probably excludes many consumers. I cannot speak to others who raise
livestock, crops, fruits and vegetables for local sale, but my breakeven price
for the livestock I raise is much higher than the larger, commercial feeders.
If you will let me revert back to my Ag economics background, it is simply the
economies of size; they can spread costs over a much larger area and purchase
inputs at a discounted rate.
I agree that there probably is some intangible feeling that
locally produced food is better. I think the consumer has an idea that it is
fresher and tastes better and they could be right. Either way, it does give
some farmers and ranchers an opportunity to produce locally grown foods and
increase their profit margin. The same person who posed the first question to
me also made the statement that maybe every farmer or rancher could benefit
from selling some of their produce locally. After some windshield time to think
about it, I think there may be some merit in that statement. Please hear me
out.
Each time I deliver my beef or lamb, I have the chance to
interact with a consumer. It gives me a chance to get to know them and them a
chance to understand what I do. Jennifer observes that I can only make one or
two deliveries in a day because I spend so much time talking to my customers.
Part of that is because I like to chat with people but part of it is because I
am proud of what I produce and I like to share it with anyone who will listen.
These chats over deliveries have given me the opportunity to
talk about antibiotic use, growth promotants, livestock handling and husbandry.
I have had the chance to tell about our history in agriculture and out plans
for the future. In the end I leave the delivery with a better understanding of
the consumer and, I hope, they have a better understanding of how their food is
produced. That is where I think every farmer and rancher would benefit from
selling something they produce locally.
I do try to leave my customers with the thought that we
still need large scale commercial food and fiber production. While I truly
believe the beef and lamb I sell is a higher quality product, I also understand
it is not affordable or right for all consumers, it is not a bargain. I believe
that we need to produce food in a much more economical manner to feed the
growing population in more urban areas who might not have access to locally
grown food or the income to purchase them.
So the answer to the question is that I do believe that the
locally grown food movement is a good thing as long as we realize that all
farmers and ranchers are in the same boat. We need to keep that in mind and we
need to remember that we all must row the boat together. The bottom line is
that there is a place in agriculture for all farmers and ranchers. At less than
two percent of the population we need all hands on deck, big or small to
produce enough food and fiber for a rapidly growing population.
