The advent of large efficient farm machinery, new preservation techniques, refrigeration, and cheap worldwide transportation, over the last hundred years forced most small farmers to move to big farms or go out of business. The bulk of large farms grow corn and soy for food products, animal feed, and fuel production. As a result, most Americans now have little or no access to local produce, or natural grass-fed meat unless they grow it themselves. Meanwhile, fuel prices are soaring.
Currently, much of our food is grown in sterile soil with artificial fertilizers and travels thousands of miles before it reaches our tables, so it is of much poorer quality than fresh local food. In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
On the other hand, local organic farms do not need artificial fertilizers (which surprised me to learn, are largely made from oil and natural gas). Plants fertilized with green manure or animal manure produce food of much higher quality than expensive artificial fertilizers and are nearly, or totally, free on the small farm.
Higher gas prices are now driving up supermarket food prices. Will that be to the advantage of the small organic farm? The strugging small farm may now be able to better compete with industrial food suppliers simply because their costs for shipping and fertilizer are much lower.
Buying locally grown, fresh food whenever possible just makes more and more sense.
Organic Gardening Article
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Thursday, May 29, 2008
Will Higher Gas Prices Help Small Farms?
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5 comments:
You didn't mention the best part of buying local produce - it's almost always much tastier! Unfortunately for us, the best produce stand we've found is over 2 hours away. It's a beautiful drive so we try to find other chores to do in that direction as often as possible.
Michele, you are right. Fresh produce tastes much better than supermarket produce. I'm sorry you have to drive so far for it. In what part of the world do you live?
I believe the higher cost of gas will do nothing but help local farmers. Will be moving from the existing model today of shopping at mega-stores that have the produce shipped from hundreds, sometimes thousands, miles away to shopping locally ...
And yes, much tastier!
But still, the price of gasoline (or dyed diesel) also affects the cost of operating the equipment. I can't see higher fuel prices as being a benefit to anyone, really, not in the long run.
Its very true that gas prices are effecting both the super markets and the local farms.... but cheaper availability of stuff from local markets may help drive them. I always believed one should support the local market and present situation makes us do that all the more.
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