Defending the Family Farm
May, 2002
Members of Family Farm Defenders, a coalition of farmers and organizations
that have come together to promote and defend the interests of family
farmers, recently visited Washington D.C. to speak out for a more just
national food policy. Members visited dozens of congressional offices to
let them know how they felt about the 2002 Farm Bill. FFD members called
for measures that would bring fair returns to small scale, minority, and
limited resource farmers while increasing accountability and transparency
throughout the US Department of Agriculture.
Promoting a fair policy for an economically viable dairy industry is a top priority of Family Farm Defenders. "None of our farmers are getting cost of production. Many of them receive about half of it," FFD President John Kinsman notes regrettably.
Their second priority addresses HOW farmers can receive a fair price. The most significant way to support farmers is to market their products directly to the consumer and give the farmer a fair price that is based on the cost of production. Believing that major national policy must first be modeled on a local level, FFD began producing Family Farmer cheese, providing a fair price to farmers and a healthy, safe product for consumers. This grassroots model is combined with the tracking of state and federal legislation in order to create fair domestic agricultural policy. Using their cheese as a model, FFD hopes to educate other commodity cooperatives on similar endeavors.
On a larger scale, farmers all over the world suffer from trade agreements such NAFTA and
the proposed FTAA which favor corporate interests over those of the family farmer. On
behalf of Family Farm Defenders, Peter Smith recently attended the Hemispheric
Conference Against Free Trade in Cuba.
He testified unanimously along with other attendees that these policies attack
food self-sufficiency, small farm viability, and food safety issues. These trade
agreements further divide the rich against the poor and favor profits over people
and the environment.
One highlight of their recent trip to Washington, DC was participating in a strategy session with environmental, consumer, and farm groups to develop a grassroots campaign against GMOs (Genetically Modified Organism). Family Farm Defenders began its campaign against GMOs nearly a decade ago by educating the public and pushing for more research when the Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) was introduced into our food chain to consumers unknowingly. Years ago, many laughed at their efforts, but today the long term effects of the additive rBGH are still being discovered and the FDA's refusal to demand the labeling of GMOs is a pressing topic. FFD continues their campaign against GMOs by speaking out against other cases where the biotech industry is pushing for GMOs in pursuit of profit over sustainable agriculture, public health, and social well being.
The origins of FFD go back ten years to when John Kinsman, dairy farmer and current President of FFD, attended a meeting in Washington D.C. with a farm-lobbying organization. It was clear that this organization catered to the needs of corporations, not farmers. Knowing both farmers and consumers were losing out, John and three other farmers set up a meeting in the hotel basement to explore the possibility of creating an alternative farm organization, which would truly represent farmers, not corporate-agriculture. By the time the meeting started, fifteen people had gathered and Family Farm Defenders was born. Since its inception ten years ago, Family Farm Defenders has seen many changes. Compared to the initial fifteen member gathering, the last FFD annual meeting included over 100 members, with representatives from Spain and France. The group has worked persistently for over a decade, celebrating some significant victories. Family Farm Defenders was the first organization to call attention to the true big business interests of the National Dairy Board.
Meet John Kinsman
John Kinsman is an inspiring example of how to be a successful family farmer amidst
many of the challenges in agriculture today. As a third generation dairy farmer, he now
farms in Lime Ridge, Wisconsin within one mile of where his great-grandfather settled
after journeying in a covered wagon from Vermont.
John lived on his father's dairy
farm until he was drafted into World War II in 1943. Upon his return, he worked for
short time in a factory before finding his own farmland to rent. Four years later,
John and his new wife Jean bought land next door to their rental property in order
to begin their own dairy farm.
Their new land had been quite neglected by its previous owner, and through organic methods, John and Jean transformed the unproductive acres into an abundant and fertile farm. He continues to farm on the same 150 acres today, using 83 acres for pasture and crops, and the remaining land for forestry. "Every acre, every inch of this land, is used to its highest potential, whether that is crop land or forestry," John explains. Reflecting on the experience of this long-term land transformation, John comments, "That was some hard work, but it taught us a lot. More than ever, I can see how neglected land harms everyone. Working with nature to care about our resources, we can become more profitable. You have also improved it for future generations." In light of his concern for the future generations, it is fitting that several of John's children and grandchildren have bought marginal land and are transforming it to its peak productivity.
So why aren't more people following his example by using sustainable and eventually quite profitable organic methods? John has two words: money and greed. "Over time, especially the last 15-20 years, agribusiness and other corporate entities have been in a mad rush to improve profits." In this mad rush, there is not time to think long-term about productivity and certainly not a concern for future generations. He quotes an article that lists the salary Monsanto's CEO at nearly $100 million dollars. "It's a mystery to me. Once you have over $100 million, what is another million?" John ponders.
What disturbs John the most, however, is how the media, government, and universities promote agribusiness methods as the model of production. Though some have looked at John's practices and used words like "luddite" and "primitive" to describe them, John's concern for future generations is genuine and insightful. He warns, "People don't think long term. We teach what is immediately profitable, and when we do, the law of diminishing returns takes over. I see much of the land becoming less and less productive. They are mining our future as they mine the land."
