| Cover story |
Some
basic ag economics
How
many farmers does it take to feed us? By
Darla Noble When
a group of first graders was recently asked if they knew how many
farmers it takes to make chicken nuggets and French fries, one little
girl eagerly answered, “None. They make them at McDonalds!” Another
group of 4 and 5-year-olds emphatically responded to the question,
“Where do green beans come from?” with “Wal-Mart!” While
it’s easy to see the humor in the answers of these children, it’s
not so humorous to know that most adults are similarly unaware. Hilary
wants us to know that it “takes a village to raise a child,” but an
equally important message we need to send, is that it takes an entire
nation’s worth of farmers to feed that child; farmers who are often
overlooked and taken for granted. During
the summer months when farmer’s markets are full of fresh produce and
homemade baked goods, an appreciation for the work of local farmers is
readily acknowledged. But do you realize how many agricultural
enterprises (farms) are involved in making a visit to an all-you-can-eat
food bar, fast-food meal deal, or Sunday dinner with the family
possible? A
typical fast food burger deal requires the combined efforts of seven
farmers/producers; wheat, corn or soybean and poultry farmers to make
the bun for the burger, beef and dairy farmers for the meat and cheese,
herb farmers for the mustard, and produce farmer(s) for the catsup
(tomatoes), onions, pickles (cucumbers), and potatoes (fries)! The
delicious cheese pizza we all love wouldn’t be possible without a
minimum of six dedicated farmers; wheat, corn, and poultry producers for
the crust, produce and herb farmers for the sauce, and a dairy farmer
for all that gooey cheese. Are
you a meat and potatoes kind of guy (or gal)? The next time you’re
enjoying a nice juicy steak or chop (complete with salad,
potatoes/gravy, corn, and rolls) be sure to give a “shout out” to
the farmers who made it all possible after you give thanks for your
meal; the beef, pork, or sheep producers who provide the meat, produce
farmers who grow the vegetables for the salad, potatoes, and corn, the
dairy farmer and wheat producer laboring to provide the necessary
ingredients to make gravy, and wheat, corn or soybean, and poultry
producers who produce the flour, oil, and eggs needed for the hot rolls.
Oh, let’s not forget the dairy farmer again-after all, what would the
rolls be without butter? A
Chinese buffet? Where to start! Pork and poultry producers, vegetables
galore, rice farmers, soybean farmers, herb producers…the list goes on
and on. That’s
quite an eye opener, eh? But now that you can appreciate the legitimacy
of the statement, NO FARMS…NO FOOD, what, if anything, are you going
to do? At the very least, a greater respect for the agricultural
community is in order. Additionally, however, economic support for local
producers is an excellent way to express appreciation for their hard
work. Supporting local agriculture also increases the amount of
spendable income producers have to add to the local economy which is a
win-win situation for all local businesses. Vendors
selling their goods at the summer farmer’s markets in Rolla, St. James
and So…back
to the original question. How many farmers does
it take? The next time you sit down to eat, will you know?? Writer Darla Noble and her family
operate Generation 5 Farm in
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