Commodity System Creates Persistent Losses
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Farm Labor Farm Work Farmstead MOSES 2019 Laws Management Creamery Highlights Page 4 Page 7 Page 9 Page 10 TM Volume 27 | Number 2 Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service March | April 2019 Community works on collective vision of organic future By Lauren Langworthy More than 100 changemakers joined and ideas of the crowd,” said Sylvia Burgos forces to create a path forward for organic Toftness, one of the forum participants. farming into the year 2050 and “Farmers and ranchers, policy makers, econo- beyond during Organic 2051, mists, marketers, and consumer a forum held in conjunction advocates put their heads together with the 2019 MOSES Organic over thorny and complex chal- Farming Conference in La lenges. They identified key Crosse, Wis. opportunities, drilled down to Through dialogue, facilita- the major obstacles, and worked tion, and art, these community to express possible strategies.” members shared how they want Former board member and our food systems to evolve to long-time farmer friend of support the world’s population MOSES, Audrey Arner acted as as it grows past the year 2050, facilitator for the day. Groups when it’s expected to reach 9.8 gathered into 15 issue areas, billion. Small groups worked including climate change, rural together to define gaps, brain- community revitalization, mar- storm resources, and develop ket infrastructure, and more. action steps. At the end of the day, many “Organic 2051 was people shared that they appreci- emblematic of what MOSES ated the space and facilitation to does every year, at every event express and hear diverse perspec- and conversation —tap the wisdom, energy, tives on these topics. Commodity system creates persistent losses To Organic Future on page 6 By Ken Meter & Megan Phillips Goldenberg This article is based on the MOSES 2019 workshop, “Strengthening Community-Based Food Systems,” Chart 1 presented by the authors. Here, they explain the context in which organic growers operate—the prevailing commodity system. In the next issue, the authors will focus on organic markets. Some data have been updated since the conference, as more complete data sets became available. To begin with, let’s consider the economic context all organic farmers operate within. Setting the terms under which we farm, this dominant, conventional commodity economy both creates the potential for organic farmers to thrive, and simultaneously limits it. Chart 1 shows the history of U.S. farming over the past century. On this chart, the orange line shows the cash receipts earned by all farmers since 1910. As you can readily see, there have been tremendous increases in the sales of farm commodities. However, the maroon line shows that production expenses have Source: USDA Economic Research Service Farm Income Balance Sheet data risen just as fast. The red line on Chart 1 shows the net commodity production, but these encourage the cash income of the farm sector—production expenses market conditions that lead to persistent losses. These subtracted from cash receipts. While farm families results are both a testimony to the fragility of all farm have other ways to earn income, this red line shows enterprises—due to farmers’ dependence on the how profitable it is to raise crops and livestock. weather and other uncertainties—and a caution about A quick glance at this chart shows that there has the actual efficacy of public policy. been no sustained growth in net cash income for Yet it is also important to consider this same data more than 100 years. In fact, at the time this data set from a slightly different perspective. The value of the was compiled, the net cash income for all farmers U.S. dollar has declined over the past century as a was nearly zero for 2016-2018, after a few peak years result of inflation. This means a dollar earned in 1910 in which prices rose to abnormal levels. In an earlier was worth about $25 today. So we like to adjust this compilation, the one we showed in our workshop, ERS data for inflation to show what these same trends look showed negative net cash income for U.S. farmers in like in today’s dollars. That adjusted data is shown in 2015. For reasons we are not clear about, this estimate Chart 2. has now been changed. Visible in Chart 2 are several periods of prosper- Thus, the nation that claims to feed the world ity for the U.S. farm sector: a) the “Golden Age” of PO Box 339, Spring Valley, WI 54767 Spring Valley, 339, PO Box has created extensive supports and incentives for To Commodity System on page 8 TM Board of Directors announces leadership change By Audrey Alwell, MOSES Communications Director Volume 27, #2 March | April 2019 Earlier this month, after much delibera- tion, the MOSES Board of Directors ended Editor Audrey Alwell John Mesko’s tenure with MOSES. “The MOSES Board recognized the need Advertising Coordinator Tom Manley for a leadership shift to move MOSES for- Digital Content Producer Stephanie Coffman ward in line with its mission, vision, and values,” said David Perkins, Board President. The Board has tapped Program Director Lauren Langworthy to be the The Organic BroadcasterTM is a bimonthly Interim Executive Director. newspaper published by the Midwest Organic & Langworthy has been with MOSES four Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), a nonprofit that provides education, resources years. She has been deeply involved in all and practical advice to farmers. aspects of the organization’s work, espe- cially the annual MOSES Organic Farming Opinions expressed by the authors do not Conference. necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Inclusion of an advertisement does not imply “We’re confident in her abilities to endorsement of a product. We reserve the right to assume the leadership role,” Perkins said. refuse inappropriate advertising. Langworthy and her husband, Caleb, own a 153-acre grass-based farm in Lauren Langworthy addresses the audience at the recent MOSES © 2019 MOSES Organic Farming Conference. The MOSES Board of Directors has Wheeler, Wis. They rotationally graze a named Langworthy the nonprofit’s interim executive director. Content may be reprinted with permission. 200-ewe flock of sheep and a small herd of Photo by Laurie Schneider Contact [email protected]. Highland cattle. Prior to investing in live- Display & Classified Advertising: stock, they had a certified organic vegetable [email protected] or 715-778-5775 operation for six years, marketed through wholesale also engaged in graduate studies pertaining to accounts and direct-to-consumer. nonprofit management and board governance. Content Submissions or Inquiries: In 2017, the Langworthys were selected as the state “I’m looking forward to continued work with [email protected] representatives to the Farmers Union Enterprises our partners in the organic and sustainable farm- leader development program, a one-year training to ing community to encourage farmers’ success,” Free Subscription: mosesorganic.org/sign-up or 715-778-5775 cultivate new leadership for the organization. In 2018, she said. Lauren was elected to represent her district on the Perkins also expressed confidence in the full board of the Wisconsin Farmers Union for a three- MOSES staff. year term. “We are fortunate to have 10 very talented staff MOSES is a 501(c)(3) nonprofitqualified to Langworthy has represented the MOSES commu- members who are dedicated to the organization’s receive tax-deductible donations. nity of farmers at multiple meetings in Washington mission,” he said. “Their skills ensure MOSES con- D.C., and takes a keen interest in policies that tinues to be a vital organization helping to shape a Please support our programs and this advance organic and regenerative farming. She is better future for farmers.” FREE publication with a donation: MOSES, P.O. Box 339, Spring Valley, WI 54767 MOSES Staff: Board of Directors: Online: mosesorganic.org/donate Lauren Langworthy, Interim Executive Director | [email protected] David Abazs | Round River Farm, Minn. Audrey Alwell, Communications Director | [email protected] Mike Bollinger | River Root Farm, Iowa Sarah Broadfoot, Data & Registration Coor. | [email protected] Sylvia Burgos Toftness | Bull Brook Keep, Wis. MOSES educates, inspires, and empowers farmers to thrive in a Sophia Cleveland, Development Coor. | [email protected] Dave Campbell | Lily Lake Organic Farm, Ill. sustainable, organic system of agriculture. Stephanie Coffman, Presentation Coor. | [email protected] Dela Ends | Scotch Hill Farm, Wis. Lisa Kivirist, In Her Boots Coordinator | [email protected] Clare Hintz | Elsewhere Farm, Wis. Caleb Langworthy, Organic Specialist | [email protected] Charlie Johnson | Johnson Farms, SD Tom Manley, Account Service Coordinator | [email protected] David Perkins | Vermont Valley Farm, Wis. Jennifer Nelson, Organic Specialist | [email protected] Molly Rockamann | EarthDance Farm School, Mo. Stacy Shealey, Office Assistant | [email protected] Sara Tedeschi | Dog Hollow Farm, Wis. On-Farm Organic Specialist Team | [email protected] Darin Von Ruden | Von Ruden Family Farm, Wis. Norfolk, NE 800-345-5073 www.henkebuffalo.comFacebook “f”Logo CMYK / .ai Facebook “f”Logo CMYK / .ai A Global Equipment Company, Inc. TM mosesorganic.org | 715-778-5775 | 3 Study shows pesticide levels drop dramatically after 1 week of eating organic By Kendra Klein, Ph.D., Friends of the Earth Can eating organic really reduce levels of pesticides policy favors pesticide-intensive agriculture while in our bodies? A new peer-reviewed study published failing to provide adequate incentives to farmers to in the journal Environmental Research found that INSIDE ORGANICS transition to organic practices. As a result, pesticide- switching to an organic diet significantly reduced the intensive agriculture is subsidized to the tune of bil- levels of synthetic pesticides found in all participants lions of dollars while organic programs and research in just one week. On average, the pesticides detected Editorials by members of are woefully underfunded.