I was privileged to have been invited to Kinney Valley Alpacas in Ontario, WI to talk about the alpaca fiber industry here in the US. Just got home late last night (Gawd, all joy has been taken out of flying anymore. Take the train whenever possible!!)
It was a great group of folks in attendance, involved, attentive and with hard hitting questions.
A couple of things really stood out to me.
First, I sense real motivation for the transition of alpacas from a speculative “rare breed” industry into main stream agriculture. This was evident on many levels, not the least of which was open discussion of the development of a consumption and hide market.
Secondly, there were a few members of the Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America present. There is (and it is probably cultural, as much as anything) a real lack of “ownership” of the co-op. Folks consistently talked about “the” co-op.
I suggested that a simple change in language could bring a huge change in attitude and performance. Instead of referring to “the” co-op, far better to talk about “our” co-op. It is, after all, our business, totally owned and operated by alpaca fiber producers.
I want to thank the Radloff family for inviting me to speak at their farm event. It was a great time and a wonderful opportunity.
CNN reports that consumers are becoming suspicious of the “Organic” label:
The percentage of consumers who believe organic products are good for them is down to 45%, while those who believe they’re good for the environment has fallen to 48%, according to the latest survey from consulting firm WSL Strategic Retail. Both measures stood at a 54% approval rating two years ago.
All I can say is it is about time. In The Omnivore’s Dilemma A Natural History of Four Meals
Michael Poulan did a masterful job of illustrating how corporate America has taken over the organic movement, corrupting government policy and regulation, and turning a healthy alternative into yet another way to create profit.
We have toyed with the idea of getting “organic certification” but so far have rejected it. There are multiple reasons for this.
- Cost
- Unnecessary restrictions
- Animal health and welfare
Some of the requirements for certification are simply over the top. Banning use of antibiotics and/or parsiticides can compromise herd health for little gain. Frankly, if an animal gets sick and needs veterinary intervention, we are going to provide that intervention. This is far different than routine use of medications!
Some requirements make little sense. Pressure treated posts are fine if they are installed at the time of certification, but no new one’s can be used after certification. Huh??
So, we have billed ourselves as “natural” and “free range” because that is what we are. We have not applied any chemicals on our property in almost 5 years. Our local eco-system is healthy and getting healthier, evidenced by the increase in bird and mammal species observed.
Now, if we can only figure out how to get rid of the knot weed on the corner of the property without resorting to poisons we will be OK…
I am not a real picture guy, but this is one worth keeping record of.
april-snow
April 20, 2008 - This is the latest, most significant snowfall I have seen in over 35 years in the Wllamette Valley. April often has unsettled weather, and freezes are not uncommon, but these kind of conditions are very unusual!
One week later…
april-sun
Exactly one week later, on April 27, 2008. This is much more like a normal spring.
One of the side effects of the odd weather this year is that the grass has remained dormant for a full month longer than usual. This is not a good thing for the hay bill.
Hopefully we will see the grass begin to grow now that the ground is warming up…
Reading the Capital Press and now even making it into mainstream media it appears we have a bit of a problem on our hands.
Call me a contrarian, but I find this kind of exciting. A core group of people have spoken about the unsustainable agricultural systems that have arisen over the past 50 years - one that has farmers starving even as they work their own land. One that enriches corporate megolyths like Cargill and ADM and Monsanto while leaving everyone else to starve.
Riots are no fun for anyone, but perhaps better than starvation!
They do signal change…
I suspect that the day of the CSA may be approaching. As food prices rise, it is quite possible that local growers with good business sense will once again be able to make a livable income.
So, one of our layers has moved on to hen heaven.
Now the wife wants to thin the rooster ranks. There are only three of those poor guys left. (One of the nice things about roosters is that they are usually the first to fall to things like hawks and other predators - doing their “man thing” defending the girls.)
Leave it to a woman to pass a death sentence for the ravages of testosterone!
I was going to put the hen on the burn pile, which will probably get torched this weekend given the improvement in weather.
Instead she got a “proper” funeral buried in her own little chicken grave.
Not sure what we are going to do when the property is filled with little animal graves. Between cats, dogs and now chickens we could fill up pretty quick!
The saying goes, “Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.”
The wife has been selling eggs to a local ”fresh to you” produce store. Getting a whopping $1.50 a dozen, which by my calcuations is at least twenty-five cents less than it costs to produce them. The produce stand in turn sells for $3 a dozen, which is double what it cost to acquire them.
Of course, the local grocery is selling ”free range” eggs for closer to $4 a dozen.
So, who is getting the profit? Kind of the (hi)story of farming.
Never could figure out why people think they should be able to buy off the farm for less than in the
store. ”Cutting out the middle man,” shouldn’t mean shortchanging the producer, at least in my mind.
Next time you are looking at produce, beef, eggs or anything else straight off the farm, ask yourself
why that producer shouldn’t see a decent profit on their investment and work?
Watching various chat lines, newsletters and alpaca related websites, it appears that current economic conditions are having a pretty significant impact on the alpaca “industy”.
It’s about time!
For 6-8 years the alpaca industry has been based on marketing and hype. I hate “I Love Alpacas” which quite intentionally portrays alpacas as a quick road to riches.
When the wife and I bought alpacas many years ago there was a pioneering spirit largely missing today. Early owners and breeders had it in their mind that we were creating a new niche in US agriculture. Somehow those goals were lost and a model based on the show ring and “huggable investments” took over.
Now, as more and more people are having difficulty cashing in on their “investments” a new focus on fiber is emerging, and there is even open talk of a consumption market. Good stuff!
Perhaps we can get back to creating that new agricultural niche. Certainly groups such as the Alpaca Fiber Cooperative are trying.
‘Business as usual is no longer an option,’ states the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), which will be formally launched on 15 April by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The report’s authors recommend that agricultural science place greater emphasis on safeguarding natural resources and on ‘agro-ecological’ practices, including the use of natural fertilizers, traditional seeds and intensified natural practices, and reducing the distance between production and the consumer.
The global shipping of food staples which can be produced locally is simply insane! Poor farmers in 3rd world countries can not afford to purchase hwat is not produced locally, and the poor US farmer is being driven into indigence since they can not compete with low priced imports.
Buy local. It may cost a bit more, but it is better, fresher and greener.
BB&T Capital Markets analyst said Monday corn rationing may be necessary this year, following a U.S. Department of Agriculture report predicting farmers would plant far fewer acres of corn in 2008.”
On the farm front this will lead to major increases in the cost of feed. Even the backyard chicken owner will feel this in the wallet.
On the larger front we can expect to see increases in most food at the local supermarket. Corn is insidious, being an ingredient in virtually everything we eat these days - and if not a direct ingredient, the a part of the food chain leading to it.
Expect meat prices to go through the roof, and eggs, poultry and dairy products as well. Anything (meaning most everything) with corn syrup will be going up in price as well.
The stock market already sees the ramifications. Early news shows, “Shares of Tyson Foods Inc., one of the world’s largest meat companies, fell 12 cents to $16.01 in afternoon trading, while shares of pork producer Smithfield Foods Inc. dropped 39 cents to $25.57. Chicken producer Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. shares dipped 19 cents to $20.28. Earlier in the day, the stock reached a new four-year low of $20.08.”
Fully expect announcements of reduced production by some of these big players.