Who Really Cares if Family Farms Disappear?
Organic Valley has always been, and always will be, committed to providing an economic model that allows farmers to make a living. But why would it matter if family farms disappear? Who really cares if the food you eat comes from large conglomerates? We do, and Organic Valley farmers want to tell you why.
Take away family farms and you take away deep connections to animals, land, community, and small-town commerce. And that’s why in the 1980s, when family farms were dying, seven farmers got together in Wisconsin and set out to change that through providing organic food. What started as a handful of farmers three decades ago, is now a co-op of more than 1,500 farmers.
Burkhalter family farm, Washington
Farming as a Family
The concept of being able to support a family by farming is important to the Van Tol family of Washington, too. It’s the sense of community and closeness; of having the entire family on the farm including the cows, which are like part of the family, Karen Van Tol said. The grandkids are excited when they can feed the calves, and neighbors enjoy visiting.
“By saving these little family farms you are saving a family-run operation,” said Maynard Mallonee, an Organic Valley farmer from Washington. A number of farms in his region are going on four generations of family ownership, including the Mallonee farm. His son is energized to take over the operation.
Three generations of the Mallonee family, Washington
The Difference Between Large and Small Farms
Family farms are in balance with the surrounding natural ecosystem, said Jake Schmitz, who works with Organic Valley farmers in Western United States.
“The nutrients in the manure from small herds grow the pasture and crops that feed those very cows that we milk, all while coexisting with the wildlife,” he said. “Farms that are too large dominate the landscape and alter natural flows of wild plants and animals, all while fouling the air, water, and soils.”
“Grounded farmers” adhere to eco-friendly practices. “Because you make your living from the earth, you are grounded into your farm,” Mallonee said, adding family farmers protect and preserve the ecosystem. “We take care of our animals, we take care of our soil — better pasture means cows eat a better diet, which means better products, and consumers will pay for the better-tasting products. Moving fences every day as I walk through a field, I know the land and see what will grow better and how we can get more from less.”
Herds on Organic Valley farms are less than half the size of the average U.S. herd, often less than 100 cows, and Organic Valley’s farming practices have a measurable benefit for the planet.
A cow and her calf at the Bansen farm in Oregon.
Farms Help Small Businesses Stay in Business
Amish and Mennonite communities are thriving in the area of Ohio where Jeff Miller farms. The rural towns often have independent hardware stores, veterinarians, farm equipment dealers, and grocery stores. “It’s like a tree. A community is either growing or dying,” the Organic Valley farmer said. “Those businesses thrive because of small farms that support them."
Businesses are not the only to benefit. It means jobs for rural residents and farm kids (who have a reputation for being hard workers).
There are six children in the Miller family. All are involved with the farm except the oldest, who purchased a small farm with her husband.
”There are a lot of things that make good employees but I’ve come to the conclusion that children raised on a farm who have the responsibility to do chores once or twice a day makes them into dependable employees,” Miller said. This ethic is all the more important as the country faces labor shortages, he added.
The Kent family farm, New York
Farm Crisis Led to Downfall of Farms
Why was there such a massive decline in the number of farms in America? There was a crisis back in the 1980s, and some say there is still a crisis today — a farm crisis.
Land values had fallen roughly 30% on average from 1980-84, with the largest decreases seen in the Midwest. The crisis hastened the restructuring of the farm industry, accelerating the decline in the number of farms, according to the USDA Research, Education and Economics Information System.
The organic sector has grown immensely since Organic Valley’s founding and competition for organic products has increased. It’s OK if people choose organic products other than Organic Valley because we believe in the power of organic and the betterment of the earth. However, you should know you are doing something really good for yourself and small, independent farmers when you choose Organic Valley. Since 1988, our farmers have kept at least 440 million pounds of chemicals off the land. Seeing other farms follow suit is encouraging.
There Are Solutions for Farmers
As the largest farmer-owned organic cooperative in the U.S., Organic Valley will continue to fight for small family farms.
“It’s sad for me to drive through a farming community and everything is shuttered up except a couple houses,” Miller said. “You might see a tractor in the field, and you can tell that the farm once supported 20 families or more. Many people don’t want to farm because of the money. Once the parents pass, they sell the farm. Organic Valley provides that ability to make enough farm income to attract other generations to farm.”
With the support of consumers like you, Organic Valley will continue to encourage a farming future emphasizing ecologic diversity and economic stability, the same as it did 30-some years ago. We don’t want to see the continuous decline of family farms in America. We don’t want to see the cows sold and the sunlight fade from the barn as the doors gently close one final time.
