Organic agriculture is booming. It must be, because even Walmart has ventured into the organic market to swipe some of Whole Foods market share. (Warning, sarcasm ahead.) Why, organic farming nearly tripled in the 10 years from 2002 to 2012! Yep, organic corn production now accounts for 0.0029% of America’s 80 million acres of corn, which is up from 0.0012% in 2002. (Yawn.) Sales of organic foods are increasing sharply, but that’s relative to their low starting point, and farmers are finding claims of improved profitability just ain’t so. There may be 16,000 organic farmers in the U.S., but that’s less than 1% of the total number of farmers and 30% of them sell less than $25,000 a year. Increasingly, however, we’re seeing support for agriculture that utilizes the science-based efficiencies that made America the world’s leading food producer. The latest is “The Colossal Hoax Of Organic Agriculture,” published by Forbes that dispels many of the myths organic food marketers rely on to boost sales. For instance, author Henry I Miller writes, “consumers who buy organic to avoid pesticide exposure are focusing their attention on just one-hundredth of one percent of the pesticides they consume.”
Spy On Your Own Cows
Earlier in the week we told you about an animal rights activist seeking funding to spy on livestock producers. Well, there’s a British company already doing just that, but it’s for the purpose of helping producers. Powell Agricultural Contractors has been using drones to survey fields being fertilized with manure to ensure manure has been properly distributed. The drone has also been used to monitor a 150-cow dairy between milkings to prowl through cows on pasture. The drone flies 20 to 25 hours per week with flight times averaging 25 minutes. Where’s the Kickstarter to get some of these drones in U.S. producers hands instead of activists?
Sustainable Beef?
Not in India. The slaughter of cows in India’s Maharashtra state has been forbidden for decades by the Hindu majority. In March that ban was extended to include the slaughter of bulls and bullocks, which has been a tragedy for local farmers. The ban reduced demand for cattle and worsened the plight of small farmers in the region. The Los Angeles Times reports, “already reeling from sustained debt, drought and crop failure, more than 600 farmers in Maharashtra have committed suicide this year, according to Indian newspaper reports.”
Host Hunters For Profit
Now might be a good time to start hosting hunters to your farm or ranch and add an extra revenue stream.
Hunters spend $90 billion per year on licenses, leases, gear and more needed for wildlife sports. According to the most recent survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Census Bureau, hunters lease more than 420,000 acres annually.
