Support Local Farms
As you may notice in recent news, a mega-operation, one of the largest dairies in the world has brought a negative light to the dairy industry.
Can I first make one very firm clarification for Animal Recovery mission?
This is not the dairy industry as a whole, this is what happens when you stop supporting local farmers.
Farmers, ranchers and consumers outrage about this documentary and the undeniable abuse that has taken place at the facility. It is my hope that those guilty are rightfully prosecuted. More so, that this can serve as a wakeup call for consumers to support local farms in their community.
Define Support.
Support local farms. Support is simple. Shop local, volunteer local, or visit a farm and learn. Education can prevent events like this from happening. It has become so easy for activists to find a negative and label an entire industry as guilty. Consumers simply do not know where their food comes or what it takes to get it on the shelves at the supermarket.
Why local?
Let’s put this on a local level. If this takes place in your community what exactly would happen? The answer is simple. The guilty would be prosecuted and the operation would be shut down. But in reality, we have allowing local dairies to suffer. Family farms are failing due to high prices of regulations and price drops in milk. Wisconsin alone lost almost 700 dairy farms in 2018. I am 100% sure this large facility is up to date on all regulatory testing that family farms can not afford and can produce milk at an unbeatable price. Is it worth the abuse behind the scenes?
How can you support local farms?
Visit local farms in your community, learn about local commodities and educate other people! Not everyone wants to be a farmer and farmers understand that. However, as consumers it is our responsibility to know where our food comes from or you should consider yourself just as guilty.
One of the simplest ways you can support local farmers is to purchase a county farm bureau membership. THIS IS NOT INSURANCE.
By purchasing this $40 membership, you gain access to free college sports tickets, thousands of dollars in savings on vehicles, rental car expenses and many more perks pertaining to your community.
But most importantly you are supporting farmers in your county!
You are also given unlimited access to educational material on how legislative changes affect local farmers and what you can do to prevent this unfortunate chain of events from happening again.
What is Agritourism?
Local companies, like mine (Moody Branding Boutique), have made educating consumers the core of our business. In short, my family farm will never be a large enough production to support our family based on the meat we raise. What I can do is use my blessing of owning a farm to welcome my photography customers to our place and experience a bit of the farm life! During the spring, we may be playing with baby goats and learning about the wholesome milk goats produce. In the fall, taking photos in a neighboring farm’s cotton field and learning about the many uses of cotton.
It is my passion to educate consumers through my work. My hope is when they leave my farm they can cherish those photos as an afternoon supporting a local farm. It may not be my farm that faces a great loss, but the experience they have on my farm will give them the heart to support another local farm in need.
How to get started.
Become an Agvocate. Take a few minutes right now and check out the learning opportunities available with South Carolina Farm Bureau at https://www.scfb.org/. Better yet, find a few local farms in your community and follow their social media pages to stay up to date with current activities.
Also click around on https://www.certifiedscgrown.com/ to see what is in season and who has your favorite fresh produce!
