JUMBO Sugar-Free Hot Dogs on sale! 🌭 Order Now

Ensuring a Bright Future for Our Food System

posted on

September 11, 2024

It's easy to get discouraged while surveying today's US food and economic landscapes.

A large concern lately has been family-owned farms going out of business, and their land being purchased by corporations.

Times get tough, the little guys go out of business, and the big guys just get bigger.

Not the situation we'd choose, especially when some of those corporations are owned by foreign entities. 😬

But there's hope!

clarity-cox-handling-holding-broiler-chicken-(1).webp
Clarity carefully handling a broiler chicken

Despite losing so many farms in recent years, the 2022 Ag Census shows an increase in beginning farmers. 👏

Here at David's Pasture, we are doing our part to continue that trend, by bringing up the next generation of farmers.

Cox-and-Cunninghamd-kids-in-back-of-truck-moving-chickens-(1).webp
A group of young farmhands helping me move chicks out to pasture
cassidy-and-clarity-cox-standing-in-mrc-mobile-range-coop-(1).webp
Cassidy (front) and Clarity caring for our pastured broilers

Meet Cassidy and Clarity. These two hard-working gals may very well be your next farmers. They've been helping me move chickens this year and are getting quite good at it!

While little hands don't always make the work go faster, the extra time spent is a worthy investment in the future of our food. And, even if it takes them longer to help me, it frees up someone else.

And then, of course, there's our own son, Bo. He's not helping with chores just yet, but he loves tagging along.

kaitlyn-and-bo-kesten-riding-in-farm-truck-(1).webp
My wife, Kaitlyn, and 1-yr old son, Bo

Small, privately-owned family farms currently make up 88% of all farms in the US, and they are vital to our food system. Here is why:

+ Food security. When farms are de-centralized, there is a smaller impact on our food supply when disaster strikes.

+ Food safety. Most recalls and foodborne illness-related issues originate at large-scale plants, resulting in large-scale problems.

+ Food skills. Family farms are important for preserving and passing-on the timeless skills and knowledge required for growing, harvesting, and preserving food.

Cox-kids-stacking-chicken-crates-(1).webp
Amber, Cameron, Kellen, and Gabe working as a team to stack transport crates

Thankfully, there are plenty of young adults and families looking to enter farming today. The problem is supporting themselves financially.

The 2022 Ag Census also revealed that OVER HALF of family farms in the US rely on off-farm income. 😢

This is largely due to the consumer shift from buying farm-direct to buying from the grocery stores. The centralization of our food system rewards large producers while penalizing those on a smaller scale.

If you want to ensure the preservation and comeback of privately-owned family farms in America, please continue buying directly from farms whenever possible. 

It's only thanks to people like you that David's Pasture has been able to produce and deliver nutrient-dense foods for the last 13 years. We appreciate you!!!

Click here to order truly pasture-raised meats for delivery to your door next week.

___

In good eating, 

Your farmer,
Remi Kesten

More from the blog

From a Small Farmer: What You Need to Know About the Bird Flu

For the last two weeks I've promised an article on the current Bird Flu situation in the U.S. Well here it is! There's more going on than meets the eye, but also more hope than you might have been given by news outlets to this point. There are many factors involved in the current egg situation in the U.S., so please bear with me as I do my best to explain what I know in a way that makes sense and doesn't take too much of your time.