The Invasion By Clearinghouse Farms
Hard times in America are upon us. Costs are soaring, workers are dwindling, service has disappeared and quality is defined by the next introduction of cost cutting measures. Farming has taken a big hit as well. Our costs are increasing, processing of meat products has become a nightmare for the small, family farmer. Those costs continue to increase as the USDA continues to introduce their perpetual changes in humane practices and customer protection. We do already know, however, that no customer receives any benefit from Government intrusion. New, poorly designed rules, only seem to bring hoards of unintended consequences while not addressing what they see as a problem.
The number of farmers continue to dwindle. With an ever growing population, the need for increased food production and availability is a given. With true farmers and ranchers declining, other skilled people have found an entry into a market about which they only know from yesterday’s hearsay. The grass-fed beef and lamb industry and the pastured pork producers have been inundated by marketing people who have succeeded in selling questionable products that are presented in terms that avoid the product but concentrate on the emotional aspects of animal husbandry. They lower the food standard but cover it with love, care and happiness.
It is working well. There are large numbers of clearinghouse companies with an Agriculture name that know enough contemporary hot button terms and promises that they can help you forget all the other aspects of what goes in to properly raising and preparing an animal to provide the most nutritious, best tasting experience possible. Some of these clearinghouses will concentrate on the Factory Farm vs the Family Farm With great web pages, anger stirring news accounts and vague promises, customers are drawn in with emotion and prices too low to purchase quality products.
Standards are misleading and do not assure anything good. For instance, clearinghouse pork providers will promise no growth hormones ever, but that is an industry law. It’s like them promising their delivery people will stop at all red lights. It means nothing. They require adaquate sunshine. What is adaquate sunshine? A skylight or plexiglass windows in some locations? What it does tell us is that these pigs are not outdoors. They promise good feed, but the numerous unknown actual growers of the pigs are stretched to provide inexpensive pork so that the clearinghouse and advertisers make their share. The unknown satalite farm buys the feed. It is very easy to justify the next step down in cost.
A real family farmer is a known entity. He provides his address, phone number and invitation to visit the farm where the animals are raised. The CEO’s of Clearinghouse Farms are walls between the farmer and the customer. Clearinghouses have a building in town where business is conducted. If the local clearinghouse is a franchise, who really knows where the meat originates? Farmers feeding the clearinghouse come and go. With little to be made, the bleeding must stop to remain viable. Longevity is not built into their model.
Customers who are not experienced and determined to get what they want, fall for the hats, teeshirts and David vs Goliath description of their clearinghouse, agriculture goals. It is always best to know your farmer who raises your food. It is good to see where he and his animals live and what it looks like. It is a difficult truth, but in today’s food industry, low prices mean low quality. Even more frightening is the reality that high prices are driven by top heavy organizations trying to leverage their steaks for the highest possible price. Someone has to pay for all the nonessential waste of supporting all levels of the clearinghouse. This is going into your mouth and your kid’s mouth. Perhaps that is some motivation to assure quality.