I Eat the Food Raised on My Farm

I am often surprised by the scare tactics used to misinform people about the safety of their food.  Organic, vegetarian, vegan, all-natural, local, pasture raised, corn-fed, and so many other terms can be found on food items up and down the grocery store aisles.  But does one term really make it better than everything else?

I get so frustrated with those who are providing food choices telling me the way I farm is wrong. Because I choose to raise my pigs in climate-controlled barns, where temperatures remain between 70-80 degrees, depending on the age of the hog, year-round, many find that wrong.  And yet, I’m not supposed to have an opionion, let along voice it, on those who farm differently than me.

I have said for years that there are many mouths to feed in this country.  And it will take every kind of farming method to feed the expected 9 billion people who will populate this world by the year 2050. So why are we threatened by other farmers? Why does my hog barns threaten someone who raises their pigs outside? Why does corn-fed beef threaten those who have grass-fed beef? Why does the word Monsanto make people so angry?

I can’t answer any of these questions. All I know is that I wish for my simple philosophy in life, that we all can just get along. The technology I use on my farm supports our goals. We employee quite a few people and for our farm to employee these hard-working guys, we use many types of technology, the farm is probably “big” by some definitions, we have bigger equipment to plant and combine our fields in a more efficient way.

In the end, I won’t be ashamed of the way my family has farmed for four generations. I’m not ashamed to be raising the fifth generation of farmers in my kids. It takes all types of farms. I proudly eat the food we raise on our farm. And my kids do as well. And I’m proud to support all of agriculture, no matter what choice you make in your operation.