Local Ag Is Getting More Popular

There is growing support for local, small time farmers/homesteaders and according to Alan Nation's blog, and Forbes magazine, it will keep getting better.  Below is an excerpt from Alan's article.  You can read the full text by using the link above.  I can attest that more and more people are getting concerned about the food they eat, and rightly so.  Just remember, eating this good, wholesome, local food seems to have become a priveledge and we now have to fight to keep that right.  The right to eat what we want.

"A group of futurist experts and authors convened by the politically conservative business magazine Forbes have predicted that by 2018, only eight years from now, 20 percent of the food eaten in major urban areas of the USA will be grown adjacent to or in the city itself."

Appearance Affects Farmer's Market Sales

Do you sell stuff, or produce from your homestead at a farmers market?  If you do, then here are some tips you might want to look at.  I work in a retail environment and I can attest to the wisdom presented in this article, presentation is everything.  As a produce manager, I notice that apples will sell better when the display is near overflowing.  Conversely, if the display is low, say one layer, people won't hardly touch them.  To take it one step further, the way I dress and carry myself is very important, as well.  People want to feel good when they spend their money.  Times are tough, this is more important now than ever.

Elderberries The Next Super Berry Craze?

As super foods go, there are some that are what they say they are, and some that are not.  Elderberries could be the next super food craze and they are what they say they are.  My wife uses them to ensure our health all the time.  Farmers in Missouri (where we are) are getting excited about the potential of elderberries.  Lots of folks grow them and are native all over the place.  Maybe it is time to think about getting your slice of this pie.  Read the linked article for more information.

Many People Are Getting Privy To The Evils Of Agribusiness And Processed Food

This is a bit of good news for local agriculture and a possible hit to big agribusiness.  As Alan Nation, of the Stockman GrassFarmer reports, the growth of small producers in and around major cities is expected to continue.  The credit of this article goes to the author, Mr.Alan Nation, read on:

Local Ag Seen Getting Big Soon


Monday, 25 October 2010

A group of futurist experts and authors convened by the politically conservative business magazine Forbes have predicted that by 2018, only eight years from now, 20 percent of the food eaten in major urban areas of the USA will be grown adjacent to or in the city itself. The magazine notes that this is a huge number and would really shake up modern American agriculture which is currently built around a small number of large-scale farms and long-distance shipping. "In addition to making our cities more resilient, the health benefits, for both our bodies and our planet, of consuming food that is grown within a small number of miles of our homes or workplaces are significant," the magazine noted in its October 25th edition.

Grass Fed Beef, Argentina tyle

Here is a neat article that takes a look at Anibal Pordomingo's ranch and opperation in Argentina.  I have read many of his articles in the past and he really knows grass farming and grass fed beef.  I know many of us are not as big as he is, but I think we can still learn from his practices.  One thing we do have in common is that, like many of us, he works a job outside the ranch.  How do you balance your full time job and manage your homestead/farm at the same time?

Educating For Future Grassfed Customers

The Stockman Grassfarmer is offering a new brochure for the nations grassfarmers. This sounds like a great way to help educate people on the benefits of eating healthy, grass fed meat. Be it beef, lamb, pork, goat or chicken, it is a good idea to share the knowledge. The Grassfarmer is offering these for sal at 12 copies for $15.00-24 for $28.00-36 for $40.00. The price includes shipping and handling fees.

It is an 8 page pamphlet that is full of fact about the health benefits of eating real food fit to eat. Check it out because an informed customer makes a repeat customer. I am going to give this some thought for ourselves, as well. We are working up a plan to produce more grass fed meat, as we speak. Stay tuned.

If you would like to order, call the Stockman Grassfarmer at: 1-800-748-9808

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

I was talking to a good friend of mine the other day. We had been discussing the benefits of relationship marketing and how it is played out. It's like this, we live in the poorest part of Missouri. It is plain foolish to think that we can charge astronomical prices for food fit to eat and earn any extra money. The simple fact is that the money isn't there. But I do believe that you can obtain a level of satisfaction in customers through building relationships with them. In other words, finding a way to create a win-win situation for you and your customer.

We raise and sell pastured poultry in an era where people are more and more concerned with where their food comes from. They want to feel good about the food they eat, they want to know that it will be healthy for their families and that the animals spent their lives happy (seriously). But they also want a good price. We sell our birds just a tad higher than the grocery store. That is a win for the customer, because they get healthy food with a good value. We have a decent payday. That's a win for us because we need the extra money. Win-win.

We can also sell grass fed beef, on the hoof, for much less than what you will pay in a grocery store. The people get great meat at a great value and we, again get some spending cash. Win-win.

But the most important thing we get out of the deal is the knowledge and satisfaction of helping people, even less affluent people, eat better. And we eat better food, ourselves, to boot.

The key is not to try to make that million dollars one time. Rather, make one dollar a million times. Do you get it?

Have You Visited Your Farmer's Market This Week?

Farmers' Markets Show Surge in Growth

Monday, 28 September 2009
The number of farmers’ markets in the USA rose by five percent over the previous year. However, Utah saw its number double since last year and Massachusetts, Illinois and Californai also showed big increases. The USDA estimates that there are now nearly 4,900 active farmers’ markets. Factors driving the surge include a growing desire by consumers to know more about their food sources, concern over the environment and an increased sense of community. "Its perfect for us, "Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan told USA Today. "We want to find ways to help people live healthier lifestyles and increase prosperity for farmers." Delayne Reeves of the Illinois Department of Agriculture said the recession has made people "more home centered" and this had helped spur interest in local foods

Trouble In The Organic Industry?

I am not a fan of "all things organic". Don't get me wrong, I do believe that we need to eat whole foods, even organic grown at home. My dislike has to do with the lax regulations on the organic industry, which even allows 10% GMO food.

I work as a produce manager and I watch shoppers buy expensive produce because it is "organic". As this article about Horizon relates, I am skeptical of the label. I greatly promote buying local, getting to know the farmer and building a trust with him, so that when he says that it is organic you can bank on it.

If I don't know the farm my lettuce came from, how can I trust that it is, in fact, organic. We have seen in the past that labels can be deceiving so I can't go by just that.

In other words, I have little reassurance that the "organic food" is any safer than non-organic, other than the label that says "organic". Then they charge a higher price, to boot. Anyway, read the linked article and judge for yourself. Thanks for stopping by.

We have been offering up for sale our meager farm produce (eggs) and peddling Fertrell, among some miscellaneous things, at a local farmer/flea market. I have been having a blast, meeting new people. We have been averaging around forty dollars each day, one day per week. I know, this doesn't sound like much money, but it is money we didn't have before.

This brings up an old question I once heard, would you rather make a million dollars one time, or one dollar a million times?

I think that there is a lot to be said for the later option. I would rather make one dollar a million times. With a diversification in you homestead, you can create a whole bunch of "salaries" from varying enterprises. For us, going to the market one day a week is just one aspect of our homestead income. Forty dollars per day equals $160 per month. That pays for the wife's monthly trip to Aldi. Do you see the point? That now frees up other monies that would have been spent at Aldi, for other things. Perhaps we can now put some money aside for the week long camping trip my family and I would like to take to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.

The key to it all is to make sure that each enterprise you add to your homestead income completely compliments what you already do. In other words, you don't want to add more labor, material costs and maintenance costs along with another enterprise. Rather, add something that fits in with what you already do, you know, create and look for holons. Read the linked articles for more on this, but, simply put, a holon would be selling rabbit manure for fertilizer that is produced from the rabbits you already have. No added machinery, labor or costs, relatively speaking.

If you do this and put the money aside (out of sight, out of mind), the next thing you know, you might be able to invest in something else, or take your wife out for a nice evening together (that's one of my goals).

So, out some thought to it and ask yourself, how can I generate one dollar a million times?

Troubling Times

I work in a grocery store as the produce manager, as you might know. I just read an interesting little article at Alan Nation's blog in which Mr. Nation talks about the 30% decline in restaurant sales. This, of course, is in direct correlation with the tailspin of the economy. I will not waste your time with my thoughts on the economy, however, since I do work in a grocery store, I have noticed an increase in our business. I can really tell a difference on typical days that are usually slower. This makes me curious in regard to the slow-down in restaurant sales in relation to growing grocery store sales. What has this all got to do with farming and the homestead life, you ask? Everything, it could mean a boots in your sales at the farmer's market and off the farm sales, couldn't it? Use the link above and judge for yourself. I know that seed companies are experiencing a 30% increase in their sales, as well. Hmmm...?

I've Said It Before, It's All About Relationships

Let me start off by saying that this information can be helpful to men, as well as women. It helps to know the habits of those you talk to and the way they are "wired". Face it, men and women are different, and that is OK.

So here are a few things to key in on when marketing your farm fresh products. This is a lesson for me, as well. I'm a guy, what can I say. But I do work in a retail environment and can attest to what is about to be said. So, here goes...

Women develop bonds through talking to others. Men bond by doing things together.

Women rarely buy impulsively, early on in the decision. Men know what they want before they buy shop.

Don't worry how long it takes to make that first sale to a woman. It is the bond that takes place that will mean more to you and your business than anything. It will mean a bunch in terms of repeat sales and sales to all of her friends.

Some things to consider as y'all get ready for the farmer's market season.

Adapted from the Stockman Grassfarmer form author Mart Barletta "Marketing to women, How to Increase Your Share of the World's Largest Market."

Some Good Reasons To Buy Local

I ran across these good reasons to support local agriculture, and I thought I'd share them with you.

- Learn how the animal was raised by meeting the person who raised it.

- Support your local farms and rural economy and help build a more sustainable regional agricultural system.

- Support your local economy by keeping your dollars in your community.

- By knowing the farmers, you can know the practices they employ to raise your food.

- All these things will help you to make an informed decision on your food purchases.

This is not the complete list but I thought these points fit very well into the mission of this blog. I often hear folks talk about supporting local farmers but they still tend to go elsewhere for their food. Many folks enjoy organic, natural foods (and rightly they should), but they purchase these things from folks they don't know. Nor have they met the farmer, or even know where it was grown. In fact, how do we know what practices the farmer used in the growth of these foods? Just because it has the USDA's seal of approval for organic on the label? Frankly, I don't trust a whole lot of what comes from the USDuh.

By shopping local, we can know these things that are important to us. I realize that this isn't always possible, some foods are just not available locally. But, we should make every effort to buy local when we can, don't you think? Just some "food" for thought.

Our First Fertrell Booth

We just finished, yesterday, a two day event promoting both our Fertrell dealership and the BJP Youth Ranch, where the event was held. The benefit was to promote and encourage support for the youth ranch and the Therapeutic Riding it offers to children with handicaps.

Sadly, I must report that the event was not a smashing success. I could see disappointment in those that attended, vendors, and the fine folks and volunteers of BJP Ranch. I must admit, that I, too, was disappointed. Perhaps not for the same reasons, however. I was disappointed in the lack of compassion in the community. The ranch does great things for kids who would not have that benefit anywhere else.

However, I am not totally down trodden, nor displeased. And, I think, neither are the maneging staff of the ranch. I talked with one of them afterward, and there was the sense of "pulling up the boots" and getting to work on next year and make it happen (this was the first year). I think they will learn from this event and apply those lessons to further the ranch and what they do. My family and I have signed on to volunteer at the ranch, in some small way,and help where we can. I am glad for that. I am glad for the connections we made with some fine people in those two days. Which leads me to the point of all of this.

While it was not extremely busy, some people did stop by. Of those people, we made a few very good contacts and built relationships. You'd be surprised how quickly a relationship can be built when you share common interests like, real foods, natural farming, stewardship, etc...

There was a woman there who owns an outdoor motorized sports dealership, promoting their line of ATV's (I won't mention their name without permission). Talk about an interesting person. In the Stockman Grass Farmer , I read all the time about rotational farming and grass farming practices in New Zealand. I read about seasonal dairying and open air milk barns, different grass species and such things. In other words, I read about farming practices that are old hat in other countries, but taboo here. Where do you think she was from? That's right, New Zealand! Where do you think she grew up? On a Dairy farm in New Zealand. I got to pick the brain, and listen to someone from there who lived it! That was great! (I really wanted one of those ATV's!)

We met a couple who are just getting started and knew a bit about Fertrell, who bought a bunch of product and now know where we are, as the local dealer. They were thankful to have met us and talk. Did you get that? They were thankful to talk to us. There was a relationship built right there in just a few minutes. Do you see where I'm going with all of this? When a need for a product comes up, who are the first people that come to mind? The ones with which you have a relationship. And it is that relationship that will keep them coming back to you, despite someone else's cheaper version or "better" product. For the relationships, I am thankful.

There were also some people who do not know a thing about Fertrell or building soil or healthy animals. But now they do, and it could be the beginning of an education. For that, I am thankful.

Thank you to BJP Youth Ranch, for an opportunity for all involved. I pray that it will be bigger and better next year, and we will be there again. I look forward to working with you all as a volunteer in the coming months as I am sure I can learn much from an operating ranch and help some kids.

On another note, I would like to begin a once a week tradition here on Cedar Cove Farm's blog. I would like to feature a Fertrell product, once a week, to help folks understand Fertrell and what they do. Yes, I may increase business for us, but that is not the whole reason as I know many of you don't live near me. But to get the word out about building soil and taking care of our animals. I believe that all of us want healthier animals and soil, but don't have the knowledge or resources to do it. I am just learning as I go, myself. So, in an effort to fill that gap the first product I will talk about is Fertrell's Poultry Nutribalancer . This product has come to mean so much to us that I don't envision us being without it, as long as we raise chickens. This product is made with specialty minerals, produced only for Fertrell. We went from a mortality of around 20-25% down to around 1-2%. For every chicken that lives, that's a few more dollars in profit. That is a huge gain in itself. The mixture of vitamins, minerals and pro-biotics is unmatched in the poultry industry. We can attest to the health of our flocks and the quality of the meat. Our customers have told us, after we started using this product full time, that they were the best tasting birds to date. That is quite a compliment. I am not going to suggest that Fertrell's Nutribalancers make the meat taste better, instead, I will suggest that the healthier the bird, the better it will taste. We have a custom blend that includes one 60# bag of Nutribalancer per ton. One half ton will feed 50 birds for 8 weeks, start to finish. With the decrease in mortality, we are making more money and the customers are eating healthier "food fit to eat" from pasture, not a confinement house. It is a win-win for all of us. Try some, you won't be sorry.

For more information, click the link to Fertrell's website found at the right, or you can email me, and I will try to help you out as much as I can. Thanks.

A Day on the Farm

It was a big day on the farm today. It would seem that everything gets put off until Saturday. I need to quit that. With a full time job, I don't seem to find the energy during the week to do all those odd jobs that need to be done.

First thing this morning, I had to meet a customer for a Fertrell order. Actually, it was my brother-in-law, but a customer none the less. Right after that, I had breakfast and then dug in to the task of cleaning the chicken coop. Our layers free range all day and go in at night, but while they are in there they make a huge mess. This was a job that had been put off far too long, and it took a bit longer to do because of it. The best part about it is that the pasture gets a treat. I fill up the power wagon with the manure and shavings and haul it out to pasture and spread it around with a shovel. This provides a good shot of N and provides a dose of Carbon from the shavings. I have done this for a few years now and I can see a little difference in parts of the pastures that got the most.

After the chicken coop, I got out the weed whacker and started cutting down the weeds in one paddock. This paddock is especially thick with weeds and around half an acre. Man, did I go through the string! I got them all knocked down and believe that this will add some organic matter to the soil when the weeds decompose. Not only that, it will allow some sun light to penetrate to the grass that is underneath. I thought I was going to have a serious allergy and asthma attack by the time I got done, but I took some stuff (?) and felt better after a while. (I also got a good nap in.)

After all that I began the new chicken tractor. We suddenly have lots of customers and had to order more broilers. I needed to add another tractor, but planned on doing that next spring. I have it started now with all the pvc pieces cut. It will be just a matter of putting it all together now. We are very grateful to God for providing us with more customers and a chance to help our community. We look forward to serving all those who have entrusted us to provide them with food fit to eat.

Thanks for stopping by and reading. I enjoy it very much and appreciate you all. Thanks.

Broiler News

I am not sure what to do, I am feeling the anxiety already. Ever since the boys left our home, we have been concerned with our provision. We had to place a trust in the Lord that we always seem to overlook, then, when God moves, we stand back and act like we should have in the first place, reverent.





We have been praying that God would bring about a new source of income for us, gas and food prices being what they are. After we had crunched the numbers we saw that we were even tighter than before we got the boys. After losing that subsidy, that is.





We had ordered 50 broilers from Estes Hatchery (http://www.esteshatchery.com/)
and were ready to go. Then we got an order from an acquaintance for 15 more, no problem. Then we get a phone call from a Fertrell customer for 20 more. We called Estes and added all the extra birds for a total of 75 (this includes some for ourselves that we are sacrificing for our new customers.) This is the most we've done to date and I now need to build another tractor (shiver). I am scared at all the extra work involved and the time limit for the tractor, but, we see HIS hands all over it. We were praying for provision and He is providing by growing our business.

I have a prayer request in this. We purposed this farm to Him a long time ago and He is in charge. I ask that you pray that I never lose that focus. We want to do all we can to honor God and His creation.

So, we are off to a running start after our second season of Pastured Poultry. Praise God for His mercy endureth forever!


On a side note, I want to apologize to the fine people at http://www.randvfarmstead.blogspot.com/ for not having visited their site before. They have a wonderful blog with a vision and a heart for the Lord. Go visit today.

Horsin' Around

These beautiful animals don't really belong to us, much to the dismay of our daughters. They actually belong to a very good friend of ours that live not far from us. They breed American Quarter horses on their, I don't know how large, farm. This was taken last summer when we went to visit and see the babies. This momma was keeping close to her young one, but actually let the girls sit on her back. You can see some of the lovely Ozarks in the background. To the left of this picture is a place called the "steel tracks". The steel tracks was a "bridge" consisting of two rails set apart at the width of a car. This is what you crossed the bidge on back in the day. Now there is a concrete bridge. I can't seem to remember the name of the river, but it is an extention of Bull Shoals lake. You should see how flooded this area is right now.

I am trying to get our friend to try rotational grazing practices with his horses, and he wants to get some Longhorns, at some point. He has the fence in place and I think it would be neat to see if it would work with hoses. The young'un sure is cute. She's a full year old now, if they still have her.

Local, Sustainable Marketing 101

I just read an interesting article in this month's Countryside and Small Stock Journal. The article itself is focused on women in small, sustainable agriculture and, no, I am not a woman. However, there are a few things that pertain to all of us in the realm of sustainability and relationship marketing. There is, after all, more to it than just growing something, putting it in the package and selling it.

The focus for us at, Cedar Cove Farm, is on local people. We want to help those in our community to have food that is fit to eat, things that are not produced by the big agribusinesses, that are free of toxins and hormones and antibiotics. We believe in the way God intended for us to eat and desire to share that.

The article states that the idea of locally grown food helps reduce the dependency on transportation costs and other things that are related to high energy costs. You may recall that I work a full time job as a produce manager. I can assure you that your grocery store is feeling the pinch as wholesalers are raising their prices to cover the ever increasing fuel costs. Not to mention that all of the food is trucked thousands of miles before it gets to your store. There have been many strawberries that I have had to throw out after a day or two, because of either sitting in a warehouse or on a truck. Besides that, the berries get picked a bit early to extend their shelf life and you never get the same flavor as you would from a berry picked that day. Local growers do charge a bit more for their wares, however, you are going to see a point where local may be cheaper because of the lack of transportation costs.

We value the people we come in contact with, we want to develop a relationship that will serve our customers and keep them coming back to us. We are small but we are building around this idea and we want to remain small. We want to leave room for the farmer down the road to sell his goods, maybe to the same people. Like Joel Salatin said in one of his books, we'd rather see a thousand people growing chickens on grass than to have one Tyson providing chicken to a thousand people, making them unhealthy through their questionable practices.

Like the Salatins and so many others, we want to grow food fit to eat through sustainable practices that allow the animals to thrive in their natural state, not in a large building or on a feed lot. We are beginning to understand how grass needs the cow to grow healthy and the cow needs the grass to grow healthy. Under proper management, the land can replenish itself without all the expensive inputs.

If you would like to read more, look for the article entitled "Rural women business owners lead the rural renaissance" in the latest issue of "Countryside and Small Stock Journal".

On a related note from another article in another publication-"The Stockman Grassfarmer", Alan Nation says, "Europeans are paying eight dollars a gallon for diesel this summer. If the average American used as little petroleum as the average European, the world would be awash in oil despite the increased consumption in China and India. The U.S.A. is 25% of the world market for petroleum, what we do will have a huge impact everywhere. He goes on, "You can always manage to use a little less of any input whether it is hay or fuel or grain."

The idea of sustainable agriculture is to use what is in front of you, and to think outside the box. Remember my article on "holons"? Growing grass is cheap, it takes energy from the sun, which is free and is harvested by ruminants, which is very cheap labor and costs no fuel to cut, rake and bale it.

Another principle along these lines is organic growth. It is bad business to continue to go further into debt in order to grow your business. Staring small and using capital from the sales of your product to promote or create growth, growth from within, is best. Especially in today's economy, debt is not a good idea. If debt must be incurred, use it wisely and be careful not to over-extend the load. Grow from within.

Getting the pH in the soil balanced and building up the missing trace minerals will go a long way to improving and maintaining the health of your livestock and curb health problems. This is the least expensive way to keep your livestock healthy. Unless, that is, you like vet bills.

You can read more in the Stockman Grassfarmer, click on the link to the right and go subscribe today. You won't regret it, I can't seem to be without it.

Until next time...

The People We Meet

I can't tell you how many people I meet working in a grocery store. I meet a bunch. What I enjoy the most is watching their shopping habits and answering their questions. It is in this way that I have found many more people are turning to whole foods.

To our family, whole food is a must. In fact, it is the main thrust of what we do here on our farm. We are trying to provide our family with foo that is fit to eat, and sell a bit here and there. But, I find that many people are becoming fed up with the factory farms and are looking for an alternative. Frankly, alternatives are hard to come by in our area. We would like to fill a small portion of that immense hole.

Another interesting thing I find is that of the people in the "whole foods" category, are also greatly self educated. Most have some sort of higher education, sure, but they tend to read anything they can get their hands on. They want to know about their food and , thus, read about food and where it comes from and how to get better food. They know that the FDA is not necessarily our friend, nor is the USDUH (USDA). That the government is not necessarily out to protect us little folk.

It is this kind of person that will be our (the small farmer) loudest voice in government to help stop legislation like the NAIS or get laws repealed or changed. The major contributor to this is that these folks who want food fit to eat go out and find it, are willing to pay top dollar for it, and build relationships through it, don't want to loose their right to purchase these products. Many of them go to great lengths to get whole food and will fight tooth and nail to keep their right to do so.

The best part of that is that this ideal transcends party lines and social status. That is another thing I have noticed. It is not necessarily the affluent people looking for better food for their families. Many people that the government would label as "below the poverty level" educate themselves and search out sources for the thing they need, as well. One good reason for this is that many can't afford health insurance nor the medical bills, so they insure themselves by eating healthy. They know the dangers of genetically modified food and pesticides and chemicals. They can't afford to run to the doctor every time they get sick. We fit into this category, which is why our goal is to feed ourselves first.

I enjoy talking to people and listening is a big part of communication. Just look around and listen and talk, you'll notice these things. Then, as a farmer, find a way to serve their needs. The key word here is serve. Stay small and let your neighbors do the same thing. I would much rather see a million smaller producers than three gigantic ones changing the very DNA of our food. Think about it.

Would You Like Some rBGH For Your Cereal?

This is an interesting little tid bit from Small Farm Today magazine. It is actually good news, in our opinion, and we pray that this trend does continue.

My awareness was heightened way back when I read a book called The Meat You Eat, by Ken Midkiff. (Please see my blog article on that subject.) In that book the author spent a bit of time on rBGH injections for dairy cows. To put it simply, BGH is a naturally occurring growth hormone in cows called BGH, or, Bovine Growth Hormone.

The Monsanto Corporation came up with a genetically modified version of this hormone. One which will cause a cow to give lots of milk right away. They called it rBGH. The small "r" in the front indicates "recombinant", or genetically altered. In other words, it is a synthetic hormone.

This synthetic hormone is banned in most countries in the world because of it's link to certain types of cancer. Namely, prostate cancer in men, and breast cancer in women. However, it is still being injected into thousands of cows on a regular basis in this country. (For the record, it is interesting to note that this is not the only thing that this country continues to employ, while the rest of the world outlaws or bans it.)

The good news is that there is a grassroots movement against the use of rBGH in this country, and it is starting to have an effect. Monsanto is fuming and I don't really feel for them.
Here are some statistics to give you fuel for the fire:

-California dairies have banned the use of rBGH. They produce 8% of the milk supply in the U.S.
-Retail giant Kroger announced they will be banning rBGH in all of their stores by February 2008. (I don't know if this has happened.)
-All milk produced in Oregon is now rBST free.
-In May, 2007, Publix Supermarkets, with 900 stores in the South, went rBST free in its branded milk products.
-Chipotle and Starbucks agreed to ban rBGH in all of their restaurants/cafes by the end of 2007. (Again, I don't know if this has taken place.)

As you can see, some Americans have gotten fed up with the junk they are being fed and said something about it. It makes a difference and I am glad of it. Monsanto and Cargill and the likes all are out for one thing-profits. This is agribusiness, not agriculture. They have taken the "culture" out of it. Their idea of a farmer is a guy who lives in Manhattan and wears a suit instead of bib-overalls. One who never sets foot on a farm. One who makes six figures or more per year and gets the government subsidies to boot.

I am calling for agribusiness to stop poisoning America. It is time, once again, to get back to local agriculture and support local farmers. Keep talking, they might listen.