Farms are not bubbles of sunshine and perfect living. We struggle just like most everyone else.
We’ve been on the front lines of growing food for over 25 years and weathered lots of storms, ups, downs, been flattened, gotten back up, dusted off and kept going.
Every bit of what we purchase for the farm to operate has gone up a LOT in the past year. We are facing situations where we can NOT get parts for some things. Where prices went p 20% in a week and some prices gone up 100% in 8 months.
So when farms like us raise our prices it is solely because we have to.
Did your electric company apologize for your rate hike? How about the cell phone company? Or the internet supplier who raised our rate by 40%? Do the meat packing conglomerates tell. you how they screwed farmers and ranchers in the past 2 years out of fair prices, paid them pitiful amounts that is lower than the cost to raise the animals AND THEN stick it to you the consumer with raising the price you pay at the store. Heck no they didn’t apologize. Their CEO’s and boards and investors didn’t accept a lower paycheck or dividend. They made record amounts of money and the rest of us likely did not.
We are raising our prices this year and it hurts us to do it. But if we don’t we no longer raise food and the farm dismantled. Your local food supply will take a hit and a little bit more of the community is lost.
BUT that is not going to happen. The farm and we are here to stay and here to stay growing food for the community. If you don’t like our prices go elsewhere, there certainly are choices for cheap food all over. But that price isn’t so cheap anymore now is it? So do not bash a farms prices, instead how about some understanding that we are small business owners who just survived a world wide pandemic, took hits you can’t even imagine and do not have a fall back plan or hidden income to tap into.
This is it folks. This is the cold hard facts that we and thousands of farmers and ranchers raise food that feeds this country and without us where are you going to get it? Are. you going to trust a huge multinational company hidden behind cute names and massive profits or are you going to support your neighbors who live right here and deserve a fair income?
God Bless and Stay Safe.