Comments for Farm Values

Comment on Slaughterhouse with a view: Adams Farm, Athol by Tony an DeeDee Allen

Tony an DeeDee Allen — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 01:36:44 +0000

Beautiful, brings back sooo many beautiful memories,I remember Hester,an I believe she is the one on the right,I was blessed too watch it all happen,such a hard working family.We sure could use some of that today!! Love yall an God bless what the future may bring We love yall!!
Tony an DeeDee Allen,!!!

Comment on The big picture: The King farm in Petersham by Via Problems of Practice course, students gain experience in monitoring conservation land - Clark Now | Clark University

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 21:06:28 +0000

[…] and three other students focused on two conservation restrictions: the 98-acre King Farm, and the 190-acre St. Mary’s Monastery and St. Scholastica Priory […]

Comment on What is “civic agriculture”? by Book Review of “This is Where You Belong: Finding Home Wherever You Are” by Melody Warnick | The Global Grid

Wed, 30 May 2018 17:30:43 +0000

[…] from and supportive of locally grown produce. A study showed that those who participated in “civic agriculture” were more likely to be engaged in their communities and like where they live better than those […]

Comment on The factory farm that wasn’t: How a Wendell egg producer ended up on the wrong side of the ballot by Cathy

Cathy — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 23:02:01 +0000

In reply to Joan Squeri. Thanks, Joan! Yes, farmers can be equally frustrated by supporters and detractors, a facet of most people having become so distanced from the day-to-day realities of farming.

Comment on The factory farm that wasn’t: How a Wendell egg producer ended up on the wrong side of the ballot by Joan Squeri

Joan Squeri — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 12:23:09 +0000

Cathy,
I greatly appreciate the ability to learn about current agricultural issues facing Massachusetts through an anthropological lens.
The farmers I know generally feel their day-to-day issues are very misunderstood by their (sometimes overly adoring, sometimes tone-deaf) public. Your writing is both unique and very needed.
-Joan S

Comment on The factory farm that wasn’t: How a Wendell egg producer ended up on the wrong side of the ballot by Cathy

Cathy — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 00:19:18 +0000

In reply to Dave Van Iderstine. Big questions! And big problems, no doubt about it. I've been trying in this "Farm Values" project to push back a bit against some of the outlines of that narrative about New England farming, which is certainly true in its broad strokes but contains some surprising exceptions and counter-currents that may offer some inspiration as we try to rethink and rescale.

Comment on The factory farm that wasn’t: How a Wendell egg producer ended up on the wrong side of the ballot by Dave Van Iderstine

Dave Van Iderstine — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 21:50:48 +0000

I really feel for their plight. I started a small livestock farm 7 years ago, the next town over, because I could feel the screaming need for more – any! – small-scale farming infrastructure. The economic incentives against farming are overwhelming, especially starting from scratch! Fencing, housing, lost knowledge, time – and yet, this nation was once predominantly agrarian, and our vast land bank was used as such. Massachusetts was once predominantly deforested, in favor of farms; the forests are back, the farms are gone. In their place, we have artificially inexpensive factory-farmed food from out of state, and a (growing) number of local producers who can sell at a premium to those consumers aware and able to purchase it.
That’s a bad model. People left farms for cities, when mill cities provided jobs. The mills are gone, the cities remain, the farms are gone. We should have returned whence we came when the reason for cities vanished; we didn’t. Now we are left with an unemployable population, with no land to sustain themselves. That, is fundamentally broken.

I happened to be fortunate enough to happen onto usable land. What about the rest of us?

Comment on The factory farm that wasn’t: How a Wendell egg producer ended up on the wrong side of the ballot by Barbara Edson Greenwald

Barbara Edson Greenwald — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 13:39:20 +0000

Having known the family and the family and going there frequently over the years. They are the most humane kind honest hard working educated people. The run a small family business and do take good care of the chickens that produce the eggs that produce the income. To lump them in with factory farming is terrible. This was a great article and its too bad more people did not educate themselves before they spoke. However the harsh reality too is we all eat and if you choose to eat fish, meat,eggs they are most likely farmed. I prefer to know it was a small local farm which I feel is not a factory farm but its still farming on a large scale. I hope the government red tape does not destroy another honest family business.

Comment on The factory farm that wasn’t: How a Wendell egg producer ended up on the wrong side of the ballot by Cathy

Cathy — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 23:17:55 +0000

In reply to Deb Habib and Ricky Baruc. Thanks, Deb!

Comment on The factory farm that wasn’t: How a Wendell egg producer ended up on the wrong side of the ballot by Deb Habib and Ricky Baruc

Deb Habib and Ricky Baruc — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 21:52:23 +0000

Cathy,
This is excellent. I am so glad to have it to reference when asked about this issue. I know you are modest but I encourage you to share this widely with local food organizations and networks as an important read to help caring consumers and voters understand the issue and ballot question history and implications. Let me know if I can help.
Deb