The Omnivore’s Delusion: Against the Agri-intellectuals

The American (The Journal of American Enterprise Institute) ^ | July 30, 2009 | Blake Hurst

[Schnucki]

Farming has always been messy and painful, and bloody and dirty. It still is. This is something the critics of industrial farming never seem to understand.

I’m dozing, as I often do on airplanes, but the guy behind me has been broadcasting nonstop for nearly three hours. I finally admit defeat and start some serious eavesdropping. He’s talking about food, damning farming, particularly livestock farming, compensating for his lack of knowledge with volume.

I’m so tired of people who wouldn’t visit a doctor who used a stethoscope instead of an MRI demanding that farmers like me use 1930s technology to raise food. Farming has always been messy and painful, and bloody and dirty. It still is.

But now we have to listen to self-appointed experts on airplanes frightening their seatmates about the profession I have practiced for more than 30 years. I’d had enough. I turned around and politely told the lecturer that he ought not believe everything he reads. He quieted and asked me what kind of farming I do. I told him, and when he asked if I used organic farming, I said no, and left it at that. I didn’t answer with the first thought that came to mind, which is simply this: I deal in the real world, not superstitions, and unless the consumer absolutely forces my hand, I am about as likely to adopt organic methods as the Wall Street Journal is to publish their next edition by setting the type by hand.

He was a businessman, and I’m sure spends his days with spreadsheets, projections, and marketing studies. He hasn’t used a slide rule in his career and wouldn’t make projections with tea leaves or soothsayers. He does not blame witchcraft for a bad quarter, or expect the factory that makes his product to

[Schnucki]

Long, but interesting.

[the invisib1e hand]

You've done a service by posting this.

A smart farmer writes about modern farming with the benefit of 3 generations of accumulated experience. It should shut up all the ivory-tower "experts" on the subject at once.

It's inspiring to know such capability and sound thinking is at work in the USA.

A must read for anyone hungry for common sense.

[PGR88]

This doesn’t just apply to agriculture, but pretty much every industry. There are those ideological politicians who want to make the world fit their inexperienced views, rather than accept reality.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

Thanks for posting this. It is so refreshing to read something written by an actual producer who speaks the truth.

[bt_dooftlook]

I'm going to bet that he also talked about how hard it was for poor people to get healthy food because it was more expensive, and that the government was heavily subsidizing corn production to drive farmers in other countires out of business.

These are common tropes from an agit-prop movie called "Food, Inc." that has been making the rounds in leftist circles...

[FreeStateYank]

“This doesn’t just apply to agriculture, but pretty much every industry. There are those ideological politicians who want to make the world fit their inexperienced views, rather than accept reality.”

The bean-counters and policy wonks both appear completely ignorant of how things are done. As a nation, we need to get back to having industry experts, including businesspersons, farmers, and engineers who have actually PRODUCED something, in charge of the wonks, hacks, and abacus users.

Before it is too late.

[Colvin]

I personally don’t like some of the present farming practices, and therefore I don’t engage in them.
My Chickens are free range, and the pigs have a failry large pen, and are clean (for pigs).
I use the difference to market against the big guys, but I am not interested in going after them with legislation.
I wonder if congress will try to put agri business under next, and take it over as well.