Hi,
There is a lot in the Tom Mason message that I would like to discuss. I'll
just take it one subtopic at a time.
* Farmers will not co-operate unless they are
* desperate. Your support structures are there
* to stop agriculture reaching the level of
* desperation needed for farmers to work
* together.
I have a somewhat different view. I'm pretty sure desperation has little to
do with cooperation among farmers, nor does presence of price supports.
I have some personal experience with this.
I 'm pretty sure that farmers will not co-operate unless they have a sense of
community. And not just a community existing at one point in time, but a
community coherent over at least several generations.
In other words, if they "KNOW" that "we are all in this
together" and that
"the children are going to be farming", then for the good of that
community,
they will make costly sacrifices, such as paying coop dues and capital
retains (at the milk coop). or investing personal time and effort (at the
produce auction).
--
Kindest regards,
========================
F. W. Owen
Owenlea Holsteins
9430 Spencer Road
Homerville, Ohio 44235
e-mail fwo@bright.net
home page http://www.bright.net/~fwo
voice & fax 330.625.2369
cell 330.635.2287
========================
