Fear and Food

I talked to my chicken lady, yesterday. I wanted to reserve 100 home-grown, pastured chickens for my family to eat in 2009-2010. That’s 2 chickens a week, roughly, for a family of 8. Our investment for this: about $1500, and a chest freezer. I can think of no better savings account.

Our conversation was instructive. And a bit discomfiting. It seems that, given the uncertainty of the market, my chicken lady and her husband have decided to cut back their production from 1000 chickens, to 600. Their chicks have gone WAY up in price, too, so they’ve had to raise their prices. Last year, the same amount of chicken would have cost me $1200. Makes you long for old times, doesn’t it?

But the price isn’t what bothers me. She was undercharging, in my opinion. It’s the downsizing. How many other small producers will be hedging their bets this year? What will this mean to the American food economy? It will certainly mean more centralization—the last thing we need.

What can we do? I’ve started already, myself, and I ask you to join me. I’m pre-ordering. My beef and chicken are ordered, and I’m working on my lamb. I’m helping my farmers solicit more customers. I’m encouraging them, and telling them that their produce is still wanted. I am only one woman, but I hope we can raise an army.

Support your local farmer. You need her.