18 Years of On-Farm Processing

Earl Butz, Secretary of Agriculture from 1971 – 1976, was nominated by President Richard Nixon and continued to serve through President Gerald Ford. Secretary Butz was focused on scaling agriculture in the USA with a “get big or get out” mindset. That’s exactly what farms did- they consolidated, they centralized, and the industrialized- international markets opened up and farm income grew.

Since that time, intense focus has been placed on farm scale and efficiency- every equation in agriculture, we solved for “x” without understanding the consequences of this narrow focus. This situation was worsened by the skyrocketing market consolidation of huge multi-national corporations.

Since 1930, we’ve moved from over 6 million farms feeding our citizens to less than 2 million. All while the population exploded. There were 120 million people in the USA in 1930, while today, the population is over 350 million people.

Secretary Butz’s term marked a radical change in food production in the USA- and the beginning of the “vanishing middle.” Mid-sized farms perfectly sized to feed communities disappeared. Today, we are left with two extremes: homestead farming and consolidated, linear factory farming. These mid-size farms vanished because they were too big to rely on outside income but too small to compete with agribusiness. The consolidation in the supply chain forced mid-size producers to expand significantly or exit the industry entirely.

Currently, we are left to reconcile the great loss of the American farmer. Much of the beef we buy is raised and slaughtered overseas. The land that historically fed our communities is now being gobbled up by technology and urbanization, and we are beginning to feel the effects of trading global markets for domestic resilience.

Over 85% of the beef processing that happens in the USA is controlled by four multinational companies: Tyson, Cargill, JBS, and National and JBS are owned by Brazilian firms.

Unfortunately, pork processing isn’t much different- 75% of all hog slaughter passes through one of four major packers. These four are Smithfield, Tyson, JBS and Hormel.

60% of the poultry we consume passes through four major firms: Tyson, Pilgrim’s Pride, Perdue, and Sanderson Farms.

When you shop in a retail store, despite the illusion of choice, much of what you see are shell brands for these multinational companies. It is not too late to reclaim our ability to feed ourselves- but it takes some effort. Find an independent farmer and support him/her with your purchases. The pendulum has swung too far in the direction of corporate greed- it’s time to take back control of our food system.

- WILL HARRIS
WHITE OAK PASTURES