The Disadvantages Of Small Farming In The United States

Former president George Washington once said, “Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful, and most noble employment of man,” (George Washington Quote). Since Washington’s presidency, countless advancements and developments within the agricultural industry have allowed the United States to grow, develop, and become one of the most prosperous countries in the entire world. Nevertheless, this prosperity is also marked by several key historical events, such as the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions, which have caused the core values and traditions that this great nation was built on to slowly disappear. Today, the majority of Americans have no knowledge, understanding, or appreciation for the agricultural industry, causing them to take for granted the basic necessities they rely on each day. This disconnection has created a gap between producers and consumers, which is known as

Katherine Spriggs, the author of the essay “On Buying Local,” speculates on the controversial issue of small farms versus industrial farms. There are various opinions regarding this, and she covers many angles of the argument. While reading her essay, you can definitely tell which type of farm she is in favor for, though she does acknowledge the other side and mention counter arguments respectfully. Her thesis was very clear in stating “We should not give up a little bit of convenience in favor of buying local” (Spriggs 92). She then gives us many main points thereafter and proves them with data. Spriggs uses the rhetorical strategies of ethos, pathos, and logos to effectively argue that buying local and supporting small farm is the best option

Besides the environmental factors, another point would be that small farms benefit greatly when consumers buy locally grown foods. Small, locally owned farms

Inventions like the plow and combine had many positive effects, however the use of commercial farming has played a big role in overpopulation, and

America — a land known for its ideals of freedom and new opportunities, a nation built under the idea that every man and women is created equal. However, the definition of what makes a person an American is entirely different from what it is that makes up America, itself. J.Hector St. John Crevecoeur, author of Letters from an American Farmer (1782), exposes what he believes makes an American. However, when compared to the standards of what makes an American in today’s world, it seems that becoming an American then was much simpler then, than it is today. The definition of an American is always evolving due to the influences of our changing nation. During a simpler time, Crevecoeur defined an American as someone of European

Over the years agriculture has nearly diminished from the workforce. Why is this happening? In fact, ever since the Industrial Revolution’s promises of “big city success” agriculture has taken a hit. Agriculture has been a foundation for the infrastructure of the United States since it’s creation. Agricultural careers are a necessity for the nation. It is important through the history, from whom it affects, the effects on the environment and people, and to find a solution to the loss of this core element.

1 Farmers may not totally understand the product value. They may not easily accept new product that they have never heard about.

farms to keep their prices low, can eventually cause the market to fail. (58) The article The

Farmers did well after the Civil War and into the 1880s with plentiful rainfall and easy credit from banks. In the 1890s, however, American farmers suffered from drought, poor harvests, restrictive tariff and fiscal policies, low commodity prices, and competition from abroad. A downward swing in the business cycle exacerbated their plight, and many farmers in the Plains filed for

When the mechanization of agriculture was in effect farmers began to invest in technology so that they can increase the farm worker productivity, and essentially grow more crops. Growing more crops meant that they would be selling more crops, resulting in the increase of profit, but the problem with this is that the machinery necessary to do so is expensive. Since this machinery is a necessity and is expensive that meant that not everyone could begin farming. This means that there were less farmers, but the farmers who who still farming were producing more crops. Farmers thought that the more crops they produced, the more profit they would make, but the overproduction of agriculture was a direct link to economic insecurity of

cause them to not see an increase in income. New England farmers dealt with overworked land.

Although the large cattle herds benefited the many, it hurt the smaller livestock farmers because they were unable to keep up with the prices the larger farms had, plus when poor weather such as droughts and flash-floods came through the barbed wire kept the cattle trapped and the smaller more poor farmers lost most of their livestock while the bigger richer farmers would still have some left to keep them in business. This harsh testament of the weathers unpredictability forced many farmers to move to more urban environments where money was more stable when working in a factory and food could be bought at a local market rather than having to grow the food yourself.

Alongside the growth of large farms, crops are being subsidized which leads to the prices of the goods being kept at a low price (Toews). For a family farm, this means producing a crop that is not cost effective which eventually drives the family farms out of business. Once these large corporations produce the crop, it is then shipped to the manufacturers

Growing up on a small family wheat farm in southwestern Oklahoma, I have experienced the harsh conditions of farming firsthand. The job that used to employ the largest amount of people in the United States has lost the support and the respect of the American people. The Jeffersonian Ideal of a nation of farmers has been tossed aside to be replaced by a nation of white-collar workers. The family farm is under attack and it is not being protected. The family farm can help the United States economically by creating jobs in a time when many cannot afford the food in the stores. The family farm can help prevent the degradation of the environment by creating a mutually beneficial relationship between the people producing the food and nature. The family farm is the answer to many of the tough questions facing the United States today, but these small farms are going bankrupt all too often. The government’s policy on farming is the largest factor in what farms succeed, but simple economics, large corporations, and society as a whole influence the decline in family farms; small changes in these areas will help break up the huge corporate farms, keeping the small family farm afloat.

Today that push of farmers to leave their rural areas and move to the city can be associated with an inability to compete with large corporations. These large companies have the resources and ability to undercut and