WHY SMALL FARMS ARE BETTER
As with many newsletters, the one I wrote last week was a 500 word essay on a topic that deserves an entire book — albeit one that wouldn’t be hugely relevant to very many people.  But there is a related topic that I now wish to address:  Farm size and why it matters.  And not just for ecological or sustainability reasons.  Rather, why small farms are better economically, under the rules of our capitalist system.  And why large, corporate farms should be prevented from receiving government subsidies (which they haven’t) and wealthy rural landowners (i.e.—corporations) should be exempt from policies protecting agriculture.

 1)  Small farms try to make the highest possible income they can.  If this means spending an extra thousand dollars to make five hundred, they will usually do it.  Even if this translates into more money spent on salaries, machinery, supplies, infrastructure.  This extra money generates tax income for local government, additional jobs, and business opportunities for other entrepreneurs.

2)  Big farms try to make higher profits by spending less money.  This translates into fewer jobs, less infrastructure, and more outsourcing of supplies bought from the cheapest source and shipped in.

3)  Small farms bring in money to rural areas from urban areas.  Most rural areas are poor compared to their city and suburban neighbors.  Small farms need to sell their goods for higher prices, so they sell them where there is a demand — in cities and suburbs.  They bring that money back into the country.

4)  Large farms pull money out of rural areas. Corporations take advantage of local, state, and federal tax benefits aimed at preserving small farms.  They pay low property taxes locally, but when they receive federal farm subsidies, the funds go to corporate headquarters in cities rather than to the counties where the farmland is located.

5)  Small farms grow what people want to eat.  Small growers follow the laws of supply and demand, and are more accountable to their customers.  As a result, their products are often more nutritious and flavorful.

6)  Large farms cut corners to enhance profits, and grow the crop varieties that best achieve that goal, regardless of flavor.  They mass produce inferior products, using questionable production techniques and low quality inputs.  They do so in the service of a food industry that reflects their own values and priorities.  In the end, everyone suffers by eating nutritionally poor food that has little or no flavor.

 Unfortunately, anyone who has every owned or run a small business knows that it is extremely difficult to compete with large corporations.  They have endless financial resources and tons of political clout.  And in the case of California agriculture, they simply don’t care whether it is profitable or not.  If they lose money, they write it off against their other profits.  The low returns are more than justified by the likelihood that five, ten, or twenty years from now, they will see hundreds of percent profit when they pave the land over and build homes and shopping centers on it.  And if they put their neighbors out of business in the meantime by overproducing the same crops, well, it’s just another piece of land they can buy.  When you do this in an urban area, they call you a Slumlord. 

SUBSCRIBER LOANS PART II
Last week I mentioned that we are seeking subscribers who might be interested in loaning TFF funds to help with a potential downpayment on a piece of land, should a good candidate arise.  We have received several inquiries, and so spent an hour outlining potential terms for different kinds of loans.  
We originally proposed a $5,000 minimum, but have decided that $2,500 is just as workable.  The term we are thinking of is either 3 or 5 years, with interest payable in the form of vegetables or the conventional way.  If you are interested in getting more information, please contact me at <tff25833@aol.com> or leave a message on the subscriber voicemail.  

A MIXED BOX 
 We were fully anticipating having enough strawberries this week for 2 baskets per box.  Instead, thanks to the spring downpour, we have none.  Lucky, then, that we have a wide variety of other crops, that have been waiting in the wings or taking turns, to fill in.

 Making the final sweep of our citrus orchards, we harvested the last of the Grapefruit (both red and yellow) for Small and Medium boxes, and the Valencia oranges (for large boxes).  That concludes the citrus portion of our program.  Last few kiwis also go into the Large boxes.

 Cabbage, too, makes its last appearance of the spring.  The heads have been in cold storage now for a month or so, but are still crunchy and mild.  You can shred it and toss with your Salad Mix, or maybe stir-fry with the Spinach for a crun-chewy combo.  Or combine them in a basic, mayonnaise-free cole slaw with the carrots, which are sizing and coloring up nicely.  They will be a regular in the boxes off and on through June.

 We are winding down the asparagus season, so Medium and Large boxes get reduced-sized bunches again this week.   And a second planting of Fava Beans is just starting, so Ms and Ls get a few pounds of them as well.  

 Peas appear to have finished for the season, although  a week of cool weather might bring them back to life.  Meanwhile, the Summer Squash are off and running despite the inclement weather.

 We dug enough Potatoes on Saturday, as an experiment, to determine that they are very close to being ready.  This small amount of newly dug potatoes — which lost a lot of skin in the digging process — went into the Large boxes today.  Everyone else can look forward to the first spuds of spring next week, by which time the skins should be nicely set.  Until then,

Thanks,            Pablito