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Why tariffs and farmer suicide may be what we need to get over our 'conventional' addiction

I ran into a very progressive farmer the other day. And when I say progressive, I mean he has his finger on the pulse of everything that's going on with issues in the food system in America, what the trade deals are doing to farmers, and more. All I wanted to know was where I could find the nearest ATM, and I ended up immersed in a thirty-minute conversation about what we should do with the $12 billion check that Trump is about to sign off on for American farmers as a result of this tariff mess. For those of you less familiar with what's going on, this article from Fortune does a good job of explaining some of the issues.

Visited a shrimp farm in NE this week as part of the NCK Farm Tour


What I found most staggering from our conversation (aside from his suggestion that we use the money to pay farmers to take their land out of production and encourage them to spend their free time learning about growing for organic markets) was his comment that, among all the professions with the highest suicide rates, farming is at the top, and by quite a large margin.

U-pick blackberry operation at the Market Depot (Republic County)


If that isn't a red flag that our agricultural system is f*cked up, then I don't know what is. I've been listening to the Plate of the Union podcasts over the past couple of weeks, and am excited to hear about chefs lobbying on capitol hill for better food policy. Maybe they should use this as a talking point. "You tell me that the stress of the profession is acceptable..." Food service workers also top the list of professions with high suicide rates. No surprise there, considering the crazy night life of drinking, drugs, and the high-stress environment of the kitchen. Think about being on the other side, though, as a lobbyist for commodity farmers. I can't imagine being in that position, knowing what it's doing to people--literally, killing them. If not the farmers themselves, then the carcinogenic chemicals are the culprit. How can that kind of job be justified anymore?

Anyone who goes to Salina has to stop at Cozy Inn for a burger

Here's the upside of it all. If Trump's tariffs come too late to appease conventional farmers, then traditional and alternative farmers will suddenly have a lot more in common then they realize. And maybe they'll start talking to each other, working together, figuring out ways that they can both come out on top and avoid selling to commodity markets. Because all anybody really wants is sufficient income to put food on the table and enjoy some recreational drinking from time to time. Investing in grains is not going to accomplish that, and we all know it.

Gotta love dem beautiful sunsets!

Hands down best burger in the area (even without a bun): Easy G's (Concordia, KS)

My first encounter with YouTube stars! Peterson Brothers (Lincoln, KS)

Just one more reason why rural living rocks. Signage on a mattress.

800 half chickens getting cooked for Courtland Fun Day's dinner
Three more days left. So much to do! So little time...

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