Hello Folks! I’m a natural farmer/businessman from the Missouri Ozarks who has spent a great deal of time looking for and exploiting profit motives in the local food system. It is my desire to work on the connection between producers and consumers in the marketplace. We can build a great future that ensures food safety and surety for generations to come.
Lets take a hard look at how to connect producers and consumers on a grand scale and initiate lines of distribution hereto only dreamed about. One model could be a member owned co-op. These organizations would be community based, facilitating a marketplace and providing their members access to value added production services. They could also serve as a conduit for federal funding to support local agriculture initiatives, serve in a fiduciary capacity to all organizations that buy food and receive federal funds.
Organization:
Regional. This will address local economies and suitable climatology and encourage coordination with existing agencies, universities etc. (federally funded) This would allow a state or a subdivision thereof to be a repository of information and expertise that would be made use of by local groups. This would be quite a task to coordinate at the state level. In Missouri for instance there are both densely populated regions and large swaths of agricultural and timber lands.
Local. In more densely populated areas it may make sense to divide down further into groups based on existing communities; (ie neighborhoods, church, school and other organizations. In rural areas, counties make the most sense due to existing infrastructure via soil and water conservation districts who are far more understanding of natural farming concepts as they primarily, (in southern Missouri anyhow), attend to grazing and water needs. If an opportunity exists to take control of the conversation with the various university agriculture departments and land-grant extension services without big Ag getting involved, it would open a premade pipeline for all MAHA initiatives and educational elements.
Online. Much of the MAHA dissemination of information could be handled through platforms such as YouTube and Spotify etc. There are endless marketing opportunities for producers that exist but need strengthened, and in some cases reorganized. A strong social media presence will be a must. The podcast community would welcome this. They could be easily leveraged.
Services.
Information. Most information needed to raise one’s own food whether it be vegetables, fruit, meat, milk, eggs, herbs and fibers are currently available. The information exists and could be compiled and streamlined to apply to a local organization as seen fit.
Workshopping. Currently there is a need to address the various skill levels that the individuals that comprise these communities possess. It is necessary to revitalize and promote local organizations such as FFA, FHA, 4-H, youth livestock events, schooling organizations and county fairs. This will not only promote MAHA’s food initiatives but continue a flow of information.
Local Markets. Promotion of free local markets whereby consumers may avail themselves of products that bypass the industrial food system. Exemptions for local butchery and dairy along with value added home products would help not only build a strong local economy but allow additional economic opportunities for gardeners and farmers. Much of this can be built on the existing farmers market culture that exists and is growing. A litany of legal hangups dampen the profitability of small scale livestock and dairy operations. Much of this could be addressed in passage of parts of the PRIME Act.
Distribution. There will need to exist a means of distribution, which encourages availability, quality and choice. This could be handled both online and in a brick and mortar location. Perhaps “MAHA Association Farmers” could band together to provide a wider selection and fill orders in a centralized station? Retail could be handled on a consignment basis or centered around other industries such as a slaughterhouse or creamery.
Funding. Could carbon credits be utilized in situations that produce and sell locally, opposed to feeding into the supply chain? to create opportunities for small pieces of land that wish to sell retail? What if carbon credits were distributed to organizations and individuals for purchasing local food outside the supply chain. What if producers could earn carbon credits by selling into the same system? Could the same credits be advanced to individuals as a tax credit and managed on a debit system similar to EBT? This in my opinion is the key to funding a massive change of buying habit.
Farm Income
For instance a family on forty acres or less could have several acres of garden, berries, orchard etc. They could still seasonally graze small numbers of beef or dairy cattle, sheep or goats. The quick turnover of pastured poultry and eggs could provide additional income. Pair these options with a certified kitchen/ federally exempt pastured poultry facility, small scale creamery or abattoir and you could create a diversified product line that could easily be boxed up and sent to members on a weekly or monthly subscription, or transported within a short distance to market. This would lessen or outright eliminate the bulk of the carbon footprint accrued, along the various stops until it reaches the end user.
Communication. We are at a unique moment in American History. Not only are we in a time of political realignment where there exists an ENORMOUS wave of anti-corruption sentiment by the voters, who do not want to continue to see these leviathans control the USDA and HHS. This extends to agriculture departments in every university that accept federal funds. At the same time we are experiencing a complete reordering of how people get and consume information. With legacy media dying off, there exists an opportunity during this decentralization to completely take control of the ag/food/health narrative.
Hearts and Minds Campaign
Selling MAHA isn’t going to be hard. Getting people to change their buying habits is another matter entirely. The mechanism by which we obtain healthy food needs to be easy to obtain, better quality and in the affordable range. There is still a need for physical locations but in the age of amazon and door dash, the tech wouldn’t be hard.
It has been my experience that policy briefs are very dull, this is a human policy so it requires some human attributes. Lets dream a little and paint a picture.
Now follow along ,
Bill is a 68 year old retiree who is a co-op member and an avid gardener. Bill finds himself with an abundance of squash. He would have the following options. After carting them to the MAHA Market he goes to the produce desk. Bill has the following options, all of which we will get credit for,
- he can donate them to the institution of his choice
- he can sell them to the market for store credit
- After finding out a daycare need mashed vegetables he takes his vegetables to the MAHA kitchen where they are mashed, vacuum packed and frozen. They can be stored and sold over time fetching a higher price for the producer.
Dry Creek Farm a fourth generation family farm has three 27 month old grass fattened steers to sell. They wish to keep 1/2 and they have a half sold to a co-op member. The other two they wish to sell. In this case the MAHA butcher makes arrangements to kill cut and wrap for retail each steer. This could be handled all direct retail, put under consignment, split into quarters and boxed etc. As it sells the farmer can be paid in cash, store credit or carbon credits.
Family Farm milks 10 cows and hauls canned milk to the MAHA creamery or has a facility on site. The milk is bottled and labeled, it isn’t mixed or adulterated. Additional milk could be used to make butter, cheese and other value adds. They can be paid or reimbursed through store or carbon credits.