How Agri-Energy is Helping Revitalize American Farmers
“Are you an actual farmer? Never met a full time writer who was also a farmer.”
Recently, I wrote a post that ended up accidentally going viral. Let’s talk about it.
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Most of the comments were supportive, with some that respectfully disagreed, which is great. The world would be a dull place if we all agreed.
But one comment upset me: the accusation that I “couldn’t possibly” be a real farmer because I work another job.
Both the legitimacy of my business (a registered LLC) and my writing were called into question. I was told to produce my tax returns to prove that I am not just a “hobby farm” and to supply “research from an established branch of science supporting my claims.”
By definition, a hobby farm is small (usually under five acres) and for the purpose of providing food to the farmers themselves, not for commercial sale or to serve as a primary source of income.
We don’t meet either of those criteria.
First, I must defend hobby farmers. Many commercial farmers (including us) start as hobby farms. Hobby farms produce, according to the FAO, a third of the food grown worldwide.
I did not produce my Schedule F to a stranger on the internet (though I did offer to send him 30+ pages of sources and interview notes).
But the comments bother me, as they point to common and dangerous misconceptions.
My family is not the only farming family that leans on off-farm income either partially or wholly. At one point, Josh and I both worked three jobs each as we grew the farm.
We are the rule, not the exception.
85% of American farmers rely on other jobs to support their livelihoods.
It’s only been within this past year that Josh has throttled down to “just” working the farm (arguably just as many hours as before, if not more) and I’ve been able to “just” write (which I will probably do regardless of the success of the farm because I love it).
Make no mistake about it: our ability to transition to “just one” job each has been due entirely to agri-energy. Without solar grazing, we would still be juggling.
There is a blind and ignorant assumption that America’s farmers are thriving.
American farmers are struggling. Between 2017 and 2022, the United States lost more than 141,000 farms.
What’s driving this? Low prices. A government that prioritizes subsidies and tax breaks for large corporations. A lack of understanding about how our food is produced. An overreliance on imported food because we don’t care where our food is coming from, which has led to a massive trade imbalance.
Farming accounts for just 1% of the American GDP despite the fact that we have some of the most fertile land in the world.
We. Need. To. Do. Better.
Dialogue and disagreement are wonderful.
But don’t be rude.
Because the food we’re putting on the table isn’t just for us. We’re feeding everybody else, too.
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