It’s High Time, “Time” Gets Real

In the cover story of the Aug. 21 issue of Time magazine, “Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food,” writer Bryan Walsh dithers about what low food prices are doing to America. Rather than blaming fast food joints for obesity because they fry their French fries in high cholesterol fat or for “super-sizing” everything in sight, or laying the blame on each “super-sized” individual for eating way more than the normal person should consume, Walsh blames virtually all problems — from obesity to environmental disasters to human sickness on farming. That’s right — FARMING.

Maybe Walsh is too young to remember back in the 1970’s when housewives were picketing around supermarkets, protesting the high price of food. Perhaps he would prefer that, rather than giving government financial assistance to farmers, he’d prefer to give it to consumers in the way of more food stamps?

Rather than blaming “industrial farming” for all that ails us, maybe Walsh would like the former Chinese method of birth control? One child and everything’s kosher. Two children and it’s off to the abortion clinic. This soon-to-be-retired editor remembers his grade school days in the 1950’s with a U.S. population less than 150 million. Now, less than 60 years later, we’ve managed to more than double that to 304 million.

Does Walsh, or Time for that matter, believe that 40 acres and a mule will feed these 300+ million people? And, at what price?

This editor recalls buying fresh eggs from the neighboring farmer, as he picked them daily from the hens around his barnyard. Many weekends are still spent at the local Farmer’s Market stocking up on fresh blackberries, lettuce or sweet corn. And, while I don’t often admit to it, this editor likes to cook the occasional “special” meal.

But these meals are, indeed, special. And the ingredients purchased at the local Farmer’s Market are an occasional treat. And their prices dictate that they should be treated as just that; a special treat.

Few deny that produce fresh from the farm is better tasting than that obtained in your local supermarket. But with an admitted one billion people in the world going to bed hungry every night, can we afford to give each cow his daily massage like they do in Japan with their Kobe beef?

Willie Vogt in his August 28th issue of Farm
Progress Friday, reports that Daren Williams, the Director of Communications of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, was contacted by Walsh and put him into contact with several beef experts and producers prior to publication of the article. According to him, Walsh chose to ignore virtually every fact given to him. Williams offered the opinion that, “Writers like Bryan Walsh are not journalists, they’re activists.”

Ever since the Malthusian Theory on population expansion combined with the subsequent food shortage and the meat packing exposures of Upton Sinclair in the early 20th century, activists expounding on the food system have been around. Malthus’ dour predictions were proven wrong primarily due to the progress made in food production.

Even activists like Walsh have their place on this earth. But their place is not merely admiring the
Niman Ranch, a seaside paradise north of San Francisco, where cattle can have pristine views of the ocean while munching on nitrogen-free grass.

What is needed is not just muckraking, but answers on how to change what they perceive as the wrongs mankind has brought about. Does Walsh really believe that Niman’s seaside view will somehow contribute to a more soul-satisfying life for his cattle?

Feeding the world is not a “happiness” business. Rather, it is a BUSINESS. Those who forget this will soon find themselves in another line of work, and those who rely upon the fruits of this business will soon be relegated to the times of the hunters and gatherers.