New Macdonald Farm

[grassfarmer]

I don't understand the logic or business acumen of the farmers against this. So many of the posts on here highlight how difficult it is to make a living in conventional agriculture, you rail against the input suppliers for charging too much yet you are the first to leap to the defence of their products.

At the same time the consumer is increasingly unhappy with the companies producing their food, they want to encourage you as farmers to produce the kind of food they want, they could be the key to let you out of the jail of marginal profitability agriculture and you are beating them off with a stick? Makes no sense.

As is often been said on here consumers in Canada and North America spend less of their income on food than anywhere in the world - they have the money to pay for what they want so why not produce it for them? Remember in business the first rule is "the customer is always right".

[binthere]

every addict has to hit rock bootom to change.

[FarmRanger]

The customer is always right, but it ticks me off when he(she) is seriously and intentionally misinformed about our production methods by people with their own greedy agendas.

Consumers bought cigarettes 100 years ago thinking that they were a good way to decrease stress and calm your nerves. They were right. Organic customers avoid modern agriculture because they avoid infinitesimally small amounts of pesticides. They’re right too.

The thing they have in common is that they’re both wrong about the harmful effects.

[tweety]

The customer is right after the strongest influence of the best marketing plan presented to them. Marketing is the foundation, right or wrong.

Customers don't know what they want, they are told what they want.

Organic is good at marketing, creating emotion and passion, while conventional quotes science studies.

[rkaiser]

If the so called conventional farming proponents are so sure that organic advertisers are lying, why not take the high road and advertise and label GMO food and food grown with pesticides and chemical inputs. Show that gol dern consumer what you got if you think it is all about truth.

Here is some truthful advertising that could be written on each package of beef.."Please know that Ractopamine, Ralgro, and Rumensin were used in the creation of this beef and it is all GOOD FOR YOU... Trust us."

[grassfarmer]

Tweety, I think you underestimate producers when you say "Customers don't know what they want, they are told what they want."
You are making it a "them and us" confrontation again. We are all consumers after all.

Easy question for you - do you drink regular or decaff coffee? presumably you decided that at some point - did someone have to tell you which you wanted?

[grassfarmer]

"underestimate consumers" - not producers.

[freewheat]

grass, I get producing what consumers want, I get it.

But when they use kids as pawns to lie and spread false information, it is just not right.

[binthere]

who,s to say that half of those kids are not from the farm. many people including myself as a farmer will not eat pork or poultry unless it is raised oustside of a barn naturally. there is no comparison of quality and flavour. same goes for many vegetables. if you are not from the farm it would be unlikey that you would know the difference. farmers are smart and base their choices on valid knowledge dont they?

[grassfarmer]

What were the lies in this movie specifically?

Doesn't conventional agriculture do all the things shown? hormones in beef, pesticides on crops, GMOs, hens in cages?