tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post121224293937611850..comments2023-10-23T09:42:31.292-07:00Comments on AnIrishalternative: Who pays the price?Renovation in Galiciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12134753603087085719noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-15262056166247109322013-01-09T12:23:36.731-08:002013-01-09T12:23:36.731-08:00Hi,
Here in Western Massachusetts we are lucky, ma...Hi,<br />Here in Western Massachusetts we are lucky, many food co-ops one which I joined in Northampton offers local meats, veggies and fruit. Because they are able to buy the meat in quanity, the cost is only a little more then what you would pay in a supermarket.<br />There are farm stands and almost every town has a farmers market.<br />In the states the big dairy agri-businesses had almost knocked local dairy farmers out of business. Now they are coming back with local milk farmers combining all their milk and putting it under their own brand name. Yes, its more expensive but you are supporting your neighbor, who in turn supports you. ABout 10 years ago we started The Crafts Of Colrain. It has helped support a dairy farm, and angora goat farm,my small farm of sheep and herbs and many more crafts people. Its a tour to each studio. It brings people up close and personal with what we do to bring our goods to market. <br />The old saying The cheapest isn't always the best is true.<br />Carole<br />Whispering Pines Farm<br /><br />I think its a whole educational processAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-91148800303790402202013-01-06T07:18:48.614-08:002013-01-06T07:18:48.614-08:00Hi Coco, yes we do have lots of farmers markets he...Hi Coco, yes we do have lots of farmers markets here but they are not that well attended either by sellers or buyers unless you live in Dublin or Cork.What you are allowed to sell here is very restrictive, this is the Irish government's restrictions not the EU.Example if you own one hen you have to be registered by the dept. If you sell veg in a farmers market the veg must not be washed unless you have had your water tested by the local health board and by and large the Irish housewife will not buy dirty veg.You can not kill and sell poultry even as farm gate sales.To sell any baked goods you have to jump through very high hoops and vigorous health regulations.Unfortunately in the case of the Galician milk producers they are contracted to the main processor ( I cant remember the name off hand) it was through these contracts that they were able to get huge loans to upgrade their milking facilities, without this outlet they have no market, no market means they lose their farms as they are mortgaged up to the hilt, so French milk is imported into Spain, imported food gets import subsidy paid on it thus making it cheaper enabling the French milk to undercut the Spanish milk.<br /><br />Hi Matt, this program pointed out that these farmers could not afford to upgrade their houses to the new EU requirements, I don't know what these new welfare standards are, possibly slightly less stocking density's, but this would bring more problems, lower stocking = more heating = higher heating cost which they can't afford to pay now, it would also mean less product to sell at 37cent per bird at the end. Unless people wake up and stop looking for the cheapest food possible and realise that farmers are not machines that can be speeded up but are food producers who are doing the best they can we will lose the farming industry to overseas imports.<br />In the UK and I'm sure Ireland's figures are about the same, the average food spent per household is just 11.5% of disposable income. Renovation in Galiciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12134753603087085719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-77814016562502580932013-01-06T03:49:52.504-08:002013-01-06T03:49:52.504-08:00Well said, Anne, and that's from someone who e...Well said, Anne, and that's from someone who earned his living in the Distribution side of super-marketing (HGVs and huge warehouses holding 5000+ pallets of stock). Something needs to happen. It's the squeezed farmers who can't afford to do the more welfare-based operations. Matt Carehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02221912203941489737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-86577180369216120362013-01-06T00:35:53.803-08:002013-01-06T00:35:53.803-08:00Are there farmer´s markets in Ireland? I love wan...Are there farmer´s markets in Ireland? I love wandering around the ones here. It´s like a casino, if I have 10€, I spend 10€. If I have 20, I spend 20.<br /><br />The Galician dairy farmers are in really desperate straits - 2012 had them selling milk for .06 less than the cost of production per litre. No one is staying in business for long at that rate. It seems the big distributors are at fault there, as well.Cocohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01002346978289429622noreply@blogger.com