Timidity:
Factually speaking, of course, the small farmer is not an endangered species.
I stand by what I said about the small farmer/rancher becoming an endangered species. I am not counting the hobby farmer/ranchers who have a few acres of land and few head of livestock that they like to play with or use as a tax writeoff. I’m talking about those who strive to gain their real livelihood from farming and ranching – those who are trying to pass on a family tradition.
You can look at the change in population in many of the rural areas of our country to see how fewer and fewer people are actually able to sustain themselves.
Take Garfield County in Montana where this animal is causing problems.
From 1960-2000 there was a 30% decrease in the population
McCone County has seen a 40% decrease in population in this same time frame.
Having grown up between South Dakota and Montana I can tell you that these two counties are not exceptions.
The exceptions are the cozy mountian areas where the California folks are moving or the larger cities where the displaced farmers/ranchers are moving.
The bulk of this decline is a result in the inability of farmers and ranchers to maintain a decent income. Most families that have attempted to stay in the business have been forced to seek additional employment away from the farm in order to maintain a living.
The cost of feed, fuel, vetrinary supplies and such have increased at a much greater rate the the price paid for the commidities produced by many of our small ranchers and farmers. A bin of grain used to pay for a new vehicle, now it might make the down payment.
You may think that losing a few sheep may not be a big deal. If we look at the Whiteside case. almost 10% of their lambs for this year were lost to the killed and mangled ewes. The severe drop in the number of twins born (350 if they had 50% twin rate down to 140 if they now have a 20% rate) would amount to approximately 1050 lambs for sale with out the animal problem down to 840 this year less the ones from the killed and mangled ewes. With a loss of income like that, it makes it hard to continue to live on the land and keep it in production so you can hand on a viable business to your kids. In the long run, many of the ranchers and farmers end up selling their property to out of state investors who use it for hunting or a tax write off or to a corporation which hires employees, not a family.
The farmers and ranchers of the rural west are responsible for many of the things you enjoy at your local resturant and grocery store. They care about the land that they use because they know it is the source of their income. They are far better stewards than any corporation that may take over their property in the future. If you don’t think that the “real” small farmer/rancher is a dying bred, come out to Montana and hear the stories of the families who used to be here. Talk with some of the ones who are still here. Check out the vast wheat fields of Kansas which were once owned by many individual families and are now part of the corporate income statement.
Sorry for the rant, but these are my people. I am seeing them force to find other places to work and live. I am experiencing their downfall.
