With increased competition from overseas agricultural producers
who cut costs with cheap labor, our country’s small farmers have
been disappearing for decades. However, some local farms have shown
that it’s not quite time for small farmers to hang a for sale sign
on their gates, subdivide their land and abandon an American
tradition.
With increased competition from overseas agricultural producers who cut costs with cheap labor, our country’s small farmers have been disappearing for decades. However, some local farms have shown that it’s not quite time for small farmers to hang a for sale sign on their gates, subdivide their land and abandon an American tradition.
In a time when farmers simply cannot compete against cheap foreign labor or fill large orders for grocery chains such as Safeway and Albertsons, some of our local growers are changing their business model to seek new, smaller and more specialized markets for the produce raised in San Benito County. The willingness to evolve and fill niches that the foreign competition cannot is paying off.
Take Paul Hain who’s family has grown walnuts for generations, but almost had to give it up when Chinese and Indian walnuts inundated the U.S. market. Hain knew he couldn’t compete with global growers, but he also knew the competition could not raise such tremendous quantities without using pesticides. So he evolved, and now grows organic walnuts for a smaller market willing to pay significantly higher prices for the pesticide-free product. Hain also raises some 20,000 organic chickens annually and is considering raising organic turkeys – both markets with little competition.
Pride of San Juan provides another example of how American ingenuity can overcome cheap foreign labor. In a society always pressed for time, Pride of San Juan stopped competing against their foreign competition to only sell lettuce and began marketing pre-made salads to their time-conscious consumers. Now the successful company is looking at a huge expansion project, largely due to the success of salad mix sales.
Another salvation for the embattled small farmer is seeking partnerships with other industries to market specialty products sold by boutique-style merchants. Marich’s Confectionary and Isabelle Zanger Chocolates, both of whom use locally grown produce in some of their specialty treats, products are widely available across the country through partnering with local retailer Dorothy McNett’s and her Web site happycookers.com.
It’s obvious American farms, especially the small ones, are losing the battle to foreign competition and the federal government does not appear to be interested in increasing tariffs to protect American farmers. However, those same tariffs would also hurt American consumers by raising prices on essential foods.
Americans have long been known for rising up in the face of adversity, and the ingenuity of some San Benito farmers like Hain and Pride of San Juan prove there are ways to not only win the ag-battle, but to also flourish while doing so.
