The undefined term "factory farm" in itself is an example of a huge problem we face in agriculture. You see it is those evil factory farmers who don't have names, faces or families, who don't care for their animals or the environment; those are the ones that deserve to be attacked.
My name is Dan Volkers and my whole life has been wrapped around agriculture. I grew up on a livestock and grain farm, majored in agriculture and have enjoyed the position of County Farm Bureau Manager for 15 years. I have had the opportunity to work with hundreds of farmers and never met a "factory farmer". I have met organic and conventional farmers, I have met grain, vegetable, fruit, tree, fish and livestock farmers, I have met small farmers and large farmers, I have met high tech farmers and low tech farmers. I have met all sorts of farmers, but not one "factory farmer".
Does a farmer become an evil factory farmer when he or she uses technology and equipment to raise a lot of something? I understand that part of our food system doesn't look like it did in the past. But I ask you what is without change? Does your family use different technology than the generations before it? Would you use a horse as your mode of transportation? Would you give up your microwave for a wood stove?
Consumer choice should be celebrated and protected. If consumers want a product produced in a particular way a farmer will find a way to produce it. At the same time, part of our food system must be allowed the opportunity to use technology and innovation to produce more food with fewer resources. So the next time you come across the term "factory farm" ask yourself what does that mean and why are they using the term.
