Fix What\'s Broken - Ricardo Salvador

$\"\"$ For too many it is basically a no win situation if you\’re a farmer and so they ask \”How can I get off this treadmill?\” The dream of farming can become a nightmare in a broken system explains Ricardo Salvador, the Director of Food and Environment for the Union of Concerned Scientists. Farm choice has traditionally been either playing the low value, high volume commodity game or high value crops where farm families can make a living on small acreage. Ricardo shares the fact that very few farmers make enough money that they can live off of faming alone. The majority subsidize their income from an off farm job. Of the 2 million \”farms\” identified by the USDA, about 300,000 are attempting to make a living from faming. Just 70,000 farmers are turning out 75% of Agriculture\’s output. The mechanized industrialization of the food system increases output but has led to \”de-skilling\” and other issues from farm to tables. Ricardo Salvador explains the problems and the solutions. www.ucsusa.org

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About Table Talk

The Farm To Table Talk podcast is a virtual table for conversations about ideas, insights, and journeys of chefs, farmers, policymakers, researchers, NGOs and the food-focused public about our food and how it is grown, prepared and shared throughout society. The host, Rodger Wasson is a food and agriculture veteran. Raised on his family’s farm in Central Illinois, he has worked for and with every size, type, and age of farmers and aspiring farmers. Whether new, old, big or small, they are all part of today’s food movement. The Farm to Table Talk podcasts are for those interested in journeys within the modern food system and the stories behind our every bite. Contact rodger@idea-farming with your thoughts, suggestions or questions.