Farming today would be nearly unrecognizable by our great grandparents. The concepts used only a few decades ago have gone by the wayside to make room for, well, less room. The same amounts of crops and animals which were cultivated in vast areas in the past are now smooshed, stacked, and filed on top of each other in significantly smaller areas to increase production and overall output of product each year. The concept of crop rotating has been ignored and traded for mass amounts of costly synthetic fertilizer, genetically modified crops, insecticides, pesticides, and herbicides. The stereotypical lifestyle of a farmer has changed from a cultivator of land to "production manager". It feels as if the personal, emotional, and lifelong investment has been taken out of farming and replaced solely with finances.
Heath Farm Dairy Herd (circa 1960)
Cattle open-graze grass fields
Industrial Dairy Farm (circa 2015)
Cattle remain in confined, high occupancy feed pins and consume hay/oat/grains feed mix
As portrayed in the documentary
Fresh, there are many, many issues displayed in regards to industrial farming. Just to list a few:
- Pesticide resistance, resulting in larger and stronger insects and pests
- Herbicide resistance, resulting in larger and stronger weeds
- Genetically modified organisms, resulting in a loss of natural gene codes
- Antibiotic animal doses, resulting in stronger and mutated diseases and viruses
- Animal hormone injections, resulting in hormonal imbalances in anyone who ingests it
- Cannibalism, resulting in Mad Cow Disease
- Monocultures, resulting in disease and land destruction
It seems as if the focus has shifted from producing nutritious, honorable produce and meat to producing the highest possible quantity of acceptable produce and meat which, in actuality, is not acceptable. Many people continue to eat industrially produced fruits, vegetables, and meat because it is slightly cheaper and much more available. I am guilty of doing this from time to time. However, I do make an intentional effort to support organic and traditional farmers whenever possible. Additionally, I do my part to assist in the sustainability of food production by hunting my own meat and cultivating a family garden.
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| Largemouth bass made into fresh ceviche (2015) |
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| Black bear made into maple sausage links and ground burger (2011) |
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| Coues deer made into venison steaks and sausage (2014) |
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| Javelina prepared via deep pit BBQ (2013) |
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| Two Merriam's turkeys (left: 2009, right: 2014) both prepared for Thanksgiving |
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| Mourning dove made into spicy garlic sausage links (2012) |
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| Green-Winged Teal made into Teriyaki jerky (2015) |
I believe that my hunting lifestyle is a great attribution to the sustainability of our immediate ecosystem and also to my own health. All of the meat I harvest is 100% organic, guaranteed to be free of added hormones, preservatives, or antibiotics. I am thankful that my family has carried on the tradition of being cultivators of the land and good stewards of nature. Take care of the land, and it will take care of you.
As always, Good fortune and Godspeed.
-Mike Knipp
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