Sarah Taber

Small farmer, crop scientist, & ex-farm worker & crop scientist. Here to talk food, agriculture, and money.

patreon.com/farmtotaber

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sarahtaber_at_mastodon.online@momostr.pink

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Last Notes

2026-07-24 14:24:29 UTC

It's been a HUGE week in diarrhea news!
Between an FDA false positive, the Taylor Farms lawyer lyin' about the false positive, & CDC is slow because DOGE fired too many of the poop nerds who worked there?
It's been one of the juiciest weeks in diarrhea history. Time for a deep dive 🏊 So I'm doing a livestream at 5pm US eastern time today (Friday), on "What HAPPENED this week!?"
https://youtube.com/live/K_cPtOYa81E?feature=share

2026-06-29 02:40:40 UTC

A video on how the "Aaaa they're cutting down all these peach trees in California" is mostly just.....weird reporting.
Ain't no point in using perfectly good water & fertilizer to grow fruit that ain't got a use ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
https://youtu.be/iu8VHqL83dU

2026-03-15 14:04:05 UTC

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literally took a break from hauling manure to make this video about how the fertilizer crisis is
um
not real
This is where fertilizer prices are at. Lower than they were for most of 2025.
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/116/233/563/100/122/906/original/fa79a29f583df620.png

2026-03-15 14:03:13 UTC

Did a quick video on how the "oh no fertilizer" headlines are clickbait.
https://youtu.be/13gQAt7OzxE

2026-03-08 16:44:10 UTC

was getting irrigation equipment for the year & just came across this absolute beaut
https://www.dripdepot.com/drain-blaster-cleaning-nozzle
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/116/194/556/937/990/252/original/ce2877d8119dbe69.png

2026-03-03 04:39:17 UTC

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the wat

2026-03-03 03:32:37 UTC

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summer is coming
::internal screaming intensifies::

2026-03-03 03:31:51 UTC

"Working with the seasons must be amazing, what's it like being a farmer in spring?"
had a dream last night that a lion & her 4 cubs moved into my house. at first it was fine because they were hungry & tired & just slept all the time
but then they started getting better & that was a Problem

2026-02-28 03:40:38 UTC

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The original post is about how the raspberry varieties I already have are doing fine....
In any case, there aren't GM raspberries as far as I'm aware. GM fruit in general is pretty rare.
Genetic modification expensive to do & even more expensive to do regulatory compliance for. So the only crops that get it are bulk commodities like corn that get planted on millions of acres every year.

2026-02-28 01:09:27 UTC

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Nah they mean "do not attempt to farm them, here they'll just die from the heat"
which. has not been my experience

2026-02-28 00:59:25 UTC

Raspberry time: I wanted to plant some more, so I looked up recommended varieties for North Carolina
only to find the official recommendation for raspberries in this part of the South is "DO NOT ATTEMPT."
Turns out I've been growing raspberries in defiance of natural law this whole time 🤷‍♀️
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/116/145/542/276/032/722/original/2e75f3443682f6c5.png
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/116/145/543/661/242/171/original/c27dd79356ecdcbf.png

2026-02-22 21:34:16 UTC

It is a good day to farm
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/116/116/424/813/465/533/original/25eecd220b2ec58c.jpeg

2026-02-22 15:10:22 UTC

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This video also gets into a wild habit I see people do:
When billionaires & their nepo babies wreck the laws, space, cars, social media, etc, we know how to get mad about it.
But when they mess up at raising food... people make excuses for them? "Oh farming is so hard, they couldn't have known."
...why are we doing this.

2026-02-22 15:09:24 UTC

Ballerina Farm's back in the news, for raw milk problems this time.
The reporting has been a little sparse on details with exactly what happened. So since I have some professional food safety experience, I went through the reporting to fill in some of the blanks.
https://youtu.be/mdOyeNCkC0I

2026-02-19 23:44:25 UTC

Thanks to everyone who said "You should watch The Expanse," this stuff is evergreen
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/116/099/948/801/799/745/original/c19ef31334cef387.jpg

2026-01-28 19:04:27 UTC

We got a town/county hearing for an AI data center that wants to get built around here
What should I ask them

2026-01-26 01:45:42 UTC

They lost Joe Scarborough
They lost the WSJ opinion page
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/time-for-ice-to-pause-in-minneapolis-e9ecf097
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/115/958/867/706/372/950/original/9527c456f4c3be1e.png

2025-12-07 18:42:03 UTC

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(Hank Green nailed what was going on here. AND the thing that made the churro explode is called case hardening, and it shows up in a lot of other places. So I wanted to talk about it!)

2025-12-07 18:41:35 UTC

There was this exploding churro video going around a while back. It had some weird food science stuff going on in it that I don't think anyone has talked about yet, so here it is!
https://youtu.be/MtrphWCLjK4

2025-12-04 16:53:09 UTC

RE: https://mastodon.social/@tomhead/115659063277687683
Yep this exactly. Like, this is the whole problem with ~rural reporting.~
People like to get up in arms about stories about this because we get to show everyone how much!! we really care!! about rural areas!!
But the only way most people actually click to read about "rural problems" is when it's their own pet peeve dressed up in a cowboy hat.
So to sell a story on rural corruption, you have to make it about Amazon.
And then nobody notices the rural corruption part.
#note1zpu…ttej

2025-12-04 02:57:08 UTC

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Just gonna leave it here for now: I really wish someone. anyone. had read the article before firing off their hot takes.
Everyone thinks they're "standing up for rural areas" and they're just simping for giant dairies. Let's stop being this gullible guys 🤠

2025-12-04 02:55:50 UTC

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Now that all the chickens are coming home to roost & lawsuits are starting to fly, the ag players are *blaming* Amazon.
In the hopes that Amazon will have to pay out for those lawsuits instead of them.
And they can keep on doing what they've always been doing! Keep polluting the water!
The Amazon data centers could shut down tomorrow, and nothing would get better for this place!

2025-12-04 02:55:12 UTC

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It's late & I'm not doing a full dive on it rn but wow. I am really, really disappointed with the response to the article.
RS laid out the whole story. In detail. Local ag interests been tearing up the county's water supply for 30+ years.

2025-12-04 02:54:34 UTC

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This is one of the clearest, best-documented cases of "corrupt local leaders sell off public natural resources for personal gain" that you'll ever see printed in the news.
And somehow the wags on social media just... missed that part?

2025-12-04 02:54:16 UTC

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Listen I'm boycotting Amazon like everyone else
But that county has multiple megadairies & a history of manure spills. A few minutes of searching pulled up one dairy with 28,000 cows, another with 70,000 cows.
Respectfully, how does anyone think *Amazon* is the reason their water is a mess?

2025-12-04 02:54:04 UTC

Rolling Stone: clearly documents a 30+ year long con job. A rural county's own leadership lined their pockets by helping ag interests destroy the water supply.
Everyone who read the article apparently??: Amazon data centers did this in 2011
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/data-center-water-pollution-amazon-oregon-1235466613/

2025-12-01 20:03:36 UTC

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It wasn't even the soybeans that had the problem.
The cargo ships that carried the soybeans had OTHER cargo holds with wheat in them. The wheat had pesticide levels that were too high.
So the grain terminals that filled those ships have to clean up before their shipments can be accepted in China.

2025-12-01 20:03:25 UTC

If you're seeing headlines about how China is "switching back to US soybeans" after Brazil's turned out to be contaminated
LOL no. It's like 5 facilities and 69K tons of soybeans.
Out of ~2,000 facilities and ~100M tons of beans shipped from Brazil to china.
https://www.thepoultrysite.com/news/2025/11/china-bans-five-brazilian-soy-exporters-after-cargo-issue

2025-11-24 00:31:09 UTC

If you've heard about RFK Jr's "wellness farms," have I got a story for you.
I've worked on farms where most of the crew were put there as rehabilitation for various issues.
So I'd love to tell you all the various ways those farms made us all worse!
https://youtu.be/pDNoVqiGb_c

2025-11-17 04:15:53 UTC

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No? There are only ~1.2M police personnel in the US. Compared to ~2M farm workers.
Source for police numbers: https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/census-state-and-local-law-enforcement-agencies-2018-statistical-tables

2025-11-16 15:33:18 UTC

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If you found yourself in this list: Congrats, there are more farm workers than there are people who have your job!
Farm work is a huge part of our economy. And Americans DO do those jobs.
When people insist we don't, they're doing it for a reason. They just don't want to pay a US living wage.

2025-11-16 15:33:09 UTC

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-building inspectors
-butchers
-librarians
-phlebotomists
-aircraft maintenance techs
-social workers
-parking attendants
-wastewater treatment plant operators
-dentists
-drywall & ceiling tile installers
-pest control techs
-airline pilots

2025-11-16 15:32:58 UTC

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-taxi drivers
-dry cleaning workers
-chefs & head cooks
-mani-pedi nail techs
-EMTs
-court clerks
-massage therapists
-musicians & singers
-bill collectors
-roofers
-bus drivers
-short order cooks
-facilities management guys
-lifeguards & ski patrollers
-garbage collectors (including recycling)

2025-11-16 15:32:44 UTC

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-HVAC techs
-investment analysts
-bank tellers
-firefighters
-mail carriers
-sports coaches & scouts
-sales reps
-engineers
-clergy
-physical therapists
-graphic designers
-insurance claims handlers
-bakers
-radiology techs
-data scientists
-IT admins
-HR managers
-masons & concrete installers

2025-11-16 15:32:34 UTC

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-insurance agents
-pharmacists & pharmacy techs
-real estate agents
-welders
-Farmers- there are 836,100 people in the US whose main job is running a farm. (And in the DOL stats, "farmers, ranchers, & other agricultural managers" are "management." Nice to see DOL understood the assignment.)
-animal caretakers, non-farm
-school bus drivers
-dental assistants
-correctional officers

2025-11-16 15:31:48 UTC

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We just don't realize HOW MUCH of our economy is farms & farm workers- because they're "out of sight, out of mind."
So for context, here are some jobs that hire fewer people than farm work!
-secretaries
-software developers
-factory workers
-restaurant cooks
-construction workers
-elementary school teachers
-security guards
-restaurant managers
-day care workers
-carpenters
-lawyers
-electricians
-car repair guys
-bartenders
-police officers
-fast food cooks
--IT managers
-nurses
-hairdressers

2025-11-16 15:31:18 UTC

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"That's not a big deal, how many people actually work on farms anyway?"
About 2 million! Just hired hands, not including people who live on & own family farms!
The US also has about 2 million waiters/waitresses and about 2 million truck drivers.

2025-11-16 15:31:11 UTC

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The surge in hiring H2A workers isn't just about "getting away from undocumented labor." It's also about replacing US workers.
Since its inception, H2A has had a high minimum wage- precisely to prevent competition with US workers.
And that's what Trump just got rid of.

2025-11-16 15:30:51 UTC

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The Trump administration DOES cave to pressure. Especially when "here's how this hurts US workers" can be brought to bear.
The logic behind cutting the H2A minimum wage was "Farmers can't afford to pay it."
If that were true, H2A hiring wouldn't be exploding like this.
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/115/560/090/197/040/723/original/fd51221942cae5fb.png

2025-11-16 15:30:02 UTC

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Here's where you can tell the DOL "Hey, don't cut the minimum wage for H2A farm workers. It's there TO PROTECT AMERICAN FARM WORKERS."
"American farm workers?"
Yeah! 30-50% of US farm workers are US citizens! Another ~20% are green card holders.
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/02/2025-19365/adverse-effect-wage-rate-methodology-for-the-temporary-employment-of-h-2a-nonimmigrants-in-non-range

2025-11-16 15:29:45 UTC

Trump just cut farm workers' wages $1-3/hr, and there IS something we can do about it.
https://youtu.be/AnCJfhLxk_c

2025-11-14 18:29:31 UTC

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There's a saying: "English farmers visit their fields, German farmers spend all day in their fields, Dutch farmers sleep in their fields."
The success of a farm sector has a LOT to do with the diligence of the people running the operations. Anytime you have a farm sector dominated by wealthy folks who don't really need to make a living (70% of the UK's land is owned by ~1% of the population), they'll spend a lot more time complaining about the weather than they do hustling.

2025-11-14 18:24:15 UTC

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So as someone who works on farms currently.... I don't think Clarkson's Farm (or UK agriculture in general) is a useful window into the labor & risk of farming at all.
It's all constant complaints about how the weather, soil, urbanization, etc conspire to make farming impossible! And that's why the UK has to import so much food!
Much those food imports come from the Netherlands.... right across the North Sea.... with the same weather and soil and MUCH more urbanization.

2025-11-14 18:04:47 UTC

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alternate thumbnail
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/115/549/371/139/757/045/original/5dd5143e7312736e.png

2025-11-14 18:01:59 UTC

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The fun thing about Clarkson's Farm is everyone knows this show has a very clear take-away message!
But people have WILDLY different opinions on what that message is.

2025-11-14 18:01:39 UTC

I finally started watching Clarkson's Farm
https://youtu.be/TrF1w7JalOo

2025-11-08 05:30:58 UTC

you know what's fun? the growing realization that a lot of Americans have no idea what rabies is
Old Yeller was necessary trauma it turns out : /

2025-11-07 21:14:08 UTC

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Again: heirloom cultivars are great.
But most of the genetic diversity in this world just isn't in domesticated plants & livestock- no matter how old or rare the varieties are. If we're really interested in preserving genetic diversity, we should be talking about about preserving *wild populations* at least as much as heirloom crops & livestock.
So weird that your quote-posts are turned off, I wonder why

2025-11-07 21:10:14 UTC

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Hi there! I'm a crop scientist who did did a postdoc in plant breeding & genetics. I am FULLY aware of the need for a diverse genetic basis for crops.
That's often better served by preserving *wild* plants. Keeping wild areas where wild relatives of crop varieties can thrive.
Heirloom crops are still just a tiny sliver of the full genetic diversity out there.
"We need heirloom fruit!" is… well, often more of a sales pitch for weird fruit than a real contribution to genetic diversity.
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/115/510/458/141/771/842/original/e4dda23665f7d833.png

2025-11-07 21:07:04 UTC

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Hi Simon! I did a postdoc in plant breeding & genetics. I am FULLY aware of the need for a diverse genetic basis for crops.
Honestly, that's often better served by preserving *wild* plants. Keeping wild areas where wild relatives of crop varieties can thrive.
Heirloom crops are still just a tiny sliver of the full genetic diversity out there.
"We need heirloom fruit!" is uh… often more of a sales pitch for weird fruit than a real contribution to genetic diversity.

2025-11-07 20:35:26 UTC

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don't get me wrong heirloom cultivars are great!
but anyone who says they were abandoned for "no reason" is trippin and we should say it

2025-11-07 20:35:14 UTC

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Do be warned that a lot of older apple varieties either 1) need to be eaten within a few days before they turn into styrofoam and/or mush, or 2) must be stored in a cold humid cellar for months to soften up enough to bite.
And those are the ones that DON'T have to be turned into cider to be edible.

2025-11-07 20:34:51 UTC

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The Cherokee & other nations probably had a hand in that. Chestnuts were a staple food before contact, so they did a lot of forestry. New Euro fruit trees fit really well into that approach to food & land management.
The Cherokee did a lot of work to adapt peaches to the southeast's weather. IIRC some of those cultivars were the parents of modern southeastern peaches, so they're still the foundation of orcharding in the Southeast.
Wouldn't be surprised if that were true for apples as well.

2025-11-07 20:33:51 UTC

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BUT: all 3 of those apples are grown in traditional apple regions out west or in the upper Midwest. Not the South.
If you're up in southern apple country (like the mountains in NC/WV)... dealer's choice!
There are a looooot of weird old apple varieties up there. Winesaps, Limbertwigs etc.

2025-11-07 20:33:33 UTC

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Cosmic Crisp was bred at WSU, SweeTango/Minnieska at U of Minnesota.
To recoup the costs of the crash breeding program, they both have a license system set up where only orchards in their state and/or co-op system can grow & sell those apples under those names.

2025-11-07 20:33:07 UTC

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Cosmic Crisp and I think? SweeTango? are pretty expensive too. But for different reasons than Honeycrisp.
They both came out of crash breeding programs designed to replace Honeycrisp. Because the people love Honeycrisp and the tree it grows on is a nightmare.

2025-11-07 20:32:45 UTC

RE: https://infosec.exchange/@DaveMWilburn/115510193382346264
If you're at the grocery store, Pink Lady, SweeTango/Minneiska, or Cosmic Crisp are good bets. SweeTango & Cosmic Crisp were bred specifically to be "Honeycrisp but with the will to live."
Other ones are good too! Those are just the 3 I've had the best luck with here in eastern NC.
#note1kwd…8w9v

2025-11-07 20:32:16 UTC

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the coastal South is a magical place where you can grow persimmons, figs, all of the berries, peaches, citrus & lychees if you've got a south- or east-facing wall and are feeling frisky
mocking God by trying to grow apples can certainly be done but it's not really necessary

2025-11-07 20:29:02 UTC

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hmm as a fruit professional, I would simply not attempt to do apples in coastal Virginia
if you must, there are southern apple groups online that can be consulted
(also make sure to plant at least 2 cultivars- a lone tree can't pollinate itself & won't fruit)

2025-11-07 19:22:29 UTC

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"but apple picking season was last month" my good sirs, mesdames, and so forth, I am in the subtropical South. "Apple season" is more of a social construct here
what is fall? we got Spring 2: Less Pollen This Time

2025-11-07 19:21:49 UTC

In honor of apple picking season: the secret of why Honeycrisp apples are so expensive!
This tree is angry at being alive and if you plant it, it WILL make that your problem
https://youtu.be/P_7Onn2mfnA

2025-10-31 01:47:18 UTC

Due to an overwhelming amount of Nonsense going on in the US farm sector, I am in need of a half-time to full-time video editor
Anybody know someone who is 1) real good at it and 2) not heinously overemployed already?

2025-10-29 15:18:41 UTC

Ok so Facebook now lets you monetize your content (long story there)
and they also let you say "But don't show ads for the following categories on my page."
Does anyone happen to know what category FB thinks crypto is in? Is it Banking, Finance, or Gambling 💀
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/115/458/119/812/607/181/original/c70747b05600b8ea.png

2025-10-27 17:39:25 UTC

not to get sincere on main but farm workers started chiming in on the replies for the videos on farm work and 😭😭😭
hang in there brothers let's work on getting this country to stop treating you like trash

2025-10-26 16:11:07 UTC

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great news that doesn't take a federal program, people already do that
....in states where farm property tax breaks get audited to make sure they go to working farms, not leisure properties & speculative real estate purchases

2025-10-26 15:42:44 UTC

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The US is having a bankruptcy crisis for *everyone* right now.
Farm bankruptcy is up bc ALL bankruptcy is up. And way more people qualify for the super-special debtor-friendly farm kind now.
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/115/441/226/273/155/561/original/0a8aa7cacf62184a.png
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/115/441/228/200/123/589/original/38f2bca62074db79.png

2025-10-26 15:41:40 UTC

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Farms have a very special kind of bankruptcy that's super debtor-friendly, and is designed to KEEP THEM IN BUSINESS without having to sell off much or any land.
And it used to only be for family farms that make most of their $$ from farming. But Trump expanded it so way more straight-up wealthy people, who own farms, qualify. 🤠

2025-10-26 15:41:04 UTC

Got the Sunday video up early this time!
If you've been seeing news about "oh no there's a spike in farm bankruptcy"- it is NOT as simple as "farms go out of business & then investors buy them all."
hoooooo boy
https://youtu.be/xon9A5_4tQwn

2025-10-22 14:43:32 UTC

huh. I wonder what was different about 2021-2024
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/115/418/345/933/131/048/original/ea2684348652d015.png

2025-10-19 18:24:10 UTC

This week's post is up!
I did a lot of manual labor jobs that most men in the US won't do. Back when I was a schoolgirl.
So let's talk about well-off people who talk about how much they respect manual labor... because talk is cheaper than paying people right.
https://youtu.be/v4XM-mQgRO0

2025-10-14 18:55:45 UTC

People think I'm being hyperbolic when I say "Yeah the GOP is just pro-slavery at this point."
If their actual farm labor policy wasn't enough, there's always direct quotes from their own rising leadership.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/14/private-chat-among-young-gop-club-members-00592146
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/115/374/036/145/360/106/original/cde77bd37deef9d4.png
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/115/374/036/297/286/439/original/5026a97f5b409749.png

2025-10-12 18:02:20 UTC

If you've been thinking "How are they gonna run their farms after Trump arrests their workers?"
don't worry, they planned ahead for that 💀
https://youtu.be/zdWrHb8b-c0

2025-10-10 17:55:00 UTC

Farm bankruptcies are back in the news, so it's time to pull this chart out again.
Hey look they kept rising during Trump's first term. Then they went way down under Biden.
Now they're up again? So weird. Thanks Farm Bureau for the graphic
source: https://www.fb.org/market-intel/farm-bankruptcies-down-for-now
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/115/351/151/101/134/257/original/f1d8c26404b0ae1c.png

2025-10-09 20:48:42 UTC

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I'm already paying for the show so ethically, there are no problems w taking to the high seas here
I'm just not a great navigator (I put all my Expert Points into Grow Vegetable & Agricultural Business Models, not Software)

2025-10-09 20:47:00 UTC

Tech-savvy people of Mastodon: I have a need to screengrab episodes of Clarkson's Farm
(I'm doing a "person reviews X show on YouTube" & just need to get short clips)
Clarkson's Farm is available only on Amazon Streaming, which does not allow screens (just gives you a black screen when you try)
....does anyone have recommendations

2025-10-04 04:53:14 UTC

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Food banks require funds to operate.... Even if all the food is donated, they still have to pay rent, pay staff, pay electricity to keep the lights & fridges on, etc.
That money comes from gov't grants and philanthropies
This lady is applying for food bank grants & giving it to farmers
And the "shoestring budget" thing is why it's insane. There's already barely anything to run food banks with, & she's siphoning it off to give to millionaires with 6-digit incomes

2025-10-04 04:30:42 UTC

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Ugh farm work is extremely real work but not doesn't need to be life-ruiningly so. At least not if your boss is competent : /
the way people run farm crews, you'd think there's a wormhole headed for earth & the only way to save us all is throw watermelons at it
it really won't kill the farm to let people drink water sometimes, in fact we often work faster when we're not most of the way to heat stroke

2025-10-04 04:19:04 UTC

me, a small farmer: Small farmers in the US aren't peasants who need to be saved. Most of us are middle class at LEAST. Here's the data if you don't believe me
folks from The City(TM): are you sure? have you considered all the Details? this does not fit my worldview & causes me distress. so surely you, Small Farmer, must be mistaken
folks from farm country: haha yeah I know right

2025-10-04 03:30:10 UTC

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For small farms, frankly, not much. Most of their economic usefulness comes from tax-sheltered property value appreciation, not cash transfers from the gov't.
These small farmers are millionaires with 6-figure incomes bc of their day jobs. The small farm is just a side hustle/investment property, not their livelihood.

2025-10-04 03:24:29 UTC

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For small farms, frankly, not much. Most of their economic usefulness comes from tax-sheltered property value appreciation, not cash transfers from the gov't.

2025-10-04 02:18:34 UTC

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important context: the median small farmer in the US is a millionaire with a six-figure income
yes really
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/115/313/489/174/540/635/original/b8361dd3a5904062.png

2025-10-04 02:15:55 UTC

had a baffling conversation today
someone came up with a charity to "save family farms." if I understand correctly, it takes nonprofit funding that's supposed to go to food banks & gives it to farmers instead. because "small farmers are getting screwed by the food bank system."
like I get that we want to invest in small farms, but I'm unclear on why "siphon money away from food banks" was the way to do it
she just rebranded supply side economics for hippies?

2025-10-01 03:54:36 UTC

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The farm sector chose to help bring Trump to power. They chose to engage with him as you would an all-powerful dictator.
Because they saw that making him one is a good way to get easy money.
I know we have a folklore of farms being, like, the traditional beating heart of democracy. A nd that's such a nice idea!
But this is what's really happening.

2025-10-01 03:53:25 UTC

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And most of all, ignore Congress. Do not even acknowledge that there are supposed to be checks & balances protecting you. That would ruin the illusion of an all-powerful strongman on top- that you desperately want to be real.
Because no sane country, where leaders are accountable to voters, would ever decide to bail out people who openly & freely voted to destroy their own business.

2025-10-01 03:52:34 UTC

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And the farm sector won't criticize Trump or his actions. It's not "Hey Trump your policies stink." It's "We love you but this'll be hard for us…Money please!"
That's the dictatorship playbook.
Kiss the dear leader's ring. Support him. Expect kickbacks.

2025-10-01 03:51:15 UTC

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And that's what I'm seeing this time around as well.
Congress can stop the trade war, AND budget bailouts.
But the farm sector isn't even bothering to ask Congress for anything.
It's all pleas, for money, directed towards Trump himself.

2025-10-01 03:50:31 UTC

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When Trump bailed out farmers in his first term, that was executive branch orders. Congress had nothing to do with it.
So already setting up a pattern of "Who cares about checks & balances? Or how Congress is supposed to be in charge of the US's budget? I'm gonna rule unilaterally. Like a king. And you support me, so I like you, and here's your money."

2025-10-01 03:48:51 UTC

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I'm sure they're not putting it in those words to themselves. But... that is the only other option.
So now we need to talk about how the US is emerging into a dictatorship right now, and how agriculture has thrown in its lot with that happening.

2025-10-01 03:48:14 UTC

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To review: there are only two paths forward for a lot of US farmers.
The "grow something else" option is anathema to a lot of them, that means a whole lot of US farmers are banking on the other path.
Get bailouts forever.

2025-10-01 03:47:36 UTC

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That's why I'm in a unique position to tell you how US farmers warm up to the idea of "It's time to grow something else."
They don't.

2025-10-01 03:47:13 UTC

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We had to be ready to pivot away from bulk exports to China.
To do that, it takes leadership that knows how.
That means both the technical know-how on investing in new crops, AND the will to do so. Leadership that isn't in the pocket of the meat & tobacco companies.
That's what I ran on.

2025-10-01 03:46:58 UTC

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Because of this, and Trump's popularity, I knew there were very good odds the farmers in our state would lose their markets.
(NC doesn't export much soy. But we do export lots of pork, chicken, & tobacco to China.)

2025-10-01 03:46:44 UTC

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I saw this coming!
That's not because I'm a genius with a crystal ball either! Everyone who was paying attention saw it coming.
Like China. They spent the last four years investing in soy farming in Brazil, Argentina, etc.

2025-10-01 03:46:20 UTC

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When I ran for office in 2024 (NC Commissioner of Agriculture), I ran on a platform of "We need to stop making our state's farms all about cheap bulk crops for China."
I said it a little nicer than that. But there's a reason that was my platform.

2025-10-01 03:45:45 UTC

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(Sorry guys, these Farm Facts are gonna be a little different than the usual fun little factoids. Because our farm sector is doing its best to light itself on fire right now.)

2025-10-01 03:45:23 UTC

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So which option are US farmers leaning toward?
Let me put it this way: I haven't run across anyone saying "I'm thinking of growing something else" yet.
They're surely out there, but not amongst the chosen spokespeople of the sector.

2025-10-01 03:44:13 UTC

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Anyway, here's what this all means.
US soybean farmers have two options.
Grow something else, or get welfare checks forever.
There is no third option.

2025-10-01 03:43:54 UTC

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A helpful primer on how major soybean buyers like China are viewing the US's new penchant for trade wars.
Really appreciate the writers' commitment to breaking it down so a 5-year-old can understand it
https://asiatimes.com/2025/09/brazil-will-remain-chinas-preferred-soybean-supplier-not-the-us/

2025-10-01 03:43:30 UTC

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And it's just not likely to get better anytime soon.
The first time the US started a trade war with China... what can I say. They noticed. They worked with other countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay to buy their crops & invest in growing more of them.

2025-10-01 03:43:08 UTC

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Ok farm facts are back!
China is so much of the global soybean market, you can't make up losing them by selling to other countries. There isn't enough soybean demand in the world to fill that dent.
And farmers... know that.
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/115/296/839/736/961/379/original/8404dc0b0bd7ef45.mp4