Get Big or Get Out, worse case senario

[near horse]

Although my comments may seem to drift off-topic, please bear with me.

Mr. Pierson exercised a freedom that he had every right to – that is taking his own life. Yet society defines exercising that right as a sign of mental illness – “no one commits suicide unless they have mental problems” because that is not a behavior we are willing to accept. Bull s–t! Maybe he was unwilling to take that town job and

set on the couch and watch tv that is trying to sell the stuff they don’t need, as they/he head back to meaningless jobs soon to be replaced by computerized robots.

as Jason put it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating suicide as a solution but certainly let’s put it out there as a symptom of something wrong in the society/system rather than the individual – it’s just all too convenient to blame him because that requires nothing from us (society – look cheap milk!).

I don’t know Dean Pierson but I think he was likely a realist that saw what his future had in store and made his decision. As many of you have already said, the media or whoever likes to write this off as a guy with “personal issues” (read – not like us because that’s scary). It is tragic that friends and family will no longer have him around but I hope that they can see through to allow him the right to escape the pain, suffering and despair he must have felt. No one but he can know what he felt. Rest in Peace.

I did notice that a few other papers picked up this story – and also saw this headline – Gwyneth Pierson To Keep Copake Farm After Husband Shoots 51 Cows, Self – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/gwyneth-pierson-to-keep-c_n_434716.html

Perhaps we can help her out somehow.

[lancek]

Thats a great |Idea what dose everybody else think

[Anonymous]

As I read this about this man all I can say is stop what your doing reflect on what you have and kneel and thank God every day that you have what you have then say a prayer for his wife and kids (if there were any).
I ask questions to people that are kinda high up in business of the USA be it agriculture,coal or what. I ask what would happen if you just shut down for a week,mo, or yr. They have no response I believe we as americans have been so desensitized by over taxing of our gov. plus presetting of prices by the gov. or entities in control that we feel there is no other way but to keep trudging on paying what ever is demanded. This is a free country at least there is no one teling me I have to grow crops, milk cows, gather eggs for the worlds use. What if we quit supplying milk for those that want it and do for just ourselves selfish maybe the gov. says I cannot sell milk without there stamp. I can how ever sell eggs, beef, vegs as long as I pay my taxes. Cut down unneeded expenses. I ask the coal guys they refuse to respond let the US have black and brown outs with elec. it will get political attention they can take control but how will they mine coal for elec. foreigners I doubt it. We as AMERICANS need to STAND UP and take this trash they call equal politics no more and VOTE the people that are not for our countries success out. My grand parents, uncles, cousins, an self have fought and paid and made sacrifices for us to be FREE. I have thought long and hard about voiceing my opinion out loud but for those that have paid with there blood for me to be free I will be silent no more. I think if us smaller farmers provide for our communitties crops, vegs,eggs and such bring farming back to the community where it belongs we will be better off. Sorry for my rants but when I see things like this in the news it makes me angry and sad lets do something about it with our elections. Educate all who will listen. Let us in the ag department let the gov. officials know we are not pleased and need a change A real change this time.We are many not few as they want you to believe. God Bless All and America.

[lancek]

Jim you hit the nail on the head but the biggest and saddest problem is getting everybody on board they all know what the gov. is doing but as you said they have been brain washed to think that is the only way! I don’t no the answer to this problem but history will repeat it self and sooner or later people will stand up and do something about it! What do you say folks as the saying goes a journey begins with one step how many would be willing to with hold paying there bills foe one week?

[Joshua Kingsley]

In response to the dairy industry. It is ILLIGAL for the farmers in the USA to dump thier milk or to refuse to allow a government set milk price. In the UK there was a display by farmers with tractors and milk being dumped in the streets and the government over there allowed the farmers to set milk prices. My question is what would happen to all the cows and such if they did put the farmers in Jail???

Joshua

[Nat(wasIxy)]

@dominiquer60 14790 wrote:

Remember, be supportive of your farm neighbors, you don’t have to agree on how to farm, but rather that it is important to farm.

Erika

This is the attitude we have – our neighbours are very diverse, we are small and grass based and starting a micro dairy – one of our neigbours has hundreds of holsteins and is still expanding. Another is a sort of medium sized beef and sheep farm with an older owner and never a blade of grass in the fields! 😀 We all look at each other with amusement and confusion, but we are always there for each other!

[Anonymous]

I wont say dont be nice to the bigger farmers I said lets take the stuff we produce to our communities. Dont get caught up in the corporate world of farming. I am going to and will produce 1-5 acres of blueberries I will not put them into the world market by selling them to walmart we all know they use illegal mexican child labor to produce some of there products. I refuse to support that even if I lose some money I have morals. I never said dump milk. Let the gov. set the prices and only produce enough to support your family this goes with beef why struggle with failing step out of the seens for a while til it gets better. It isnt some of the big guys trying to stay afloat fault some are greedy some are good but for the most part were all in the same boat. Biggest thing get into a niche market and go from there. I know the old saying (if you cant beat em join em). Sometimes the stream is going to fast to swim. Office jockeys cant and wont produce crops, vegs, milk, beef etc.

[near horse]

This thread was originally about the sad end for a fellow farmer and suddenly turned into “the government’s to blame”.

I would encourage anyone that is interested in trying to help out the remaining Pierson family and their farm to PM me. I’m not sure how I/we can help them but I think it’s worth pursuing. Leave the rants for another thread.

Thanks.

[Scott G]

This is extremely tragic.

The issue is capital; in the push for production in order to make a go of it in modern agribusiness your operation has to be very capital intensive. Capital intensive operations rely heavily (almost exclusively) on economy of scale in order to break even, let alone turn a profit. In order to produce more you require more capital outlay which then further exacerbates the economy of scale model. It is an unsustainable business model that takes a huge toll on our society and our families. I was there in the logging business and I’ll be damned if I ever get caught in that trap again…

I was extremely close to crawling headfirst into my whole-tree chipper, had it all planned out, no joke…

This brings back some unhappy memories for me…

[Anonymous]

near horse findout how we can help then post it I’d be proud to help. I wouldnt know were to start then again I live 2000+ miles from that area too.

[blue80]

28 yrs ago I tagged around the counties doing farm calls with my father, a veterinarian. Even then, there were several fatherless family units existing due to suicide, and I remember some of them took their life in the barn for their families to find, I have never understood why.

I think it is important to remember how little we know of other strangers circumstances, and be vigilant not to take their tragedy as ammunition for our own agendas.

I wish that we may all have a burning desire to sincerely get to know our neighbours’ hopes, fears, and dreams in a loving way that grows and nurtures community. To often we concentrate on the weather, the crops, the grandkids; we all have a little pain and hurt, it’s important to bear each others burdens, maybe less of this would happen. Like that new country song, “the call”

It’s the ones left behind who suffer.
Our thoughts and prayers are with this family,

Kevin

[OldKat]

@blue80 14955 wrote:

28 yrs ago I tagged around the counties doing farm calls with my father, a veterinarian. Even then, there were several fatherless family units existing due to suicide, and I remember some of them took their life in the barn for their families to find, I have never understood why.

I think it is important to remember how little we know of other strangers circumstances, and be vigilant not to take their tragedy as ammunition for our own agendas.

I wish that we may all have a burning desire to sincerely get to know our neighbours’ hopes, fears, and dreams in a loving way that grows and nurtures community. To often we concentrate on the weather, the crops, the grandkids; we all have a little pain and hurt, it’s important to bear each others burdens, maybe less of this would happen. Like that new country song, “the call”

It’s the ones left behind who suffer.
Our thoughts and prayers are with this family,

Kevin

Well said Kevin. I agree with your whole post, especially the part about “I think it is important to remember how little we know of other strangers circumstances, …”. Very well spoken indeed.

[Scott G]

Getting involved with & truly caring for our neigbors & friends; unfortunately that seems to be a paradigm that has shifted…

There are signs…, when a neighbor/friend/ family member exhibits those signs the right folks need to get involved. Don’t expect the people to talk much at first, but you can get there.

I did not mean to make assumptions as to why this family has suffered this tragedy. There is a fair chance that I am way off base. It is just that this scenario touched off a very dark time in my life that had been securely tucked away and I see the same scenario playing out again & again within our society.

My prayers and support are with this family. It is the ones that are left behind who suffer and continually ask themselves “what if” questions in a vicious cycle that in turn takes a huge psychological on them.

It is time we put the “human” back into “humanity”…

[Patrick]

I’m glad that someone mentioned the media and their role in all of this. The investigators who released the statement about the poor man’s personal problems need to be taught a little bit about compassion, confidentiality and how their statements will affect the man’s family, to say nothing about releasing his name too. They fed into the media frenzy by giving them a nice little hook for the story. The only reason that this even made the news in the first place is because he shot the cows too. How many of the others do we never even hear about? Maybe doing so didn’t completely make his act in vain. At least it got people talking, although I fear that in today’s world, many won’t even come close to understanding. They’ll be too focused on what the man with the “personal problems” did to the poor cows.

[Anonymous]

blue80 and anyone else I dont want to sound cold or dishearted you talk about not using tragedy as ammo. I dont think using one mans problems to reach out to others is as ammo. Some people only listen when there is tragedy. I lost an uncle like this because he didnt see any use as to go any further. You never really get attention to problems without a big bang. I dont want to start anything or make people think I am heartless but this is reality such as it is. The media making his family out to be wierdos or loose cannons is horrible. But reconizing that these probs. exist and trying to help our fellow man is the way it should be. Talking helps and prevents alot.

[Author]

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