Farmers in a bind
Editorial
0 comments below
As our page 1 story reports, North Fork farmers are not only feeling pain at the pump, they're also facing spiraling costs of everything they need in order to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to our tables.
At $5.19 a gallon, diesel fuel to run tractors and irrigation pumps is now two dollars more than it was a year ago. (Diesel used to cost less than gasoline; now it's more than a buck higher!) The price of fertilizer has tripled in three years. And costs for such things as plastic mulch, seed cups and even waxed cardboard packing boxes have all headed upward. Economists call these "input costs" or "factors of production" -- and they are beginning to put our farmers in a bind.
Farmer Jeff Rottkamp said it well: "I don't think we've ever had in the history of agriculture a situation in which our costs were going up so quickly and in such a short period of time. When it's time for a farmer to sell his products, he's going to have to be very cautious or he's actually going to be losing money and not know it."
Or as farmer Phillip Schmitt put it, "What we were spending on fuel last year I thought was ridiculous. But now it's scary, and you wonder how we're going to recoup that."
Most would agree that the preservation of farmland is absolutely essential to maintaining our rural way of life, which itself is key to our economic vitality as a tourist destination. As has often been said, the environment is our economy. Moreover, most would agree that the 2 percent real estate transfer tax has been indispensable in financing the purchase of development rights, thereby preserving forever thousands of acres of farmland that might have otherwise been turned into residential subdivisions. But as Joe Gergela, executive director of the Long Island Farm Bureau, has been saying wisely for years, "The best way to preserve farmland is to ensure our farms are profitable."
Buying locally from our many wonderful farm stands is one sure way to keep our farms profitable and our farmers in business during a uniquely challenging time. You'll find prices at stands a bit higher this year than you've been used to. But anyone's who's been in a major supermarket lately knows that there's sticker shock there, as well -- not only in the produce aisles but throughout the store. And what you get at a farm stand, and for much the same price, is the best and freshest that nature has to offer -- and the very best our local farmers, our neighbors, have toiled so hard to provide.
The Riverhead News-Review is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. The Riverhead News-Review does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not The Riverhead News-Review. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Service and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.
0 comments found
