How Do We Save Our Small Rural Towns?

[bikinkawboy]

As for small towns petering out, it's been going on for over a hundred years here in the midwest and even longer out east.  My closest "town" is 125 people 1 mile away.  In the 1870's my place was part of a small mining town, my farm having an old coal mine.  There were 3 other mining towns within a 5 mile radius, with many more throughout the county.  Compared to the late 1800s, small towns have really been disappearing.  All you have to do is look for a cluster of old hand dug wells and maybe a small cemetary and there's a good chance it was considered to be a "town" at some time in the past.  Not necessarily very big because many of the mining towns had 20-50 residents, most of who were employed at the mine.  In the past, people with families didn't wander far from home in most cases.  My ancestors in the 1400-1500s in England were born, lived and died within a 2-3 mile radius, most often a small village or church being in the middle of that radius.  Poor people had to walk and you didn't want to walk very far to purchase, trade or barter your goods and needs. 

[sw363535]

289

21 yr old vet........ if he gets a job, buys a vehicle to get to work,,,,,, will have something on the property tax rolls and be eligible to make property tax decisions in the ballot booth...  Or if he buys a home fairly soon...  Otherwise he may never face the burdon of property taxes. And IMO should not be allowed to vote to spend "other peoples money" on a property tax spending vote.

In the case of a general election, then an income tax statement or a property tax statement would grant eligibility to vote.

It's just my opinion but when property tax payers are in the minority decisions get made that bankrupt communities and counties----(and cities of which there have been 51 filings in the last 5 years.)

big packers cater to ignorant customers........ no  Are the Chipotle customers ignorant? I doubt it... maybe the owners.-----     and I would assume there are a representative number of E-coli events among smaller packers as well.  My assumption is that there are less cases filed against packers who can't afford to settle big claims. therefor less cases on record.... after all it is still not the packers problem.  It is the safest to assume e-coli present and kill it with heat application in the cooking process.

IT is a slight of hand by usda to keep sourcing the contaminant to the packer of origin and pretend the innocent consumer knows what they are doing...  It is just easier, easier to fine, to inspect, and avoid responsibility for an ignorant consumer or food preparer on every street corner.  

I think it is amazing how few cases of actual e-coli we have in this country when you consider that nearly every person in the education system finishes without a home economics course or any other food preparation class.

Not many colleges left who think it needs to be part of general education...

[k-289]

Having a ID point of orgin label on an apple - and   NOT  WANTING to LABEL beef in our business  ''' seems ''''  to be some what of an unsettling statement . I have yet to see any attempt to rationalize these actions other than it is cost prohibative and none identfifiable ? Seems interesting when our product is exported the business of identifacation is a prime target of marketing and cost prohibts in the current wholesale  to retail gapp is foolheart  at best .  $12/lb.  Rib-eye's  can't  afford a label ????

Snickering at your consumer is not a wise choice   -  ASK    MYLAN  and  the Epi-Pen folks  &  I'll continue to take my chances on  ''' small  town  beef ''  ingredients label ---     

[sw363535]

Your right ---- it is insane to think that any consumer is going to take responsibility for their own decisions as long as there is someone else to blame.  

But until they do, milk will remain cheaper than bottled water in the store.... because the waddlers will continue to buy high calorie sweet and empty beverages by the gallons and waddle home.

Personally,,,,,,, I bet you a high calorie cinnamon roll that I can't find a Rib eye in the store that does not tell where it was packaged and sourced...  Especially a $12 Ribeye....

Stop throwing a cloud over the issue.  Labeling has always been good for business when it is good for business..

If you produce a good product, known for its quality... then it gets labeled and sells at a premium...... Like US Beef which sells for a premium and in volume in foreign countries and is readily labeled because it is prefered... as is argentine beef in some parts of the world...

In the US if the product is labeled to a location or breed or Packer of preference you can count on those things being true....

and the package processed in the back of the store that has no specification may not be US beef......... count on it... If your buying Ribeyes ina plain brown wrapper without a butchers testimony, it may not be US and it might not be beef unless it says so (especially if it walked across a boarder yesterday afternoon) 

You and I differ on this not because labeling is bad.   We differ because you want a government department of labeling in charge of the process and I think that would mean the end to anything reliable on the label...

The only government agency i want to see involved is the department of justice when my Colorado Angus Ribeye turns out to have a fake social security number...

I think asking congress and usda to guarantee the integrity of something is an oxymoron.............. at best       and will cost a lot and never accomplish the goal.

[k-289]

Think  we  have  totally  differing  opinions  on  this  pricing  structor  -  $118   feedlot   -   $1200.  retail ''' interesting '''  deal  to  say  the  least  --- What  am  I   missing  ?

[BA Deere]

I`m not really immerced in the labeling/inspection of meats, but as a outside observer, the USDA inspections seem to be one of the few things that government gets right. 

Well, it`s like when they sold tractors before the Nebraska tests, the salesman could make claims of whatever horsepower they wanted with no standard. 

With COOL, the meat in the supermarket that is labeled "USDA American origin" would get sold, meat without that label would sit until the price was discounted.  I would think overseas even, the USDA stamp is the stamp of quality would probably move first in their own meat counters.  I suppose the big packers want everything labeled the same so they can grind mix US fat with a Aussie kangroo and make a half way palatable burger or glue chunks of meat for around the world together and sell it as a "Flat iron steak"...it`s all about the Benjamin$.   But they have to train the consumer to accept it and that can`t happen if there`s a choice   🙂

[bikinkawboy]

As for labeling the country of origin, on most things it's pretty much there already.  If you read the label that is.  When meat was higher prices, Wal Mart's hamburger came from

USA, Canada and New Zealand.  Now that the prices is down, USA and Canada.  Red raspberries from Mexico, kiwis from New Zealand or California depending upon the time

of year, same way with apples, orange juice USA and/or Brazil, the last couple of batches of watermelons and cantalopes Indiana, grapes California or Chili depending upon the

time of year and so on.  The other day my mom had a can of Great Value Wal Mart peaches and they were from Greece.  Cheap canned corn comes from Mexico.  Nornally you

can't find out where every single vegetable came from in something like a can of veggie soup, but generally you can find out where the stuff came from if you just read the label.

My ex would chide me about reading labels, but we went through Wal Mart's clothing section and we found 18 different countries of origin.  The jeans I'm wearing right now are

from Mexico.  So instead of people making a big deal about COOL, they need to read what's already there.   

[k-289]

I  guess  I'll  drive  45 miles  to  Wal Mart   &  check  out  the  meat  counter -  no  New  Zeeland  if I  can  help  it  ---

[k-289]

ANY  ONE  had  a  strawberry  smoothy  today  -  our small town doesn't carry them --- Strawberry's from Eygpt - REALLY  ?