The Comstock Report

David Kruse President, ComStock Investments (With Permission to Reproduce) Copyright 2011@ CommStock Investments, Inc., David Kruse Selling pork was profitable last fall. You couldn’t tell that by looking at producer margins as they didn’t receive a share of it. Packer margins reached $30 head at one point based upon the pork trade voluntarily reported by packers. Only 3-4% of the product trade is reported, likely the 3-4% that packers who voluntarily report, want reported, so the pork margin Read More …

Free Clothes

by Richard Oswald The worst thing about being a farmer is free clothes. Let me explain; In the city awhile back I shopped around for new car deals. I was just looking when up walked a salesperson. When her eyes locked on my corporate logo I received an unsolicited offer right there in the showroom. “Would you like to know more about the fleet discount?” she asked seductively. Being a city gal, she didn’t realize I was only Read More …

The Changing Structure of American Agriculture: Will the Family Farm Survive?

OCM is now interning its thirteenth year as an advocate for open, transparent, fair and competitive markets. I offer this somewhat lengthy manuscript to show our early vision and mission and that we have remained true to these precepts over the years. Thomas F. “Fred” Stokes, Executive Director Summerville, Tennessee, March 16, 2000 I’m Fred Stokes from Porterville, Mississippi, a little withering rural community some two hundred miles south of here. I want to thank Don Dowdel and Read More …