The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
The Wisdom Of Barnyard Bruke
Hello, and I hope this letter finds each of you well and having a good sunny day.
I read in the papers and magazines lately about people who are very concerned about the price of food, milk, etc. Food, being a basic need, is certainly a primary concern to everyone especially if prices get out of control.
However, I've noticed an interesting phenomenon in the last few years in that many people are not eating at home.
Whole families with young children eat out at restaurants, buy prepared foods when they do eat at home, paying for services beyond just the cost of food.
I also notice the price of fuel going up and recognize that America for the most part, moves by truck. And many truckers, rightfully so, have a cost of fuel index built into their freight rate.
When I think about complaints about the rising cost of food, I have to assume that the cost is easily related to fuel prices for transportation and services provided beyond the actual cost of food.
To blame the farmer now for the rising cost of food after he has spent many years verily obtaining cost of production, seems rather unfair to me.
I heard on the radio recently, a commentary relating to the cost of food in America as it compares to other countries.
Somewhere around February 6th, the date was given, Americans had earned enough to pay their food bill for the entire year.
I also learned, that this food bill amounted to a little over nine percent of his income. And yet that percentage is the lowest of any country in the world, Germany, Japan, France, none come close to the efficiency of American agriculture in providing economical food to the consumer.
In fact, as a matter of comparison, it takes a little over 4 months of the American earned income just to pay his taxes.
Food, it seems to me, is yet a bargain in America.
I take my hat off to the efficiency of American agriculture. And I think the rest of the world should too.
Don't you agree Jens N. and John S.? Yes, I thought ya would.
Well, I'll see ya later.
Barnyard Bruke