Mid-Missouri producer says market for locally produced food faring well through pandemic, inflation

The market for locally produced eggs from cage-free chickens shot up during the pandemic and continues to rise despite inflation, said Austin Stanton, who with brother Dustin Stanton operates Stanton Brothers Farm in Centralia.

Stanton was part of a food producers roundtable Wednesday at the Holiday Inn Expo Center, part of MU Extension and Engagement Week focused on All Things Food.

Sales increased at the Columbia Farmers Market during COVID-19, Austin Stanton said.

"It keeps going up," he said during the roundtable. "We're not raising our prices like the grocery stores. Local producers are cheaper."

In an interview after the roundtable, Stanton said because he and his brother aren't raising prices, the prices are competitive with those of national brands at stores.

"There's a great demand for our eggs," Stanton said.

Profits are tighter, but they don't want to increase prices just because everyone else is, he said.

"We feel everyone's pain," he said.

Demand also increased during the pandemic at her direct-to-consumer farm, said Lorin Fahrmeier, co-owner of Fahrmeier Farms in Lexington.

"During the pandemic, we couldn't keep up," she said, adding that demand waned. "Consumer trends have come back to convenience."

Stanton told the familiar story of their uncle giving him and his brother six chicks each to raise when they were children. They began selling their eggs at the farmers market as Dustin's FFA project. They took a few weeks to catch on at the market, selling a half-dozen eggs the first week and a dozen the second week.

In a question about the next generations, Stanton said he and his brother likely will inherit the farm from their parents, who own it.

"I'm just hoping to make decisions for the future," Stanton said.

Another presenter at the roundtable was Todd Hays, who raises pigs in an indoor operation in Monroe City. He's a plaintiff against the State of California and attended oral arguments Tuesday in the U.S. Supreme Court. California is prohibiting the sale of pork from pigs raised in cages they can't turn around in, including meat from other states.

"California wants to dictate farm husbandry practices," Hays said.

He said he was encouraged by the arguments.

"The justices really dug into what this was about," Hays said.

Starting Farmers' Meat Market in Vienna was a way for Chris Brundick to create his own market during the pandemic when he was unable to ship his pork.

"Quite honestly, we fill up a lot of freezers," Brundick said of his customers. "We sell a lot of halves and wholes of pork and beef and more specialty products."

He praised the effort Hays makes.

"He feeds the world," Brundick said of Hays. "I feed some people. All of agriculture is necessary — not just in Missouri, but the whole U.S."

Wednesday's session was about agriculture in Missouri, while some on Tuesday dealt with agriculture and its implications worldwide.

"It's always nice when you can bring it back home," said Marshall Stewart, MU vice chancellor of extension and engagement. "This is real Missouri."

Agriculture around the world

The Extension and Engagement Week keynote session on Tuesday in Jesse Auditorium looked at agriculture's future, with the effects of climate change, the pandemic, supply-chain disruptions and inflation. Presenters were Charlie Arnot, CEO with the Center for Food Integrity, and Jason Clay, an agriculture specialist with the World Wildlife Fund.

How we produce food has had more impact on climate change than any other factor, Clay said.

Sustainable foods cost more, but he said the unsustainable foods have a higher cost on the planet.

"The planet is subsidizing food production," Clay said.

There's interest in meat alternatives, but it faces obstacles, Arnot said.

The market for them isn't vegetarians or vegans, he said.

"The demand for 'better for me, better for the planet' is growing," Arnot said. "The current alternatives do not compete on taste and price."

Dairy alternatives are a different story, with milk produced from virtually every type of nut or grain, he said.

"It could be that close enough is good enough" for dairy alternatives, Arnot said.

Producers need to lean into the trend, rather than resisting, he said.

"The survivors will be stronger and significantly better," Arnot said. "Once it reaches parity on price and taste, then it's game on."

Crops, animals and pathogens are moving toward the poles and away from the equator, Clay said.

Farming has started in Siberia, with the thawing of the permafrost, he said.

"The only thing worse than melting permafrost is to farm it," Clay said.

Farming releases carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases, he said.

In the U.S., crops are moving farther north.

Supply-chain disruptions are a catalyst for change, said Arnot. Food producers are limiting the number of products they produce.

"If you are in love with diet vanilla, caffeine-free Coca-Cola, I'm sorry, it's gone," Arnot said.

The Costco chain has integrated poultry production into its company to ensure a ready supply of uniform rotisserie chickens it can sell for $4.99, he said.

He joked that whenever he goes to a Costco for its rotisserie chicken, he spends $250 on other items.

"The way you become indispensable is by helping to make your customers become more resilient," Arnot said.

As a result of climate change, farmers probably will produce more types of crops and smaller amounts of them, Clay said. Farmers will work together more and share equipment.

Another option for farmers is to grow up, not out, Clay said.

A five-acre, 60-foot-tall indoor vertical farm is planned for St. Louis, he said.

"There are about 150 operation in the U.S.," Clay said of vertical farming.

Food inflation isn't without benefits, Arnot said.

"Food inflation is causing people to rethink, do we need other food sources?" he said.

Roger McKinney is the education reporter for the Tribune. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: By not raising prices, Stanton Brothers keep their eggs affordable