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The Privilege of Losing Money to Feed You

The Privilege of Losing Money to Feed You
A farmworker repairs irrigation lines at a tomato farm in Woodland, Calif., on May 30, 2025. Fred Greaves/Reuters
Mollie Engelhart
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Commentary

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 85 percent of farm household income in America comes from off-farm sources. That means most farmers are working second or even third jobs just to keep their farms alive. The people growing your food are also working somewhere else just to have the privilege of losing money to feed you.

Mollie Engelhart
Mollie Engelhart
Author
Mollie Engelhart, regenerative farmer and rancher at Sovereignty Ranch, is committed to food sovereignty, soil regeneration, and educating on homesteading and self-sufficiency. She is the author of “Debunked by Nature”: Debunk Everything You Thought You Knew About Food, Farming, and Freedom—a raw, riveting account of her journey from vegan chef and LA restaurateur to hands-in-the-dirt farmer, and how nature shattered her cultural programming.