181 The Disappearing Farmer: Brian Reisinger’s Noble Fight to Secure America's Food Supply

I’m joined today by Brian Reisinger, an journalist whose deep roots in farming have shaped his life’s mission. Brian is the first male in four generations not to take over his family’s farm, a role taken up by his willing sister. Instead, Brian has devoted his work to shedding light on the immense challenges modern-day farmers face. In his book, Land Rich Cash Poor: My Family's Hope and the Untold Story of the Disappearing American Farmer, Brian shares personal stories of the pressures farm families endure, the generational struggles they face, and the devastating losses that occur when farms are forced to close.

In a country where 85% of dairy farms have disappeared in the last 50 years, food prices are rising, and supply chain issues are increasingly strained to the point of breaking, we can no longer look away, thinking of farms only as a nostalgic bit of Americana. As Brian says, as farms disappear, we’re not just losing food sources—we’re losing a part of ourselves. So what is to be done about this?

After reading Brian’s beautifully written book, which his family agreed should include the breadth of the farming experiences - including the harsh and painful parts - I can say with certainty that Brian, his family, and the larger community of farmers are the best people - the ONLY people - who should answer this question.

From where I sit, Brian’s family is the definition of a functional family. Through their unflinching honesty with each other, courage in making decisions that are the best rather than the most popular, and unwavering support of one another, they exemplify the strength that comes from unity and honesty. It’s these qualities that make Brian and his family uniquely trustworthy guides in navigating the complex problems facing American farmers today. If we can learn to work together with the same transparency, respect, and commitment that they have shown, we can begin to solve these issues not just as individual communities but as a nation.

Quotes:

There are so many times throughout our history that we’ve made bad decisions for farmers that we didn’t have to make because we felt we were on different sides of a fence.
Almost every American has an image of what a farm is supposed to be… and some live up to that and some don’t.
We face hard truths about farms in America, but we try to take from that, where can we come together.
It’s not a real finicky meat; it’s not too easy to mess up.
When you come from a place where sons do as their fathers did, and you’re the 4th generation, there’s a pressure on you, even if your dad is supportive of you doing something else.
No matter how much distance built between, we always shared hunting and a love of being close to the land.
The stoic farm family IS a thing, but its far more complex than that.
We were very lucky, in my dad, to have a man who could work all day in the wind and the rain, and then still hold a child with a tenderness you couldn’t believe.
I asked my family for permission to share the good and the bad, the happy and the sad… because if we want people to believe in what we do, they have to see the depths of the struggle.
I have tried to make my work be worthy of what my family does. I think farming is the most noble profession.
Anyone who thinks they have a (political) view that solves every problem will meet their match when it comes to farm policy.
Farms have so much support on both sides of the aisle, but there is often such a lack of understanding about the problems facing us.
What are you doing to give farmers new opportunities?
During Covid, you had farmers trying to sell their product and consumers trying to buy it, but the supply chain was locked up. But what we need to do about that is…
If you lose your farm, you lose your home, your community, and your heritage. When you see your herd, it’s like a death in the family. And each generation of the farm family asks, “How can we make it?” There is a generational pressure that builds with each turning of the page.
As we lose farms, our food prices do rise quicker than other prices. We are getting to the point that our food supply is in danger.
When farms are struggling so much, innovation slows because they’re just trying to survive.
We’re losing the farms that feed us but we’re also losing a part of ourselves.

Highlights

What is venison? All the tips for cooking it!
Brian’s masterful job of presenting the farming dilemma without any political leanings
Brian’s family’s struggle to remain close, honest, and transparent, in the face of terrible hardship and difficult decisions
Adoption, identity, and finding his place on the farm.
Platform communications and helping organizations message.
What is a commodity and why should farmers move away from it?
The way forward for America's farms
Farming, mental health, and suicide

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Land Rich, Cash Poor: My Family's Hope and the Untold Story of the Disappearing American Farmer

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