Why Many Farmers Choose Co-ops Despite Tradeoffs

JR Burdick of Nourishing Family Farm explains how losing his family’s farm in the 1980s and later being forced out of his dairy co-op shaped his path toward raw milk, soil-based farming, and local food independence. His story exposes how modern agriculture breaks families and communities - and how rebuilding begins one farm at a time.

Key Topics

1. The 1980s farm crisis and its generational impact
2. Industrial agriculture’s false promises
3. Losing and rebuilding the family farm
4. Founding Nourishing Family Farm and producing raw milk
5. Redefining farming as care for soil, cows, and community

Why Listen

• Reveals how U.S. farm policy hollowed out rural America
• Shows how raw milk and local food rebuild trust and health
• Offers a firsthand blueprint for regenerating the land and economy
• Traces 40 years of American farming through one family’s eyes
• Ends with a powerful redefinition of what it means to be a farmer

Connect with JR:
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References:
"The Jungle" (1906) by Upton Sinclair

Timestamps

1. 00:00:00 – JR’s 11-generation farming roots on the Michigan–Indiana border
2. 00:02:00 – The 1980s farm collapse and how his father lost everything
3. 00:06:00 – Interest-rate hikes, debt, and the domino effect across family farms
4. 00:10:00 – Starting over from scratch and lessons in resilience
5. 00:14:00 – University training, industrial ag mindset, and early GMO exposure
6. 00:25:00 – The Green Revolution, “feeding the world,” and the loss of nutrition
7. 00:33:00 – How regulation and consolidation centralized food control
8. 00:46:00 – Tornado destruction and the community that helped rebuild
9. 01:00:00 – Financial strain, insurance gaps, and rebuilding again
10. 01:15:00 – Family succession and generational challenges in agriculture
11. 01:30:00 – Co-op shutdown in 2022 and six months with no milk income
12. 01:45:00 – Ethanol policy, crop insurance, and systemic dependence
13. 02:03:00 – Life as a conventional dairyman and marketing realities
14. 02:10:00 – Returning to identity as a farmer and faith in the work
15. 02:30:00 – Founding Nourishing Family Farm: raw milk & heritage wheat
16. 02:45:00 – Food as medicine and healing through nutrient-dense food
17. 03:00:00 – Lessons in stewardship, soil, and community resilience
18. 03:10:00 – Redefining what it means to be a farmer in modern America