Free Tamarack River Ghost by Jerry Apps Page B

future.
    “Nothing especially new about these big agribusiness firms; they are but one example of vertical integration,” Evans continued. “Take the big oil companies; they’re vertically integrated. They own the oil wells, the refineries, and the gas stations where you fill up your car. Nobody in between; they have full control. Nathan West is just like that, except it deals with hogs, not oil.”
    “So you think vertical integration in agriculture is a good thing?”
    “I didn’t say that. What I said is that’s what’s happening. The free market working at its best. Never want to argue with the free-market system. It’s what made this country what it is today.”
    “Milton Friedman’s ideas,” Josh said. Deep in the recesses of his mind he’d remembered an economics lecture about Milton Friedman, a world-renowned economist. Friedman advocated a free market based on as little governmental involvement and control as possible.
    “What about the disappearance of the small family farm?” Josh asked.
    “Not for me to worry about. My job is to teach, conduct research, and try to understand what’s happening, not make judgments about what should be happening. What should be happening? That’s for the policy guys to debate, the politicians and the farm organizations. That’s their business. My job, and the mission of the Department of Agribusiness Studies, is to provide scientifically based, unbiased research.”
    Josh was jotting notes as fast as he could, writing while looking at Evans, a technique he’d learned some years ago. When he looked at people, they kept talking. When he looked down to write, they tended to stop.
    “Anything else you’d like to share?” asked Josh. He tried to keep his voice steady and not reveal in his questions or his demeanor how he really felt about the responses to his questions.
    “If you want some cutting-edge research information, I suggest you schedule a meeting with Dr. Randy Oakfield and sit in on one of his lectures. He’s one of our new hires, did his doctorate at Cornell.”
    Evans paged through some papers on his desk and picked one up. “The title of his dissertation was ‘Vertical Integration in Agriculture: An Economic Analysis.’ It’s a good, solid piece of work. He and his graduate assistant, Emily Jordan, she’s new too, have a grant proposal pending for a study of vertical integration in the pork industry.”
    “I’ll do that; thanks for the suggestion,” Josh said as he jotted down their names. “I won’t take any more of your time. It was a pleasure talking with you. And thanks for the good information.”
    “Any time,” Evans said. “Always here to help. I especially like to work with former students.” Josh couldn’t decide if he meant what he said or not.

10. Dr. Randy Oakfield
    A few days after Josh returned to Willow River from his visit in Madison, he got a call from Dr. Evans.
    “Hi, Josh,” he began. “I enjoyed our conversation the other day, and I’m following up on my suggestion to have you sit in on one of Dr. Oakfield’s lectures. I checked with Oakfield and he’s presenting a lecture on vertical integration in agriculture next Thursday at 11:00. I asked if you could attend, and he said, ‘Of course.’ Can I tell him you’ll be there?”
    “I’ll be there,” said Josh. “Thanks for setting it up.”
    “No problem at all. Always ready to help out a former student.”
    Dr. Randy Oakfield stood in front of a class of eighty-five undergraduate students, mostly sophomores, who signed up for his Agribusiness 205 course, Integrated Agricultural Systems. This was the first university course he had ever taught, having finished his graduate work last June. He’d been teaching the course every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 a.m. since September, but he was still nervous when he clipped on his microphone and looked out over a sea of young, mostly apathetic faces. Agribusiness 205 was a required course for all undergraduates