What do you think about Farm Subsidies?

[La_Serpiente]

I don't like giving out large farm subsidies to companies like Monsato. As a side note, I am not an expert on farm economics.

However, I don't know if small, family farms should receive farm subsidies. I would support giving subsidies to them if they hire workers or something. And plus, there is the whole Ethanol subsidy thing. I guess people have to make a living somehow.

I am not against or for subsidies for small farms - it is just that I haven't formulated a conclusion yet about them.

[brainshrub]

1. I'm torn about it.

On one hand, I appreciate that farming is important to the health of the economy.

On the other-hand, the subsidies tend to hurt small farmers in other countries.

Perhaps subsidies would be okay if the farmers agreed not to export the crops?

I am interested in what you think.

[La_Serpiente]

2. That's what I've been thinking too

I'm kind of torn about it as well. I guess it is something that cannot be solved on this message board. There is no right answer to it, and it would deserve a comprehensive solution.

[brainshrub]

4. I think a good compromise would be:

1. Subsidies are only given to farmers that only grow for US markets. (They may not sell their crops outside the US.)
   
2. Corporations that have more than 1000 acres would not be allowed any subsidy.
   
3. High tariffs on food items that can be grown locally.

In this way, the multi-national corporations could continue selling crops internationally, small farmers would be able to compete locally and 3rd world nations wouldn't have to compete against US subsidies.

What do you think?

P.S. (I chose 1000 acres b/c I have no idea how large a corporate-farm vs. a local farm is.)

[La_Serpiente]

6. That sounds good

what if we added that any farmer that receives subsidies cannot export thier products to another country. That way, the food could stay for us in America.

We need to have a food supply in case we go to war or something. That is something I have always felt.

[brainshrub]

7. Yes, that's what I meant with Rule #1.

How big is a Corporate farm vs. a local farm anyways?

[La_Serpiente]

9. No clue

but my uncle was a farmer. His farm was only a couple acres really.

[TexasMexican]

3. I'm with you.

I think its necessary that this country maintain the ability to produce enough food to feed our population.

Other than that I dont know much about how exactly subsidies work.

I think it would be good if we switched our cars and whatnot to using biodiesel.

I think growing our own gas would be good and it would definately put the farmers to work.

We should also legalize marijuana.

[brainshrub]

10. Marijuanna legalization would help the old Tobacco Farmers

here in the South.

I am in 100% agreement with legalization of hemp & marijuanna. I also think this crop would not need a subsidy.

Hell, if it became legal, I would become a farmer myself.

[TexasMexican]

5. Foreign Farmers.

I dont really know much about the economics of farming or how farming is done in foreign countries, but I do have some questions and some thoughts.

I know that other countries complain about the subsidies that our farmers get because our goods can then be sold at below cost in foreign nations.

I know those foreign farmers arent making much money because of it, but are they getting kicked off thier farms because of it, are farmers starving in foreign countries because of the subsidies that our farmers get? Pretty perverse if people in foreign countries are starving because we are producing too much food and selling it too cheaply.

If that is the case though I dont however think its necessarily our fault. I think it should be up to the governments of those various nations to work something out, even if it is to keep American goods out.

[La_Serpiente]

8. Maybe they can solidify their

foundation by forming trade alliances and pacts with other countries in the region.

I am still thinking about the complexities of this. I might have to go and buy a book on it.

[brainshrub]

11. Your going to READ???!!!

Why would you want to do that? You might get educated and develop radical ideas. Much safer to watch FOX and wait for them to tell you what to think.

[La_Serpiente]

13. LOL

you're pretty funny :-)

[Dob Bole]

12. They really do help...

Where I live people grow peanuts (Carter Country, woot woot)

Farmers have to borrow up to $50,000 a year or more just to farm for one season. If there is a natural disaster or something, they are stuck with 50,000 in debt, plus what they have to borrow for the next season.

For this reason, a lot of people are having to get out of farming. It's important that we are able to grow our food locally in our own country, for both security and health reasons. But factory farms may kiss my grits.

[Piperay]

14. My rethug relatives

goldbricked for years on what they called "Soil Bank" in N. Dak (about 30 years ago) where they were paid by the government to not grow food. What pisses me off about it was that they took it as their due, bragging about it while condemning people who got welfare, claiming those people were lazy chislers and bums. :argh:

[lfairban]

15. I remember my farmer brother-in-law talking about . . .

. . . Soil Bank, years ago. He said he didn't agree with it, but if the government was going to give him money he was going to take it.

N. Dakota seems like a place where it would make economic sense. Many farms have 20% or so unusable land, and the purpose of Soil Bank is to keep the soil from becoming totally overworked.

I wouldn't be surprised to find that many single family farms have over 1000 acres. Most farmers have experienced depressed cash flows over the past two decades. Crop prices have gone down, cattle prices have gone down, and raising pigs isn't paying much either.

If there aren't some subsidies, many people will avoid the family farm as a primary income, and only business farms will be able to survive the bad spells. The trick is to administer the system so it doesn't become a boondoggle to corporations.