I am in favor of sensible, fair policies that keep farmers on their land in hard times and thereby secure our domestic food production capabilities.
However, with farm prices as high as they are now, any farmer who takes a nickel of government money is a sponging thief. Times have never been so good down on the farm, and it’s time the rest of us got our money back, or at least could take a break from shelling it out.
Also, it’s plain ridiculous the way welfare-queen dairymen and grain growers are showered in our money, while fruit and vegetable farmers get bupkis. It ought to be the other way around.
“However, with farm prices as high as they are now, any farmer who takes a nickel of government money is a sponging thief. Times have never been so good down on the farm, and it’s time the rest of us got our money back, or at least could take a break from shelling it out.
Also, it’s plain ridiculous the way welfare-queen dairymen and grain growers are showered in our money, while fruit and vegetable farmers get bupkis. It ought to be the other way around.”
You neglect the variable weather conditions that the grain belt is subject to. Vegetable producers have much more weather-stable growing conditions. You are right that prices were high for grain this year, but my yield was down about 40% because of the drought. I barely broke even this year. Cost of inputs has also skyrocketed — seed, fuel, fertilizer, and herbicide. For comparison, my Dad sold corn in 1950 for $2/Bu and this year I got $3.60/Bu. Four years ago I sold corn for $1.80/Bu.
And for the record — I paid about 40K in federal and state taxes last year. All total, I pay close to 50% of my income in taxes of some sort. It ain’t no free ride or welfare to get to retain some portion of what I earned.
As far as dairy operations; dairies in the Midwest have declined every year for the last 20 as more of them fail to make a sustainable living. It is a very, very tough business and most operators are outstanding if they get a return of 3-4%.