I have two farms, and both are capable of subsidies checks. Tobacco, Popcorn bases ( restricts the amount you can grow or sale ) and a tendered federal marijuana base to replace the tobacco which I refused for reasons to lengthy to get into here. These subsidize checks were created to affect and to protect the market prices for larger growers. I for one do not accept the checks, however I do protect and maintain the possibility us using my bases even though I haven’t grown either crop in over ten years.

I’ve worked in agriculture for decades, and the abuse of the farm bill and general ignorance of where the dollars go amazes me.

It really isn’t a “farm bill” in that only dollars involved in direct payments to farmers are involved. Far from it. The “farm bill” includes the school lunch program dollars, for example. Our friends in Washington “milk” the farm bill for all it’s worth, if you’ll pardon the lousy pun.

Yes, there are many very wealthy businessmen receiving farm payments. On one hand, that sounds like abuse. But on the flip side, our government continues to actively influence basic food prices through land use policies, purchase of commodities and the like. It’s all designed to provide cheaper food for Americans. So, if you look at it that way, what does farm size or wealth have to do with eligibility?

Look at how so many wealthy, private construction firms are profiting from Katrina. Those are federal dollars, too. Should only “needy” contractors get federal support?

Like most issues, the Farm Bill is complicated.

This story tells me what I hear discussions on in PalTalk.com discussion rooms. The USa wants to buy products from other countries to save money and make us poor (in qa sense).