Why the Farm Bill is important to Hawaii

VincentD — Thu, 15 May 2008 00:21:00 GMT

We’re almost “home and dry” with the Farm Bill. Today, Wednesday, May 14, 2008, the House of Representatives passed the Farm Bill Conference Report 318-106, a “veto-proof” majority. The Senate is currently debating the Farm Bill Conference Report with...(read more)

How this for sustainable agriculture?

VincentD — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 02:20:00 GMT

One of huge criticisms of the House version of the Farm Bill is its failure to rein in the commodity support payments made to "mega-farms." Special criticism has directed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Blog for Rural America, published by the Center for Rural Affairs, is one of my favorite sites if you want to follow the politics of the Farm Bill. In this analysis, Dan Owens, found a cotton, rice and grain farm in Louisiana for sale for $50,000,000. The farm, 27,787 acres, according to the property description has a base of 3229 acres of cotton, 6838 acres of rice, and 2009 acres of corn. Using the base described, the amount of commodity direct payments the farm would receive $109,786 for cotton, $557,980 for rice, and $51,229 for corn - so over $700,000 a year from the government for doing nothing. If they actually farmed the property, the per acre harvested payments for rice is $270, cotton is $213 and corn is $66. Based upon the acreage listed in the advertisement, the farmer might make in government payments - $4,995,000 per year.

Farming the government isn't half bad!

Another source of criticism on the farm bill is the Mulch blog, written by Ken Cook, President of the Environmental Working Group. There are several excellent articles and summaries of editorials on the Mulch blog. But what the Mulch blog is most famous for is its interactive map, where you can go into any state in the country and identify who is receiving commodity support payments.

Finally, Senator Tom Harkin who is crafting the Senate version of the Farm Bill to be taken up when Congress reconvenes after Labor Day, has taken issue with several of the House programs. Mr. Harkin, in a post printed today in the Ag Observatory Blog, explains that "There is no higher priority in the new farm bill than to bolster programs that encourage good stewardship of the land, protect streams and rivers, expand wildlife habitat and provide environmental effects for all Americans."

Things will become interesting once the Congress reconvenes....

Sustainable Agriculture : direct payments

Why the Farm Bill is important to Hawaii

How this for sustainable agriculture?