How do you feel about the Farm Bill without SNAP?

[Richardin52]

Sounds like after 30 years of being part of it, food stamps are out of the Farm Bill.

I have read food stamps was one of the reasons there were enough votes to pass the bill in the past. The SNAP program grew by 70 percent between 2007 and 2011.

I know the New England Farmers union wants it in but I'm kinda on the fence right now. Other than helping to get the farm bill passed what does food stamps have to do with agriculture?

Love to hear what others think.

Also would like to know how many are in programs and get money as a result of the farm bill. I have done many improvements on my farm because of the farm bill have you?

 

[slick4591]

I don't ask for anything. I do like the separation, tho. Seems like it would make it a lot easier to change things when they need to. From what I'm reading it appears that Obama will veto it if the food stamps provision is not in there.

 

[Bigfoot]

I've always heard it was in the farmers best intrest to have it in the bill. I think it makes the liberals afraid to vote against it.

 

[highgrit]

The Farm Bill won't pass on it's own. And I have not used any Gov. handouts on my property. Don't believe in welfare or stealing tax payers dollars just to make more money.

 

[Atgreene]

The farm bill is nothing more than welfare for "farmers". If my business can't survive without government aid, then I should fail. I'm amazed at the folks who detest welfare for the needy, but think welfare for a select portion of our agriculture community is needed.

 

[slick4591]

House OK's bill.

 

[greybeard]

It will never pass Senate and will be doa at the prez's desk.
I'm ok with it not being associated with farm bils tho.

 

[larryshoat]

]The farm bill is nothing more than welfare for "farmers". [/color] If my business can't survive without government aid, then I should fail. I'm amazed at the folks who detest welfare for the needy, but think welfare for a select portion of our agriculture community is needed.

About 15% of one trillion dollars goes to farmers, the rest is food programs, for the so called needy (which there are some deserving), the lions share are just too lazy to work. Personally I am tired of farmers being the whipping boy for this bloated program. I and I'm sure most farmers would say "take our names off of it".

Give me a break, some more liberal left wing smoke and mirrors to cover the real problem.

Larry

 

[Anonymous]

I've already said my peace on farm subsidies. Welfare and farms have nothing to do with each other

 

[john250]

]The farm bill is nothing more than welfare for "farmers". [/color] If my business can't survive without government aid, then I should fail. I'm amazed at the folks who detest welfare for the needy, but think welfare for a select portion of our agriculture community is needed.

About 15% of one trillion dollars goes to farmers, the rest is food programs, for the so called needy (which there are some deserving), the lions share are just too lazy to work. Personally I am tired of farmers being the whipping boy for this bloated program. I and I'm sure most farmers would say "take our names off of it".

Give me a break, some more liberal left wing smoke and mirrors to cover the real problem.

Larry

:nod:

 

[kerley]

Right on nail Larry.

 

[jasonleonard]

The hellish growth rate of the snap program since we put the "community organizer" in the white house is what jacks my wires. He even seems to think it is a statistic to be proud of. My elderly mother has said for years that anyone on these and other assistance programs should have to take a monthly urine test to get their goodies.
That right there would drop the number on the rolls!

 

[john250]

SNAP should be tied to the recipients' Body Mass Index.

 

[Richardin52]

Lets face it the government has it's fingers in agriculture for one reason, to control food prices. They pay people to hold farmland in reserve in case it is needed, they help farmers improve infrastructure so they can produce more food cheaper, they create competition that drives food prices down. All this has the effect of regulating the price of what we produce.

If there were no farm bill everyone knows food prices would rise and if that happened the buying public would scream bloody murder. If that happened our representatives would be falling over each other trying to pass a new farm bill to get prices back under government control.

I for one don't see the farm bill (ie. government control of food prices) going anywhere.

So who gets most of all this money the government is willing to spend to control prices? Well 60 minutes did a piece on that a few years ago and it seems that the Dept. of ag keeps that information secret. (I wonder why) But with a little digging they found out that the largest farms in the U.S., got 80% of the money and the people who own these farms live in places like New York and Washington. Anybody think these owners might have a little pull in our government? Yet another reason the farm bill will never be discontinued.

So food prices are controlled for the most part in this country. The price of food is lower than it should be, the largest producers get most of the funding while small family farms go under and this system is not going away any time soon.

So do you play their game or do you see it for what it is and turn your back? Well I know of two local farmers and have watched them both over the last forty years.

One local farmer got anything he could and signed up for all kinds of programs. He is now the largest farmer in the county has bought more land and equipment. He now owns the best interval land in the county. He retired and his son-in-law just took over but he still has his fingers in it.

I know another local farmer that turned his back on all the handouts he did what he could and sold land every once and a while to get by. He finally gave up and started working off farm. He is now retired and lives on about one acre of land. His son-in-law and daughter started buying anything he wanted to sell after they were able and ended up with 135 acres out of the 2,000 he once owned, most of it sold years ago for $25. or $35. an acre. He now lives on social security, about $700.00 a month. How do I know his story? He's my father-in law.

 

[Chris H]

Lets face it the government has it's fingers in agriculture for one reason, to control food prices. They pay people to hold farmland in reserve in case it is needed, they help farmers improve infrastructure so they can produce more food cheaper, they create competition that drives food prices down. All this has the effect of regulating the price of what we produce.

If there were no farm bill everyone knows food prices would rise and if that happened the buying public would scream bloody murder. If that happened our representatives would be falling over each other trying to pass a new farm bill to get prices back under government control.

I for one don't see the farm bill (ie. government control of food prices) going anywhere.

So who gets most of all this money the government is willing to spend to control prices? Well 60 minutes did a piece on that a few years ago and it seems that the Dept. of ag keeps that information secret. (I wonder why) But with a little digging they found out that the largest farms in the U.S., got 80% of the money and the people who own these farms live in places like New York and Washington. Anybody think these owners might have a little pull in our government? Yet another reason the farm bill will never be discontinued.

So food prices are controlled for the most part in this country. The price of food is lower than it should be, the largest producers get most of the funding while small family farms go under and this system is not going away any time soon.

So do you play their game or do you see it for what it is and turn your back? Well I know of two local farmers and have watched them both over the last forty years.

One local farmer got anything he could and signed up for all kinds of programs. He is now the largest farmer in the county has bought more land and equipment. He now owns the best interval land in the county. He retired and his son-in-law just took over but he still has his fingers in it.

I know another local farmer that turned his back on all the handouts he did what he could and sold land every once and a while to get by. He finally gave up and started working off farm. He is now retired and lives on about one acre of land. His son-in-law and daughter started buying anything he wanted to sell after they were able and ended up with 135 acres out of the 2,000 he once owned, most of it sold years ago for $25. or $35. an acre. He now lives on social security, about $700.00 a month. How do I know his story? He's my father-in law.

I agree with most of what you say. However, you can see who gets how much in payments. Some gets funneled through corporation names and is a bit hard to see who puts it in their pocket. It's on farm.EWG.org

Another thing to keep in mind about the farm subsidies, farmers depend on exports to market their product. The gov't can come along and put sanctions on a country denying them our food items. So the gov't can kill our prices in a flash, and we lose those markets for decades. At least the subsidies offset those losses.

I've been wondering how the SNAP expenditures doubled between 2008 & 2012 without a budget for it? And now 0bama & dems think 3% is too much of a cut?