08/08/05 Farm Bill Forums - The questions, Pt.1

08/08/05 Farm Bill Forums - The questions, Pt.1

As the Farm Bill forums wind their way through the Midwest and western United States this month, and throughout the country through the end of the year, the series of events so far appear to be reaching the goal of the Bush Administration and U.S.D.A. That goal is soliciting as much feedback as possible to allow the Administration to craft its ideas on future farm policy, and present those ideas to Congress during its consideration of the 2007 Farm Bill. The template for topics of consideration, as well as for the forums themselves, were introduced during last month's National Farm Bill Forum held in Nashville Tennessee and aired by RFD-TV. Many of the forums will be hosted by the Secretary of Agriculture himself, Mike Johanns. Or as legendary farm broadcaster Orion Samuelson put it & SAMUELSON: Here is your opportunity to talk to directly to the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States. Doesn't happen every day, believe me. So take the opportunity. And yes, several participants at forums across the U.S. are using that opportunity to give their opinions on how the Farm Bill should be shaped, based on their answers to six outline questions proposed by U.S.D.A. The number one question at U.S.D.A.'s website and posed at the forums is how farm policy should address unintended consequences that discourage young farmers and those wishing to enter farming from doing so. Tennessee farmer Jimmy McCullough says it comes down to economics. MCCULLOUGH: You're going to have to put it where they can make money, because they can not be expected to go into a field that they can not make a living and raise their own family. We have automakers making $40 and $50 dollars and hour. And if you figure a farmer's wages today, they'll be lucky to make $5 dollars an hour. And to potential farmers like F.F.A. member Samantha Cobb, current regulations and court rulings that discourage profit making or building for the next generation, or that even threaten property rights, have to be addressed in the next Farm Bill. She cites two examples. COBB: The first is the Death Tax and the second is the recent legislation that was passed by our Supreme Court, Kelo vs. New London. Both of these take farm land away from our next generation of farmers. Honestly, why would you want to buy into farming and buy farm land when it can simply be taken away from you? In future programs, there is a look at more questions, more answers from rural residents across America, and how the Forum will shape issues important to Northwest agriculture.
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