Where the Trough Is Overflowing


http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2012/06/03/opinion/03edit-ch2.html?ref=sunday

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/opinion/sunday/where-the-trough-is-overflowing.html



Fishy

Maybe a chart that shows the payout per acre would show a better cross section.

Where the outrage? The call for someones head?

Figures absolutely nothing from the GOP defenders here on entitlement programs. I'm sure the Bachmann's arethere somewhere cashing in on this too.


Fishy

I wont defend it. I also dont understand why they need it. Feds have been paying someone in farming to grow or not grow something for a long time. Someone is picking winners and losers in farming. Coincidently, old Sam Donaldson had a sheep ranch and picked up some help. Kind of curious how much Ted Turner got for his buffalo ranch. I would have to wonder how much money the political parties are collecting. Maybe farmers are not the salt of the earth, we assumed. Its the rich who donate, not the poor. Not much difference than Solyndra.

There was a blog about the 15% ethanol issue and some guy who lives in the midwest, raises livestock, was complaining that ethanol subsidies were raising the cost of feed and land. He doesnt like it one bit.

I suspect a lot of it involves ethanol. In talking with a local food bank a couple years ago, it seems that more food gets shipped to the food banks, due to congressional help. In what form and how much is the question. Food banks have come a long way since the bread milk and cheese days, apparently. No issues with food banks, just the folks who can afford to pay and live off the charity of others.

But its also likely that any changes made to cut the costs of the program, will feature some republican with granny and a can of cat food, if Harry Reid can make it stick.

Whatever happens, it wont happen without Harry Reid. Who won Iowa in 2008?

What we need is a very clear picture of how it all works. Until you get exposure like the insider trading book, I doubt real change will happen.

Corn farmers and the corn farming lobby have ruined our gasoline, made our food less healthy, and cost us billions in subsidies that Monsanto does not need.

Fish on...

Todd

It's personally made food more expensive for me because it's hard to find food without high fructose corn syrup in it, which tastes crappy compared to sugar, is far $hittier for your health, and is in everything, thanks to the corn lobby.

Shopping at grocery stores that sell real food, rather than the poison you get at Safeway or QFC, costs real money...but it's better than eating that crap.

I'm glad it's June, the various local farmer's markets have great organic vegetables and meat now! Stock up now, can it all summer and fall, and then you won't have to eat the garbage they try and sell you in the winter and early spring around here that they call "food".

Fish on...

Todd

I have yet to get a farm subsidy for my chicken farm, but I'll have 60 or so little pasture raised organic fatties ready for slaughter and sale as of June 23rd. About 6lbs a piece, butchered and bagged, $3/lb. Real food.

I understand the crop insurance angle and support it, as that is absolutely necessary for farmers who stick their necks out all year long for one shot at revenue. One bad hail storm close to harvest can ruin an entire crop.

As to the price supports, ethanol lobby, and the direct payments, not a fan and I cannot support that. Markets need to operate without as many artificial inputs as necessary.

Go to eastern wa and most of those farmers are conservative party members and whine and howl about entitlements like SS and Medicare but the true irony and hubris is that they stand in that entitlement line for these subsidies.


Fishy

In a sea of hypocrises, the farm subsidies are just about the worst.

Fish on...

Todd

Farm subsidies make food cheap for the labor force. Remove them and watch food prices blow through the roof. Corn farmers are growing corn well below their cost to produce only profiting with subsidies. Remove the subsidies and the production of Corn, Wheat and Soy would plummet and the price would then go up. The labor pool buys food in boxes and packages of which the majority are made out of ingredients synthesized from corn, wheat and soy. Oil costs are the biggest factor in food being more expensive today not Ethanol. If you look at the charts food prices started to go up a full 4 years after Ethanol went into gas. Every element in the production of the big three involves oil. Ethanol plays a role in it but the ethanol buy products are recycled into animal feed. The bigger issue right now is low inventory and high demand. Everyone and their mother wants to plant corn right now but they have nowhere to store it. Storage facilities have only grown 10% since the Ethanol went into gas in 2006. If you are filling up your garbage can weekly with food packaging you are eating poorly. Meat and vegetables do not have HFC‘s or added sugars, whole grains come in bulk packaging and you can bring your own containers to most places selling. Read up on the Pacific garbage patch and what plastics are doing to our oceans and wildlife as you open that plastic soda bottle. Eat like a cave man and buy your food locally. Hippies were right about some things.

It is difficult to do but TJoad is right, don't eat anything with corn, soy or wheat in it. The government subsidizes that poison and sells it to us on the cheap.

Finding foods that don't contain those items, i.e. grass-fed and free range animals, organic in-season produce, and etc. is getting easier (because of the internet), but it is not cheap.

All availabile certifed non GMO avaible in multiple locations . Being healthy is not easy it is a lifestyle and it is only expensive if you are looking for a convienience diet.


amaranth
barley
buckwheat
millet
oats
Groats
quinoa
basmati rice
brown rice
rye


beans
aduki beans
azuki beans
garbanzo beans
kidney beans
lentils
mung beans
pinto beans
split peas
tempeh

+1

Unfortunately some companies feel they have a right to sell us garbage to eat, especially if they can retain the right to not tell us that it is garbage that they are trying to sell us.

I'll agree with their right to sell junk...but we should have the right to be told that it's garbage so we can make an informed decision to not buy it.

Any wonder why there is so much lobbying money spent to fight labeling anything in any truthful or informative manner?

Fish on...

Todd

Anybody down for Happy Teriyaki?

It's about .000005 cents in ink...the only thing that "raises costs" would be if people didn't buy the stuff that's full of poison that they are calling "food" that's out there.

Fish on...

Todd

I read labels a lot. And I've never been in Whole Foods (that's hippie country).

I read it...that's how I avoid eating enough HFCS to kill a cow, or to make me as fat as the average American.

Fish on...

Todd

The poison in our food kills more people and costs far more to health care than do cigarettes and alcohol combined, yet we have labeling on those that tell you they are killing you...and it took decades of fighting them and their lobbyists, and billions of dollars, to get those labels there, too.

Fish on...

Todd

lol, You are probably right.