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Farmers, do your part to put the brakes on falling grain prices (April 23, 2002 -- CropChoice letters)
Dear Editor:
Farmers are about to be fed another corporate driven pathetic farm bill. Let me clarify. This bill as it now stands will guarantee grain buyers full-throttle production giving them lots of cheap grain. The continuation of loan deficiency payments will get that cheap grain to them quickly, further decreasing prices. This bill is a perfect recipe if you are a chemical or seed supplier. It's interesting how our elected officials write a bill to the corporate masters’ liking time and again. I recently asked my U.S. senator why there isn't a set-aside or idle acres in this bill since the last time we had idle acres I was able to sell wheat for nearly $4.00 a bushel and my soybeans would fetch around $6.50 a bushel. The response from Sen. Kent Conrad was that we would never be able to build a consensus for a set-aside in Washington, which wants fencerow to fencerow production.
Well, farmers of America, why do you continue to follow this madness? Don't you think its about time to unite with your neighbors and curb overproduction? Many farmers in the USA are planting genetically modified seeds in the hope that they can produce even more, all the while knowing they can’t sell the harvest to many parts of the world and to many outlets even here in America. Is this being discussed in the farm bill debate? HELL NO. Wake up farmers, you are being used to build massive corporate empires, and they don't care if you live in a sod hut. Washington has always followed the money. If you are waiting for them to lay us the golden egg you probably still believe in the tooth fairy. There is a group of farmers uniting to take control of their destiny. They call their plan "Focus on Sabbatical." I have been to one of their meetings and can tell you their plan is the best idea for farmers that I have seen. For information, call Todd Goudy at 701-235-5029. I farm about 9000 acres in the Red River Valley of North Dakota, and I’m getting sick of working steady for a pathetic return. How about you?
Sincerely,
Rodney Nelson | |
