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USDA support for production ag missing in 2012 Farm Bill

You would think being put on the top 100 list of the most influential people would be a good thing, but maybe not.

Recently, USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan was named to the 2010 Time 100, Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The list distinguishes innovations and accomplishments of the world’s most influential people.
“Time recognized that the work and service of Kathleen Merrigan has had an important impact at USDA and beyond,” said Vilsack.
Among the many important issues she has worked on as deputy secretary, Merrigan manages USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food effort to highlight the critical connection between farmers and consumers and support local and regional food systems that increase economic opportunity in Rural America.

This all sounds great for American agriculture, but there are some who don’t see it that way.

Last week, farm broadcasters went inside the beltway to hear and be heard, and do what they do best - ask questions.

But when it came time to discuss the 2012 Farm Bill and its sparse support of production agriculture (translation: those who farm more than 50 acres and take their commodities to an elevator instead of to the local farm market) our Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack interrupted one farm reporter and said, “I’m going to cut you off because this is an irritating question to me.”

Why is it so irritating?

Asking why it is that every federal dollar spent, farm support programs make up less than one-half of one percent? Vilsack’s response reminds me of something Scarlet O’Hara would say, not the man who is in charge of our entire U.S. Department of Agriculture addressing farm broadcasters!

Talk about not taking responsibility. Who does he think he serves?
Apparently farm broadcasters aren’t alone in their frustration with the USDA and its farm bill spending. Recently, Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), sent a letter to Secretary Vilsack criticizing Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan’s “Know Your Farmers, Know Your Food” campaign.

Concerned that the campaign is not “geared toward conventional farmers who produce the vast majority of our nation’s food supply,” the senators expressed concern that instead consumers were only getting to know “small hobbyist and organic producers whose customers generally consist of affluent patrons at urban farmers markets.”

So while Time magazine is applauding our Deputy Secretary’s actions and efforts, members of congress are not so happy with her efforts. And I have to say, I’m not real happy with Vilsack’s behavior in his treatment of farm broadcasters.

And let me ask this – the unemployed and less fortunate are receiving food assistance from the USDA, are they redeeming those food stamps at these pretty downtown Farmers’ Markets that are being underwritten and promoted by USDA? Are they buying a bunch of spinach or a quart of locally-grown strawberries for $3. Or are they taking their food assistance dollars to the local no frills grocery store, where you bag your own groceries, and buying canned soup for 53 cents a can and stewed tomatoes for 33 cents and corn for 39 cents a can and boxed macaroni and cheese for 33 cents a box? I know where I would be headed with my 68 dollars worth of food stamps for the month.

Make no mistake, farm markets are a wonderful way for local farmers to make money and I have no issue with them. But when we pit locally-grown against production agriculture, that’s where I have major issues. We are too small of a group to squabble over where we buy our food. If we were to take the old adage: “Everything in moderation,” we might all be in better health and wealth.

Readers with questions or comments for Melissa Hart may write to her in care of this publication.

5/13/2010