The Farm Bill: Affecting More Than Farmers

Farmer’s have many issues facing them every year, and this one is no different.  From markets and weather, to activism and advocacy farmers must be on their toes and ready to face change at a moment’s notice.  This year is different than most however; this year the Government programs set forth by the Farm Bill expire, creating the need for a new farm bill to be passed.

When most people here about the “Farm Bill”, they automatically picture farmers as the ones who benefit from it.  While a portion of the Farm Bill does impact farmers, it is only a small majority and the term Farm Bill is misleading to most Americans. In fact, as shown in the pie chart below, 80% of Farm Bill spending goes to Food Stamp programs.  Recently, Case IH posted an article that explains that the Farm Bill does not only impact farmers, but every American that has a job or eats.

I am very excited to have the opportunity to spend next week in Washington DC with farmers from across the nation as they attend National Corn Congress and visit with their legislators. I hope to learn more about the Farm Bill as it is being debated and its impact on producers and consumers while I am there. Be sure to check back as we will be posting updates throughout the week.  The I-LEAD class will also be attending the meeting, and you can follow their updates iowacornilead.blogspot.com.