Two thirds of Iowa’s “Silent Six” congressional delegation serves on the House or Senate Ag Committee. They're saying and doing nothing to get a new Farm Bill moving
I don’t know tons about this particular area other than what I read, but I’d wager they are heel dragging to see just how much they’ll need to ante up to farmers who get hurt by Trump Tariff and create bad PR for him (as well as Iowa GOP). I’d also guess the Farm Bureau boys are busy working with the big CAFO to finagle a giant piece of the pie. Once all that gets sorted out, we will see a Farm Bill signed and All Hail the Chief ( and his minions).
. . . . a farm bill is needed that DOES NOT incentivize the monocrop/CAFO production model . . massive farm consolidation.
A trend over the yrs, from 1950s, that has seen farm sector share of the food dollar go from 50 cents +/- to 15 cents +/-. The phase out of the New Deal/Henry A. Wallace USDA supply mgmt/price support program.
When Mr. Trump ran for office the second time, he promised 'big oil' that if they helped him win, he'd eliminate mandates that affected their profitability. Ethanol is a mandate. There is a justified fear that antagonizing President Trump will trigger his promise and there's no doubt the DOGE would agree with it as a cost saving item. Further, the subsidies that farmers recieved during Trump's first term because Covid and tariffs hobbled farmer's ability to sell to foreign markets would likely stop any subsidies now. Remember, Trump himself said 'have fun selling to local markets, as if field corn could be canned by the Jolly Green Giant for table use. Our elected delegation fully understands the folly of even mentioning what's happening, while the rest of us are dismayed by losing overseas markets that won't come back.
No words for their dereliction of duty. No words for why farmers continue to vote for these people 🤦♀️
Yes. Especially that second part
My brother died 20 years ago. He would be 70 on Tuesday. His widow said that she was thinking of him and the song "Iowa Waltz."
A line in Greg Brown's song goes, "We take care of our own, take care of the young."
I am unsure if that thought is true about Iowa anymore or anywhere.
I don’t know tons about this particular area other than what I read, but I’d wager they are heel dragging to see just how much they’ll need to ante up to farmers who get hurt by Trump Tariff and create bad PR for him (as well as Iowa GOP). I’d also guess the Farm Bureau boys are busy working with the big CAFO to finagle a giant piece of the pie. Once all that gets sorted out, we will see a Farm Bill signed and All Hail the Chief ( and his minions).
. . . . a farm bill is needed that DOES NOT incentivize the monocrop/CAFO production model . . massive farm consolidation.
A trend over the yrs, from 1950s, that has seen farm sector share of the food dollar go from 50 cents +/- to 15 cents +/-. The phase out of the New Deal/Henry A. Wallace USDA supply mgmt/price support program.
When Mr. Trump ran for office the second time, he promised 'big oil' that if they helped him win, he'd eliminate mandates that affected their profitability. Ethanol is a mandate. There is a justified fear that antagonizing President Trump will trigger his promise and there's no doubt the DOGE would agree with it as a cost saving item. Further, the subsidies that farmers recieved during Trump's first term because Covid and tariffs hobbled farmer's ability to sell to foreign markets would likely stop any subsidies now. Remember, Trump himself said 'have fun selling to local markets, as if field corn could be canned by the Jolly Green Giant for table use. Our elected delegation fully understands the folly of even mentioning what's happening, while the rest of us are dismayed by losing overseas markets that won't come back.