Hello, as a small family farm, Leafhopper Farm LLC does not get government subsidies, we don’t qualify or apply because farms should work without handouts. Where I would like to see a subsidy would be in buying hay and alfalfa to produce food, vs. buying hay and alfalfa to feed pets (horses are pets). If the horses are used to produce food directly, they could get the discount. I only want that credit because hay and alfalfa are very expensive, the costs are driven up by horse operations. If we only used hay and alfalfa in food production, and also stop exporting it, we could make it affordable. Most of the government farm subsidies go to commodity production. Though many farmers claim they are feeding America, most of them are exporting their crops to make more money. Industrial farms are not growing specialty crops (all the veggies, nuts, and fruit).
The lovely raw foods we buy in the produce section are not part of the commodity trading markets, so they don’t get the subsidies. Please think about this for a moment- our tax dollars are not going to keep food on the table, it’s going to feed the military industrial complex, highly processed shelf stable products, and most of these crops are exported, never coming close to American meals. Meat is also highly subsidized- also through those commodity crops, which go to feed those animals, and it’s not economical, or ecological at all. It’s also driven by only four firms. The small meat producers, like me, are herds of tens of animals. The USDA definition of small farm is 500 animals- that’s small in the industrial complex. My farm is micro, not a blip in the program, but I am audited by USDA each year, turning in a 20 page questionnaire about what I produce, ear, spend, and the complete economic layout of my operation. It helps USDA set the handout scale for future farm bills, and it does not support my food production in any way.
I do get a USDA check each year for a few hundred dollars to keep my stream in a conservation easement program. The pay out is to compensate me for the loss of agriculturally productive land. If I was growing food in those areas, I would be making far more than a few hundred dollars, so even the conservation programs are unappealing to major farming operations. While I participate in conservation farming, the government pays big ag to keep degrading land for profit. Those profits might surprise many of you too. The USDA defines farm businesses as grossing over $300,000.00.
Anyone with a small farm like mine cannot make ends meet through farming full time, and that’s the truth. In my farming 101 class, the teacher started the semester by telling us someone in the household would have to have another job off the farm to keep us afloat. It’s mostly true, but if we got the same financial handouts from the government, on scale with the producers high up the chain, we’d be sitting fat and happy, at the cost of our fellow tax payers. In fact, the subsidies given to commodity farmers hurts small farms like mine. Why does big ag get away with it? Because they keep telling us, with a lot of expensive marketing, that we’ll loose our farms and food if we don’t keep subsidizing, and that is a big fat lie. Below is a great breakdown (from a small farmer like me) of why this narrative is false, and an actual case study from New Zealand, to help us understand.
So, what can we do? Start by learning the facts about subsidies and why we can get rid of them. Call your local reps and tell them about it, ask them to stop funding subsidies to commodity crops- as a place to start. Try to buy from local farmers when you can, and focus your diet on more fresh, raw ingredients. Find small farms like mine to buy meat from- get together with neighbors to buy a whole live animal with option to have it slaughtered and butchered on site, then divvy it up into all your freezers. Small farms like Leafhopper rely on community investment and support to stay alive. We work within out communities, investing in our small towns and working hard to keep hyper local food on the table for our friends, neighbors, and families. Visit your local farms and learn about what they grow and how. Most small farms offer farm tours, and you can call ahead to plan a visit. I encourage all of my buyers to come see the farm and how things operate. It takes some time, but it’s worth the investment, and your hard earned dollars are reinvesting right at home.
Restoration farms, like Leafhopper Farm, are also restoring the soil and ecology of the region, making soil healthy to grow in for generations to come. We’re also protecting water quality, clean air, and replanting native forest. These actions help to create lasting resiliency and recovery for everyone. Industrial farms do none of this, and in fact, deplete what’s left of our nation’s soil fertility, rather than protecting it for future generations. The United States has some of the best soil on earth, with the transportation to move crops all over the country and the world. We should not have any food scarcity, yet food deserts exist across our nation, and that’s complete BS, considering how much of our taxes go to supporting agriculture. Again, those subsidies help farms grow commodity crops that are exported away, none of that money protects keeping food on our tables, so let’s demand a change- stop funding farm subsidies!
EEC Forest Stewardship 