tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6792492777063970714.post3583972902863456450..comments2023-10-25T04:59:33.446-05:00Comments on Random Musings of a Farmer: Second Commandment Of a Sustainable FarmJasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092424684260339977noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6792492777063970714.post-38975981149440660612010-08-08T14:46:44.975-05:002010-08-08T14:46:44.975-05:00The part that riles me most about the way our curr...The part that riles me most about the way our current system of subsidies is set up is that the subsidies often reward bad farming practices and are too often designed to favour those that service farmers rather than farmers themselves. I'll cite an example.<br /><br />Right now, the TN Department of Agriculture is using some of it's tobacco diversification money to subsidize beef and dairy farms that wish to purchase some items through a cost share program. Two thoughts.<br /><br />1. If the goal of this program was/is diversification, why on earth is the state subsidizing the production of beef cattle, which is already by far the largest agricultural entity in this state ? <br /><br />2. Most of the items on the subsidized list might be nice to have but are kind of incidental (and don't add much value) to a well run farm operation. I'm wondering out loud who had influence over which items got added to the list and who really benefitted by this program in the end ? Frankly, I don't think farmers had much to do with it.<br /> <br />This whole system makes me shake my head.Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09092424684260339977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6792492777063970714.post-11183100124250228892010-08-08T13:46:39.831-05:002010-08-08T13:46:39.831-05:00Cheap food is a myth - we pay for the cheapness th...Cheap food is a myth - we pay for the cheapness through the externalities of government subsidies, heavy use of petrochemicals and adverse impacts on the environment and the social structures of farming communities.<br /><br />Nice post - we have a couple of CSAs here (we're members of one) that do direct to consumer, and I think they're all making do, although you're right about the need for some business sense and skill to make it work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com