American farmers produce the safest, most abundant, inexpensive food supply in the world. The only way farmers can manage to provide for their families in an extremely volatile industry that relies on nice weather is because of the safety net in the U.S. Farm Bill.
Congress is working on the 2007 Farm Bill. Maintaining the current farm policy structure, including direct payments, is key to sustaining America's safe, abundant food supply. Without this safety net in place, many small farmers cannot afford the gamble of growing food. If the U.S. cannot grow its own food, Americans will become dependent on foreign food, the way we are dependent on foreign oil. I don't want to be in the position of paying $10 for a loaf of bread.
While this safety net is of major importance to the U.S. food supply, some Americans may not know that only one-third of the Farm Bill goes toward farm price supports and crop insurance. Nutrition takes up 55 percent of current Farm Bill funding, with the entire bill costing the average household as little as 35 cents a day.
This is very little to ask the public to protect the safety of their food supply and to fund programs like food stamps, WIC, school lunches and meals for the elderly.
"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
John F. Kennedy