Support to Conventional Agriculture May Not Translate into Help for Rural Economies

To the extent that federal farm programs support the structural changes that have occurred in agriculture, there is a persuasive argument that they have contributed to greater consolidation. Indeed, as the production of program commodities by conventional agriculture has shifted to larger farms, commodity payments have shifted as well, supporting the trend. In 2003, farms with $500,000 or more in production received 32% of all payments.USDA, ERS, Economic Brief No. 6 (Mar. 2006). "The largest 12.4 percent of farms in terms of gross receipts received 62.4 percent of all government payments in 2008." USDA Economic Research Service, Farm and Commodity Policy: Government Payments and the Farm Sector Briefing Room.

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food

It is also the start of a national conversation about the importance of understanding where your food comes from and how it gets to your plate. Today, there is too much distance between the average American and their farmer and we are marshaling resources from across USDA to help create the link between local production and local consumption.

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food

Farm consolidation has hurt many rural communities as the number of farmers declines and as regional urban centers better serve the needs of the large operations.Given the political divide in Washington, and in particular in the Senate the letter from Senators Chambliss, McCain, and Roberts could be seen as a partisan attack. Given the financial realities of USDA spending, it does not make much sense as objective analysis. And, perhaps more damaging, it serves to raise the barriers that exist in our society - the divide between different types of farmers, between farmers and consumers, and between rural and urban.seeks to break down these barriers "by better connecting consumers with local producers." According to the program website I, for one, support that goal. I look forward to the USDA's report on its activities under the program.P.S. Thanks to a comment posted, here's Secretary Vilsack's description of