Farm bill and other questions

Lotto-sized subsidies give the farm bill a bad name, and this legislation seeks to restore integrity to the payment limitations of the farm bill. Another bill would instruct the Ag Secretary to invest in farmers' markets.

The beginning of the session is time for lawmakers to wade into the water and see what floats.

Here is the link to the online CQ Weekly referenced earlier about the influence of specialty crops and others to reshape the farm agenda.

Here is a Washington Post editorial (albeit reprinted) about the farm bill, citing a "hefty crop of disingenuous sentimentality and equally hefty lobbying efforts" that keep farmers rolling in subsidies.

My dad is a Nebraska corn grower, so I have genuine sentimentality for the family farm. But after 60 years of plowing the same rut, farm policy needs to be retooled to serve all growers.