Nov
16

Poll Question – How should government supporting farming?

Written by: Sarah LaDuke    Filed under: Poll Question, The Roundtable     Comments: 3    Tags

Over the past few months, we have had a series of discussions about farmers, farming and the impact to our region and the environment. Last month we discussed agritourism, and in September we discussed business opportunities for farmers.

This morning we talk about government impact – what it is and what in could be.

How should government supporting farming?

Sarah LaDuke

Sarah LaDuke

Sarah grew up in Saranac Lake, NY where she worked part time at Pendragon Theatre all through high school and college. She graduated from SUNY Albany in 2006 with a BA in English and started at WAMC a few weeks later as a part-time board-op in the control room. Through a series of offered and seized opportunities she is now the producer of The Roundtable.

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3 Comments to “Poll Question – How should government supporting farming?”

  • Eva Galvin November 16, 2011 at 9:00 am

    Give the land back to farmers. Let them grow their crops (vegetables and fruits) and provide subsidies for their activity.

  • Ranton Cantagn November 20, 2011 at 10:36 am

    Outlaw genetically altering food crops, limit chemical pesticides.
    Force the huge agro companies to slacken the stranglehold on the farm culture.
    Stop paying those massive agro companies subsidies.
    If subsidies be given give it to family farmers who are struggling and towards putting farmers back on their farms. Put Americans back on small farms, let them create again towns, let them trade with their neighbors, let families work together and let them enjoy the fruits of their labor.
    Pride in ones work, pride of ownership and the pride of self worth has been given over and forgotten by many and has become unaffordable to most.
    Politicians and policy are confusing, confounding and have lost all credibility.
    Reliable common sense governing would be nice.

  • Janet Ivory November 29, 2011 at 6:34 pm

    It is not simple to ask or answer this question. Who actually pays for government support? How does government support work via the Farm Bill? Government support & farm subsidies are commonly misunderstood terms by consumers, politicians and farmers alike.

    Dairy farmers are paid for their product much differently from cattle farmers.
    The government “support” for dairy farmers, who make up the largest portion of NY State agricultural production & income, is an extremely complex, antiquated & convoluted formula, usually resulting in the dairy farmers getting less for their healthy product while the consumer complains that it is too expensive.

    Educate the public would be ideal before asking the question again. However, the public is not too interested in how they benefit from the ample and affordable food supply they enjoy in the US. The farmers are in their barns milking tonight and too busy to even reply to the question.