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Strathcona, mn | https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/charts/108014/cterevisedtypologyfar...
https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/charts/108028/ctemedianhhincomedece...
There are 1.9 million farms in the US, 42% of those farm less than 50 acres and 48.3% have less than $10,000 in gross sales. Farms with $1,000,000 in sales are 6% of farms but account for 52% of total production.
When you break it down like that 114,000 farms account for 54% of food production in the US. 917,700 farm have less than $10,000 in sales. The numbers are so scewed by what the usda defines as a “farm”. By their definition a farm has a minimum of $1000 in sales annually. .00033% of the us population produces over %50 of the us food supply, obviously not including hired labor. In MN .05% of the state budget goes to the MN Dept of Ag yet 1/3 of MN gdp is produced by Ag. Yes, the general population doesn’t care as long as there is a steady supply of cheap food. Think about China, 1.3 billion hungry people with pitchforks would be a real problem for the government.
Do we need a farm bill, yes. Does it need to protect all farms, yes. There is such a small number of producers that actually support the supply chain the us government isn’t going to allow US ag to fail. We are pawns in the bigger picture but we supply the food to maintain a belly full and content population. The US government will not risk disrupting that. US ag production accounts for only 2.1% of US GDP.
What is probably the most unfair to US ag is the regulations we face compared to our competitors around the world. Our cost of production is higher than most other areas but our output is so high it offsets. Think of how cheap we could grow food if the gov stepped out of regulations. No emissions, no wetland protections, no seed protections, no chem restrictions, cheap labor….. etc…. It would be the Wild West or Brazil?? We need regulations to maintain a healthy environment but some of our regs are crippling compared to our competitors around the world.
Edited by 1156versatile 12/20/2024 07:04
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- My thoughts on this Farm Bill, Bailout, CR, whatever it may be. - Survivor : 12/19/2024 21:33
- RE: My thoughts on this Farm Bill, Bailout, CR, whatever it may be. - DeereMan97 : 12/19/2024 21:44
- RE: My thoughts on this Farm Bill, Bailout, CR, whatever it may be. - gwfeederswi : 12/19/2024 21:49
- RE: My thoughts on this Farm Bill, Bailout, CR, whatever it may be. - Little papa : 12/20/2024 04:26
- RE: My thoughts on this Farm Bill, Bailout, CR, whatever it may be. - PTO : 12/20/2024 06:11
- RE: My thoughts on this Farm Bill, Bailout, CR, whatever it may be. - 1156versatile : 12/20/2024 06:56
- RE: My thoughts on this Farm Bill, Bailout, CR, whatever it may be. - earp : 12/20/2024 07:01
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My thoughts on this Farm Bill, Bailout, CR, whatever it may be.
