Not getting rich farming
Dear Editor: This is in reference to Rick Horowitz’s commentary entitled, “Farmers belly up to the federal trough.” He made some very good points – work ethic, and other historic references to farmers, but the tone and some of the content is off base and inaccurate.
As a life-long farmer and a student of Ag economics I would encourage him to look deeper into the facts. Are we getting rich farming? As an industry we receive a rate of return in the range of 2 to 3 percent over time. That seems woefully inadequate to keep the family multi-state agribusiness alive.
To make a point, we as Ag producers do not want to earn our living from government subsidies. Americans are the best and most cheaply and most safely fed people in history. Americans have a system in place that has seen food shortages disappear, and we help feed a large part of the world.
If you have studied economics, any product in abundance decreases in price until a shortage of that product causes the price of that product to rise.
Our political system long ago realized a steady, cheap food supply is imperative to keep a society stable and our capacity to produce food is a cornerstone of our way of life.
It seems ironic that Ag producers have not been able to prosper because we are in constant over supply and hence have a low price for our commodities. Would society be better off if we had periodic food shortages that would allow the price of foodstuffs to rise to levels where we as Ag producers could receive a competitive rate of return?
While this article has a cynical tone that the farm bill is another waste of tax dollars, I challenge you to examine the situation closely. How many people give up their jobs as doctors, pilots or journalists to become farmers and hence to elevate their economic status?
We, as farmers, are proud of the role we have played in making America great. We are an industry hurting badly from low prices.
We would much rather get our income from the marketplace, but our situation is such that current prices will not allow that. Yes, the Farm Bill is not perfect as our president said, but be careful of what you wish for. You just might get it.
Richard Burd
Uniontown
Pray for priests
Dear Editor:
I urge all Catholics to support your priest. Love your priest. There are difficult times for the Church.
Lay people need to get involved in their Church and to give of their time, talent, and treasure. Our parish consists of four churches all under one priest. He does an extraordinary job daily. These men give their lives to the service of others. No, they are not perfect.
They are humans, too. But let’s not criticize them all in the current crisis.
Let’s pray that many more will answer the call to serve God and others as priests. There is no greater call than the priesthood. God bless them all.
Rose Whipkey
Carmichaels