Dear Editor:
In the last 50 years, low prices to farmers and high profits for the food corporations have driven 6 million of the most efficient food growers; the most thorough caretakers of the land; and the most dependable taxpayers; from their farms!
Can we stop this trend? Can we get Congress to work out a profit-sharing plan with these corporation people that will bring to the smaller farmer his missing income? — at least enough return from his/her work to pay the costs of growing the grain and milking the cows for the domestic needs of our nation?
We do not need foreign imports in foodstuffs; we can raise an abundance of food over and above our needs. Nor do we want the export market to set prices; since it sits consistently at less than — of our costs of production.
Since the farmer is subsidizing the corporations with profits and the consumer with cheap food; let Congress support each farmer 1) on that part of his/her production used by the nation’s consumers; 2) at the full cost of production; 3) with a top total limit per producer set by the Congressional Ag Committees.
Financing the Family Farmer Organization, Inc. plan at its fullest would run about $6 billion for wheat; 7 billion for corn and 14 billion for milk. Funding would come from the current U.S.D.A. budget.
Let congress insert these provisions into any farm bill as an option for individual farmers.
Thank you.
Al P. Schmitz, Pres.
Family Farmer Organization, Inc.