Water Issuing and Farming May 19, 2009
Posted by jckthompson435 in Farming Tips.Tags: clean water act, farming, farming issues, water, water issues, water regulation
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Clean water is once of the essentials of all farming practices in the United States. The Clean Water Act has been largely successful over the last 35 years because of effective collaboration between federal and state governments. Farmers have opposed expanding the jurisdiction of the federal government within the program to all intrastate waters, which would include groundwater, ditches, culverts, pipes, desert washes, sheet flow, erosional features, farm and stock ponds and prior converted cropland. The reason they oppose this expansion is because it would fundamentally alter the way the Clean Water Acts functions, with unforeseen consequences. There is no need to fix what is not broken.
The farmers recommend that in place of the federal government in general that the Clean Water Act turn the control over to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers. They would not only be in control of the waters mentioned above but they would also be in charge of any activities that might add pollution or other chemicals to the water. In this way it ensures that the waters are controlled by specific and named organizations, instead of being under the catch-all term of “all intrastate waters.”
Honestly I had no idea that farming had so many different regulations and rules to worry about, but after doing a bit of research it is obvious that farm politics are incredibly important in Washington. The farming lobbyists are some of the most powerful special-interest groups operating in Washington today. I am surprised that farming lobbyists still have so much power though, considering the exodus that has been flowing into the cities for decades now. I digress though, hopefully the information I have outlined here will help to illuminate the clean water issue facing farmers today.
Farm Subsidies April 29, 2009
Posted by jckthompson435 in Farm Politics.Tags: economy, Farm Politics, farm subsidies, farming, politics, subsidies
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Farm subsidies are used as a form of payment to farmer and agricultural businesses to supplement their income or profits, to manage the supply and demand of agricultural commodities, and to affect the cost of said commodities. The United States passes various subsidies every couple of years, effecting over two-dozen commodities in most cases. As the population of the United States has changed, so has the population of people that are effected by agricultural subsidies. The subsidies are used to provide extra income to farmers that might struggle otherwise and to guarantee certain prices.
Subsidies are a very contentious issue in the United States. There are many proponents on both sides of the issue, and both sides are extremely vocal about their views. Supporters argue that there are numerous outside factors that affect prices of agricultural goods, and subsidies allow farmers to keep their heads above water when problems outside their control threaten to put them out of business. The use of subsidies, according to these supports, can smooth the income of a farmer over time and prevent global and local food prices from fluctuating wildly.
Opponents of subsidies often are proponents of a free market, and argue that subsidies are against all principles of free trade. They argue that demand should determine the price of items, and that by artificially determining price floors and such farm subsidies are stifling the market and creating numerous problems. Because subsidies are paid regardless of crop grown, sometimes farmers are paid not to grow crops or their crops are never used because the market does not need them at the time. By removing subsidies and allowing a free market to determine what farmers grow, the wheat is separated from the chaff, so to speak, and what is grown will reflect only what the market demands.
Food Production April 21, 2009
Posted by jckthompson435 in Food.Tags: farming, Food, food production
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Experts predict that within the next 20 years food production will need to double in order to keep up with rising global demand and prevent widespread famine. An important part of doubling that food production is easy access to foreign and domestic energy sources, with an emphasis on domestic energy sources. Dependence on foreign oil and natural gas supplies have put energy prices at all-time highs for United States farmers, which in turn have driven farm production costs through the roof. Farmers would support a national energy policy that focused heavily on developing exploration and use of domestic energy resources, in an environmentally sound and efficient manner.
One of the newest ideas about energy policy comes from Senator Bingaman of New Mexico, chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. He proposes as a centerpiece of his energy legislation a Renewable Portfolio Standard, which would force utilities to have a certain percentage of all their power coming from renewable sources. I myself support this type of legislation wholeheartedly. Too little is being done to force power utilities to clean up their acts and innovate. I lived for years very close to the Tennessee Valley Authority and was bombarded every day the wind blew with polluted air and a terrible smell. I would love to get that memory out of my head whenever I return to my hometown.
Some of the renewable energy sources farmers support in the United States include ethanol, biodiesel, biomass, and wind. They also support more exploration and production of new technology that would focus on oil and gas at home, not abroad. Nuclear energy is also an option to be considered, though there are some who are still skeptical of its safety. For that reason, numerous stringent safeguards and requirements would be need to ensure safety and environmental standards.
The Benefits of Corn March 31, 2009
Posted by jckthompson435 in corn.Tags: corn, farming
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The usefulness of corn is taken for granted by us. Although most of us consume corn, we don’t seem to value its importance in helping us in many ways. Corn is normally consumed more as a snack, but it has a large number of benefits. It is high in nutritive value. You can consume corn in fair amounts in case you are suffering from diabetes. This will help you to get benefit from it. Corn is especially useful as it has a high amount of fiber. This is useful in controlling the cholesterol level in our body. It also assists us in reducing the chances of getting colon cancer.
As corn contains a certain amount of insoluble fiber, it helps people who have digestive problems like constipation. Eat corn more often, but in small portions in case you want to improve your cardiovascular system too. As corn contains beta-cryptoxanthin, it is good for our lungs and can even help in preventing lung cancer in us. People suffering from anemia actually show improvement when they add corn to their diet. Thus if you have been missing on corn in your diet, do remember to at least add a bit of corn to it.
