Critics of Farm Bill are back

The Environmental Working Group came roaring back this week with a new “study” that – true to form – breaks no new ground and is largely a recycling of old irrelevant data.  EWG essentially re-released their “farm subsidy database,” which is designed to publicly shame farmers for using farm policy to manage the unique risks they face.  And EWG’s big conclusion is that farmers receive aid from the USDA, and some have seen farm policy benefits for 32 years.That’s not news.  It's the law, and it has been the law since the 1860s when USDA came into existence. And as a result, the U.S. is home to the most diverse and most dynamic agricultural sector in the world. Its support of farm families is minuscule compared to other developed countries. And U.S. consumers enjoy the most affordable food supply in the history of the world. No one should be surprised that some multi-generational farms have received assistance of varying degrees for the last 32 years – including the conservation assistance that EWG favors.   And it shouldn’t be a point of criticism.  That farms have survived the natural disasters and down markets of the past three decades is a testament to the endurance of farm families and the benefits of stable farm policy.