How do farmers make any money?

[Gator6x4]

Please correct me if I'm mistaken, but I am under the impression that only Row Croppers (oh and Green energy, if you call that farming) get subsidized. So, if that is correct, are you saying that there are only 10% of the farmers out there that produce critters? e.g., Beef, Pork, Poultry, etc? What about feed that is other than corn or other grains, e.g., hay, alfalfa, etc? Tree Farmers? I could probably think of more.

I personally think 72 billion is an awful lot of subsidies. Of course I am also aware others will think otherwise.

USDA livestock subsidies top $72B

The Department of Agriculture has spent at least $72 billion in subsidies for livestock and seafood producers in recent decades, a new EWG analysis finds.

www.ewg.org

 

[MossRoad]

I personally think 72 billion is an awful lot of subsidies. Of course I am also aware others will think otherwise.

USDA livestock subsidies top $72B

The Department of Agriculture has spent at least $72 billion in subsidies for livestock and seafood producers in recent decades, a new EWG analysis finds.

www.ewg.org

That's over a 28 year period.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

I have A LOT of first hand knowledge of subsidies as I had a job in gov't at one time working on farm support and insurance programs.

Is support and subsidy the same thing?

If a subsidy is a payment from government what about payments (support) direct from consumers? Why don't payments from consumers count?

For example pass a law that says 10% of gasoline has to be made from corn or Y amount for diesel from soy.... this is not a subsidy cause gov't doesn't hand out a check to my farm but the law gives me huge benefits as a corn grower as all of a sudden 40% of all corn grown in US is new demand for our products. Drives up prices. But my pig farm a growing ration in the finisher barns can use 50-70% corn (5 pounds per day)

So the law is not a subsidy as gov't doesn't write a check. But livestock producers and other users of corn pay higher prices that get transferred from 1 to another.

So transparent subsidies like cheques are easy to see and measure. Non transparent subsidies / support almost never get measured and discussed and in the background are huge.

 

[Gator6x4]

I have A LOT of first hand knowledge of subsidies as I had a job in gov't at one time working on farm support and insurance programs.

Is support and subsidy the same thing?

If a subsidy is a payment from government what about payments (support) direct from consumers? Why don't payments from consumers count?

For example pass a law that says 10% of gasoline has to be made from corn or Y amount for diesel from soy.... this is not a subsidy cause gov't doesn't hand out a check to my farm but the law gives me huge benefits as a corn grower as all of a sudden 40% of all corn grown in US is new demand for our products. Drives up prices. But my pig farm a growing ration in the finisher barns can use 50-70% corn (5 pounds per day)

So the law is not a subsidy as gov't doesn't write a check. But livestock producers and other users of corn pay higher prices that get transferred from 1 to another.

So transparent subsidies like cheques are easy to see and measure. Non transparent subsidies / support almost never get measured and discussed and in the background are huge.
View attachment 2877488

The difference between a farmer and a 9-5 worker is as a farmer one can write of all associated costs of producing the product. The 9-5 person has to absorb the added cost, gas, food, parking fees, etc. they cannot write it off.

 

[oldnslo]

The difference between a farmer and a 9-5 worker is as a farmer one can write of all associated costs of producing the product. The 9-5 person has to absorb the added cost, gas, food, parking fees, etc. they cannot write it off.

No but the 9-5 worker probably gets a pay increase every year to help offset those rising costs, farmers don’t unless their crop prices rise.

 

[Gator6x4]

No but the 9-5 worker probably gets a pay increase every year to help offset those rising costs, farmers don’t unless their crop prices rise.

Some do, some don’t.

 

[Jstpssng]

No but the 9-5 worker probably gets a pay increase every year to help offset those rising costs, farmers don’t unless their crop prices rise.

The 9-5 worker gets at least minimum wage.
The farmer may or may not make that much.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

The difference between a farmer and a 9-5 worker is as a farmer one can write of all associated costs of producing the product. The 9-5 person has to absorb the added cost, gas, food, parking fees, etc. they cannot write it off.

good point... but to argue the opposite the 9-5 worker can choose not to buy the product. Like not buy e-10 gas and instead go electric, use public transportation, ride a bike, whatever, etc....

Where me feeding pigs I have no choice but to use corn. Sure I can cut back the ration of corn and substitute wheat/barley/peas/etc.... but ADG will suffer and my costs go up. I still get squat for the 250 pound pig.

ah... the joys of no one comes out a winner when we start fiddling around with free market forces. Darned if we do and darned if we don't

Cheers

 

[Gator6x4]

The 9-5 worker gets at least minimum wage.
The farmer may or may not make that much.

The Federal minimum wage is $7.75.

Now think about this. Federal or State Minimum wage?

"The federal minimum wage has never been set at $7.75. It's been at $7.25 per hour since July 24, 2009. This is the longest period without a nationwide increase since the minimum wage was established in 1938."

 

[doneill127]

CT minimum wage is set at $16.35.