Working on
the farm bill made this week a long one, but walking home after dark one night
I remembered why we do it. It was a peaceful walk on a calm spring night. As I
walked down our sleepy rural Main
Street, past our small public library and onto a
dark residential street, I thought about the farm bill. Farm and rural policy
could do something for my town. I really believe that, but for too long
conscious policy decisions made in Washington
have hurt my community rather than help it.
So we
fought to make this farm bill better. We fought to limit commodity subsides to
the biggest farms who do little good and much harm. We fought for meaningful
investment in rural small business development. We fought to limit corporate
control over family livestock farmers and ranchers.
It is a
fight that can be frustrating and mentally draining. But my town is worth it,
and rural America
is worth it. And that is why the effort to bring fundamental reform to the farm
bill is not wasted effort.
We can do
better for farmers and rural people, and I rest well knowing we are standing up
for a just cause. We – many readers of the Blog for Rural America and this
newsletter included – stood up for what was right. And we gave them a hell of a
fight. In the end that is the only way we will win.
Contact: Brian Depew, 402.687.2103 x 1015,
briand@cfra.org, with your comments. Visit http://www.cfra.org/blog to read the
full post and others.
