by Carie Moore
And just like that, the holidays are over, and the government is shut down. It’s eerily quiet across the hall as Farm Service Agency has been on furlough for the week even though the Natural Resources Conservation Service offices are still open. I miss the sound of the wood door opening and closing multiple times a day.
I also realize how many more people visit the FSA office than ours. Government, of course has its good and weak points. The main goal of both our offices is to help and direct farmers to be profitable while producing food for the world. Some land isn’t good for production, but you still have to care for it -- just like an empty apartment building still has expenses even though there is no income. You want to rent it out or find another option besides selling. You still have upkeep and maintenance.
You have to do work to get that money. It’s not just a handout as many see it. There are requirements and time frames that are laid out when they sign up. Most are an incentive to try new things. We don’t want people to always do the same things, we want to improve and build upon what we know and learn as farmers and ranchers, therefor providing those who purchase the food products a continually better product for their money. We want to move up from dug outs to wells and water tanks. We want to make sure our seed, fertilizer, and chemical placement isn’t applied over an area repeatedly saving us costs and helping the environment.
Our grandparents didn’t have the tools and technology we have now and it’s to everyone’s advantage. Environmental, labor, costs, are all improving the more we can “upgrade” and yes, dare I say-modernize. Regulations are important, but as sprayers rinse chemicals out more effectively, have GPS, and auto boom shut off, the less worry there is for over application.
We all still need to be cautious, but with upgrades, a lot of problems of the past tend to get fixed on their own. Just like an emission system on your car is better than one made in the ‘70s, the emission on some of tractors actually filter the air and is cleaner than the air going in.
Your food is my food, no matter what state or grocery store we go into. Some get bonuses at the end of the year for their hard work and dedication to the company, some get demoted. It’s equally fair for farmers who produce food through voluntary government programs to be penalized or rewarded as well.