SD Corn

United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack stopped in Sioux Falls today to highlight child nutrition and healthy eating efforts being led by the agency at Hy-Vee on Sycamore Avenue in Sioux Falls.

Sec. Vilsack also took a number of questions touching on other ag-related topics including the farm bill.

“We’ve got to have a new 5-year farm bill,” said Vilsack. “Farmers need certainty, we have a good thing going here.”

The secretary also discussed the positive role that crop insurance plays in America,  “Last year we had a tough year. If we had not had that safety net in crop insurance, this country would’ve been in much worse shape than it is today.”

Vilsack also mentioned the agency’s continued commitment to agricultural research. “If we’re going to continue to feed our own people and help to feed the growing world population, we’re going to have to continue to have investments in agricultural research, which has flatlined for the last decade or so.”

Sec. Vilsack also noted how the productivity of American agriculture continues to climb while the percentage of what consumers spend on food continues to decline. “That’s why we need farm bill legislation…and we’re going to work hard to make this happen.”

The week of Thanksgiving reminds us all to be thankful for the many things we have in our lives: family, friends, health, homes, jobs, etc. In addition there is something most Americans take for granted but also couldn’t live without – food.

With a growing disconnect between farms and consumers, more and more people have no idea where their food comes from. They simply expect grocery stores and restaurants to have what they want, when they want it and at a reasonable price. Thanks to modern American agriculture, they usually do, which is truly amazing when you think about many facets involved.

Less than 2% of Americans spend their days growing, raising and sharing the nutrients that will soon be eaten by consumers around the world. Not only do we have the farmers and ranchers to thank, but also scientists, inspectors, retailers and transporters of food. These people provide our nation with the safest, most inexpensive, nutritious and widely abundant food supply in the entire world.

So when you sit down to eat on Thanksgiving or any other time for that matter, give food thanks among the many other things you have to be thankful for. Because that turkey, potatoes, corn, cranberries, bread and wine didn’t just magically find its way on to your table.

On Twitter? Share what foods you’re thankful for and why using the hashtag: #FoodThanks

South Dakota Corn will be set up at the State Fair on Thursday, August 30^th with a number of fun and interactive activities for kids and adults alike. We will have the Amazing Corn Adventure trailer, the Ag Rules Movie Theater, the Corn Conundrum Activity Book, corn crafts, fun prizes and our $100 Grocery Giveaway Contest on Facebook.

Find us at the fair this Thursday and ask for a Facebook contest flier. That flier contains a code, which you will need to enter in order to participate after liking South Dakota Corn on Facebook.

A $100 Grocery Gift could be yours just for stopping to see us at the fair. It’s that easy.

With the 2008 Farm Bill set to expire at the end of September of this year, the need for a renewed commitment to farm policy needs to take place now.

So why is this important to you? Why should you care? The Farm Bill sets America on a path to ensure a sustainable, healthy and affordable food supply for not only the United States, but for many countries around the world.

Thanks to the Farm Bill, Americans spend only around 10% of their disposable income on food, one of the lowest percentages in the world. But, when most folks hear talk of the Farm Bill, they immediately think farmer subsidies, while in all actuality most of the funding goes towards nutrition assistance programs.

In fact, over 84% of Farm Bill funding goes towards nutrition programs which help feed over 40 million people in need across the United States. According to a Wall Street Journal article, 1 in 7 people are on food stamps. Wouldn’t you agree that feeding America’s less fortunate is pretty important?

Consumers also need to understand that only a very small percentage of funding goes to the farm program, which ensures a healthy and stable food supply. That percentage will continue to shrink as farmers recognize the need to take their share of cuts to ease the pain of our nation’s looming federal deficit. The Senate Ag Committee’s version of the Farm Bill does exactly that by trimming a whopping $23 billion from the federal budget over the next 10 years, something that no other committee in Washington has done.

The Farm Bill is also a jobs bill. Over 16 million Americans work in agriculture and this legislation provides the certainty needed for farmers and ag-related businesses, who have been a true bright spot in the economy, to continue meeting the growing demands of our hungry world.

Another important, yet small part of the farm bill would be the money that goes towards environmental conservation. These programs protect our water and sensitive lands and are home to various species of plants, wildlife and aquaculture.

So why do we need the Farm Bill Now? For food, for jobs, for exports, for conservation, for renewable energy, for America. As the Senate starts debating the Farm Bill, let your senators and representatives know that America needs a Farm Bill Now! (If you’re on twitter, use the hashtag: #FarmBillNow)

With the wheels of the new Farm Bill currently in motion in D.C., out have come the attacks on Federal Crop Insurance. While the usual misleading arguments are thrown around from one newspaper to the next, the truth remains: Federal Crop Insurance works for all farmers and it is the best risk management tool available for our country’s food producers today.

Believe it or not, America’s farmers carry a lot of weight on their shoulders when it comes to food. Our farmers continue to be the most productive in the world as they meet demands domestically and abroad. That story of success carries a large amount of financial risk due to their inability to control Mother Nature who can either make or break their crops.

That is why Federal Crop Insurance was put into place, to ensure that the people growing our food can weather the storms and remain ready to continue feeding the growing world. If producers weren’t protected financially, many of them would simply have to try to make a living doing something other than farming, hurting rural America, our country’s agricultural infrastructure and long-term ability to continue producing abundant crops.

The program does come at a cost as farmers pay for Federal Crop Insurance. Federal Crop Insurance resembles that of auto insurance. The more car wrecks you get into, the riskier you become to insure, costing you more to maintain that coverage. With crop insurance, the more disaster claims you have, the bigger risk that farm becomes, lessening its coverage benefits in the event of disaster.

As progress on the Farm Bill continues with certain cuts coming to farm programs, Congress needs to ignore the one-sided analysis and support Federal Crop Insurance, a vital and working program that continues to protect our nation’s food supply.

It’s always interesting to see where the money goes for the goods you buy, especially the necessities like food. As you can see from the graphic above, the money you spend on food is divided between various industries.

When breaking it down, it seems crazy to think that only 10% of that dollar goes to the people who raised the food you eat. That’s a testament to the nation’s producers who continue to become more efficient and productive. America’s farmers are not only feeding more people, but they are keeping those food prices down as we spend a lesser percentage of our income on food than any other country.

*The top graphic comes from the most recent UDSA Food Dollar update in March 2012.