The USDA Farm Program is important to all Americans

 Citizens of the U.S. have not experienced shortages of food since the Great Depression in the 1930’s when soup lines fed the hungry. In those times many people had no money for food, clothing or shelter. During the WWII years that followed, things like flour and sugar were rationed due to shortages and the need to feed and clothe our soldiers scattered all over the globe. Only our oldest citizens remember those times first hand.

Two years ago we had an auction for an elderly gentleman north of Glenwood. He had an extraordinary intellect. As a small child in Oklahoma during the depression he remembers his mother going down the road to a large culvert.  Several families were living in the culvert. His Mom had gone there to help deliver a baby.

It has been said many times that history repeats itself. In order to be ready to feed our people and the world we must maintain a strong viable agriculture. It is reported that by 2050 the farmers of the world will need to double todays food production to feed the people of our earth. We need a strong farm program to keep farmers producing and using the latest in technology to provide the nutrition needs of the world’s growing  population.

Most farmers agree the old farm program needs to be revised and updated. However farmers will need a safety net that kicks in when drought threatens or prices drop below break-even. It is also vital to the whole country’s future to keep a reasonable conservation program in place to conserve the nation’s soil, water and wildlife.

Clint Rubey is a broker/owner of Rubey Realty and a Montgomery County Farm Bureau board member.