As a result, these farmers have a poor attitude towards production for sales (i.e., commercial farming): Extension officers (those who train the farmers on how to commercially farm) visit localities, but encounter a difficult mentality.
That alas is the road to famine.Knowing this, seed banks, farm-extension services and other institutions exist to badger and educate farmers.
But a Farm Bill extension does give an opportunity to end direct subsidy payments, rein in crop insurance, and protect the programs that are critical to our national identity and benefit those who deserve it.
We show that such adoption decisions were consistently and most significantly predicted by farm size, extension contacts, education, participation in field demonstrations, complementary input availability, and extent of commercialization.
Yet lo and behold, the milk-price-saving farm bill extension somehow includes direct payments!
So a farm bill extension passed at the 11th hour, though not exactly in the manner taught in high-school civics.
The Fiscal Cliff negotiators chose to ignore most of that work, however, and instead of using the draft bills as starting points for negotiations, they wrote their own farm bill extension.
The farm bill extension that passed was written behind closed doors and serves a few powerful interests -- not the interests of the average citizen, public health, and the environment.
"I want everyone within the sound of my voice -– as well as my colleagues on the other side of the Capitol –- to know that the Senate will not pass another temporary farm bill extension," he added.
