Local Farmers Eye Obama Administration
Cash Crops Experiencing 'Volatile Times'
Updated: 7:44 am CST March 3, 2009
MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin farmers are looking to President Barack Obama's administration for some relief. 
VIDEO: Watch The ReportSome farmers said the industry is dealing with falling prices on things like milk and wheat while seeing production costs rise, WISC-TV reported.David Smithback sells corn seeds in bulk and grows cash crops like soybeans, wheat, and even some tobacco on his 13,000-acre farm in Deerfield, Wis., and said he's counting on good weather and good policies to help farmers get through some tough times."Mother Nature has to get us a very good to excellent crop this year to make ends meet," Smithback said.Smithback said that although his farm's budget is balanced this year, the years that come will be the ones that impact area farmers."The farm economy goes into the recession last and we'll come back slower than anybody else," said Smithback. "It'll take us two to three years to get back out of this once we get into it."Officials with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau acknowledged that these are volatile times for farmers."A year ago, the story was the strong commodity prices. Now, things like the price of corn have fallen by over half since the fourth of July," said Casey Langan, with the WFB.The WFB said it is waiting to see what Obama's policies will be regarding farm exports, renewable energy and agriculture infrastructure."Just 40 days on the job -- it's a little early yet to tell how agriculture will fare under the Obama administration, but when you look at the list of proposals and things that have been brought up so far, it's a little of a mixed bag," said Langan.Obama's farm proposal seeks to phase out direct federal payments to farming operations that have revenues of about $500,000 annually. According to the proposal, this change would affect 3.5 percent of farms.However, WFB officials said the proposal would put our nation's food supply at risk, and said about 75 percent of the nations supply comes from the farms that would likely be affected by the proposal.As for the ailing dairy industry, Gov. Jim Doyle was in Washington on Monday to ask the federal government to help get payments out to dairy famers hurt by the recent drop in milk prices.The federal program pays dairy farmers when domestic milk prices fall below a specified level.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportSome farmers said the industry is dealing with falling prices on things like milk and wheat while seeing production costs rise, WISC-TV reported.David Smithback sells corn seeds in bulk and grows cash crops like soybeans, wheat, and even some tobacco on his 13,000-acre farm in Deerfield, Wis., and said he's counting on good weather and good policies to help farmers get through some tough times."Mother Nature has to get us a very good to excellent crop this year to make ends meet," Smithback said.Smithback said that although his farm's budget is balanced this year, the years that come will be the ones that impact area farmers."The farm economy goes into the recession last and we'll come back slower than anybody else," said Smithback. "It'll take us two to three years to get back out of this once we get into it."Officials with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau acknowledged that these are volatile times for farmers."A year ago, the story was the strong commodity prices. Now, things like the price of corn have fallen by over half since the fourth of July," said Casey Langan, with the WFB.The WFB said it is waiting to see what Obama's policies will be regarding farm exports, renewable energy and agriculture infrastructure."Just 40 days on the job -- it's a little early yet to tell how agriculture will fare under the Obama administration, but when you look at the list of proposals and things that have been brought up so far, it's a little of a mixed bag," said Langan.Obama's farm proposal seeks to phase out direct federal payments to farming operations that have revenues of about $500,000 annually. According to the proposal, this change would affect 3.5 percent of farms.However, WFB officials said the proposal would put our nation's food supply at risk, and said about 75 percent of the nations supply comes from the farms that would likely be affected by the proposal.As for the ailing dairy industry, Gov. Jim Doyle was in Washington on Monday to ask the federal government to help get payments out to dairy famers hurt by the recent drop in milk prices.The federal program pays dairy farmers when domestic milk prices fall below a specified level. Copyright 2009 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
