South Dakotan says farmers need power back in their hands

Charlie Johnson from Madison SD spoke quietly, but forcefully at the Midwest Farm Policy Forum in Yankton SD. He said, “The problems with family farming began when “we” took the farmer out of farming.

He offered six guidelines to take the power back into the hands of farmers:

• Reverse reasons why farmers are unemployed. Return the livestock industry to family farmers. He also suggest devising technology that rewards farmers, making them more productive and keeping the farming tools in their hands.
• Rural communities need an impact statement about the effects technology is having on the rural way of life. Johnson said if we cannot keep our schools open, maybe it is time Monsanto steps up to the plate and helps support education. “We can have Roundup Ready soybeans, or we can have high school students Don’t expect both.”
• Change tax policy. A policy is needed that awards making a profit, rather than piling up investment tax credits. This technology is making farmers useless and unemployed.
• Credit policies need to be changed. Johnson said he and his brother “very proudly” paid off a Farmers Home Administration loan his parents secured in 1962 at 5 percent interest. Johnson said his son asked him why there were no programs like that today for beginning farmers. Johnson said that wouldn’t it be great if there was a long-term land credit today for beginning farmers to get them rooted in agriculture at a low-interest rate?
• Maintain and enhance local control on all issues. He cited the recent interest and action on zoning issues in the surrounding areas. Don’t let local control get away from the rural resident.
• The last item on Johnson’s list of guidelines is probably one of the most crucial for the rural community, he said. The asset base in this country and the majority of farm assets, (land ,machinery or livestock) is held in the hands of farmers 60 years or older. How the asset base is redirected in the future is a telling sign as to what will become of rural America.

Charlie is a member of Dakota Rural Action and WORC.