ACROSS THE NATION

IMOH, small farmers haven't done enough to reach out to other citizens (read that as voters) regarding ending these egregious subsidies. Indeed, the average guy tends to believe that most farmers are more concerned about our government providing easy access to steady stream "of low cost immigrant alternatives" to hiring American workers, then they are with subsidies. And to be honest, I really don't know any of the local ranchers and farmers who can't afford to pay a living wage for workers, they just prefer not too. I live in Mesquite, Tx., the rodeo capital of the civilized world, and I can't tell you how many stories I hear from young people who would like to stay in agriculture, but say they can't earn enough money to learn the ropes or save for a stake in farming themselves. When you stop and thing about it, where will the next generation of family farms come from? When you realize that all our small town young people are flipping burgers because farmers found an even "cheaper" source of labor, you begin to see why many people just don't sympathize with America's family farmers. Just watching the recent uproar, and the subsequent defeat of "open border" bill after bill should put everyone wise that the majority of America's Citizens have had enough! America's Citizens realize that securing our borders and limiting immigration will have costs and consequences. Its a price most of us (except apparently those in farming) are willing to pay. My brothers, sisters and extended family grew up in farming, and what I wouldn't give to be back on the farm. But overpopulation, congestion, disappearing farm land and green space, vanishing resources, urban sprawl, taxation, etc, are taking their toll on our agrarian communities. The sad fact is that all of these problems, indeed; virtually every problem confronting America's Citizens would be positively, productively impacted by simply enforcing our immigration laws and stabilizing our out of control population growth, most of which results from illegal or unconstrained illegal immigration. Until farmers get in touch with their "city bretheren" and work out common goals, farmers, particularly small farmers, are going to have to do all the heavy lifting in trying to eliminate unfair subsidies and anti-family farm funding practices in the farm bill. Until someone can make a case that "more people chasing fewer resources" is in any way a good economic or social model, small farms will continue to get the shaft.