Farm Aid concert coming to Raleigh in September

No, I meant that 20% goes for administrative costs.

 

Just Google Farm Aid and government shutdown and you can read all about it instead of asking where "I" got the idea. Farm Aid has been helping farmers for a long time, but have kicked it in during and since the government shutdown. This is not meant to be a political post, just information on Farm Aid.

Sherry

http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5IhNVJsE/b.2750725/k.946A/Annual_Report.htm

Government shutdown hits America’s farmers
By Farm Aid | October 15, 2013 | Direct Marketing Assistance, Funding Opportunities for Farmers, Resources for Beginning Farmers

Just as national parks and Veterans face serious setbacks, family farmers too continue to struggle under the weight of the government shutdown in Washington. As the Rural Advancement Foundation International’s Scott Marlow estimates, the delay in budget approval by congress may cost up to 1,400 farmers their farms.

This is a direct result of the sudden lack of funding funneling to farmers, as 1,423 are left waiting for the direct farm operating loans that they were already approved for. What’s more, over 2,000 beginning farmers are waiting for direct farm ownership loans and over 1,000 wait for guaranteed operating loans.

Funding isn’t the only obstacle farmers face in light of the shutdown. Farmers struggle to predict market trends without the agricultural reports typically released weekly by the National Agriculture Statistics Service under the USDA. Many farmers depend on these figures to determine the price of their crops, when to sell commodity crops and cattle auction prices. Not only are they now left without new figures, but also the websites that contained old data are down until the shutdown ends.

The domestic hog market in particular is affected by the shutdown, as traders increasingly back away from the $97 billion market. With no clear end in sight, the lean hogs futures dropped 47 percent immediately following the beginning of the shutdown.

These issues come among a slew of other problems related to food and farming, including the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s inability to monitor foodborne illnesses throughout the remainder of the shutdown. In the span of the shutdown thus far, 278 illnesses from chicken contaminated with Salmonella were reported in 18 different states. Though it is suspected the outbreak comes directly from Foster Farms, the US Department of Agriculture cannot conduct a proper investigation during the Congressional delays.

Congress was warned of the challenges a shutdown would create. Now family farmers are left waiting at a time when some farmers are also facing devastating weather conditions, such as the flooding in Colorado and the deadly blizzard that swept across South Dakota. For now, the only thing for certain is this shutdown will have a lasting impact on America’s family farmers.

 

Thanks for clarifying what you stated.

Sherry

 

And, another one, which I hope you read the link:

http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5I...utdown_The_Impact_on_Food_and_Agriculture.htm

Government Shutdown: The Impact on Food and Agriculture

Failed negotiations over the 2014 federal budget forced the federal government to shut down operations on October 1, 2013, with thousands of government employees furloughed and critical programs across the country put on hold. While national news covered the vitriolic, partisan battle in Congress, the near-complete shutdown of USDA programs crippled farmers and ranchers across the country, with profound ripple effects on consumers, food systems and local economies.

While the shutdown ended on October 16, farmers and ranchers are still without a Farm Bill, which expired on September 30. That means the status of nearly every program governing the country's food and farm policy hangs in limbo, presenting one of the most dire threats to family farmers and our food system ever witnessed. While it is expected that Congress will proceed with Farm Bill negotiations, the path forward is completely unclear in the shadow of looming budget challenges, and substantial cuts to farm programs are anticipated.