While farming in general remains a well-respected profession across the country, some fiscal conservatives and deficit hawks remain deeply committed to limiting farm spending and reducing farm subsidies.
Since the financial crash in 2008, many Americans have become more aware of what they consider wasteful government spending. With politicians embracing austerity measures and looking to significantly reduce federal spending, farmers have faced gradual, but major, subsidy reductions.
The primary concerns that many fiscal conservatives have is that farm subsidies often appear wasteful. With many federal programs benefiting wealthy, large-scale farmers and with the farm sector earning record incomes, some Americans have begun seeing farm subsidies as a massive giveaway to financial elites.
According to one member of the Environmental Working Group, an organization committee to farm reform, “Payments are going to people in Manhattan who simply have invested in farmland and are about as far away from farmers as one could imagine. That should really make people wonder what on earth has happened to the farm program.”
Farmers, however, are quick to point out that many farms would have been forced out of business without federal protection (pointing out last year’s devastating drought and this year’s punishing rainfall).
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