Local farmer reacts to farm bill

A new Farm Bill was passed by the United States Senate yesterday which will cut direct payments and reduce the amount of what farmers can spend.

However, since farmers have seen their direct payments taken away before, local farmer Gordon Gallup says it’s not a shock, but it certainly doesn’t help the agriculture business and the consumers.

Gordon Gallup has been a farmer all his life. He’s seen the ups and down of the economy, and less help from the government as the years go by. Gallup says direct payments are something farmers depend on every year, but they’ve seen their part of the budget stripped away before.

“We’re in a good time right now, prices are good. But we know that with the ’95 farm bill those things change in about six months too. All the sudden we were in a disaster and we could’ve used those direct payments again.” said Gallup.

30 percent of gallup’s income was stripped away. But even in the toughest of times, Gallup continued to farm and live within his means. Now the government is looking to strip farmers of those payments again, this time under a new farming bill that’s already cleared one chamber of Congress.

“We realize the government is strapped for money and they’re gonna cut it somewhere. and (agriculture) is really such a small portion of the national budget.” said Gallup.

If the bill also passes the House and clears the President’s desk, will the prices for grain and sugar begin to rise?

“These payments down the road will translate into your food bill, and that’s the unfortunate part of the farm bill and not a lot of people realize it.” said Gallup. “The farm bill is what it is, and we’ll just have to live with it.”

Idaho senator Mike Crapo voted against the bill, calling it inadequate in terms of reducing the federal debt and deficits.

The senate’s final vote on the farm bill came in at 64 in favor and 35 against.