Despite record-breaking net agricultural earnings, Xochitl Torres-Small told the Rural Action Caucus that the consequences for many farmers have been less bright.
This disparity is driving the agenda of the United States Department of Agriculture during the crafting of the next farm bill. Torres-Small is the Rural Development Undersecretary.
“Congress crafts the agricultural bill, but if they’re doing their job well, they listen to individuals like you,” she said. “They understand that individuals all throughout the nation are affected by the farm bill and how it affects the locations and people who work so hard every single day to provide the rest of our country with the goods we often take for granted.”
She highlighted statistics indicating that half of U.S. farmers would be unable to break even by 2022, and that 80 percent of farmers would have to supplement their income with non-farm labour.
“Clearly, although traditional agriculture works for some, it works for a few and feeds a lot of people. “That doesn’t always work for everyone,” she said. “It’s provided a dilemma for a lot of farmers, whether they have to feel like they have to go large or go out.”
Value-added goods may be the key to distinguishing farmers and ensuring the economic survival of their counties.
Torres Small recalled a chat with an Iowa dairy farmer who was anxious about the future of her family’s farm.
“What she said to me is ‘It doesn’t matter how hard we work — you know dairy is a 365 days-a-year, 24 hours a day industry. “The cows are continually having to be milked, and no matter how many improvements we develop or how hard we work, we’re stuck with the same price that everyone else receives,” Torres Small said.
The possibility arises when that milk is converted into cheese or ice cream, allowing for more diversity.
“That’s what I believe we can do more of throughout the nation if we support farmers’ aspirations for how to add value to their product while also understanding — and you know this better than anybody — that in rural, it’s about the whole community… because you can see how the work you perform on the ground affects the whole community.”
Torres-Small said that the presence of Rural Development around the nation aided in keeping the United States running despite the limits imposed by the epidemic.
“Under COVID, the USDA was depended on to get out critical help because often, when aid comes just via the states, it doesn’t reach everybody, so being able to invest in individuals who live in the areas they serve makes a significant impact for rural Americans,” she said. “USDA and rural development are very unusual in that we have individuals living in the places we serve, which gives us a unique viewpoint.”
