Hard row
Democrats say they want to support farmers, but what the heck does that mean?
By Nathanael Johnsonon Jul 26, 2016Share
When the Democrats were drafting their platform earlier this month, Connecticut’s Gov. Dan Malloy asked if anyone would dare to vote against a statement describing farming as a cherished way of life.
“Is there anyone who’s going to be heard to take a position against farming?” Malloy asked. That got a good laugh. “At your peril,” Malloy joshed.
No surprise, the committee members voted unanimously to include the language.
And so Democrats released a platform for their convention this week that promises to “support the next generation of farmers and ranchers, with particular attention given to promoting environmentally sustainable agricultural practices.” The platform also vows “to protect and enhance family farms.” OK, sounds great, but how?
The platform says we should give more farm subsidies and more money to boost local food markets. But that’s not likely to be enough to counteract trends squeezing out farmers. It’s easy to be sentimental about preserving farms yet devilishly hard to find a palatable solution.
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Democrats say they want to support farmers, but what the heck does that mean?
