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Grassley: farm bill should be in terms of a ‘sure supply of food’

Based on Congress’s failure to pass a farm bill last year, Senator Charles Grassley concedes that farmers may not have the political power that some might think they have. In a conference call with reporters Wednesday, the Iowa Republican said a farm bill won’t happen if the legislation is put only in the context of a subsidy to farmers.

“We have to start talking in terms of a sure supply of food to make sure that we have social peace in our country,” said Grassley, during the conference call.

It is also important for people to know that food is a national security issue, said Grassley, because “an army marches on its stomach.”

“All you have to do is look at Germany and Japan,” he added. “Why do they protect their farmers? Because they found out during World War II that if you don’t have food, you can’t fight; and so they’re very protective of their farmers for national defense.”

Illustrating the importance of family-run farms in the U.S., Grassley brought up the much-discussed Super Bowl commercial featuring two minutes of a 1978 Paul Harvey speech glorifying hard-working farmers.

“So I hope the people of America will wake up and appreciate the family farmers of America,” said Grassley.

AUDIO: Charles Grassley (6 min. MP3)

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  What was a shame was going in and reading the comments at the end of the story to see how people are bashing agriculture at its best. Some do not believe these people exist anymore, well let me say I did not live 80 years ago that some saythis story is about. The people who believe that the only food that isnot poisonouss to people is organically grown, hand cultivated, distilled water to drink and bath in and all the other beliefs that people have about what farming is actually about. However, I have yet to see or read a comment about a person who is typing the messages after coming in from feeding a herd of cattle, checking cattle breaking ice for the hogs and cattle. Not one talked about having to shower after unloading a load of grain fromthe bin to the truck to the mill in order to make their farm payment, utilitiy bills, and pay someon the feed and fuel bills at the local coops. If one feels that eating organic foods and purified water is what will keep them alive and well, then more power tothem, but for people who do not have the money to buy them kind of things, there are options available at other stores that are just as or more nutritious and as safe or safer than home grown versions. Some items may have a different taste, whether is is better or worse is up to the individual taste bus. If people these people think they can grow enough in their gardens and small plants to feed 52 billion people in the next 20 years or so, all I have to say is they better start planting and hoeing. Oh, and every once in a while in the middle of February, I like to eat ham and beans with the little green onions, I have never been able or seen them grown here in MO in February, guess Iwas in the wrong spot.
  Some people need to wake up, and walk out past their confort zone and see what is going on outside of their 1 to 3 mile radius.

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  If Grassley cares one bit about small farmers, I’m a leprechaun. Did you contribute big bucks to his campaign? Monsanto, Dole, Midland, etc., did. Who do you think he cares about? Who do you think he’s trying to help?

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