As Congress focuses on the 2013 farm bill, I ask my fellow taxpayers to add this to the debate.

If a Minnesota farmer farms an area equivalent to Itasca State Park — the protected area of the headwaters of the Mississippi River, which is about 33,250 acres or about one and a half townships — should we allow the 2013 farm bill to continue the practices of the 2008 farm bill, of paying about 60 percent of our millionaire farmers’ crop insurance premium?

For if this mega-farmer, elected to use federal crop insurance like most U.S. farmers did on their 2012 and 2013 crops, his taxpayer-funded premium reduction in 2012 and 2013 would be a about $1 million per year, in subsidy grants!

It’s OK with Congress. Is it OK with you?

 

Alan Roebke

Alexandria