My Page: Jacob Cowgill

Commentary: Farm Policy

A couple of weeks ago, I walked into the Library of Congress where people bustled about, draping white cloths on tables, surrounding them with chairs, and setting up displays that read, "State of the Union 2008", followed by a list of sponsors -- insurance, auto, tobacco, and technology companies. A woman taping a poster to a wall at the bottom of some stairs said it's a pre-State of the Union reception. So do you kick everybody out of the Library, I asked. Yes. Who gets to come? It's for members of Congress and their staff, CEOs of corporations, and presidents of think tanks.

A group of farmers and ranchers, including me, had been flown in to Washington by a coalition of sustainable agriculture groups to meet with our members of Congress about beginning farmer and rancher provisions in the farm bill. The trip happened to coincide with the President's address to the nation, an event seemingly devoid of any citizen participation beyond staring at a television and suffering through empty oratory and canned applause.

Corporate CEOs and think tank presidents may get to dine with our members of Congress, but the recent debate over the latest farm bill has shown that in farm policy at least, the average citizen, and moreover, the average farmer, matters. [more]

Living in the New West is rife with conflict that goes beyond the natural confrontations in any normal society. This imbalance requires us to reestablish contact with one another as human beings. [more]