Is Farming Missouri’s Most Important Industry?

The agriculture tour season has ended. Senator Claire McCaskill finished up her statewide tour in early September. Members of the Missouri legislature took their own tour at the end of September. Much good can come from these tours if those taking them listened.

Instead of “good” we are likely to see more cronyism.

Farming is important.

But in an editorial to the Nevada Daily Mail, Senator McCaskill says more. McCaskill called agriculture the MOST important industry in our state.

I understand the premise. Farmers grow our food and we need food to live.

Is that the only thing we need to live? Well, I suppose that depends on who you ask.

Of course, we also need water to drink and air to breathe. One could make the case that we need homes to shelter us from inclement weather. If you’re ill, you may feel a hospital is important. Is there anything else one might rate more important than farming?

I would make the case that farming isn’t more important than any other industry in our state. In fact, I’d say they’re pretty much equal with all other industries.

I had a conversation this past session with a legislator from a rural district. They asked why Missouri Alliance of Freedom was against farm subsidies. They argued farming is most important and we should support cronyism for farming corporations.

The truth is, not one farmer could do their job if other individuals were not doing their own.

To grow the food our world now requires, farmers rely on many other industries. Fuel to run their tractors. Computers to help them plant and harvest their crops. Pharmaceuticals to care for their animals and keep them healthy.

I have family that farms. They work hard. I also have family that are carpenters, they work hard too.

We all work, doing what we do best.  It’s called specialization. I’ve included a Learn Liberty video that helps explain.

Farmers focusing on what they do is all part of the puzzle that is our state’s economy. Regardless of what you do, you rely on farmers to get it done. In some fashion farmers rely on you just the same. You provide a service or product that makes their lives easier, helping them do what the do best. Farm.

Instead of allowing folks do what they do best legislators will push for more cronyism. They will use the excuse that farming is MOST important.

We’ll hear the dairy subsidy passed last year needs more funding.

We’ll hear farmers need financial incentives to pass their farms on to kin.

We’ll hear the federal government is oppressive and state taxpayers should pony up.

That’s partly correct.

It is difficult to farm today with all the burdensome regulations and price controls. Government makes it difficult to farm.

Senator McCaskill says farming is our MOST important industry but does nothing to lessen the bureaucratic strangle on our farmers.

We see more regulations with an out of control EPA. We see more programs to assist dealing with the hardships caused by past programs. We see taxpayer dollars taken from Missourians and handed to private businesses.

Farming is important. I love food. I would prefer to continue eating.

So let’s remove the artificial burdens our government has placed on our farmers. We can be for farmers AND against cronyism and government regulation, at the same time.

Let’s let farmers thrive, doing what they love – feeding the world.

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