‘Get A Second or Third Job’ Is Not Sound Farm Policy

“Most U.S. farm households can’t solely rely on farm income, turning what was once a way of life into a part-time job,” the article explained, noting that 82% of U.S. farm household income is expected to come from off-farm work this year.That’s because current commodity prices are depressed and haven’t kept up with inflation over the long haul.  Compounding the problem are climbing input costs, the Journal wrote.   Chris Morrow was one of the farmers featured in the story. This 32-year-old Missourian “rises four mornings a week at 4:30 a.m. and drives an hour to his outside job at Herzog Railroad Services Inc., in Falls City, Neb.  He works a 10-hour shift inspecting inbound railcars in need of repairs.”After work, and on the weekends, Morrow tends 350 acres of corn and beans and manages a small cattle herd.  According to the article, Morrow cannot focus solely on his life’s calling because his farm netted just $14,000 last year. Put another way, farmers are already working two or three other jobs to help support their family farms so they don’t need a Farm Bill or crop insurance to help them manage the unique, high-stake risks of agriculture.What a load of manure.  “Get a second or third job” is not sound farm policy. Of course, most farm critics don’t need to get another job to survive.  Their deep-pocketed financers with anti-farm agendas take care of that.But maybe they need to spend a few hours a week working on a farm.  Then they’d see the financial pain rural America is facing right now and the real need for smart farm policies.