[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: comments on UDSA/NOP cost and benefits to organic farmers and handlers



 It has been said of me that I sound angry.I am   and in this time in
history when the family farm is disappearing in record numbers.the UDSA/NOP
is being cruel and heartless saying that a small farm is $5000 or less and
anything over $5000 should be taxed.  In this day of farm aid, in this day
while we are trying to get to help to small family farmers and save the
small farm the last thing they need is a tax if they chose to farm organic.
 This just showed me that the USDA/NOP is a heartless bunch of people that
only want to tax the poor in order to support their own exsistance.

 The average size of farms in Virginia increased from 181.97 acres in 1982
to 196.51 acres in 1992, an increase of nearly 8 percent. At the same time,
the number of farms decreased by 18.6 percent from 51,859 to 42,222. The
amount of land in farms fell by 12 percent from more than 9.4 million acres
in 1982 to just under 8.3 million acres a decade later. 
    So farm size is increasing while the big fish eat the little fish. It
looks to me like a small farm would fall at about 50 acres or less.

There is a direct link between small farmers and the promotion of
sustainable agriculture efforts. In order to encourage this link, we should
not tax the small organic farmer.

this taken from the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center on
loss of small farms 
http://www2.ncredc.org/ncredc/papers/smfarmses.html
A loss of 13,544 farms (18.6% of the 72,792 present in 1982
A loss of 2,049 minority farms (38.3% of the 5,352 present in 1982)
A loss of 6,627 small farms (22.1% of the 29,968 farms of less than 50
acres present in 1982)1
Here it is again 50 or less acres  is considered a small farm. I think
anything under 50 acres should qualify for the small farmers exemption
http://www.cfarm.com/nosb/OrganicCrop/4farmer.htm
I do not know where the USDA/NOP came up with the $5000 number but I can
not get by the very first line in the NOP.  it states that those selling
only $5000 will be qualify for the small farmers exemption.  This number is
way to small and the NOP will be a burden on the small farmer that we so
much want to save.  This oppression on the poor would make a wise man mad.
The introduction of new crops, animal enterprises, and new methods of
structuring agricultural production make the effective delivery of
agriculture technological, financial management, and marketing services to
diverse clientele more important than in the past.  Organic farming give
the small farmer hope and we should help them not tax them.  All the people
that are trying to save the small farmer should take note of what these
people are doing by taxing the small farmer.  Most people with small farms
have to work off farm just to keep it together and the NOP wants to take
money out of their mouths.
 there is something wrong when those who
 are trying to straighten out agriculture are being taxed and burdened with
 inspections and paperwork while those who continue to pollute and deplete
 are subsidized and allowed to continue,

Go !  Farm Aid save the small farmer from loosing their farm
Booo!   NOP just another tax on the poor.

To Unsubscribe:  Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with "unsubscribe sanet-mg".
To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command
"subscribe sanet-mg-digest".


Follow-Ups: