‘Agriculture isn’t a museum, it’s a way to earn a living’
Protectionist farm laws opposed
By JERRY WEBB
University of Delaware
NEWARK, Del. - Farmers may be asking for short term
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gains and long term losses by encouraging actions that
control entry into and exit from farming.
Many states now have laws aimed at controlling “city
money” that’s finding its way into farming. And, of
course, some of the green space programs propose to lock
up for future generations some of today’s farms.
It’s easy for farmers to support some of these efforts
because they aren’t happy with what’s happening. They
see good farmland turned into housing developments.
They are outbid for the land they desperately need by city
slickers who want weekend retreats. And they see city
investors who made their money in town now wanting to
buy into agriculture.
Some fanners are downright mad about this situation.
And perhaps they should be. On the other hand, the heirs
of a hard-working farmer are entitled to top dollar for that
land when he’s through with it. And if that dollar comes
from a doctor, dentist, corporate executive or another
fanner, so what? Why should the heirs sell for less
But some fanners don’t see it that way. They figure
they have certain rights due to the amount of time they’ve
devoted to the profession and the past hardships they’ve
endured. So they’re quick to jump on any bandwagon that
limits entry into farming or nonfarm purchases of far
mland without fully considering what they may be doing
to themselves and others who some day may want out of
* farming.
It just seems to me that laws aimed at controlling who is
permitted to farm are totally out of tune with our way of
life. The family farm developed as the dominant force in
American agriculture because it worked best. If it’s to be
preserved, it will still have to work best. If it doesn’t, then
something else should replace it.
No doubt farmers need consideration on a long list of
issues that will help them farm more efficiently, that will
get the government off their backs, that will allow them to
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market their produce at a profit. But preserving the
family farm by law just doesn’t seem right.
When you consider the fact that the family farm is doing
pretty well, you must admit that special treatment really
isn’t needed. Government figures show that probably no
more than one per cent of all farms are corporations and a
big chunk of them are farm family corporations.
Sure there are fewer farms this year than last - fewer
now than in 1970 or 1960. And there will be seven fewer in
1980.
But the farms that are around in 10,20 or 30 years for the
most part will still be family farms. They’ll survive and
prosper because they are well financed and well managed
- not because of protectionist laws aimed at preserving a
wav of life.
Family farms exisit now and will thrive in the future
because from an economic point of view, this is a pretty
good way to run a farm. It actually has little to do with
those misty-eyed visions of fresh air, country life, hard
work and clean living.
All these things are there in abundance in rural
America. But without profits they aren’t much fun. Old
memories of the wonderul way of life on the family farm
tend to come from middle-to-upper class citizens no
longer living on a farm who have never experienced or
have long since forgotten the poverty that has driven and
will continue to drive family fanners off the land.
Laws that would keep some people out of agriculture
would in fairness force others to stay in - even after the
profits are gone. Agriculture isn’t a museum, it’s a way to
earn a living. The family farm shouldn’t be saved and
preserved as something to look at. Those who don’t like it
should be able to get out. And anyone who wants to “test
the water” should be welcomed, be he corporation or not.
T~ J r‘
~~r- t
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September 3.1977
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