018—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, July 2,1983
An increasing number of state
governments have established
laws banning completely, or
placing severe restrictions on,
corporate farm activity. Almost
one-fourth of the statesmost of them
western and midwestern
farm states, now have such laws
and the list is growing. .
If you’re fond of the family farm,
you may applaud these actions.
But beware, laws that control
entry can also control exit, and
something that was set up to
control the bad guys may also
work against the good ones.
On the surface a law that
restricts the movement of multi
company corporate giants Into the
com fields and cow bams of rural
America seems like a good idea.
But let’s look deeper.
In the first place, those big
corporations aren’t that hot when
it comes to fanning. Many of them
have tried it with disastrous
results. They couldn’t sell out and
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go back to town fast enough. A few
have stuck it out, but pose no great
threat to family farming.
Over the years farming hasn’t
been profitable enough to attract
much corporate money. Beyond
that, there are just too many un
certainties- Board members and
corporate managers aren’t geared
to financial loss due to hail storms
and flooded fields. They'd rather
spend the stockholders money on
things that can be counted on. They
understand assembly lines,
production per man hour, things
like that. They don't understand
com blight, bog cholera and wet
ground.
Another thing fanners must
consider before applauding too
loudly for anti-corporation
legislation is the direction all
agriculture is headed. The work is
big. Big farms with big equipment
ahd big money needs will rule
agriculture in the future. In fact,
they do already. While most of
th:ie j. c sail essentially family
farms, they’re organized dif
ferently than they used to be. The
family farm corporation is com
monplace, and plans that involve
pooling of resources and talent
between individual fanners are
increasing. Laws now on the books
could restrict theses kinds of
arrangements.
Here are some examples of some
corporate fanning restrictions:
—North Dakota - all cor
porations are prohibited from
producing food.
—Kansas - no farm corporation
of more than 10 shareholders and
no more than 5,000 acres.
—South Dakota- no more than a
20 percent increase in acreage in
any five-year period.
—Minnesota - five shareholder
limit and a majority must live on
the land or actively engage in
fanning.
—Missouri two-thirds of
corporation's income must result
from farming.
Obviously, these are the har
shest parts of several detailed laws
aimed at saving agriculture from
big city money.
I guess the point that really
upsets me about this concept is
that governmental units are
deciding who will be allowed to
farm. If a corporation can be
excluded, why not lawyers and
doctors? Maybe the legal heirs to a
farm would have to sell the place
because they live somewhere else,
and possibly a group of farmers
would be denied the right to set up
a farrowing operation or grain
drying facility.
Taking this concept a little
further, perhaps a law would be
passed that would establish for all
Featuring a single component design for
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The sections may be dismantled and
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A special center wall Is available to
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In addition to silage storage, these
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tune the number of fanning units
in a state. A farmer would then be
tied to the land until an acceptable
replacement was approved who
would then buy out the farmer at
some government established
figure.
The young man from the city
who attends an agricultural
college and gets financial backing
from a rich old uncle is denied
entry completely because the
“board” feels his roots are not in
agriculture, and be would be an
undesirable addition to the com
munity.
This may sound farfetched, but if
you combine the worst of the
existing laws you come up. with
something about that bad. And if
it’s possible to combine the worst,
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Everett
Rank, administrator of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's
Agricultural Stabilization and
Conservation Service in Lebanon
County, today encouraged fanners
who signed up for the 1963
payment-in-kind program to take
any unanswered questions about
the program to their local ASCS
offices for the quickest possible
answers.
Rank said he has directed that
response procedures be
streamlined between the agency’s
county, state and Washington
personnel.
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TONNAGE TABLE FOR B FT. SIDEWALLS*
\WkKh
20’ 30' 40’ SO’
60' 215 323 432 540
70' 251 378 504 630
80' 287 431 576 720
90' 323 485 648 808
100' 359 539 720 900
110' 395 583 792 989
120’ 431 648 064 1000
130’ 487 688 938 1170
140' ~ 503 755 1008 1280
ISO' 539 808 1000 1350
‘Bated on level fill with 45 Itx./Cu. Ft.
somebody will probably try. I think I
agriculture would suffer in the I
process. j
Let;s keep agricultural entry jn
and exit wide open. Anyone who w
can afford to get in or get out
should have die chance. 1 think the
family ■ farm will survive a lot
longer in a free environment.'
So while we may not appreciate
the big nonfarm giants setting up
their great big farms, it seems
unwise to legislate against them.
Let-them sink or swim like other
farmers. If they can adjust, let
them enjoy the same opportunities
that more traditional farmers
enjoy. If they can’t, they’ll get out
soon enough and make room for
serious fanners.
“For example, we will attempt *
to answer a fanner’s questions by 1
telephone immediately, ten follow
with a written answer
when necessary,” Rank said.
"Most of the questions will be
answered immediately by ASCS
state and county personnel.
However, when necessary the field
offices have been instructed to
phone Washington to keep the
response time to a minimum.”
Rank said USDA realizes that
because of the massive sign-up,
and because PIK is a new
program, many participants
desire clarification or have
questions on program procedures.