Old McDonald keeps the farm

What comes to mind when you picture a farm? Rolling green hills surrounded by a white fence, a ramshackle barn in the distance, and horses quietly grazing? Miles of golden fields of wheat swaying in the breeze, a tractor rumbling along? In recent years, a lot of farms are a far cry from these images, but it is telling that the traditional farm is still a fresh image in everyone's minds.

Corporate farm reality

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 Are family farms endangered? Through all my research my answer has turned from a definite yes to a conditional yes. Farmers are some of the toughest and most traditional people around, and they will fight for their passion. Though the dynamics of a family farm may adapt according to the current times, such as hiring outside the family and working off the farm in off seasons, they are far from going anywhere. The popularity of consuming food grown closer to home and farmer's markets is helping to save the small farmers. Before this blog I had no knowledge of the farm bill, and just how much agriculture affects things like the SNAP program. It is definitely something I will keep track of and learn more about now that I am aware of it. I would like to know more about how this legislation affects farmers and how it might be contributing to the decline of family farming. I would also be very interested in talking to some of the farmers I know and asking if they participate in the agricultural surveys that affect the bill and other legislation. Research showed that a lot of farmers don't respond to the survey because it is lengthy and they say it asks irrelevant questions.

This has been a great question to explore and one that I can continue to explore long after this class!

Farmer's Tribute: So God made a farmer. Paul Harvey. from Farms.com Agriculture Videos on YouTube
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