The ag-industrial lobbyists at the Farm Bureau are calling on their members to call Congress and get the Trump tariffs off their backs:
Bureau President Scott VanderWal says the stakes are high for Farm Country.
“If we disrupt trade in a time like we are now with the farm economy in poor shape already…..It’s going to be economically devastating.”
VanderWal says that President Trump’s policies have done a lot of good things for America’s farmers, but using tariffs is where he parts ways with the President.
“Maybe he’s going to get what he wants in the end, but it needs to be really fast. The timing of this is really bad, coming into harvest.” He says real damage will start to occur as seasonal selling begins [Mark Russo, “South Dakota Farmers Urged to Lobby on Tariffs,” KELO Radio, 2018.07.06].
Unfortunately, the Farm Bureau is partially caving to Trump’s bullying tactics:
VanderWal concedes his organization has to proceed diplomatically with this President.
“We have to be careful how we do that because he doesn’t respond to attacks very well, or perceived attacks” [Russo, 2018.07.06].
Wrong, Scott. Donald Trump lashes out recklessly to secure exactly that sort of hesitance from his opponents, to tie one hand behind their backs even before they start fighting back. Your caution only allows Trump to play his game longer, damaging your business for the sake of nothing bigger than Trump’s own ego.
By gut-punching South Dakota’s ag producers, Trump is also pounding South Dakota’s tax revenues:
“[Trump’s trade war]’s brought the milk price down to below break even for most dairy farmers in this area and throughout the U.S.,” [Brandon dairyman Gregg] Ode said.
…”I think what we’re going to have to do is sit back and look at some of the the things we want to purchase or add this summer and say, is it justifiable? Can we afford it?” Ode said [Nathan Finster, “Trade War Affecting South Dakota Dairy Farmers,” KELO-TV, 2018.07.06].
Great: instead of supporting new investments in education and infrastructure or spotting some room for tax cuts, the new Supremely approved online sales tax may just cover the sales tax revenue shortfall Trump will cause by bankrupting farmers and sending the rural economy into recession.
So, Farm Bureau, decide what’s more important: not angering the bully in the White House or standing up for your members in a life-or-death economic battle.
What they should be doing is urging their members to vote for Democrats in this election who will oppose trump’s trade war rather than for Republicans who are too meek to speak up for fear of offending the fearless leader. Trump does not respect farm bureau’s meekness. He respects power, and farm groups have electoral power if they are bold enough to use it.
‘…..VanderWal says that President Trump’s policies have done a lot of good things for America’s farmers….’
What exactly would that be?
You’re right, Ror. That’s pretty much the only thing Trump will understand. That’s exactly the method behind China’s retaliatory tariffs.
Excellent question, Frances. Until someone provides a reliable list of such advantages that outweighs the devastation of the Trump trade war, it’s time for farmers and ranchers to get back to their McGovern habits and vote Democratic up and down the ticket.
Trump’s supporters are doubling down. Farmer’s are in for a hurting along with everyone in the Dakota’s when our economy flat lines. Meanwhile, Trump’s 2020 flags and all Ivanka’s products are still produced in China and are not affected by the tariffs. Go figure.
Cory,
Jason will be here to reiterate the 300% tariff on milk. He keeps pointing that tree out every chance he gets. Much like Trump, he’ll cut off a leg and an arm to save a finger.
Flags and Ivanka duds—good point, that Trump doesn’t put tariffs on any of the trash he imports. The Trump family has never made anything worthwhile or lasting, just get-rich quick deals and branded disposables.
Whatever’s going on with that milk tariff, Trump’s current policy appears to be putting dairy producers in a worse situation.
Sort of related read–Tariffs and immigration cuts led to Great Depression.
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-07-09/cuts-to-u-s-immigration-in-1920s-made-great-depression-worse
Trying to wait out China led to USA losing the Vietnam War.
Dairy subsidies are at least 73% of market returns.
“Comparing government support for Canadian versus American dairy farmers is not a simple black and white process. While Canada’s dairy sector operates under a regulated supply management system, the U.S. government’s support for its dairy farmers is less direct.
Support, in its various forms, equaled 73 percent of U.S. dairy farmers’ market returns in 2015, according to a report published by a Canadian trade consulting firm on Thursday.
The 588-page study by Grey, Clark, Shih and Associates — commissioned by Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) — says the American government contributed around $22.2 billion in direct and indirect subsidies to the dairy sector in 2015.” https://www.realagriculture.com/2018/02/u-s-dairy-subsidies-equal-73-percent-of-producer-returns-says-new-report/
Kal Lis! That’s what I said in 2016! This is the peril of a White House that doesn’t read history books or read good South Dakota blogs!
I sure wish Republicans would have decided to just wait the Affordable Care Act out instead of bankrolling the Tea Party and going to war with President Obama.
Farmers need to strike while the iron is hot to let their collective voices heard. The 2018 mid-terms are just a few short months away and Trump’s trade war has no end in sight.
Democrats, as usual, are waiting in the wings to help South Dakota just as they always have.
Would someone remind this foreigner from foreign iowa what people saw in Drumpf’s bankruptcies, his stiffing contractors, sub-contractors, workers, suppliers and a whole host of other questionable business actions that lent any credence to Drumpf running a country any better than his real estate empire?
I must have missed that memo. I will say he has grabbed wingnuts by their P-word and have them afraid of their own shadows.
Farm Bureau is more interested in supporting Trump than Trump is in supporting farmers. Farmers instinctively know that Trump doesn’t care about them, but supporting Republicans is a hard habit to break for a lot of people. Look what Trump has done his first term. He undermined the renewable fuel mandate harming corn demand/prices. He put farmers on the front line of the trade war with not only China but with everybody. Once China and other countries find another reliable source for soybeans, pork and other farm commodities those markets will be permanently damaged if not lost for American farmers. This is a lost year for farmers already, but there is no end in sight for the pain Trump has already imposed on his farm supporters. Will they vote for Republican yes-men against their own financial interests this year, or will they realize that the next 2 years will be just as bleak for farmers without a congress willing to oppose Trump?
Farming and ranching is a thing of the past! (As a chef, I’m all in on this idea. It’s as real as a steer’s rear or a heifer on the hoof) Tens of thousands of pounds of steaks, chops, burgers and ribs from a dozen stem cells and the host animal isn’t even slaughtered.
PS … soy beans, corn, wheat and barley have stem cells, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKLNkQYmOng
mfi
Yahoo Finance just reported that Trump’s driver of 25 years is suing Trump for back wages.
The driver is on call from 7:00 am until Trump is done for the day and has only been given two raises in 25 years.
The cheap bastard. We are learning more and more about how Trump became a billionaire, by not paying people.
Mike, I can’t fathom farm support for Trump. Has Donald walked onto any local farmer’s land in his Manhattan suit a few years ago, they’d have laughed at his ill-fitting red baseball cap and mocked him mercilessly. yet many of them voted for him on image and gut issues entirely separate from the good business sense they use to keep their operations running. Now, as Ror notes, they see themselves used as pawns in Trump’s ego game.
Now more than ever, South Dakota farmers need to apply their hard-headed realism to politics, look past their wishes and grumblings, and vote in their plain self-interest: vote for Democrats in every office available to make clear to Trump they will not be sacrificed to his vanity trade war.
I agree with you Cory. Farmers should ask Trump supporters NOem, Thune and Rounds if they still support Trump on Tariffs.
Dusty Johnson needs to make a statement on this as well. Haven’t seen or heard very much from Dusty lately. He needs to explain his views on tariffs.
I find this opinion piece to be fairly instructive on what Farm Bureau is ultimately about:
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/iowa-view/2018/06/22/iowa-farm-bureau-insurance-company-voice-farmers/714274002/
Don’t forget–it was Farm Bureau that came after our Constitutional Amendment on Corporate Farming (Amendment E), and they’re doing the same thing in North Dakota. They’re the voice of agribusiness corporations, not actual farmers.
Pardon me for saying so, but the Farm Bureau is by far and away the most politically conservative of all farm organizations. Of course they’re scared of offending Trump. He might take their MAGA hats away.
Good article, Rebecca. Thanks for the link.
Farm Burro was behind the push for massive cafos everywhere. I wanted nothing to do with that outfit, not even buying insurance from them. They were not the family farmer’s friend unless your are talking korporate family farmer.
Owen, I can hear the trio reply we don’t agree with him, but only when we are in South Dakota. They will soldier on and vote in lockstep with whatever knavery Drumpf conjures up, as will Grassley, Ivanna Kuturnutzov and ‘Cantaloupe Calves’ King in iowa.
I am old enough to remember when the dairy farmers dumped their milk on the ground because it was worth less to have it processed and delivered to a distributor. I remember when herds of good breeding cows were sent to slaughter because producers couldn’t afford to buy hay or corn for the winter. There could be tough times ahead. Vote Democrat in the mid-term and in 2020.
Yo, Grudzilla. Isn’t it amazing how an out of state poster from foreign iowa has his pulse on the antics of South Dakota wingnuts better than you ever could? If I was you, I could understand why you don’t want the truth filtering into yer oh so safe little world.
Farm Bureau membership hardly includes many farmers anymore, and the bulk of the work involves insurance. To get their insurance line, you have to become a member of Farm Bureau. In Wisconsin the insurance line, called Rural Mutual Insurance, includes business, home and auto, in addition to insuring farm property and equipment against loss. At least in Wisconsin, most Farm Bureau members have no connection to a farm, because most of the insured live in small towns or cities. In the Farm Bureau Wisconsin office there are about 7-10 employees associated with Farm Bureau and about 90 associated with the home office of the insurance company, not including all the agents around the state. As you can see, Farm Bureau’s main concern is not farmers. It’s insurance.
Essentially, Farm Bureau here is a subsidiary of the Republican Party.
60 Minutes’ Mike Wallace covered Farm Bureau back in 2000
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c4iiV8e0Y6A
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ehDfBl_VKEQ&t=3s
At one time, Wisconsin Farm Bureau owned a bunch of property in Madison, Wisconsin. One of the first malls was built there, and it looked like a good investment. I’m not sure if they managed it like Trump, but there came a time in the 1980s when all their investments imploded and they went bankrupt. Iowa Farm Bureau bailed them out, taking over the mall and near-mall properties and eventually selling everything off for a good profit (for them). It was pretty humiliating, and heads rolled in Wisconsin. The Iowa Farm Bureau put the Wisconsin affiliate on a short leash, and got new management, until they righted the ship. None of this had anything to do with farming. It was all big business, speculation and corporate hooliganism.
It’s all for naught. Tonight Trump names the next Supreme Court Justice and it will be a Constitutionalist. The fascist/democrat party has died. The progressive/brown shirt movement is over.
fini, done, baked, finished, over. . . WINNING!!!!!!
OS, off-topic. Ignore.
David Owen of the SD Chamber supports the position Fram Bureau and I take, that tariffs are bad for South Dakota business. I think that’s going to require a post of its own!
What’s up with the $60 billion farmer bailout Trump is proposing?
This whole trade war, tax break and now a bailout seems like we’re going in a circle.
Pretty obvious Drumpf has no clews what he is doing, about to do or has done already. Really, who in the present timid wingnut run congress is going to stand up to him? Marlboro Barbie? Hah! he doesn’t even have a horse no more.
$60 billion? I don’t know, Roger—HuffPo reports $30B maybe from the Commodity Credit Corporation… but that would be washed out by the $47B Trump wants to cut from ag programs.
It sounds like Trump is actually doing the nefarious scheme that Republicans sometimes accuse us Democrats of: sabotaging the economy and making our base voters dependent on government payments to ensure our election victory.
Thanks Cory, maybe that is what I read and got confused, that happens to me from time to time.
Kavanaugh […will not stop the devastating effects of the Trump tariffs that Farm Bureau says will hit our farmers. —CAH]
Stories like this one that invert the representation responsibility of a “public servant” really worry me about US democracy (small “d”). When those who are “represented” are cowered by those in power to represent, then this country has a problem. It doesn’t feel like “winning.”
“o” is right. There seems to be a lot of cowardice among certain sectors of the population. It’s great to call yourself an American and wave the flag and pretend to be a patriot, but patriots stand up and don’t cower when there is some truth that needs to be said to power. Somehow Republicans have the idea that Trump is King. I don’t get it. It’s like a cult.
Nice to see that folks are figuring out what a fraud the “Farm Bureau” really is. Nothing more than a fat cat insurance company that professes to represent farmers. I had a handle on them nearly 50 years ago. Sadly our representatives and senators are working for the same 1% and have happily given them the highest credibility.
When I was still on the farm in the 70s and 80s we knew Farm Bureau was BS. Farmers Union was pretty good, but I’m not sure that’s even a separate entity any more. Didn’t they merge with CH, or something like that? I don’t remember what that stands for, “Cenex” something?
The biggest mystery and worst thing the GOP/big business/Fox has done to our country is brainwashing a segment, about 25%. It really is like the old term, brainwashing. How do we help those folks to return to reality?
That and saving our nation are our two Absolutely Critical Tasks of the 21st Century,
http://www.sheilakennedy.net/2018/07/the-last-laugh/
People with no sense of humor- wingnuts, garden slugs, Grudznick, etc are not very bright.
Scientific (now there’s a word that puts fear into wingnuts) studies show this.
farmers have to make their own decision about when to price there corn and beans. My 2017 crop of soybeans was sold from 8.90 to 9.80 , that was a fair price. I sold new beans at a avg price of 9.45 it was a profitable price. Farmers need to sell their crops when they can make a profit. Do not blame the President Trump for everything.
Chine Should not be allow to cancel their contracts
Roger, what happens when a hail storm comes along and wipes you out and say the price go’es to 10.50.
That exact thing happened to me and my brother a few years ago. Had to pay the difference.
Pricing ahead isn’t all roses. I was too busy trying to get the crop in to hit the peak or price enough this year.
MFI,we seriously need a Will Rogers these days. Several comedians are vying for that title but no one is quite up to the standard.
More decisions made..this time by BMW.
“And it’s not just SUVs. Today BMW announced that it will start making Mini cars in China. Bloomberg News reports that BMW AG signed a joint venture with Great Wall Motor Company, China’s leading SUV producer. The 50-50 venture will make electric vehicles for both partners. China is the world’s largest automotive market.
It looks like the 10,000 BMW employees in Spartanburg, South Carolina will be out of luck in all this. They can thank Republicans for the hostile business environment in the US, one that will be costing them jobs.”
Well, they will now be able to afford soy milk from South Dakota farmers, so they do have that. Trade wars, they are so damn easy.
Roger is correct, it is the farmers fault for not selling when they could have sold for a higher price. trump is in the clear and China should have never retaliated against trump. trump is always right on everything..according to Fox propaganda channels
Roger, do Americans a favor and slap a spade bit in Drumpf’s mouth and steer him into known, easily defensible directions. He has no clew what he is doing with trade wars and tariffs and you’d be hard pressed to find a knowledgeable economist or trade expert that can agree with what he has done.
Drumpf is a dangerous moron. He still believes he signed a denucuclearization agreement with NK. They signed a statement pertaining to future talks and that is all they signed.
btw, Roger, when Drumpf placed tariffs on China, how did he manage to negotiate that none of his personal or his family businesses would be affected?
Did he do the same for you and your family?
One last thing, can you tell me exactly how many of Drumpf’s businesses have been brought back home to the US like he demanded of korporate Amerika?
If I get stuck drinking soy milk because the Trump trade war, I’m going to be really mad.
Jerry, did you read my post? Selling ahead as Roger advocated isn’t a risk free deal. Now that the prices have collapsed the hind site is 20/20 of course. Things could have gone otherwise. Our banker advocated the use of the Chicago markets for decades until he realized that folks that didn’t use them did better than those that did. He now just pays close attention to his customer’s.
Understood, Cory. I enjoy tofu but as a chef expecting others to do so is beyond the pale.
Clyde, indeed I did. Roger was blaming the producer for not picking the right time to place the sale. Let me ask you this. Why isn’t the price established before you put the beans in the ground, like a year ahead? Why is that? For something as important as food, there should be a known. If there are to many acres in beans, then leave that ground fallow and pay the producer for doing so. A real Farm Bureau would advocate for stuff like that rather than being just a political mouthpiece.
Work training programs in Rapid City and Sioux Falls, exist where for those on Medicaid? What exactly are those programs? Anyone??? NOem??
Jerry, you are talking about something we used to have…..an actual FARM PROGRAM administered by intelligent experts working with the farmer’s and consumer’s best interest in mind!
You will get such profit producing decisions once there are no more actual farmers out here and the means of production is completely controlled by monopolies. We are close now. It will be good and very profitable for the owners of that food production but I’m not so sure it will be so good for the consumer.
I believe the “FARM BUREAU” is working hard for that latter track we are now on.
Exactly Clyde, Mexico has now figured what to do with the tariffs on cheese that the Farm Bureau is to skittish to say anything about, they went to the EU to buy dairy. The Farm Bureau appears to be just as fraudulent as trump regarding telling the truth.
“Since its plans for a trade alliance with the United States were frozen after Trump’s election victory, the EU has focused instead on trying to champion open markets and seal accords with other like-minded countries.
The agreement in principle with Mexico follows a deal struck last year with Japan and comes ahead of talks next week with the Mercosur bloc of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
“With this agreement, Mexico joins Canada, Japan and Singapore in the growing list of partners willing to work with the EU in defending open, fair and rules-based trade,” said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-mexico-trade/eu-and-mexico-agree-new-free-trade-pact-idUSKBN1HS0PF
One thing for sure, we damn sure don’t need no stinkin CAFO’s anymore. Sorry Mark dude, but that train ran out of tracks.
Time for SD to come out of the dark ages and into the light and start developing farm to table industries and policies. Buck up and face the challenge rather than moan and groan about outside forces you cannot control.
While all states are going to take a bump, SD will be hit harder than most because it has no farm to table support.
You can’t buy SD products except for a couple. My wool, sugar, bread, raw milk, cookies, lotion, beer ( crafted here ,but the barley comes from MT), and beef ( I prefer organic grass fed) , all come from Montana, because none of that stuff is made in SD . If I drank wine I could buy wine here but I don’t.
Smart states made China buy, process in their state and are avoiding dealing with tariffs altogether.
Debbie “Smart states made China buy, process in their state and are avoiding dealing with tariffs altogether” if this is true then why does China import anything?
For something as important as food, there should be a known. If there are to many acres in beans, then leave that ground fallow and pay the producer for doing so. A real Farm Bureau would advocate for stuff like that rather than being just a political mouthpiece.
There are forces beyond markets at work, Jerry. You will hear about one soon. It is a force you probably never expected to hear about. Patience, my friend.
Right on Debbie! If South Dakota would come up with a state branding scheme we could override the ban against Country of Origin labeling that the WTO say’s is a no no. If the WTO still wanted to step in they could support individual farmers who just happen to be from South Dakota. We could get around the WTO Korpratiste yet!
It, of course,would require a little work to make sure it was supporting only SD grown and raised.
pres Child Abuser is reassuring farmers that daddy is going to make it all better.
“I will open things up, better than ever before, but it can’t go too quickly,” Trump said in a pair of tweets sent from Brussels, where he is attending a gathering of NATO leaders. “I am fighting for a level playing field for our farmers, and will win!”
Sorry. The link to the very brief WaPo article :
https://goo.gl/SrX75F
Trade deficits have grown substantially under Drumpf’s …uh….leadership? He is posed to set a 10 year high due to his magnificent negotiating skills and business savvy. Quite an accomplishment for a joker who says trade wars are easily won.
Hell, just read them all- https://www.google.com/search?q=+trade+deficits+under+trump&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1-ab
What farmers are saying, Bribing proves the NOem, Thune, Rounds, Dusty is a complete folly that will come back to the ag producers in a very negative way.
“”We keep hearing about the “Art of the Deal.” I’m waiting for the “Art” portion. Using a club to bludgeon our trading partners and allies is not negotiating. It’s nothing more than a playground bully stomping around to see who will flinch.
These pay-off dollars will do little more than put a target on agriculture’s back and make agriculture no better than those who come hat in hand wanting something for nothing. Farmers historically enjoy goodwill from the American public and taxpayer. This scheme will result in non-farm state legislators turning their back on agriculture when we need real help.
I spent 30 years administering federal farm programs with the USDA. I’ve administered and supported disaster programming, conservation programming, and price and supply stabilization. I believed in those supports because I believe a strong agriculture is directly related to our national security. I’ve never administered hush money designed to make me sit down and shut up about a ridiculous protectionist trade policy that has destroyed in a matter of months what my industry built with our own hands over decades.
The president calls ‘em like he sees them, and so do I. I won’t be silent any longer.” https://www.sidneydailynews.com/opinion/columns/112560/local-farmer-calls-it-like-he-sees-it
I may have missed local republican ag producers coming out publicly to denounce NOem, Thune, Rounds and Dusty and I wonder why that is. Why is it that South Dakota ag producers would come “hat in hand” instead of club in hand to demand change from this crooked bunch. Where are ye?