Should the federal government subsidize U.S. farmers?

Keep "as is"

not if the crop will become bio diesel

Depends on crop and current circumstance/

Scale back to more reasonable levels and no longer pay farmers to NOT grow certain crops.

lower subsidies.

create a more affordable plan based on the volume.

Scale back subsities to corporate farms

farming subsidies should help small local farmers not giant corporations and not paying people not to grow

There's nothing wrong with the subsidy system, in and of itself; the problem is subsidizing farmers NOT to grow food. Giant agricultural businesses, like Monsanto and ConAgra are ruining the collective health of our nation. We should let farmers farm. We need to do a better job in this nation of understanding how agricultural systems work, understanding why you really shouldn't be eating tomatoes in the winter.

I would disperse all farm subsidies differently; instead of the bulk of subsidies going to corn farmers, I would increase the amount of subsidies in other areas.

Phase out subsidies and regulations. They distort market value and promote agribusiness not diverse scale farming

Get rid of all subsidies for Ethanol and for any other products by huge corporate enterprises.

All government subsidies should be reviewed periodically, and removed whenever possible. AND include small, organic and natural farms.

No products should receive subsidies. Any product should be able to compete on its own merits.

Change the patent laws so no farmer has to pay patent holders to grow crops, then you will need no subsidies

Investigate Mosanto's corporate policies under anti-trust laws. The need for federal subsidies is in large part due to their actions. If the subsidies remain necessary after investigation, leave them. Otherwise, end them.

Subsidies should be reviewed periodically and adjusted based on the nutritional needs of the population.

Farm subsidies should be cut back and close scrutiny should exclude subsidies that make no sense. The goal should be to phase out subsidies over time,

Farm subsidies should be reduced and remaining subsidies should be restructured to encourage local farming, be reallocated to non-cash crops and provide relief from taxes and zoning changes that are squeezing small farms out of suburban areas.

Farm subsidies should be redistributed among various types of crops instead of only corn. One of the reasons we have an obesity problem is because of the massive corn crop we subsidize and the resultant corn syrup and corn-fed livestock that permeate our diets. If we had variety in what is cheaply available, we could spread the benefits of the farm subsidies more equally among the states and improve our health at the same time.

dont care much

Not sure.

Yes, but not to big agra-business (give money to mom-and-pop farms and not to monsanto or other horrible corporations)

end corn production. invest n organic farming on local levels. no corporate farming.

don't care

Yes, but farm subsidies should be reduced for products such as corn. With the amount of money subsidized for corn, most industries use bottom up thinking, what can corn be used for, rather than: what would make for the best food product/oil/etc.

Yes, but cut animal factory farm subsidies. Include small and organic farms. And terminate forced use of infertile seeds that need to be repeatedly purchased by farmers year after year.

Farming shouldn't be that fucking expensive.

Unsure

Yes, continue agricultural subsidies, include small and organic farmers, and change the rate for different crops to encourage planting of other crops besides corn.

Yes, since this allows the US to have food security, but also support local and organic farmers and scale back the meat industry, which wastes tons of water and corn.

No, cut subsidies to industrialized agriculture, but give subsidies to more sustainable agriculture.

Reduce subsidies in the US but raise taxes on food imported from countries that provide their farmers subsidies

Instead of giving money to grow crop, just buy the excess at lower prices. Free market drives the farmers, you keep the lower earning ones in business, and then can make massive donations to other industries that require the product.

They should be cut, with exception of the family farm where they have to compete with the larger Corporate Farms.

Subsidies should be reduced over time and finally eliminated.

Subsidies should be redirected from factory farms to small and urban farms, and from cash crops to a more diverse array of food crops. It is deeply concerning that a significant percentage of the nation's produce comes from an ecologically vulnerable region of California. Subsidies should encourage long-term sustainability rather than short-term profit-seeking.

Gov't needs to put more regulation on big corporations that have control on produce that is fruit, veg, and meat. Gov't must enforce better quality, non-chemical producing farms that help consumers live healthier and sustain small farms to produce quality products. Large corporations have taken over the farming industry giving less money to farmers and poisoning consumer lifestyle with chemical produces food. Alot of government contol is not needed to small business but on large corporations. That is not what is happening. Large corporations are the law.

Not sure how to answer.

No, institute a program that slowly weens farmers off of subsides and forces them towards more competitive practices. Let the free markets dictate farming practices.

Farm subsidies should be restructured to encourage local farming and provide relief from taxes and zoning changes that are squeezing small farms out of suburban areas. AND Cut factory farm subsidies.

Include, organic farmers and decrease funding.

Subsidies should not be given to "farmers" who do not live on their farm land. End urban subsidies and the wealthy, post farming family lineages that still receive subsidies unfairly; While keeping them for farmers that need them to make life as a farmer.

Increase subsidies to small family and organic farms and at the same time stop all subsidies to factory farms.

Farm subsidies in general should end, but it shouldn't be done abruptly. A slow decrease in subsidies in general is wise, however specific farming-related stimulus options should remain open for things like biofuel.

Keep farm subsidies at their current levels but allow for periodic review of subsidies and removal of them when deemed appropriate.

subsidies really only go toward large corporate farms and dont help the small farmer, which is why they were implemented in the first place as a result of the overfarming of the early 1900s when the government asked farmers to produce more for the war effort in world war I. since then, the program has grown, even though its intended use has faded. it is merely corporate welfare keeping the rich richer, while keeping the impoverished hungry.

Cut back on subsidies, only give them to farmers who grow food that we can actually eat.

Yes, but only for farms that are not owned by corporations. No subsidy for tobacco farming.

idk and idc

Yes. Also open the borders, eliminate all penalties for hiring illegals, then round up the illegals on payday so the farmers get free labor.

No, let them farm on there own

fuck thew farmers! food is for pussies

Farm subsidies are strategically important because it is vital that the United States be able to produce its own food supply. I'm not protectionist and do not impose importing food, but in the case the shit hits the fan, its good to know that our nation can sustain itself. Where these subsidies go, and what crops they support is a whole other question.

Farm subsidies need to be revamped to be in concert with the health needs of the country. [Higher emphasis on nutrient rich fruits/vegetables than on simple carbohydrates]

End all federal farm subsidies and block grant them back to the states.

Hat

Yes, but more investments in fruits and vegetable farmers than meat and cheese.

I don't know

Yes but only to non-GMO based farms all GMO based farms should have all subsidy's cut.

Yes, but restructure the subsidy program to encourage proper crop rotation and to discourage irrigated crops where non-irrigated crops could be planted at the same time.

I agree with the corn ethanol guy, bit it might not be as bad to your health as it is to your car engines. Just because ethanol worked somewhere else doesn't mean corn ethanol will. Sugar cane ethanol is the way to go if we actually just did scientific research instead of having politicians (who are more likely to be business men or lawyers, and not scientifically literate enough to really perform such experiments) from corn growing states all of a sudden love the environment. They're being green, all right, they're making more money. And that's the only reason we use corn ethanol. It's bad for your car engine and actually makes it perform worse than the use of petroleum based gasoline.

I'm against subsidies of any kind on an idealistic level but I do not presume to understand the subject, nor do I believe the vast majority of politicians do.

Regulate the agricultural sector to ban "Cash crops" and only grow food needed by the nation. Any excessive surpluses to be given as foreign aid.

if all subsidies are ended, 10 billion per year will end up in the farmer's pockets (i dont know the actual numbers but that is the general idea)

If the government is going to subsidize agriculture, it should be to create an abundance of food so people don't need to work just to eat.

phase out over several years to let markets adjust

The government should get out of farming all together including control and price fixing on import and export of farm products

No, Monsanto $ should be spent to dig up all the corn, till all the land, bring in fresh clean soil from Austrailia and China and let the Farmers grow organic and so we pay a bit more but my health is worth it, and I'm poor. Rich peoples health is important too, as long as they pay their fair share or get rid of Money on paper like Ron Paul says.

No, end all federal farm subsidies, let the market decide what farmers produce.

Get rid of the subsidy, but create a safety net through the insurance industry.

Only small farms producing sustainable organic crops should receive subsidies.

Subsidies should continue however they should be for products that are needed to support a healthier country. Local farmers, produce and soy are a good start.

don't know enough to respond intelligently about this

I do not know enough about farm subsidies to comment on this issue

Subsidize only farms that make profits less than $500,000 per year.

No, farm subsidies for corporate farms must be eliminated immediately. Subsidies for small and "organic" farmers should be phased out.

Citizens need to grow much more of their own food, and farmers should serve their local market's needs only. Big Ag has too many problems to ever be sustainable.

yes, but only to the same extent as other major exporting countries, to establish a world-wide level playing field.

Further study concerning the effects of the subsidies on local and state economies as well as the national economy is necessary before this decision can be made.

Farms need to be subsidized to go local and sustainable and re-tool to avoid unstable costly inputs like petroleum based products as oil prices are going to go sky high.

If done with appropriate intentions, i.e. not expanding the corn industry via the USDA and creating problems such as diabetes

honk honk

Subsidies should be adjusted to be in line with nutrition guidelines. Add subsidies to fruits, vegetables, and grains while cutting meat and dairy subsidies.

Downsize subsidies for factory farms and use those funds to subsidize higher quality farms.

Farming subsidies should be restructured to promote more sustainable farming and ranching practices (such as organic, safe genetic modification, agroecology, etc.) with an emphasis on preserving diversity of both produce and operation size/type.

Not informed enough to decide.

Farm subsidies are important but they are supporting industries that are killing this country. Healthy food should be subsidized far more then unhealthy. Hamburgers should never be less expensive than a salad.

I just really wanted to see what a bunch of random answers would produce

Subsidies should be eliminated across the board not just farming. They artificially lower and raise prices of various goods and cause goods to be produced that wouldn't otherwise be made in a free-market.

I would need to understand more about the effects of subsidized farming before making a decision.

Monsanto farmers should not be subsidized. Small farms and organic farms should be subsidized.

Allow farmers to grow hemp.Hemp is easy to grow,fertilizes it's own soil and can grow in most any soil.Hemp and cannabis can be used for fuel, food, fabrics,paper and medication.

Only non-corporate farms

Stop subsidizing large industrial farms, subsidize small scale sustainable farms.

Cut corn and factory while adding small and organics

I dont know

Yes, but not to people who make over "x" amount of dollars per year

The program is outdated, but it can only be phased out slowly to prevent hurting farmers.

don't know