News Coverage
2000 Locals Get Farm Subsidies From the Government
Published May 19, 2008
How would you like to get a handout from the government to help guarantee your income? Sounds nice doesn't it? Well, that's exactly what's happening as part of a massive farm bill just approved by Congress.
In urban environments like the Las Vegas valley, farm subsides are not on the radar screen of top-priority issues. However, in agricultural areas of the country and also in Nevada, they are a hot political issue.
An environmental group says nearly 2,000 local residents benefit from subsidies with farms both near and far. Just an hour from Las Vegas, you will find the hay fields of the Moapa Valley.
"What we are doing is cutting alfalfa explains Derek Hardy, a farm employee. The hay will eventually be sold to feed horses throughout the region.
The Hardy's are fifth generation Nevada farmers.
"You should care about the farm bill for several reasons. Number one -- everyone likes to eat," said Stan Hardy, farm co-owner.
Hardy says even though his hay does not qualify for direct government payments, subsides are good for consumers.
"So indirectly or directly, all the farm produce has to be paid for. Subsidies help control the market so there's not a wide fluctuation of prices," he said.
According to the "Environmental Working Group" which seeks to reform the subsidy program, Nevada farmers collected more than $64 million in extra cash from Uncle Sam.
"Overall its a good policy. I think with all government operations there is good and bad in it and there's waste. There's never going to be a nationwide program that there's not waste in," Hardy said.
The group's data also identifies nearly 2,000 urban Las Vegas valley residents who collect farm subsidies from land they own elsewhere.
Local Pastor Kleg Seth is one of them. "The area we're in which is between Walla Walla and Spokane is dry-land farming," Seth said. His family owns farm land in Washington state and over the past decade has received more than a $500,000 in subsides tied to conservation efforts.
"For me it was an opportunity to continue to be involved pretty much in full-time ministry as well as caring for my mom as she was elderly. And it just gave me that freedom that I normally wouldn't have had," he said.
Family patriarch Glen Hardy is the third highest recipient of farm subsides at nearly $94,000 over the past decade.
"Well when we level the ground it takes expensive equipment and they'll pay half the price."
Hardy says his government subsides came from a conservation program. He leveled a field.
"So the water goes through evenly, smoothly." Hardy says it results in lower costs.
"We get higher production, we get more production per acre therefore we can sell it cheaper. In the end the consumer benefits because they cheaper food out of the market," Hardy said.
Subsidies or not, Derek Hardy wonders how long his way of life will still be around. "Town's kind of getting a little overpopulated and the farm ground is kind of depleting. I will probably move on to another small farming town and try it again," he said.
So, are farm subsides sound public policy? Eyewitness News put that question to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who voted for the farm bill last week.
Reporter Mark Sayre: "That is money which is effectively being given to one group of businesspeople -- that is farmers -- what if a casino interest or somebody else came to you and said 'look, we would like subsides for our industry, too.' is it really fair?"
Senator Harry Reid, (D) Nevada: "Well it's pretty easy to answer that question. People don't need to gamble, they need to eat. And we have situations where we have a country where we have natural disasters and the farm program is wiped out in a certain part of our country. We need that food, we just can't tell them to plow it under and come back some later time."
Senator John Ensign voted against the farm bill. President Bush is vowing to veto it over the issue of subsidies.
