USDA's start2farm.gov helping new farmers

US Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack said “America’s farmers and rural communities are vitally important to our nation’s economy, producing the food, feed, fiber and fuel that continue to help us grow. USDA is working to provide opportunities for the next generation to get into agriculture in order to continue the record success of America’s farmers and ranchers who are seeing record farm incomes and record exports. Start2Farm.gov will help us protect and sustain these successes, so that we continue to build an agriculture industry diverse and successful enough to attract the smartest, hardest-working young people in the nation.”

Start2farm.gov

The funding for Start2Farm.gov by NIFA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP), which aided in the development of education and training programs to provide the next generation of US farmers and ranchers with greater sustainability.

Alaskan Growers School which is funded by the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program

Start2Farm.gov allows beginning farmers to search for programs and resources that provides training and financing. An Event Calendar is also listed to find local events in your area. The site also allows you to connect to other farmers and gain access to How-to’s of farming including farm management, marketing, planning and more.

By USDA definition, beginning farmers are those operating a farm or ranch with 10 years or less experience. USDA states that 20% of 2.1 million US farms are classified as beginning farms. If you fit this category you can still qualify for the many programs available to you by the USDA through start2farm.gov website.

With the realization that US can be productive and thrive in today’s economy through our agriculture, building tomorrow’s farmers and ranchers is the goal of start2farm.gov website.

As relations in the US-China Symposium goes well, we could see huge gains in US agricultural growth and agricultural jobs for 2012 and the years to come.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer wants more federal help with immigration. Texas wants federal funds to fix a congested rail intersection. Washington Senate candidate Clint Didier has received more than a quarter million federal dollars, in farm subsidies. It’s always good to see Republicans appreciating a strong federal government.

Now what Mr. Lewis doesn’t get is that Conservatives do actually appreciate a strong government, but only in the areas where the constitution has said it should be.  Fixing the congested rail intersection comes from Article I, clause 7 establishing Congress’ powers over “post roads”.   Several Supreme Court cases have tangled with this, but in the end, the established power stands.

It saddens me that I even have to keep saying this, but yes, Governor Brewer has every right to demand assistance from the federal government on illegal immigration – it’s a federal law that’s being broken.  It would seem that the left complains that Arizona went and created a state law to control illegal border activity, and now that a Republican is asking the feds to enforce federal law – libs are throwing that fact in the faces of supporters.  Which is it?  Should the federal or state government be dealing with this?  Oh wait, they don’t want this enforced at all.  We’re just supposed to focus on the state issue and forget all about the amnesty initiatives being floated in Congress.  ”Not gonna’ do it”.

The farm subsidies, are questionable, but pointing at one Senate candidate in a left-leaning state as somehow indicating that Conservatives believe the government should be subsidizing the growing of crops is ludicrous.  The enviro-left has recently been pushing legislators to throw all kinds of government incentives to farmers to grow corn for ethanol production.  Subsidizing the price of corn does two things: increases the price of corn and entices farmers to plant fewer acres of the less-profitable crops.  While people around the world are struggling to pay these subsidized prices for corn and inflated prices for other crop-foods, saying that right-leaning Americans are appreciative of such government action, isn’t really correct.  Than again, I’m sure that’s Bush’s fault too.

Conservatives do like a strong America.  We like a good central government (not necessarily over-bearingly large).  The federal government should handle roads, regulation of inter-state/international trade and treaties, the defense of the nation, and the collection of taxes.  These are places that Conservatives find that our government can operate (albeit inefficient).  Health care, retirement, education.. the government has neither been effective nor efficient.

Liberals, really now, get over it.  Conservatives are not looking for anarchy any more than you are looking for fascism (well most of you).

Gain some perspective, if you can.  There’s no need to argue, lefties just don’t understand.

There was some concern that congress would not listen to fish, even with the threat of a loss of voter support, but that has proven untrue.  California congress members have acted and the fish are encouraged by the truly representative democracy they swim within.  There is no doubt that farmers have been out-maneuvered by the smelt PAC.  In a democracy, that’s what happens – those with the majority (fish) have power over those that do not (the people).  It is possible that we must get used to this as Cass Sunstein (an Obama administration official) may make it possible for animals to sue us.  A position I support, as long as it becomes legal to hunt lawyers.

Farmers have had to live with infertile lands, dying orchards and farmland, and impossible growing conditions.  The 40% unemployment conditions are just a cost of making sure the aquatic segment of the populace are taken care of.

Some are crying that an ineffective census has left farmers with even more rights than they should have had.  Clearly, there are more fish than farmers and in a representative government… the fish win.

The lessen to farmers… spawn or get out-voted by an animal that lives about a year and has no value to the economy whatsoever.