Most Americans only experience with farming is at the grocery store. There, we purchase the end product of the farming industry: food. Most Americans don’t realize the complicated politics of farming. Some of us see farmers in their fields and think: “What a rewarding experience.”
What we don’t see is the political side of the farming industry. This summer, the United States is hammering out a new Farm Bill that will be in force for the next five years. The Senate has already passed their version of the bill and the House will be debating their version soon. Then the two versions will need to be reconciled, never an easy task.
One of the most contentious parts of a very contentious bill is the Federal Crop Insurance program. Farming is fraught with peril from weather, pests, low prices and poor yields. In order for farmers to protect themselves, the Federal government has backed a program that farmers use to insure themselves against these perils. READ MORE
