This Federal shutdown doesn't just affect the paper pushers or the people who work in parks.
It affects all manner of farmers as well, because the programmes that pay the grain and dairy farmers are not being paid the money that is owed to them by the federal government under its trade bailout.
Nor are they paying the conservation programme for farmers who taking steps to reduce soil erosion and water runoff from fields.
The state of Wisconsin is particularly vulnerable, it saw the loss of 638 dairy farms last year.. yes, you read that correctly, over 638 dairy herds were slaughtered last year.
This represents breeding stock as well. Cows don't just give milk, they breed calves which represent the new milk cows or beef cattle, the bull cattle will have also been slaughtered.
Once they are dead.. that's it. The blood lines of this livestock which these dairy farmers natured and bred so carefully are gone.. forever.
Milk equals butter, cheese, cream, icecream, kefir and yoghurt so don't be surprised to see a dramatic increase in all milk based products this year.
And now onto grain farmers, many of them who are also affected. Federal crop payments have stopped, farmers cannot get federally backed loans to buy seed for planting or feed for their livestock. Because all of the agricultural department offices are closed.
They cannot look up data about beef prices, or soybean yields.
It's a big fat mess.. there is a lot more but this is enough unhappy news for one post.. read all about the state of farming in The New York Times today.
Think of the loss of jobs that these farms closing, through no fault of their own, has generated.
Think of the depression and mental problems that has been caused.
They are not happy thoughts.
GeeGee Parrot.
January 11th, 2019.
It affects all manner of farmers as well, because the programmes that pay the grain and dairy farmers are not being paid the money that is owed to them by the federal government under its trade bailout.
Nor are they paying the conservation programme for farmers who taking steps to reduce soil erosion and water runoff from fields.
The state of Wisconsin is particularly vulnerable, it saw the loss of 638 dairy farms last year.. yes, you read that correctly, over 638 dairy herds were slaughtered last year.
This represents breeding stock as well. Cows don't just give milk, they breed calves which represent the new milk cows or beef cattle, the bull cattle will have also been slaughtered.
Once they are dead.. that's it. The blood lines of this livestock which these dairy farmers natured and bred so carefully are gone.. forever.
Milk equals butter, cheese, cream, icecream, kefir and yoghurt so don't be surprised to see a dramatic increase in all milk based products this year.
And now onto grain farmers, many of them who are also affected. Federal crop payments have stopped, farmers cannot get federally backed loans to buy seed for planting or feed for their livestock. Because all of the agricultural department offices are closed.
They cannot look up data about beef prices, or soybean yields.
It's a big fat mess.. there is a lot more but this is enough unhappy news for one post.. read all about the state of farming in The New York Times today.
Think of the loss of jobs that these farms closing, through no fault of their own, has generated.
Think of the depression and mental problems that has been caused.
They are not happy thoughts.
GeeGee Parrot.
January 11th, 2019.
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