By Richard R. Oswald

Hold on a second. Now I’ve been maligned for the fact that my overproduction of corn and soybeans have driven poor farmers in developing nations out of business. This says that better markets here at home are making it hard for poor people to eat.

The solution to every problem regarding world hunger seems to be that the American farmer is overpaid, either with subsidies or in the marketplace.

I am not responsible for overpopulation, water shortages in sub-Saharan Africa, earthquakes in Bolivia, or tsunamis in Indonesia.

We tried to feed the world and were told no thanks. Now we’re trying to use our ability to produce surplus by utilizing it to reduce foreign oil imports, and we catch hell for ignoring the starving multitudes.

I live in America. Just because I’m a farmer doesn’t mean I should have a third world income, and just because I’m an American farmer is no reason that I should be a world wide corporation with a third world work force. Being an American Farmer means I do my best to feed myself, my family, my banker, my ag supplier, my seed dealer, my implement dealer, my implement dealers implement company, at least 3 companies like Monsanto (ok, there’s only one Monsanto), and oh yeah, a few hundred other people.

If we’re not doing enough to feed the world then the governments of the world should just get out of the way and let us all work, ‘cause it’s their fault, not mine.

Otherwise they could just eat Canadian beef. I hear they have a lot of it. RO

Richard R. Oswald
15593 245th
Langdon, MO 64446
660-744-2513
660-744-4297 (mobile)
roswald@rpt.coop