MOUNT VERNON — Knox County farmers learned about new equipment technology and the Farm Bill during Tuesday’s Farmers Breakfast at R&M’s Southside Diner.
Darrell Kick, a representative of Bob Gibb’s office, offered some updates with the Farm Bill stating that it “has been discussed at nauseum” and it “leaves offices in limbo” as the “hold up is more on the dairy side of things.” Kick also stated that one of the items affecting the Farm Bill is the nutrition assistance programs like WIC and others that “have been abused over the years.” According to Kick, “the Farm Bill is 80 percent nutrition assistance. Do you realize it’s 80 percent not to farmers?”
Kick also discussed the concept of redefining “the farmer” in order to limit payments through the USDA programs.
“I know what their intent is, they feel like with corporate farms, the owner is never really on site, and they want to get away from giving that person payments ... I’m looking forward to seeing how they redefine farmer,” said Kick.
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