By
Kimberly Warren
Managing Editor
When your mother
kindly hints that “I really miss seeing your column” in
the paper, you know it’s time to write a little something. So
that’s what this is – a little something about fall.
Fall has always been my favorite time of year. There’s nothing
quite like T-shirt-and-jeans weather. And it’s a perfect time
for curling up on the porch with a blanket and good book. Fresh apples,
hot cider and farm market visits add oodles of joy when October rolls
around. (Throw in a couple of football games and leaf piles, and it
doesn’t get much better.)
But there’s more to fall than jumping in leaf piles and carving
pumpkins. Fall is when many growers get to turn a year of hard work
into a harvest. Growers spend hours upon hours in the fields and orchards
to bring crops to fruition. And fall is when customers rush to local
farm markets, crowding stores and corn mazes. Fall is also when growers
already start looking ahead to the next year and planning for what’s
to come.
And this year, fall is a lot more for growers than harvest and busy
planning. This year is also the year we elect our new president and
political representatives. So far, it has been an exciting election
year, and as Nov. 2 gets closer, it’s only apt to get more heated.
In our question of the month last month, we asked readers what the
most important agricultural issues are that need to be addressed in
the election. And the responses we received ran the gamut from domestic
to international concerns.
Many of the readers responded with one of three choices we provided:
trade, insurance and labor. Trade ranked as the top concern for readers
at 73 percent. Labor ranked second with 18 percent, and insurance
ranked third at 9 percent. But some readers went further and provided
additional areas that the election should cover.
One reader wrote about concerns over the wars in the Middle East and
how they will affect the fuel supplies of the future. This reader
also went on to question the increased dependence on foreign goods
and services while U.S. growers are being shut out of the marketplace.
One reader wrote, “The biggest issue is ignorance and apathy
of the American public.” This reader is concerned about U.S.
involvement in other countries, social security, increasing national
debt and trade policies that do not favor American workers or producers.
Another grower said: “All three of the issues that you mentioned
are critical, as well as the problem with incoming ag products that
do not get tested for pesticide and herbicide residue.” This
reader also voiced concerns about U.S. growers being able to compete.
“U.S. agriculture is having a hard time competing on the world
market when our costs are so much higher: labor, insurance, parts,
equipment, taxes, water, etc.”
A similar concern was voiced by a reader who wrote about NAFTA (North
American Free Trade Association). “We have hurt ourselves with
the passage and enactment of NAFTA,” the reader wrote. “We
need to support our domestic growers first and only allow imports
for some things that are impossible to grow here or are in very short
supply.”
While many growers share concerns over U.S. competition in the world
market, others are concerned about competition at home where consumers
are not concerned with buying local, thus pushing local growers out
of the stores.
And one reader wrote in that one of the biggest issues needing attention
are genetically-modified foods. “We need input from both sides,”
the reader wrote. “With something this new and potentially hazardous
to farming itself, it should not go unchecked. A thorough investigation
is in order by farmers themselves.”
It’s clear to see by our recent question of the month that growers
and others involved in the industry do have strong opinions. And those
opinions must be heard. Whether you talk to political candidates directly
or simply voice your opinion through your vote, make sure that U.S.
agriculture is heard. No matter what your political affiliations or
opinions may be, 2004 is an election year where every vote matters
and agriculture’s voice must be heard. So whatever you’re
doing Nov. 2, make a point to go to your local polling location and
cast your vote.
Share with me about your farm and the issues that concern you in the
upcoming election. I can be reached at (616) 887-9008, ext. 110. Or,
e-mail me at editor@vegetablegrowersnews.com
