A Big Farm, but Not So Big It Could Get By Without Subsidies
Thursday, December 21, 2006; Page A08
While some farmers and agricultural experts see a downside to farm subsidies, others say the payments are a fair way to help out farmers in need. "Some years, that's probably what I live on," Steve Loschen said. "Honest to goodness. It helps me stay current on equipment payments and helps pay for my health care. It pretty much covers my family living expenses."
Loschen, 40, grows corn, wheat and soybeans on more than 1,500 acres in Franklin County, Neb., about 30 miles from the Kansas state line. In the past five years, he has received nearly $300,000 in government payments and disaster aid. "Really, if you look at the average of what I have received, I am at the middle to bottom of individuals who actually made their livelihood on the farm," he said.
Special Report
Working a Farm Subsidy
As Congress prepares to debate a farm bill in 2007, The Washington Post is examining federal agriculture subsidies that grew to more than $25 billion in 2005, despite near-record farm revenue.
Loschen draws a distinction between landlords who capture government payments without farming and full-time farmers such as himself who assume all the risks of growing a crop. "This is not welfare for me," he said. "I'm not trying to get rich. I'm trying to make a living. My definition of a family farmer is they're the guys who are actually doing the work."
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