Leopards, Faces, Etc

We’ve seen this story and we are going to see it again, but when you vote for a fascist, it turns out that the fascist doesn’t care about you either and I don’t mind highlighting this over and over and over again.

Jennifer Gilkerson never imagined that her West Virginia farm’s freeze-dried fruits would get caught up in political fights in Washington, D.C. 

But last Friday, she learned that funding for a U.S. Agriculture Department program that helps schools and food banks buy products from local farmers like her had been cut. Without those federal dollars, Gilkerson no longer expects local schools to be able to buy her freeze-dried fruits, which she has already spent thousands of dollars preparing to produce.

“We’re just in such a state of shock. We just don’t really even know how to respond to all this. We thought that this was sacred and really untouchable,” Gilkerson said. “Everyone thinks all farmers voted for this, but we did not vote for this.”

We only voted for white supremacy, don’t blame us!

But farmers across the country — from small organic berry growers in Maine to large-scale hog producers in Iowa — say those policy changes could cripple their businesses if they aren’t resolved soon, wreaking long-lasting damage on the U.S. agriculture industry. 

“I think any farmer will tell you that we will take some short-term pain, but do not make this a long-term extended trade war, because that just won’t be good for agriculture or for the country in general,” said Bob Hemesath, an Iowa farmer who grows corn and raises hogs. “I know that this is the way President Trump believes he’s going to create better markets long term. I hope he’s correct. But my fear is that once you lose those markets to other suppliers, it’s very hard to get them back.”

U.S. farmers depend on exporting their products because for many products, like corn, the country produces more than it is able to consume. Foreign buyers are also more willing to buy agricultural products people in the United States don’t want, like chicken feet or cow tongues.

But those overseas markets are now in question as Trump threatens to ratchet up the amount of tariffs charged on products being shipped into the United States — a move that is already causing other countries to retaliate with their own tariffs on U.S. goods.

“I’ve been at this for 45 years, and for all of those years, any time there is a trade dispute with another country, they recognize that our soft underbelly, where we really get sensitive, is when you start messing with our food exports,” said Chuck Conner, head of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. “That has always been the case, and that is the case this time around on steroids.”

Sometimes, you can get what you want! This keeps up and Republicans will only get 77% of the ag vote in 2028!