Revitalizing Rural America:
Protecting Small Producers

The United States lost over 160,000 farms in the first year of President BushÕs administration. Communities across the Great Plains have been devastated by a steady loss of farms, the cornerstones of rural culture. Wes Clark believes that we can create opportunity in rural communities so that those who want to live in small towns arenÕt forced to leave these communities to find work. First, Wes Clark will fix farm policy so that it helps family farmers and ranchers instead of providing incentives for large expansion-oriented farms. Second, Wes Clark will invest in strategies that open new markets to farmers and ranchers here and abroad. Finally, he will fund programs that help farmers and ranchers produce value-added products. Wes ClarkÕs plan to revitalize rural America by protecting small producers is based on three principles:

1. Valuing small farmers.

2. Opening new markets.

3. Capturing high-value markets.

VALUING SMALL FARMERS

• Eliminate subsidies for massive corporate farms. Nationwide, ten percent of the biggest subsidized crop producers collected 71 percent of all subsidies in 2002. Wes Clark will eliminate government subsidies for corporate farms that make more than a million dollars a year and invest the savings in helping small farmers.

• Ban packer ownership of livestock. Wes Clark would ban packer ownership of livestock. He would exempt existing contract farmers so that they could continue their operations should they choose to do so.

• Ensure competitive domestic markets for family farmers and ranchers. Wes Clark will make sure that the Department of Justice, and other relevant agencies, have the leadership and resources necessary to enforce anti-trust and marketing laws for the benefit of family farmers and ranchers.

• Protect and enhance sustainable farming. Effective conservation measures are necessary to preserve soil quality and productivity. Wes Clark will fully fund the Conservation Security Program and other farm bill conservation programs so that farmers and ranchers can maintain operations that are both profitable and environmentally sustainable.

OPENING NEW MARKETS

• Open markets to American goods. Americans cannot shy away from global competition, but Wes Clark believes that America must insist that the market not be distorted in ways that disadvantage American farmers and workers. The time has come to have an administration that can effectively ensure that the global marketplace is not stacked against our farmers and ranchers. Wes Clark will work to further open markets to American goods and ensure that U.S. trade laws are strictly enforced.

• Improve food supply security. As the recent discovery of a cow with BSE in the US indicates, we must take immediate steps to ensure that our food supply is safe in order to avoid the devastating loss of international markets for American products. Wes Clark supports country of origin labeling and national tracking of livestock. Secondly, he would ensure that downed animals showing signs of illness are tested Š and prevent those animals from further processing until test results are received. Wes Clark would also direct the USDA to review meat processing practices to ensure that nervous system tissue is not entering the food supply.

CAPTURING HIGH-VALUE MARKETS

• Help farmers add value to products. Wes Clark believes that we must provide increased opportunities for America's farmers and ranchers to add value to their product and to effectively capture that added margin. By exploring new market opportunities, family farmers and ranchers can diversify and increase their income. Markets with more difficult standards (such as organic crops) often offer higher premiums. Wes Clark will support policies that target resources to farmers and ranchers the flexibility to raise new crops or livestock and help small producers find niche markets appropriate for their resources. He will expand support for the development of programs such as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and subscription farming, which allow family farmers to connect directly to local markets.

• Support development of regional cooperatives. Family farmers and ranchers can more easily capture high-value niche markets when they work together. Wes Clark will support policies to help farmers work together to market products, establish standards, develop new production methods, and share equipment so that they can effectively compete in new markets and secure a significant premium for members.

• Combat hunger and improve nutrition. Wes Clark will work to ensure that more farmers' markets are able to accept food stamps and WIC benefits. He will expand the programs that allow low-income women who are pregnant or have small children to purchase fresh produce at farmers' markets, as well as the program that allows senior citizens to do so. Additionally, he will support efforts to enable low-income families to obtain shares from Community Supported Agriculture projects, through which they will receive fresh fruits and vegetables directly, in bulk, from small farmers.