The issue of organic produce is an incredibly contentious one. There are many different certifications for foods now, to the point that most of them have lost any meaning to the consumer. They can range from certified organic, to guaranteed organic, to warranted organic. Now, new regulations may require independent testing bodies to certify food and produce organic, which may help smaller farms and operations slap something of worth onto their food products.

Some farmers suggest that as individuals each farmer should take it upon themselves to label their products by exactly what practices they use, meaning detailing precisely how they raise the food organically. Some of these details might include composting, holistic management practices, labor trades, family involvements, genetic modifications, etc. With these methods the aim is to bring about greater transparency in what exactly is going into the food, at least in terms of what kind of processes the farmers are using to get their product out there. I think that this type of transparency will be very important to the consumer, especially with the disingenuous labels floating around all the super markets.

I personally have been confused many times when grocery shopping, and if there was a brief summary of exactly what was going into the food I would be much more inclined to pay attention to the labeling. I think that the organic labeling has gotten way out of hand, and the majority of consumers have absolutely no idea what organic entails, beyond wanting to eat something that has been deemed healthy. I would venture to say that the average consumer just listens to whatever advertising is fed to them in their local grocery store, without considering what it means to the farmers. A standard organic certification would go a long way towards clearing up all this confusion.

Immigration and Farming

Immigration and farming go hand in hand nowadays, and there are numerous legal issues surrounding having a legal workforce for farming operations. Right now farmers are pushing for a workable program that will ensure a stable and legal supply of workers to keep production going, as well as bring in temporary workers as needed. They are also pushing for current agricultural workers to have the ability to apply for permanent United States residency.

Currently farmers have a very difficult time during hiring, because they are caught in a situation that has no correct answer. It is illegal for them to hire any workers that are not authorized to work in the United States, but they are extremely limited in what they can ask prospective employees to verify their legal work status. Discriminate against a potential worker by asking for too much and you have a lawsuit on your hands, hire an illegal and you are subject to prosecution. Farmers and growers are now caught between a rock and a hard place.

Farmers have suggested forming a more reliable verification system for a long time now, and they would like a system that uses machines with machine-readable documents being used to determine whether or not the worker is illegal. Using machines would allow a lot of human error to be removed from the equation, and could introduce standards that would be used industry-wide. They would also like to see transition packages that assist those workers wanting to apply for legal United States residency as farm workers. Agriculture needs an estimated 700,000 workers annually, and this number would be much easier to reach if an effective transitional program was introduced that sped along the process of obtaining United States residency. These suggestions are just the tip of the iceberg, but they offer a good primer.

Farm Subsidiaries

Farm subsidiaries are basically those farms which are run by people primarily to grow products for themselves. In case, any product turns to be in surplus quantity, then that is sold in the market. Farm subsidiaries also refer to services which are provided by people when other people pay a visit to their farms as a part of rural tourism. The products produced at such farm always have a high quality. This is because the people who grow such products know that they themselves will consume a large part of the products. Thus all efforts are made to create healthy and fresh products.

People who visit such farms also get a lovely opportunity to observe the simple but charming part of farming life from close. The number of people who visit such farms is increasing year by year. This is one of the best opportunities to get peace of mind away from the city life. We also get a rare chance to taste fresh farm products directly just after they have been produced. Tourism also helps the people in charge of the farm to earn some extra cash for themselves and also helps them to get in contact with other people. Thus a farm subsidiary offers an enriching experience for everyone connected with it.

US Farm Bill

The US farm bill is useful as it helps us to know more about the agricultural and food policies of the US Government. It is the single most important factor which influences the total farming community in the US. Currently the farm bill is known as the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. The bill provides subsidy for energy, conservation, nutrition and rural development. It also encourages cellulosic ethanol production and more advanced research for pets.

Biomass crop production too has been encouraged in this bill. It also focuses on the commercialization of advanced biofuels. More than $4 billion has been provided as funds for working lands programs and conservation. The bill has made provisions for organic agricultural research and provides much needed funds for that too. Agricultural producers will be provided grants covering approximately one-fourth of the cost of their renewable energy systems. Loans have been granted, to improve energy efficiency, to agricultural producers as well as rural small businesses. Thus the bill seems to address all the major concerns of the agricultural producers. At the same time it provides much needed support for cleaning the environment and improving the energy scenario in America.