Copyright 2002 Denver Publishing Company  
Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)
March 27, 2002 Wednesday Final Edition
SECTION: LOCAL; Pg. 7A

LENGTH: 444 words

HEADLINE: AGRICULTURE CHIEF TO HEAR VIEWS ON FARM BILL;
$171 BILLION WOULD FUND SUBSIDIES, FOOD STAMPS, LOANS, OTHER PROGRAMS

BYLINE: Deborah Frazier, News Staff Writer

BODY:
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman today will listen to Colorado farmers talk about the $171 billion farm bill drafted to help producers stay in business despite the drought, low prices and export embargoes.

"We need to have help now," said Alan Foutz, who raises wheat, millet and sunflowers near Akron.

The farm bill, which is in a conference committee to settle differences in the Senate and House versions, would spend up to $75.5 billion in the next few years to pay individual farmers as much as $275,000 in price supports, loans, conservation payments and other programs.

"Not every farmer gets that much money. Most farmers get far less," said Sean Conway, spokesman for Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., who organized the gathering at the state Capitol.

Greg Brophy, whose family farms in eastern Colorado, said 8,972 of the state's farmers received $400 million in 2001. The payments go to grain farmers, not ranchers, vegetable and fruit growers or "hobby" farmers.

Foutz, who is also president of the Colorado Farm Bureau, said he doesn't like the subsidies, but with exports banned to 80 countries, prices stuck below the cost of production and droughts, there's not much choice.

"It's a subsidy. I don't deny it, but if we don't do it, people will be spending a lot more for food," said Foutz. "With the farm program, you never need to worry about going to the store and finding milk or bread. And it's safe. That's what we get for $75.5 billion."

The Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, often at odds with the Farm Bureau over policy issues, this year is backing the same farm bill, despite the payment levels that have angered lawmakers who want to cut the budget.

"It benefits family farms," said John Stencil, president of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. "It will distribute most of the money to small and medium producers."

Both agriculture leaders said corporate-owned farms are rare in Colorado because growing grain in a drought-prone state isn't profitable enough.

The farm bill also would provide food stamps to foreign farm workers with legal documents. About 60 percent of the farm bill's funding goes to food stamps, nutritional programs for women and children and similar services.

In Colorado, many of the immigrants that work on farms, ranches, fruit and vegetable farms lack proper work papers. No one advocates giving those workers food stamps although they are the lowest paid.

"If they were not here, there wouldn't be food grown," said Foutz, who doesn't need hired help on his farm. "They are doing the work that no one else wants, but it's the responsibility of the people that hire them."

LOAD-DATE: March 28, 2002