Branstad policies hurt farmers in ’80s

The July 10, 1984, Gazette carried the headline: “Branstad says Reagan right: Farmers well off.” Back then we had a grocery store, lumberyard and hardware store in Springville, not vacant store fronts. Our grain elevator would buy oats and grind livestock feed, features we've lost recently, at the other end of the trends Branstad supported.

From 1981-86, the farm sector had a return on equity below zero.

Full ownership net returns for corn and soybeans went downhill from the late 1970s through the 1980s through Branstad's last two terms, where they averaged well below zero. Farm parity and farm shares of the food dollar both show similar patterns.

Branstad was not responsible for all of this, of course. Below-cost corn and soybean export sales are a federal matter, supported by Iowa's Sen. Chuck Grassley. He came to office by defeating Sen. John Culver. Culver supported increases (not elimination!) of price floors for U.S. corn, wheat and other crops.

Branstad failed to assess and address Iowa's crisis. He endorsed the North Carolina model of helping corporate livestock factories take the value-added Iowa livestock industry off our diversified family farms, with help from Grassley's below-cost grain. Before he left, the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) bill, H.F. 519, was passed as Branstad got $42,000 (campaign donations) from Iowa Select.

Recently, John Ikerd (Missouri ag economics professor) reported on 59 CAFO and 40 health studies: CAFOs consistently hurt small-town economies, communities, ecology and health.

Here comes Branstad to “fix” Iowa again!

Brad Wilson

Springville