Republicans say Obama, Vilsack shortchange farmers by helping 'hobbyists' raise local food

Three Republican senators say the Obama administration's focus on local food for the benefit of city dwellers is hurting conventional farming and rural areas. In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Arizona Sen. John McCain, Georgia Sen. Saxy Chambliss and Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts say the administration is diverting money from rural areas that need it in favor of promoting its "locavore niche," Philip Brasher of the Des Moines Register reports on the Green Fields blog. Chambliss and Roberts both serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee.

"Unfortunately, this spending doesn’t appear geared toward conventional farmers who produce the vast majority of our nation’s food supply, but is instead aimed at small, hobbyist and organic producers whose customers generally consist of affluent patrons at urban farmers markets," the senators wrote. Vilsack countered that the "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" program will benefit rural areas. "I believe cultivating these new markets – not replacing old ones – is critical to revitalizing rural America by preserving wealth, increasing farm income, and reminding us all of the hard work and values that sustain those communities and our nation," he wrote in a response letter.

The senators took particular exception to a recent memo from USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan urging agency chiefs to use funding for projects such as community cooking classes or refrigeration systems in urban areas, Brasher reports. "American families and rural farmers are hurting in today’s economy, and it’s unclear to us how propping up the urban locavore markets addresses their concerns," the senators wrote. (Read more)