The following article really could be National Politics or Local Politics. I decided to split the article between both pages. I am not an alarmist nor am I a doom and gloom person. I do believe that we are better off if we know what is happening and perhaps influence a change.
WHO OWNS OUR LAND AND WATER?
The push to remove China’s influence from the U.S. economy has reached America’s farm country, as congressional lawmakers from both parties are looking at measures to crack down on foreign purchases of prime agricultural real estate. House lawmakers recently advanced legislation to that effect, warning that China’s presence in the American food system poses a national security risk. And key Senate lawmakers have already shown interest in efforts to keep American farms in American hands.
Chinese firms have expanded their presence in American agriculture over the last decade by snatching up farmland and purchasing major agribusinesses, like pork processing giant Smithfield Foods. By the start of 2020, Chinese owners controlled about 192,000 agricultural acres in the U.S., worth $1.9 billion, including land used for farming, ranching, and forestry, according to the Agriculture Department.
The committee unexpectedly adopted Newhouse’s amendment to the Agriculture-FDA spending bill (H.R. 4356 (117)) that would block any new agricultural purchases by companies that are wholly or partly controlled by the Chinese government and bar Chinese-owned farms from tapping federal support programs.
Foreign investors can set up limited liability companies in the U.S. and designate an American owner to circumvent the reporting requirements while still controlling the operation behind the scenes, said Joe Maxwell, president of the progressive advocacy group Family Farm Action.
The amendment was expanded to include Iran possessing 2,463 acres and Russia owning 834 acres. Still, that’s less than farmland owned by people from other nations like Canada and European countries, which account for millions of acres each. Foreign investors by the end of 2019 held an interest in more than 35 million acres — an area bigger than New York State. The total has grown by an average 2.3 million acres per year since 2015, according to USDA data. This would put the total number of acres owned by foreign countries at about 42 million. Texas has the largest amount of foreign-held agricultural land, at 4.4 million acres, followed by Maine and Alabama, according to USDA.
Chinese firms have expanded their presence in American agriculture over the last decade by snatching up farmland and purchasing major agribusinesses, like pork processing giant Smithfield Foods. By the start of 2020, Chinese owners controlled about 192,000 agricultural acres in the U.S., worth $1.9 billion, including land used for farming, ranching, and forestry, according to the Agriculture Department.
The committee unexpectedly adopted Newhouse’s amendment to the Agriculture-FDA spending bill (H.R. 4356 (117)) that would block any new agricultural purchases by companies that are wholly or partly controlled by the Chinese government and bar Chinese-owned farms from tapping federal support programs.
Foreign investors can set up limited liability companies in the U.S. and designate an American owner to circumvent the reporting requirements while still controlling the operation behind the scenes, said Joe Maxwell, president of the progressive advocacy group Family Farm Action.
The amendment was expanded to include Iran possessing 2,463 acres and Russia owning 834 acres. Still, that’s less than farmland owned by people from other nations like Canada and European countries, which account for millions of acres each. Foreign investors by the end of 2019 held an interest in more than 35 million acres — an area bigger than New York State. The total has grown by an average 2.3 million acres per year since 2015, according to USDA data. This would put the total number of acres owned by foreign countries at about 42 million. Texas has the largest amount of foreign-held agricultural land, at 4.4 million acres, followed by Maine and Alabama, according to USDA.
The money flowing into agricultural real estate from other countries also makes it difficult for new farmers in the U.S. to afford land as outside buyers bid up prices. The issue of losing farm land to foreign countries and driving up land prices may not be the worst issue. A Saudi Arabian dairy firm called Almarai, purchased 1,790 acres in the Palo Verde Valley to secure a supply of alfalfa for its dairy cows. Soon after, Saudi Arabia began phasing out domestic alfalfa production to preserve Saudi’s water supplies, which were dwindling after years of overuse for agriculture. Their alfalfa is raised using US river water and is then shipped to their country. Other foreign corporations are increasingly purchasing land in the US Southwest. Thanks to longstanding laws on water rights, these purchases often come with unlimited access to the valuable water underneath the soil. |
Concerns that in drought-stricken areas such as the Southwest, this system is unsustainable in the long term. Water-stressed communities are sounding the alarm as water crises become more urgent. Even as the Colorado River Basin enters its 21st year of sustained drought, growth of land purchases in the area are expected to triple, exacerbating the water scarcity.
(Article is continued on Local Politics page)
(Article is continued on Local Politics page)
Last month I had the privilege to communicate with one of our readers and during the conversation I was informed that he had lost his son, a USMC corporal, who was killed in action. He also explained that he had started the Rocky Mountain Dawgs Project to honor his son and other K-9 handlers and their dogs who have died in service of our country.
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NATIONAL K9 VETERANS DAY March 13th |
I checked out their website and was moved by their effort to honor the fallen, both human and canine. They have some pictures of the K-9 handlers but still need pictures of the service dogs and are asking for help in obtaining those pictures.
In times like this, where there is so little honor for our country, constitution or its veterans, I believe this website is an important reminder of not only those who gave their life, but those that are still suffering from the trauma of warfare.
In times like this, where there is so little honor for our country, constitution or its veterans, I believe this website is an important reminder of not only those who gave their life, but those that are still suffering from the trauma of warfare.
They also have a service dog program that trains dogs to help veterans that have PTSD or other disabilities. Feed the Dawgs Events are sponsored through ceremonial barbecues given to honor the fallen. During the event, a prayer is given and names are read before "breaking bread" . If you want to sponsor an event or need more information, find the contact button on the website.
They have several options for supporting this project including gear for sale, AmazonSmile eligibility, fund raisers, and donations. Please check out the website and consider this honorable project. |
For the Lord your God is the one
who goes with you to fight for you against your
enemies to give you victory.
Deuteronomy 20:4
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What are your thoughts? Comments? |