Submitted on June 16, 2009 to The New York Times

Dear Editor:

Your June 14 editorial, "Misguided Budget Cuts," is itself misguided when it comes to farm policy.

Farm policy accounts for less than one quarter of one percent of the federal budget. It costs taxpayers just nine cents a day-far less than the estimated $170 billion our taxpayers forked over to bailout AIG-yet it ensures an abundant, affordable, and safe food and fiber supply for the American people.

In today's difficult economic environment, America's farmers rely on a strong farm policy to help offset rising production costs and falling prices. So, while a ten percent cut to farm programs may seem "modest" to a news desk in New York, it is anything but modest to the overwhelming majority of U.S. farmers struggling to make ends meet.

Additionally, we all agree that conservation programs are important, and America's farmers practice some of the most environmentally-sound conservation techniques in the world. But to suggest that our farm programs-the only area to see budget reductions in the 2008 farm bill-could be further cut in favor of conservation programs "[w]ithout serious harm to anyone except a few well-off farmers," would greatly undermine our farmers ability to operate and threaten the future of U.S. agriculture.

Farming is difficult business with thin margins. Instead of trying to bankrupt our nation's farmers, we should try supporting the very people who feed the world and, at the same time, take care of our land's resources.

Linda Raun
Rice farmer, El Campo TX
Spokesman, The Hand that Feeds U.S