I live in Iowa - and what do most folks who don’t live here think of Iowa? That’s right, the potato… Just kidding, that’s Idaho. But a lot of you out there get that confused…
The pandemic put a spotlight on the food supply chain and how vulnerable we are. Food security is national security.
That brings me to what I want to talk about today: who owns the farmland?
We need to be talking about this a lot more.
Both of my parents grew up on farms, but things are totally different from when they were kids. According to Iowa State University, 60 percent of Iowa farmland is owned by people over the age of 65, and 35 percent of Iowa farmland is owned by those older than 75 years of age.
So there’s about to be this massive land transfer.
So who can win bidding wars? The farmer down the road or private equity or foreign entities.
Speaking of foreign ownership, currently, foreign ownership of land in the US is roughly the size of the state of Ohio, and rapidly growing.
So why does it matter?
Ultimately, it comes down to this: if we don’t change the path we are on for land ownership or the food supply chain, we are going to devastate our rural communities. These huge multinational corporations go on to more record profits while farmers will continue to be squeezed, workers will be suppressed and we, the American consumer, will be paying for it all.
YOU’RE PROBABLY (ALSO) GETTING SCREWED BY:
CHUCK GRASSLEY
I am sure when Senator Grassley first started in politics one could vote one way in DC and then go back home and have another story. Those days are long over and here’s the Senator saying he’s “for” a $35 cap on insulin a week after voting against it! He and other GOP Senators voted down the $35 cap.
STOCK BUYBACKS
PRIVATE EQUITY OWNING HOSPITALS
“People are dying and ER doctors say it's the worst they've ever seen” according to this equally heartbreaking and infuriating video about private equity owning, for-profit health care is hurting rural hospitals.
TAX EVADERS
HEALTHCARE IN AMERICA
Medicare recipients, you’re getting a good deal from the Inflation Reduction Act! Now let’s get going for the rest of us…
***If you have a healthcare story or see a healthcare story posted on social media that needs more attention, please comment below and we will reach out.
BEFORE YOU GO
Before you go, I need two things from you: 1) if you like something, please share it on social media or the next time you have coffee with a friend. 2) Ideas, if you have any ideas for future newsletter content please comment below. Thank you.
Standing Tall for All,
J.D. Scholten
You're Probably Getting Screwed By The Food Supply Chain
Hey, JD! Best wishes...yeah, and one thing not mentioned here is that a lot of farmland in NW Iowa, especially, is corporate farming solely for profit, no matter what they do and how it harms the environment...back in the 1990's I worked for a farmer friend a couple of summers while the job market wasn't too good, over in the area south of Newton. I helped with the cows and did some plowing and hay work, and did some maintenance and repair on equipment. I had fun! I now live down here not far from Chariton on a 5 2/3 acre patch with a pond, part of a former cow pasture with hay ground all around, with the opportunity to see how small farms are working out given all the current circumstances. Keep up your good work and stay active!