The Issues: Agriculture

Trade increases the wealth and glory of a country; but its real strength and stamina are to be looked for among the cultivators of the land. - 1st Earl of Chatham, William Pitt

Let the farmer forevermore be honored in his calling; for they who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God. - Thomas Jefferson

Whoever makes two ears of corn, or two blades of grass to grow where only one grew before, deserves better of mankind, and does more essential service to his country than the whole race of politicians put together. - Jonathan Swift

Agricultural Issues

The Libertarian Party of North Carolina supports a free market in agriculture and forestry. People should be free to raise any agricultural product and sell it at market, without government subsidy, support, or interference. Agricultural and forestry research should be conducted privately, without government interference or support. We call for the immediate removal of all taxes on agricultural products at all levels, including production, distribution, storage, transportation, and sale.

On the Issues:

I oppose mandatory Country of Origin Labeling on produce. Currently, approximately 50% of produce already has a label of origin and it's served as a good marketing tool for those that have adopted it; however, the government should not force this compliance burden upon producers and retailers.
I support efforts by trade associations to establish nation-wide standards and warning label guidelines for use by members.
I support the repeal of the Death Tax to allow families to retain farms and businesses.
I support the FairTax and other initiatives that will reduce the taxes paid by farmers and allow producers to pool resources in order to fund research to combat invasive pest and diseases, grow international markets for specialty crops, promote conservation, and invest in research to improve the taste and quality of foods.
I oppose direct payments, price or income supports, to farmers as this would distort the crops market; this is in agreement with proposals but the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance and similar organizations. Instead, I support removing regulatory barriers to allow our produce to become more competitive and accessible for consumers here and around the world.
I oppose our system of subsidized corporate farms that deplete the soil, abuse animals and enjoy a coziness with state agents while these same agents harrass independent operators.
I oppose government payments to landowners as an incentive to not grow crops on approximately 32 million acres annually.
I support responsible legal immigration as well as temporary agricultural worker programs to address labor shortages. This includes streamlining the process and reducing the compliance burden on sponsoring organizations.
I support the abolishment of the Adverse Effect Wage Rate that requires foreign temporary workers to be paid at a higher rate than citizens making minimum wage.
I support the removal of planting restrictions that give farmers more control over their crops and associated subsidy programs that mainly benefit large agri-business.
I support removing the regulatory restrictions on landowners to allow them to assume full control and accountability for the stewardship of their lands.
I support the full migration of property, business, and crop insurance to private industry which is more efficient and should be more cost-effective for farmers.
I equally oppose government efforts to artificially raise the price of food to the benefit of the producer. Utilizing a free market would dramatically reduce the cost of some goods- sugar and peanut butter as examples.
I support initiatives that will allow farmers and ranchers to enjoy the same benefits of the free market as other enterprises and charge a fee that truly covers costs and profit.
I support the FairTax, partial privatization of the retirement system and other programs that will make considerably more funding available for loans and investments to the agricultural industry (rather than a reliance on government loans).
I support a decrease in the amount of taxes going to the federal government for the administration of agricultural, conservation, and rural development programs so that these funds may be managed at the state or local level, or returned to the taxpayer for self-management.
I strongly support American's property rights and am firmly opposed eminent domain. We must stop special interest groups from violating property rights and literally driving families from their homes, farms and businesses.
I support the legalization of new cash crops such as industrial hemp - a plant that can't be used as a drug but does have numerous uses such as making rope, clothing and other materials.
I oppose the institution of a national ID for all livestock. Compliance could be burdensome for those with small farms and it would open up farms to random inspections to ensure they were being run by government standards and would require you to report if anything happened to any one of your animals - including poultry.
I oppose ethanol subsidies that pull maize from market and make less available for consumption. It has been estimated that a third of America's production will be diverted to biofuel production. This results in escalating food costs here and abroad in third-world nations. By distorting the free market, environmentalists are causing the United States to literally starve the poor rather than feeding them.

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People should be free to raise any agricultural product and sell it at market, without government subsidy, support, or interference. Agricultural and forestry research should be conducted privately, without government interference or support. We call for the immediate removal of all taxes on agricultural products at all levels, including production, distribution, storage, transportation, and sale. On the Issues: I oppose mandatory Country of Origin Labeling on produce. Currently, approximately 50% of produce already has a label of origin and it's served as a good marketing tool for those that have adopted it; however, the government should not force this compliance burden upon producers and retailers. I support efforts by trade associations to establish nation-wide standards and warning label guidelines for use by members. I support the repeal of the Death Tax to allow families to retain farms and businesses. I support the FairTax and other initiatives that will reduce the taxes paid by farmers and allow producers to pool resources in order to fund research to combat invasive pest and diseases, grow international markets for specialty crops, promote conservation, and invest in research to improve the taste and quality of foods. I oppose direct payments, price or income supports, to farmers as this would distort the crops market; this is in agreement with proposals but the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance and similar organizations. Instead, I support removing regulatory barriers to allow our produce to become more competitive and accessible for consumers here and around the world. I oppose our system of subsidized corporate farms that deplete the soil, abuse animals and enjoy a coziness with state agents while these same agents harrass independent operators. I oppose government payments to landowners as an incentive to not grow crops on approximately 32 million acres annually. I support responsible legal immigration as well as temporary agricultural worker programs to address labor shortages. This includes streamlining the process and reducing the compliance burden on sponsoring organizations. I support the abolishment of the Adverse Effect Wage Rate that requires foreign temporary workers to be paid at a higher rate than citizens making minimum wage. I support the removal of planting restrictions that give farmers more control over their crops and associated subsidy programs that mainly benefit large agri-business. I support removing the regulatory restrictions on landowners to allow them to assume full control and accountability for the stewardship of their lands. I support the full migration of property, business, and crop insurance to private industry which is more efficient and should be more cost-effective for farmers. I equally oppose government efforts to artificially raise the price of food to the benefit of the producer. Utilizing a free market would dramatically reduce the cost of some goods- sugar and peanut butter as examples. I support initiatives that will allow farmers and ranchers to enjoy the same benefits of the free market as other enterprises and charge a fee that truly covers costs and profit. I support the FairTax, partial privatization of the retirement system and other programs that will make considerably more funding available for loans and investments to the agricultural industry (rather than a reliance on government loans). I support a decrease in the amount of taxes going to the federal government for the administration of agricultural, conservation, and rural development programs so that these funds may be managed at the state or local level, or returned to the taxpayer for self-management. I strongly support American's property rights and am firmly opposed eminent domain. We must stop special interest groups from violating property rights and literally driving families from their homes, farms and businesses. I support the legalization of new cash crops such as industrial hemp - a plant that can't be used as a drug but does have numerous uses such as making rope, clothing and other materials. I oppose the institution of a national ID for all livestock. Compliance could be burdensome for those with small farms and it would open up farms to random inspections to ensure they were being run by government standards and would require you to report if anything happened to any one of your animals - including poultry. I oppose ethanol subsidies that pull maize from market and make less available for consumption. It has been estimated that a third of America's production will be diverted to biofuel production. This results in escalating food costs here and abroad in third-world nations. By distorting the free market, environmentalists are causing the United States to literally starve the poor rather than feeding them.
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