What do you think of, when you think of farmers?

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Blacksmiths didn't make steel or iron. They just worked it into tools and weapons.

Whatever. Replace "steel mill" with "thing that works steel into tools and weapons".

Surely, you understood my point.

[GhengisFarbâ„¢]

Originally posted by Kucinich
Replace "steel mill" with "thing that works steel into tools and weapons".

I think that would be a blacksmith.

[MrFun]

About 16 years ago, one of my older sisters married into a farming family.

They are definitely not poor.

[mrmitchell]

"Family farmers" or "industrial farmers", just as long as they're not raping the government's funds or raping the environment, they're just producing food.

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by Jamski
Yeah, I'm talking about the EU though - the biggest single payment the EU make is farming subsidies.

Farmers... You ever see a poor farmer?

-Jam

quite a few

one of my best friends fathers grows soy and has to work at a proctor and gamble factory in order to thrive.

[Buck Birdseed]

Farmers, as a kind of rural petty bourgeoisie, have always been deeply right-wing. The fascists relied on them to fill up the ranks, "farmers parties" have ranged from centrists to rabid ultranationalists and it's certainly the segment of the population the likes of Haider and Le Pen are most likely to be able to count on.

Here in Sweden the image of arch-conservative, pickup-driving, shotgun-carrying immigrant-hating men with thick regional dialects is viewed with extreme revulsion. Of course, in the US that's about half the population.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

So- to summarise. As long as they're picturesque apple-cheeked peasants who turn the soil with honest sweat, and pause to stroke wild deer as they pass, farmers are great.

If they're like the people who produce most of our food, they aren't.

[Wezil]

lol @ Laz

Very nice.

[The Mad Monk]

I believe we have shown that the "farmer (perception) gap" is indeed very real.

The next logical question is, "why?"

[Vince278]

I've said God's own people but then I am surrounded by thousands of Amish.

[The Mad Monk]

[Vince278]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk

Well, not within arms length. More like a 5-10 mile radius.

[Dis]

I think of immigrants who work land owned by corporations.

this is how most farming is done in america.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
I believe we have shown that the "farmer (perception) gap" is indeed very real.

The next logical question is, "why?"

Because most people don't live in farming country and have very little idea of what it's like.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Lazarus and the Gimp
Because most people don't live in farming country and have very little idea of what it's like.

The Europeans and Americans hardly differ in urbanization rate. So the place of living is not the reason of this difference.