SeriousLee wrote: 
Not true.  Eating healthy does not cost more.  

 SeriousLee wrote: 
Well that is the irony.  Everybody wants to farm so there is no public rationale for subsidizing farming.

Add to that most of us in rich North Americans tend to eat too much and often choose food of poor quality with significant and expensive health problems that ultimately lead to lower worker productivity, and there is even less justification for subsidies. 

If anything there should be more taxpayer financed programs to teach people how to eat well.   It is so easy to eat well for very little money in North America but people have to know how to do that. 
Add to that: US farm subsidies have been a sticking point in freer trade deals.

Add to that:  the US agricultural sector and its political strength threatens US and global security by helping to push NATO into eastern Europe, for example.

Add to that:  the US agricultural sector ecological footprint is enormous.  Why use taxpayer dollars to pay entrepreneurs and companies to degrade the environment? 

 ScottFromWyoming wrote: 
Assholes can be stubborn. :-) I just think without food, we die. Without good food, we die slowly. A bit later. It's too bad money comes before health. Which is why eating healthy cost more. Thank God for good beer.

 SeriousLee wrote: 
Well if they'd grow what we need, that'd help. We have 4th generation sugar farmers here who really don't want to grow anything else. So they fight for price supports.
 
It's the height of irony, seeing as how they're all so conservative. There's a local guy who's an asshole but he's determined to run his cattle and farming (gentleman farm tho) without taking any subsidies or grant money etc. But he's a rarity. And won't let you forget it.  

 westslope wrote: 
Farming is so vital to the survival of humanity. It's embarassing that it needs to be subsidized.

Agriculture is a favourite sector in all nations for heavy public subsidies.  The USA is no exception.

Right now President Trump is barking at unfair Canadian trade practices such as supply management in the dairy sector.  Note that Canada exports little in the way of raw milk products to the USA but the USA exports a fair bit to Canada.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about supply management.  Others in Canada would like to see the practice eliminated or at least the apparent generosity reduced.

Note that farming and ranching are life style industries subject to over entry and characterized by people who are willing to work long hours for relatively little pay — except of course those jobs filled by temporary guest workers in both Canada and the USA as well as illegal immigrants in the USA.  

 
My question:  Will all this debate about unfair trade practices in Canada lead to any kind of significant reduction in US farm subsidies?