> WASHINGTON, September 14, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today
>announced that producers may begin applying for benefits under the
>provisions of the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and
>Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) and the Livestock Forage Disaster Program
>(LFP). These permanent disaster programs, authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill,
>replace previous ad-hoc disaster assistance programs and are funded through
>the Agricultural Disaster Relief Trust Fund.
Juanse says we're the lucky ones.
Lucky ones? Sounds like a great deal, eh? All those poor beekeepers
losing their operations. "CCD". Starving bees. And we all know how
important the bees are to our food supply. So we gotta do something,
right? Washington on call! The Valkyries riding to the rescue. Dut du
dah dah, dut du dah dah...
So they add something to the farm bill for the beekeepers. Supposed
to help beekeepers recover their losses from CCD. AND, there's even a
bit about providing emergency feed until feed becomes available.
Supposed to help beekeepers who, due to adverse weather conditions
have starving bees.
Well, it seems a sham to me. Maybe a scam, too. Sounds great on
paper. Points for the politicians. Money for some, I guess. Not for
most in need. Not for my operation. Had a PP honey crop this year.
30%, maybe. Goldenrod flow ended quickly with bad weather...like
every other flow this year. Had to buy 30,000 lbs of syrup, and that
wasn't enough. Bees are healthy. Good clusters, with many top to
bottom bees. The problem is with the weather. No flow. The farm bill
provision is supposed to cover this kind of loss. Emergency feed
until feed becomes available. Isn't every colony starving this winter
a big enough emergency? And won't feed become available again in the
spring? So shouldn't emergency feeding for winter be covered. It may be, but...
You have to be with the program. Not necessarily the club mind you,
but at least the program. See, there's this program for farmers.
Called NAP, I believe. You pay your $275. You're in the program. It's
not an insurance, you understand...it's a program! Then, if there is
any hardship, and the politicians decide to add that loss the farm
bill, then you'll be covered, 'cause your in the program. See? It's
simple. Ya pays yer $275, yer in the club. If yer in the club, yer
covered. Simple.
So just who's in the club? No one I know. But, they tell me it was
well publicized in the last year. "You should have known." Was the
notice sent through the mail? Or maybe they sent out a press release
to all the bee clubs. Or a phone call? Oh...maybe the NHB was gonna
tell us all. Hell, they took all those pennies from us to be used for
our own good. Oh yeah, I forgot. Us little guys don't count. At least
not dollars. We only count pennies. That's all we get. Pennies! They
sent the notice in a local county USDA newsletter between the dairy
and turf grass management news....sometime in the last year. To all
beekeepers, or to those on some list somewhere? This is well
publicized? Sounds more like a club all the time. Augusta National.
Wanna bet who knew about the program? Bet the big losers in the
"CCD" bit will collect. Just have to get a "professional" to sign off
that it's "CCD". Shouldn't be difficult. All the professionals know
what "CCD" is, right? And it's not a management problem, right? So,
write 'em their checks!
So, you see? It's a sham. Great for the politicians. They get their
re-election points. Great for some mega-beekeepers. Pays to have
friends in high places? For most of us its...Feed 'em or let 'em
starve. Borrow the money if you're broke. Put it on your credit card
if you can't get a loan 'cause the big boys ruined the banking
system. They got their pie. Yours, too. They really don't care.
You're not in the club.
Oh....."You lucky ones."
Mike
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