A Letter To America... By Willie NelsonFarm Aid A Letter to America, I believe the election this year will be decided by the Family Farmers, the less than 2 million small Family Farmers who are still very closely associated to the 10 to 20 million voters in the farm country. These farmers are asking for a new farm bill. I would think that whoever comes forth and supports a new farm bill could certainly make some friends with the Family Farmers this election year.  The Farm Aid concert will be held at the Nissan Pavilion on September 17, 2000, in Bristow, Virginia, and will be broadcast live on CMT: Country Music Television. Farm Aid has invited every presidential candidate and several congressmen and representatives from every party to come to Farm Aid and stand up for the small Family Farmer, not necessarily for the votes but because it's the right thing to do. Where I grew up in the town of Abbott, Texas, my backyard was six miles of beautiful farms and ranches all the way to the town of West. My playground was 20 square miles of cotton fields, corn fields, hay fields, grain fields, and home to everything from jack rabbits, deer, squirrels, birds, snakes, scorpions, cattle, horses, chickens, and hogs, right down to the small vegetable garden at my back door. I explored the whole 20 square miles on foot, horseback, bicycles, and pick-up trucks. I had the best of everything. I worked on farms to earn money. My sister Bobbie and I worked summers in the field to help pay for our school expenses, clothes, etc. The farmers were prospering, and we were too. This was during World War II, when we were a strong nation. We took care of our farmers and all other raw producers in America by guaranteeing production and labor costs. We had 6 million small Family Farmers on the land. When the war was over, the bottom fell out for the small Family Farmer because the new farm bill only guaranteed 60 to 70 percent of costs of production. We started losing the Family Farmer. When six Family Farmers go under, one business in that town also goes under. So as more farmers go out of business there goes the schools, hospitals and the disappearance of small country towns across America, displacing millions of families who not only lose their business, but their homes as well. I would urge the voters and the candidates, while we are including everyone in the new millennium government and while we are planning on leaving no one behind, let's remember not to leave the small Family Farmer behind because I believe that they are, and always will be, the backbone of this country. Thank you for reading my letter. Yours truly, Willie Nelson
For more information, or to contact Farm Aid, see their website at: www.farmaid.org |
 |
Email Article To A Friend |  |
Link to us! |
