Staff Reports
The latest scheme out of Washington is no surprise: shift more taxpayer dollars from hardworking Americans on food stamps to bloated, entrenched agricultural programs that do nothing for real farmers. While politicians pat themselves on the back for “helping struggling farmers,” they ignore the real cancer eating away at rural America—corruption disguised as corporate “checkoff” programs that fleece every farmer, big or small, with mandatory fees while lining the pockets of corporate lobbyists.
These so-called commodity checkoff programs have been rigged from day one. Farmers are forced to pay into these funds whether they want to or not—a blatant violation of personal freedom and property rights. Yet who runs these programs? Not the independent farmers trying to keep their family legacies alive. No, the fat cats at the top who dominate the industry call the shots. They use your money to protect their market monopolies rather than help the little guy compete fairly. It’s corporate welfare dressed up as an agricultural marketing campaign. Remember those catchy slogans like “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner”? They’re less about helping farmers and more about selling out to big agribusiness interests.
The USDA pretends to keep tabs on these programs, but oversight is a joke. Checkoff boards operate in shadowy corridors, shoveling funds into lobbying efforts that actually harm small farmers by blocking reforms that could level the playing field. Meanwhile, independent producers get squeezed harder and harder. These programs do not reflect America’s changing values either. Consumers want sustainability and humane farming practices—things ignored or actively suppressed by the current checkoff boards who care more about profit margins than ethics or innovation.
Ending Corruption in Agriculture — Congressional agriculture advocates ought to address some of the underlying, substantive issues plaguing small and independent farmers. https://t.co/MfO4wiHlYo
— American Thinker (@AmericanThinker) June 13, 2025
This all reeks of the usual swamp-style corruption liberals love to hide behind their self-righteous speeches about “helping people.” They rail against corporations when it fits their narrative but turn a blind eye when agribusiness uses government muscle to crush small businesses. And don’t be fooled by calls to “reallocate” money from SNAP benefits to farmers—that’s just moving deck chairs on a sinking ship while the real problem festers beneath the surface.
Real reform means demanding transparency and accountability. It means giving farmers the freedom to say no to forced fees that bankroll lobbyists undermining their own industry. It means rooting out the cozy deals and corporate cronyism strangling rural communities. Until then, America’s independent farmers will keep paying for special interests that don’t care about them—because the swamp always protects its own. Why should hardworking Americans fund a system rigged to cheat them in favor of globalist agribusiness giants?
