NBCNEWS.COM has an interesting story regarding a family farm in Michigan. The 1,300 acre farm has been in the same family for generations. The family member now operating it tells how she is a diehard Republican and was excited by Trump’s re-election, believing it would bring her family greater prosperity.
You know where this is going…
Two months in and Trump’s funding freeze has resulted in a $400,000 USDA grant (passed as part of Biden and Democrats’ stimulus package) being frozen and possibly unavailable.
The money was intended to allow the farm to hire, transport and shelter 10 Guatemalan seasonal laborers.
Now, I am all for family farms, and the irony here is obvious enough that even I get it, but I am really disturbed by the idea that this family farm was getting almost a half million dollars that they wouldn’t have to pay back to hire foreign workers (and only 10 at that!).
By my calculations, 10 workers, each working 60 hours a week, for 10 weeks (it’s only seasonal), at $15 an hour is only $90,000.
These farmers are getting more than 4 times that amount! (And why is it a grant? Should the cherries they pick cover the cost?)
Can someone help me understand, because this really is making me sick to my stomach and makes me think “waste and fraud” are real issues — at least when it comes to our farmers.
