Congressman Hudson meets with local farmers

ROCKINGHAM — Congressman Richard Hudson met with members of the Richmond County Farm Bureau on Monday to discuss agriculture and the economy on Monday.

Farmers from around the county had a opportunity to discuss some of the challenges that they’re facing, as well as provide insight and guidance to a few young individuals who are looking to pursue a career in agriculture.

After everyone at the meeting introduced themselves, Hudson recalled a time as a freshman in Congress that a Democratic colleague said a farm bill didn’t effect their constituents.

“I said, ‘Really, they don’t like to eat or wear clothes?’ That is the problem in Congress,” Hudson said, adding that he works hard to understand each agriculture bill that comes before him. “There’s fewer and fewer of us who represent rural areas but even the ones who represent rural areas, are so far removed from the farm.”

Richmond County Farm Bureau president Chris Yaklin, who has been farming since 1981, agreed with Hudson.

“Agriculture is the number one industry in the state,” Yaklin said. “[Hudson] knows his constituents. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of people in Congress that are so many generations from agriculture. They don’t realize the impact of some of the things they do can cause us.”

Some of the concerns that the farmers shared were rising input and labor costs, regulatory emissions and tort reforms.

One individual shared that the cost to build a chicken house about 40 years ago was $85,000. Now, he said it’s closer to $600,000. Another shared that a tire change for a tractor could be up to $36,000.

“Who can operate?” he asked. “How can you generate a profit with costs so high?”

“And he’s getting paid the same per bushel of corn that his dad was probably,” Hudson replied.

In a few different iterations, the same sentiment was shared by the farmers – “It’s hard for us to make a living.”

Hudson shared his concerns about federal requirements and regulatory issues stemming from the Biden administration.

“There are reasons why we have the Clean Water Act, but this is well beyond the scope of that,” Hudson said about the concept of navigable water applying to any low-lying area as opposed to a river or large stream. “No one cares more about your land than you. No one has more incentive to preserve it for future generations than you.”

Poultry farmer Dwayne Wright shared that despite the present concerns facing the agriculture industry, he couldn’t imagine a better way of life.

“There’s not way I’d want to be doing anything else no matter how hard it is right now,” he said. “When I drive over the farm and my six grand youngins are running between the houses playing and sticking their hands in the chicken house doors and walking between the chickens, it’s a way of life that provides so much satisfaction.”

A few of the young, aspiring farmers shared they’ve seen others their age work white-collar jobs, but they’re earning less money than if they had pursued a trade of blue-collar job.

“There’s a lot of paths to success,” Hudson said. “I’d argue your quality of life living on a farm in Ellerbe is better living in New York City waiting tables.”

Near the conclusion of the hour-long meeting, Hudson listened to the technical concerns about the tournament system in poultry production that pits producers against each other for income.

The consensus from the farmers was straightforward — “It’s not a level playing field,” they shared.

“The biggest issues I heard was the cost barriers for young farmers ,” Hudson said after a group photo outside of Farm Bureau. “The consequences of that for our economy and our country are profound.”