With the average age of the American farmer now over 50 years old according to the Environmental Protection Agency and the family farm on visible life support, the Obama Administration has moved to put the ailing patient out of his misery with a well aimed bullet right between the eyes.
What better way to ensure the complete and utter death of the family farm in just a few short years than to prohibit the children of farm owning parents from working the land and learning the business alongside Mom and Dad?
A proposed new rule from the Obama Administration would ban children under 18 from any farm work which involves the “storing, marketing, and transporting of farm product raw materials.”
A Labor Department press release read that “Prohibited places of employment would include country grain elevators, grain bins, silos, feed lots, stockyards, livestock exchanges and livestock auctions.”
In addition, under this proposed rule, independent groups like 4-H would no longer be allowed to teach and certify safety training to children replacing such locally based youth agricultural programs with a 90 hour federal government training course.
Let’s think about this for a moment.
This rule forbids just about every farm chore I can think of right down to coloring a flyer with paper and crayons to decorate the farm’s booth at the local Farmer’s Market.
So, what are farm kids supposed to do then if they can’t do much of anything around the farm until they are 18 which includes running a small business of their own on the farm to generate some income for college?
I guess they can always play video games or watch TV instead. Surely there’s a video game out there where children can simulate farm chores without ever leaving the living room couch!
A generation of farm kids raised on sloth instead of a hard work ethic will undoubtedly ensure that few family farms will make it into the next generation’s hands.
With children not able to be mentored by their parents on the farm nor by other local agricultural leaders in their community via 4-H or FFA, loss of interest in agriculture by the next generation of family farmers is virtually guaranteed.
Wait a minute!
Did you hear something?
Oh, nevermind. It’s just the cha-ching of campaign contributions from Monsanto.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Source:Â Rural Kids, Parents Angry About Labor Department Rule Banning Farm Chores
This is crazy!! I mean from reading it, my kids wouldn’t even be able to gather eggs from our chickens…much less participate in any of their current 4-H projects! It is a totally STUPID idea and I hope it flops big time!
I just love how things are always taken out of context. This is to prevent MODERN DAY SLAVERY!!!! I’m sure he’s not trying to prevent children from learning the family farm business. Notice that it states, “The proposed regulations would not apply to children working on farms owned by their parents. “http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/whd/WHD20111250.htm
I am sure that he is not banning kids under 18 from working at places like Mc Donalds. Now parents do not have the freedom to raise their kids to learn about where their food comes from and real work ethics. There is one more plus for Monsanto in so many ways. This is messed up.
I’m sicken by the whole thing. I just got a reminder from Democrats Abroad because, although I’m a Hoosier, I’m a longtime overseas resident. Anyway, I’m certainly going to send them a reply on what I think about THE POWERS THAT BE THAT ARE RUNNING THIS COUNTRY INTO THE GROUND.
When I come back home to Hoosierland on my yearly visits and look out on the corn and soy fields, they no longer hold the beauty they once had: sadly a scull and crossbones comes instead into my field of vision.
Skull….duh! Must be spelling the French way!
Communism. It’s happening right before our eyes.
You’re right, it’s called: Corporate Communism
Hi Sarah,
I too have been following this issue closely. I am the grandchild of a farming family (we no longer farm the land we own sadly but we do rent it to a family friend.) The first information that came out on this change in child labor laws was inaccurate. It will not prohibit children from working on family farms or FFA or 4-H programs. The labor department issued a statement on these concerns recently. A group of urban farmers and others interested in farming in America also posted similar concerns to those above and this morning they posted the new guidelines. The reasoning for the change was to address the increasing number of deaths and injuries from children of migrant farmers and agricultural workers that were not directly related to those owning the farms. These workers were often untrained and pretty exploited in my opinion. I understand the outrage over the issue. I was too when I first read about it, but I do think we have a duty to make sure that children are not being unduly exploited in their labor or exposed to preventable danger in their work, even if that work is agricultural. It is easy to assume that “The Government” is up to something because they often are but we also have to recognize that we do have a duty to look out for those who cannot look out for themselves, IMO. If you wish I can post the link to the article I read most recently.
Jessica
Jessica Klanderud—I would love for you to share the link to the article you mentioned. I’m trying to get all of the information I can find on this topic. Thanks!
Here is the link.
http://www.examiner.com/article/kids-can-still-work-on-family-farms-and-do-4-h-under-proposed-law
I’m interested in your thoughts…
I’ve read both this post and the linked article, and another posted yesterday. To say that this bill is for the “safety” of farm kids is a load of bunk. There was a stat put in the other article to prove that farm related deaths were down from 2001 to 2009 in part due to measures of the Agricultural world teaching kids and families farm safety.
The Labor Departments reasonings are plain stupid. I’d love to see stats on accidental deaths from non-farming kids who ride bikes, skateboards, ride ATV’s, horses, or in a local case, walk out in the parking lot with their nose buried in their cell phone texting and get hit by a car.
The more we try to “bubble warp” society, the more common sense is lost.
I like your typo. They are “warping” society by trying to protect everyone from everything.
thanks for the link. this makes me feel a little better. I hope it is true.
Jessica,
I am concerned about a few things.
First, the Obama administration has done the same thing over and over with their policies and executive orders. As soon as anyone criticizes it, they come out with new information stating that the law will not actually be what was originally written in black and white. They are simply trying to placate and hush the naughty child who decries their policies.
Second, while as human beings we do have a personal responsibility to care and watch out for those who cannot help themselves, we cannot accomplish this by federal government mandates. The responsibility for oversight should be as local and personal as possible. When you take responsibility away from individuals and make it a national law, apathy sets in and people just obey the government rather than think things through for themselves. Children on family farms are NOT being abused, neglected and exploited. I am sure there are a few cases in which that may have happened. You can’t prevent every bad thing from ever happening. You will find that those who do exploit will continue to do so, no matter what Mr. Obama and the US Department of Agriculture and Department of Labor say. This executive order is more about controlling the nation’s food supply while stroking the corporate food and agricultural company’s egos and pocket books so the flow of money keeps rolling in Mr. Obama’s direction. On the other hand, if those who exploit children are gone after on a more local level there would be much better results. It is hard to live in a community that comes after you for doing something wrong. Let the counties deal with it on a case by case basis. Less costly and more effective. I think, over all, the reason there hasn’t been much in the way of local legislation is because it simply is not the big problem that the current administration is saying it is. They are using it as a reason to enact this order, but the real reason as I said is $$$$$$$ and control of the masses. I was a farm kid, had chores. NEVER was exploited. I LOVED it! I felt like I had accomplished something. The quality of my life significantly decreased the day my dad had to sell the family farm due to his health. I’d love to buy a farm now and give my son the same experience I had, but it is extremely difficult to do so. Don’t be fooled. This administration looks upon it’s citizenry as nothing more than ignorant foolish children. Hoping there is a huge wake up call and that Mr. Obama is put out of office come November.
Hi Jennifer C,
First in reply, I would only say that the flow of money from big AG and corporate food flows both ways… I don’t trust ether party to do anything other than support big corporations over the family farm. That has been a consistent theme of the past 30+ years… Family farms and farm kids are still exempt in this ex order. I am concerned about the immigrant/ illegal and migrant farm workers. In my home state of Michigan there were many farm workers who were underage and quite exploited. The local government tried to deal with it but the AG corporations often escaped any penalty because the rules were unclear.
Secondly, the local level is trying to combat the exploitation of AG workers in many areas but they did not have clear ability to do so under current labor department rules. This ex order would hopefully help that. I realize I am being optimistic and maybe naive but in my opinion this is not the issue of one party or administration or the other but a problem in our current corporate-ocracy, which comes from both sides of the aisle. This country values individual rights and states rights. The labor department doesn’t have a huge force at the federal level, they work through the local and state government. This order could only be enforced at the local level but it gives power for states to address AG businesses who cross state lines. I guess I just get tired of hearing all the ways the government is out to get me… it is still a representative government, I vote, participate, write my representatives and expect my voice to be heard. I will look out for my individual rights. I’m not afraid of the government or the corporations.
Guess its not the CHANGE everyone thought they were getting
This makes me so mad! If it wasn’t clear before, it is crystal clear now that the government is bent on destroying family farms and only interested in further building up commercial farms. What would this do to the majority of local, organic, and pasture-raised products? These are produced mainly on small family farms. Is there anything we can do to fight this proposed legislation?
More “anti-what-God-created-babble” that is killing the USA.
Joel Salatin commented about this when he did a google talk promoting his book (http://youtu.be/jBZgANtcXm8) where he said “We have turned children from an asset to a liability.” That comment stuck with me. Sad but true.