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: Rural Kids, Parents Angry About Labor Department Rule Banning Farm Chores
I am seething at this executive order, law, whatever you want to call it. I certainly hope every farm group, FFA, 4-H, etc etc etc opposes this with every ounce within them! I may have my 6 year old write the President himself. He’s been “working” farms since he could walk, literally. Not out of force, but because he WANTS to. He loves it and it is all he ever talks about!
I’ve seen several posts regarding this, but I’m glad to see it here also in a non-political format. IMO it’s another useless and costly piece of legislation that will only hurt those closest to it and will prevent next to nothing. Thanks for spreading the word.
I’ve seen several posts regarding this, but I’m glad to see it here also in a non-political format. IMO it’s another useless and costly piece of legislation that will only hurt those closest to it and will prevent next to nothing. Thanks for spreading the word.
Dislike 🙁
I have a “healthy” respect for you and your back to basics approach to family nourishment. However, reposting this distortion about our president erodes the respect and trust I’ve developed. There was a time when we had a healthy respect for our president. I often time wish we could return to those traditions as well. The real press release from the department of labor states specifically “The proposed regulations would not apply to children working on farms owned by their parents.” Posting this distortion is strong evidence of our inability to work fairly with a President who is simply trying to protect kids who might have to be employed in some very dangerous jobs. This is the link to the real press release. Just in case those that follow you might want the truth.
Wait, one more thing (can you tell this has me seething)….does this mean First Lady Michelle Obama can’t have children visiting her White House vegetable garden and learning/working in it?
This is more government intrusion into our lives which we do NOT need. I did go to the Department of Labor web site, and the proposed regulation does NOT apply to children working on farms owned by their parents. That is the only bright spot in this otherwise dark cloud. Keep up the good work – I really enjoy your blog.
Yes… Modern Day Slavery is very real and it’s sad that many people are not aware of it. There are so many children who are being trafficked to work under hazardous conditions. People think that they are being trafficked only for sex but that’s not true. This proposal is to prevent such horrific acts and to save the many children that are mistreated. It does exclude children of families who own farms. I’m not drinking kool-aide. I’m just well informed about the atrocities that surround us. If it helps to save the life of at least one child, then I’m for it.
It may not apply to farms owned by the child’s parents, but it will prevent them from working on anyone else ‘s, including grandparents, uncles, aunts, neighbors or farms not solely owned by the parents.
The govt is just saying whatever is necessary to Get The rule through. Thats what they do All tje time And then change The interpretatiom later. Most Family farms are not owned anyway they are incorporated for tax purposes even if one Family runs it
Yes, it happens just like you say. Remember when Obama decided not to authorize the Keystone Pipeline? Now he’s trying to slide it in sideways……
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.”
FEED LOTS? Well, there goes my son’s dreams. At 2 years old, he would accompany Daddy to our neighbor’s feed lot farm and would “work” the farm by stacking the small, plastic pallets used to load the bags of feed. He would greet the customers and after the workers would load the feed into the customer’s truck, my then 2 year old would take the plastic pallet and stack it on the pallet rack. When it would be time to go, my 2 year old would cry and cry because he WANTED to work the farm. Still does! Unfortunately, insurance laws alone are prohibiting him from doing too much there. He used to be able to ride with Daddy in the enclosed tractors, but not anymore.
It breaks my heart. It isn’t about slavery at all. It is about suburbanites and urbanites not understanding the TRUTH about farm work. This isn’t going to prevent slavery, it’ll encourage it through the need to hire illegal immigrants and pay them slop in order to keep the farm from going under. This is akin to Southern California Environmentalists lobbying to put an end to wood burning because it is polluting the earth, when we northerners rely on the renewable resource of wood to heat our homes through the bitter cold winters.