As usual, the politicians have added so much extra onto a bill, that it looks completely diffrent than a farm subsidy bill. In addition to the subsidies the bill will:

Boost nutrition programs, including food stamps and emergency domestic food aid by more than $10 billion over 10 years. It would expand a program to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to schoolchildren.


Increase subsidies for certain crops, including fruits and vegetables excluded from previous farm bills.


Extend dairy programs.


Increase loan rates for sugar producers.


Urge the government to buy surplus sugar and sell it to ethanol producers for use in a mixture with corn.


Cut a per-gallon ethanol tax credit for refiners from 51 cents to 45 cents. The credit supports the blending of fuel with the corn-based additive. More money would go to cellulosic ethanol, made from plant matter.


Require that meats and other fresh foods carry labels with their countries of origin.


Stop allowing farmers to collect subsidies for multiple farm businesses.


Reopen a major discrimination case against the Agriculture Department. Thousands of black farmers who missed a deadline would get a chance to file claims alleging that they were denied loans or other subsidies.


Pay farmers for weather-related farm losses from a new $3.8 billion disaster relief fund.

I think I read that the farmer subsidy part of the bill only amounted to about 1/3 of the total bill. I agree that it doesn't make sense for wealthy farmers to be getting subsidies. I am curious, though, what percentage of the total number of farmers receiving subsidies this would be. I live in a dairy farm area, and I remember the days when these farmers were dumping their milk because prices were so low. Believe me, the farmers in our area are for the most part just getting by.