5 ms·

It is indeed asinine IMO that we irrigate the southwest to grow alfalfa, almonds etc when those crops grow perfectly in the grade A farmland of Iowa, while Iowa

It is indeed asinine IMO that we irrigate the southwest to grow alfalfa, almonds etc when those crops grow perfectly in the grade A farmland of Iowa, while Iowa is subsidized to grow mainly number 2 yellow corn for animal fodder. "Corn Subsidies in Iowa totaled $19.7 billion from 1995-2020" [0]. What is wrong with this picture? [0] https://farm.ewg.org/progdetail.php?fips=19000&progcode=corn https://farm.ewg.org/progdetail.php?fips=19000&progcode=corn

UncleEntity 4y ago
> What is wrong with this picture? The federal primary election system…
- stevenjgarner 4y ago
  That would be too funny if it wasn't so true.
phpisthebest 4y ago
>What is wrong with this picture? America's desire for cheap beef. It is what is for dinner after all. Corn subsidies are specifically used to keep feed prices down, and thus beef prices down. Food prices due to inflation are going to play a HUGE role in the midterms, agree or disagree you are not going to get any elected official to vote to increase the price of the hamburger.
- stevenjgarner 4y ago
  Iowa finishing pigs were the largest class of livestock consuming corn, approximately 340 million bushels, which is about 16.6% of the Iowa corn crop, or 55% of all the corn fed to livestock in Iowa [0]. Iowa is the number one pork producing state in the U.S. raising nearly one-third of the nation's hogs, and the top state for pork exports [1]. In 2021, exports accounted for 29.4 percent of total U.S. pork and pork variety meat production [2]. [0] https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/air/article/id/6168/download/pdf/ https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/air/article/id/6168/down... [1] https://www.iowapork.org/news-from-the-iowa-pork-producers-association/iowa-pork-facts/ https://www.iowapork.org/news-from-the-iowa-pork-producers-a... [2] https://www.porkcheckoff.org/markets/us-pork-exports/ https://www.porkcheckoff.org/markets/us-pork-exports/
  - phpisthebest 4y ago
    I think the key word there is "in Iowa" these reports are about Corn use in the state, not about Corn Subsidies nationwide or even the over all use of Corn from Iowa in other states. as you said Iowa has high pork production so it is obvious that would be the main use of Corn Feed IN Iowa, but that would not track to other states like say Texas where there is less pig and more Cow
njarboe 4y ago
I don’t think almond trees will grow in Iowa. I’m not an arborist though.
- s1artibartfast 4y ago
  Pistachios certainly don't. They are desert trees native to Iran.
- stevenjgarner 4y ago
  Nuts that can be grown in Iowa include black walnuts, Persian (so-called “English”) walnuts, heartnuts, pecans and other hickory nuts, hazels, almonds, chestnuts, and perhaps a few other minor species. [0] [0] https://practicalfarmers.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Tom-Wahl-Nut-Growing-and-Marketing-Handout.pdf https://practicalfarmers.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Tom-...
  - njarboe 4y ago
    Almonds can be grown in Iowa, according to the document you cited, but in the next section (Which ones should I grow, or should I grow them all?) after your quote one finds: "Almonds—Unreliable in bearing due to susceptibility to late frosts and numerous diseases" So I would say no to commercial production of almonds on Iowa. The California central valley is probably the best place on Earth to grow almonds, so it's a good place to do that. The US needs to trade something for those Chinese goods. Deserts are good places to grow things, if you have the water, because the mentioned diseases are much less prone to develop and spread.

UncleEntity 4y ago

> What is wrong with this picture? The federal primary election system…

stevenjgarner 4y ago
That would be too funny if it wasn't so true.

phpisthebest 4y ago

>What is wrong with this picture? America's desire for cheap beef. It is what is for dinner after all. Corn subsidies are specifically used to keep feed prices down, and thus beef prices down. Food prices due to inflation are going to play a HUGE role in the midterms, agree or disagree you are not going to get any elected official to vote to increase the price of the hamburger.

stevenjgarner 4y ago
Iowa finishing pigs were the largest class of livestock consuming corn, approximately 340 million bushels, which is about 16.6% of the Iowa corn crop, or 55% of all the corn fed to livestock in Iowa [0]. Iowa is the number one pork producing state in the U.S. raising nearly one-third of the nation's hogs, and the top state for pork exports [1]. In 2021, exports accounted for 29.4 percent of total U.S. pork and pork variety meat production [2]. [0] https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/air/article/id/6168/download/pdf/ https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/air/article/id/6168/down... [1] https://www.iowapork.org/news-from-the-iowa-pork-producers-association/iowa-pork-facts/ https://www.iowapork.org/news-from-the-iowa-pork-producers-a... [2] https://www.porkcheckoff.org/markets/us-pork-exports/ https://www.porkcheckoff.org/markets/us-pork-exports/
- phpisthebest 4y ago
  I think the key word there is "in Iowa" these reports are about Corn use in the state, not about Corn Subsidies nationwide or even the over all use of Corn from Iowa in other states. as you said Iowa has high pork production so it is obvious that would be the main use of Corn Feed IN Iowa, but that would not track to other states like say Texas where there is less pig and more Cow

njarboe 4y ago

I don’t think almond trees will grow in Iowa. I’m not an arborist though.

s1artibartfast 4y ago
Pistachios certainly don't. They are desert trees native to Iran.
stevenjgarner 4y ago
Nuts that can be grown in Iowa include black walnuts, Persian (so-called “English”) walnuts, heartnuts, pecans and other hickory nuts, hazels, almonds, chestnuts, and perhaps a few other minor species. [0] [0] https://practicalfarmers.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Tom-Wahl-Nut-Growing-and-Marketing-Handout.pdf https://practicalfarmers.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Tom-...
- njarboe 4y ago
  Almonds can be grown in Iowa, according to the document you cited, but in the next section (Which ones should I grow, or should I grow them all?) after your quote one finds: "Almonds—Unreliable in bearing due to susceptibility to late frosts and numerous diseases" So I would say no to commercial production of almonds on Iowa. The California central valley is probably the best place on Earth to grow almonds, so it's a good place to do that. The US needs to trade something for those Chinese goods. Deserts are good places to grow things, if you have the water, because the mentioned diseases are much less prone to develop and spread.