Uncertain Harvest Subsidy Survey Brought Bumper Crop Of Responses

When U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar told The Spokesman-Review in March that his plan to reduce federal farm subsides over the next five years is “a modest proposal,” we wondered if that were true.

Or would the Indiana Republican’s proposal, which is under consideration this year, devour Inland Northwest farmers and accelerate the extinction of the family farm?

We decided to ask farmers themselves. After all, who better to tell us whether they have the financial means to sustain the loss of farm subsidies - a $10 billion entitlement that taxpayers contribute nationwide each year?

In April, The Spokesman-Review mailed a survey to 2,903 farmers and others who subscribe to agricultural publications in 11 counties surrounding Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. We asked about the importance of federal farm subsidies, where the money is spent and what would happen if farmers didn’t get it.

The survey hit a nerve. A surprising 972 people responded, filling our mailbox with a 2-foot-high stack of paper that represented a 33 percent rate of return. We had to hire extra help to process all the answers.

Mailed surveys typically get a 5 percent return, says pollster Bill Robinson, president of Spokane-based Robinson Research. A high rate of return means people are passionate about the issues, he said.

The first question in The Spokesman-Review survey showed that to be true. When asked if non-farmers understand agriculture, 902 people said no.

“They won’t understand until they get hungry and there’s no food to buy,” warned one farmer.