Byron Dorgan: “I'm very pleased that they passed the farm bill out of the committee, which will, I hope very soon, come to the floor of…”

“I'm very pleased that they passed the farm bill out of the committee, which will, I hope very soon, come to the floor of the Senate. I want to make a few comments about it, about the importance of it to family farmers. The subject of family farming is very important to me. I know some say: But the family farm in America is largely gone. In any event, the notion of family farms is just old nostalgia. It is not relevant to today. Today we need big, mechanized corporate agrifactories. The family farm is like the little old diner that got left behind when the interstate came through. Those who believe that are just dead wrong. Family farming remains a critically important part of this country's economy. Will Rogers said, many years ago: You know, if one day all the lawyers and accountants in America failed to show up for work, it really wouldn't mean very much. But if one day all the cows in the United States failed to show up to get milked, now that would be a problem.”