Rural infrastructure offers great opportunity for jobs and development: invest in our farm-to-market roads, the lock and dam systems on our great heartland rivers, and the rapid development of rural broadband. Manufacturers and farm operations need workers, but President Trump has so demonized the immigrant work force that Republicans won’t soon offer anything like a solution. Current farm policy pits conservation efforts against maximizing production. Policy that stabilizes the farm economy costs pennies per meal; so would compensating farmers for environmental services. This would help all farmers, as well as improve our air, water and soil quality.

Source: New York Times March 17, 2019 22:52 UTC