"If the land has value for grazing let it compete for it. A few years ago the emergency CRP grazing program quickly because a defacto subsidised grazing program."

The problem is that we got CRP rents too high.. to compete vs what the land is worth as pasture.

CRP has gone up as Ag land has gone up.. (maybe it shouldn't have??)

Now CRP has done ALOT of Good.. don't get me wrong.

For fragile lands it has reduced soil erosion.. increased wildlife habitat.. reduced surplus grain production.. etc.
I'm not talking about throwing the baby out with the bath water.. just tweaking on the margins..

We NEED young livestock producers entering the pipeline as the older generation exits..  I can name 3..5..10 local kids that want to farm/ranch but are not bestowed with a million dollars to go buy land and a cow herd.. some have a couple head.. on some crap pasture.. but for instance a kid that goes to my church told me yesterday that the Landlord of his pasture (quarter section) passed and that the heirs will probably want the $$$ )"show me the $$$" which he doesn't have it to pay them.. at least not now.. maybe in couple of years.. IF he can keep his developing cow herd together..
???

So we need to match the younger generation with existing land holders in CRP..

the kids pay a fair pasture rent..
the gov't doesn't have to cough up as much..
and maybe the landowner gets a little kick for doing the right thing...??

win win win.

We need to grow the livestock herd.. to go with the surplus grains/ddgs.. and keep pumping out exports.. grains.. ddgs.. ethanol.. pork.. beef.. etc..  Keep growing the engine.

I understand that it would be a touchy subject.. bring the livestock organizations in.. say.. X% over here.. not as much over there.. more out west.. etc.. MATCH DEMAND and SUPPLY..

We NEED more feeders.. need more cattle.. we can FEED more.. and EXPORT more.

better than sitting around waiting on South America to take our markets from us...  (eh Sat?)