Indiana 2003 Farming Stats

One of the biggest "arguments" in favor of CAFO farming is the supposed revenues they "bring into your community" ...and I'm getting kind of tired of hearing it, from a tax payer's standpoint.

Let's just take 3 Counties and see how much Net Income farming actually produced based on 2003 census reports:

Jasper County - Realized Net Income: $695,000
Newton County - Realized Net Income: $-108,000
Benton County - Realized Net Income: $-3,129,000

TOTAL Net Income/Loss: $-2,542,000

So, ummm... let me try to understand this. Out of the total GROSS REVENUES in 2003 from farming sources -- almost $2.8 Million -- the total NET after expenses (which I'm assuming benefits the community as being taxable income?? ...or maybe it's not all taxable??) the NET LOSS for our 3 counties was $-2,542,000?

I say again, a NET loss of TWO MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY-TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS?

That's for most ALL types of farming (crops and livestock) in our 3 counties -- imagine that!

Now, I know, different crops/livestock produce different levels of revenue...

But I'm thinking the taxes paid by the small group of residents just in our area beat the total tax revenues collected from farming across all three Indiana counties in 2003 -- CAFOs included. And I'm betting the tourist income and related revenues taken in from the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife reserve were fairly generous, too.

...I know there are several corner stores in our area that benefit very well from J-P F&W tourists. I doubt they'll be profiting nearly as much from the 8 to 10 employees the new CAFO will have versus the number of tourists that won't be coming once they smell what's happening on this main route into the Wildlife Reserve.