South Bend-area farmers happy for part of $12 billion in support in tariff battle with China

“I don’t like relying on the government to help me along,” said Wyatt farmer Larry Enders. “But if they’re going to offer me some help, I’m going to take it.”

Enders says he voted for Trump and was willing to even take a loss on this year’s crops to support what he believes are some long-overdue trade issues with China, which is notorious for ignoring intellectual property rights.

Less than a month ago, the farmer estimated that he already had lost about $23,000 on the value of the corn and soybeans he plants on 700 acres. The government program would include payments to farmers affected by the tariffs, distribute some of the surplus crops to food banks and promote new markets for U.S. goods.

Other farmers have a mindset that is similar to Enders, said Kevin Bullard, a long-time Elkhart County farmer who now runs Bullard’s Farm Market on County Road 17. “Trade has been unfair and out of balance,” he explained.