Family farms feed our Nation.
Veterans who are family farmers have served our Nation honorably. This is particularly true in farm communities where adverse weather conditions or other factors, beyond the control of individual farmers, may dramatically impact a farmer's income in a given year. We are also asking that you provide guidance to adjudicators, reminding them that the net worth determination is not a mechanical one. This language is not consistent with the statutory requirement at 38 U.S.C. 1522 that a determination be made concerning the reasonableness of utilizing some part of the corpus of a veteran's estate for the veteran's maintenance. It is not reasonable to require a veteran to sell his means of livelihood in order to obtain pension benefits or VA health care.