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Tue Mar 4 16:45:48 EST 2008
with FB policies, instead of being active with the organization and changing
policies, will make all kinds of claims about how the FB doesn't represent
farmers or as you have done, claim that the organization is insurance sales.
Please investigate the structure of the organization and see if that is
true. I bet you will find it separate, except that State President and some
district directors are also in control of the insurance portion and other
cooperative operations. Which is the way you would want it to be. This way
the farmers have the control over the business cooperative that they
collectively own.
Maybe your state or area is somehow operating contrary to most state farm
bureau's, but for anyone to EVER say that the FB does not represent their
farm members, there is some kind of disconnect on their knowledge of the
cooperative. Our FB at the county level represents whatever views the
majority want. Period. And same thing for state. I bet you have never been
involved have you, in order to make such statements? I have been a delegate
as well as a director and I can assure you that it can get VERY heated at
the state annual convention when we decide policy. Some of the votes were so
close they had to do a recount and the leadership was sometimes surprised
that the vote went opposite to what they might have expected. There is a lot
of different views on many subjects to deal with every year. Usually,
several dozen. And there are many hundreds of delegates, so please do not
misrepresent what is going on.
> Now that really gripes my butt. That's one thing you WON'T find on this
> list, is stagnation. We're the kings of adaptation. We're trying to keep
> up with the times without losing how we want to live. And for alot of us,
> that means choosing not to become larger (farmwise, not girthwise ; ))
I am not sure this was directed at any one person. But in order to try and
stop the direction of the economic forces you have to try and keep the
status quo. You can call it what you will, but that is reality. There are
times I would love to just be able to wave a magic wand and make it possible
for everyone who wants to farm at their comfort level, size, style, etc.
could do so and make a living at it. But it is just not possible. I am
basing my comments on the views expressed by several people here who lead me
to believe that they would go so far as to want to change the U.S.
Constitution in order to do this.
> We have 46 acres. Before that I had another farm that was 40
> acres. These
> are tiny farms compared to some, and large compared to others. I
> only chose
> to "market farm" 1/4 -3 1/2 acres, as many on this list do who may have
> access to many more acres. It's done for many reasons: labor, personal
> preference, market demands, etc. Some choose just to do produce,
> others add
> livestock. But we don't hold anything against someone who's
> farming larger
> amounts. More power to you.
Glad to hear it. You did not give me that impression when you said:
"> Rick, lest you forget, this is a list for market farmers, which means,
for
> the most part, we're SMALL farmers (small acreage, small output, small
> sales, etc as compared to larger farms). If some resentment
> towards larger
> farms shows up, it isn't sour grapes, just frustration. For whatever
> Robert's views, he's pointed out issues that concern us SMALL
> farmers, as we
> attempt to wedge ourselves into a piece of the market out there.
But small can mean different things to different people. The concept of
market farming to me is that you are direct oror otherwise marketing in some
way from your own farming operation.
> You've also generalized wrongly about list members. Not everyone here is
> organic, sustainable, political, "green", "small" acreage
> whatevers.
I understand that but the people who post to the list are the ones who set
the tone. So after a few weeks one starts to get a feel for the posters
world views.
> We've got everything from large farms (one that's a couple thousand acres
> that I know of) to list members who don't even have gardens.
I thought you had indicated small? even a section of land to most would be a
huge farm. But it could still be a market farm in my view. So that is why
size seemed less important than the approach one is taking.
Sincerely,
Rick Williams
Misty Ridge Farm
Dairy heifers and dairy beef graziers
Viroqua, WI
www.mistyridgefarm.com
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