Homestead mailing list

["Lynn Wigglesworth" <lynnw1366 AT hotmail.com>]

Looking for "Change" in the Department of AgricultureGot this in my email. I 
wrote about my 'vision' of a country where small farms were supported by the 
government (no NAIS or draconian USDA regulations). I encouraged 
President-elect Obama to support local small farms.

Lynn Wigglesworth
--------------------

Dear PASA members, 
 
I know from reading our listservs that many of our members are very 
interested in what's going on in our nation's capitol, particularly regarding 
President-elect Obama's choices for his cabinet and other administrative 
posts.  Let's keep this discussion going, and also keep sharing perspectives 
with decision makers in Washington whenever possible.  You can send 
President-elect Obama a personal note at: 
http://www.change.gov/page/s/yourvision
Or, contact his Transition Team at: http://change.gov/page/s/contact

You may be interested to know that last week I had an opportunity to speak 
directly by phone with members of the president-elect's Transition Team and 
encouraged them to make sure sustainable agriculture is supported by the next 
administration. I am also glad to share with you an editorial published today 
by another participant in that call, and a good friend of PASA's, Chuck 
Hassebrook of the Center for Rural Affairs in Nebraska.  His piece is below.  
 
Could it be that a new era has begun for agriculture in America?  Let's hope 
so! 

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!
 
Brian Snyder, Executive Director
 
Guest column: Obama needs ag secretary committed to new vision
CHUCK HASSEBROOK is executive director of the Center for Rural Affairs. 
Lyons, Neb. Contact: chuckh AT cfra.org. . November 25, 2008

Barack Obama launched his campaign in Iowa with a promise to change farm and 
rural policy to create genuine opportunity for rural people and a better 
future for their communities. It was the best rural platform and best vision 
for changing farm and rural policy that I have seen in 30 years as a rural 
advocate.

Now President-elect Obama must appoint a secretary of agriculture who 
embraces that change, or it will fall victim to the politics of Washington. 
Nothing better illustrates the broken politics of Washington than farm and 
rural policy. The federal government spends billions subsidizing mega farms 
to drive smaller farms off the land and often penalizes the best 
environmental stewards with lower payments. It largely fails to invest in the 
future of America's rural communities.

For example, in 2005 the Department of Agriculture spent nearly twice as much 
to subsidize the 260 biggest farms across 13 leading farm states than on 
rural development initiatives to create economic opportunity for the 3 
million people living in those states' 260 most struggling rural counties. 
That does not help family farms or small-town Americans. It does not serve 
the common good.

The platform released by Barack Obama 13 months ago in Linn County, Iowa, 
went right to the heart of the problem. He proposed refocusing federal policy 
on creating opportunity for family farms by capping payments to mega farms 
and enforcing rules against unfair pricing practices by meat packers. To 
revitalize rural communities, he proposed investing in small business, 
microenterprise development and value-added agriculture, including local 
foods and sustainable agriculture.

He proposed increased production of biofuels and wind energy. And he pledged 
unprecedented support for protecting our land and water through the 
Conservation Stewardship Program, which rewards farmers for good practices.

These are not easy reforms. Investments in rural development and 
environmental stewardship run head-on into demands for new spending by big 
farm and commodity interests.

The last farm bill is a case in point. Efforts by Iowa Sens. Tom Harkin and 
Chuck Grassley to cap payments to mega farms and invest in conservation and 
rural development were overwhelmed by a coalition of Democrats and 
Republicans, from the Midwest as well as the South. And in spite of support 
for such measures by an overwhelming majority of farmers, they were 
undermined by a combination of Democratic- and Republican-leaning farm 
organizations as well as every affected commodity organization.

Obama's administration must be determined and unified to overcome the inertia 
and cynicism of farm and rural politics. The commitment of the president is 
the most critical element, but the commitment of his secretary of agriculture 
is almost as important.

Secretaries define the agenda and shape how the president uses his influence. 
They make important but less visible day-to-day decisions on rules and 
regulations that determine who benefits from USDA programs and the behavior 
they support. Obama cannot achieve the change to which he committed with a 
secretary of agriculture committed to the status quo.

Nevertheless, many of the engineers of Washington's failed rural policies are 
near the front of the line of job seekers for the highest positions in the 
Department of Agriculture. Our president's first challenge in farm and rural 
policy is separating the wheat from the chaff.

He should start with one simple test for those who want to be secretary of 
agriculture. Have they worked for the rural agenda on which he campaigned and 
are they committed to advancing it when he takes office in January?
>From erthnsky AT bellsouth.net  Tue Nov 25 18:48:53 2008
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Subject: Re: [Homestead] Fw: Looking for "Change" in the Department
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Lynn Wigglesworth wrote:
> Looking for "Change" in the Department of AgricultureGot this in my
> email. I wrote about my 'vision' of a country where small farms were
> supported by the government (no NAIS or draconian USDA regulations).
> I encouraged President-elect Obama to support local small farms.
>
> Lynn Wigglesworth --------------------
>
> Dear PASA members,
>
> I know from reading our listservs that many of our members are very
> interested in what's going on in our nation's capitol, particularly
> regarding President-elect Obama's choices for his cabinet and other
> administrative posts.  Let's keep this discussion going, and also
> keep sharing perspectives with decision makers in Washington whenever
> possible.  You can send President-elect Obama a personal note at:
> http://www.change.gov/page/s/yourvision Or, contact his Transition
> Team at: http://change.gov/page/s/contact


Thanks Lynn.  I wrote to tell them no NAIS or anything similar.

B
--
“Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to
hate. Hate leads to suffering.”        Yoda
http://www.myspace.com/tervetuloa13