Market Farming

["RDH" <rdhopkins AT americanpasturage.com>]

I hope that each state has at least one organization as productive and
helpful for farmers as your FB.  It Missouri, it is the Missouri Farmer's
Union, not Farm Bureau, that goes to bat for family farms, sustainable
agriculture, and sovereignty.

Rick H.

-----Original Message-----
From: sunnfarm AT netscape.net [mailto:sunnfarm AT netscape.net]
Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2002 8:25 PM
To: Market Farming
Subject: [market-farming] Re: Farm Bureau


I would advise everyone to join your state farm bureau, you have no voice in
policy unless your a member. Talk is cheap, if your not a part of the
organization you have no business complaining.
In New Jersey the FB is the only farm organization that speaks with one
voice for its members that include almost every farm in the state, and I can
safely say without NJFB there would be no agriculture in the state.

Awhile back a friend of mine who's family farmed the same land for 300 years
wanted to remodel his rinky dink roadstand into a one million dollar mega
market, the town stopped him, the farm bureau membership got him his market
and in the process established a "right to farm law" that had lead to dozens
more similar markets, and the addition of nearly 3000 new small farms, and
the expansion of old farms in urban areas that were slated for
development...Who else would do this?

Another friend built his mega-market only to find the town stopping him from
selling honey because he did not produce it himself. FB members all over the
state rallyed to his cause and now we ALL can sell honey at any of our
markets...Who else would do this?

State tried to charge real estate tax on greenhouse and hoop houses, then
tried to limit how many we could build, the FB got us all the right to build
as many as we need tax free...Who else would do this?

State tried to meter our irrigation wells, regulate and tax our water
useage, it was the FB who got an exemption for farmers...Who else would do
this.

The state and federal government tried to enact a law requiring all truck
drivers to get a commercial drivers license and restrict the use of farm
taged vehicles across state lines, the NJFB won us an exemption from the
law...Who else would do this...

An organic farmer this summer applied raw liquid chicken poop on the surface
without incorperating. The smell caused an uproar and threats to limit or
prevent manure application on all land. The FB was the only organization who
could step in and deal with the problem. First we kicked the farmers butt
and then got him proper injection equipment, then we applied damage control
by sending newspapers info about the value of manure in food production.
Where were his fellow organic farmers?, probably working at their full time
corperate jobs...

I could go on and on but you get the picture, if you take the time to look
into your own states FB activities you will find people volunteering their
time to fight for the rights of farmers.
 You can't possibly agree with every issue but in the end its farmers
looking after the interests of farmers, and that in essence, is what the
Farm Bureau is all about. My dues are $120 a year and thats a bargain..Bob.
Sunny Meadow Farm
Bridgeton, NJ.



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