Market Farming

["Tom Anslow" <limerock AT thirdplanet.net>]

paul & barb - on the continental divide said

> Good people, what we're getting constantly from this guy is the actual
Farm
> Bureau disinformation campaign, and the financial giants of agribusiness
> have too much to lose if they ignore populist movements in farming.  Part
> of their public relations drive is paying certain small farmers to argue
> their case for them locally and on the Internet. The first rule of
> effective propaganda (called "public relations") for big money is to
always
> appear to be one of the little guys, just "home folks" like everybody
else.

And just who (on this list or elsewhere) is getting paid to argue FB's case?
As for myself, I am a 'little guy' considering that of the great big 18 acre
farm we have, about three acres are in apples, peaches, plums, and apricots,
along with a whopping 3/4 of one acre in veggies.

>
> Jill in Wisconsin provided this link to Amber Waves of Grain at
> http://www.familyfarmer.org/awg.html and I highly recommend reading all
> they've put up on their website about the FB, and you can draw your own
> conclusions about the disinformation campaign we're seeing.  The Farm
Lobby
> Colossus http://www.familyfarmer.org/awg04.pdf details the interlocking
> interests between financial business and FB officials. Other links confirm
> that in much of their lobbying campaign the FB is little more than a front
> for the agribusiness conglomerates, pesticide peddlers, and the
> anti-environmental lobbies.

Have not taken the time from farming to read this, although I shall.  But,
if you are referring to the link between Nationwide Insurance and FB, that
is old news.  For those who are not aware, it was Nationwide that basically
started FB.


> More alarming is the FB money spent lobbying in so many public policy
areas
> that have no possible connection to farm policy. See
> http://www.familyfarmer.org/awg13.pdf . List members may or may not agree
> with FB lobbying to throw unwed mothers and their children out on the
> street, or their lobbying to kill the Voting Rights Act, or officials'
> bigotry and ignorance, but I for one will support what I believe in on an
> issue-by-issue basis instead of giving a blank check to unaccountable rich
> yahoos working for somebody else.

Once again, I shall take time from farming to read this.  Did not someone
mention earlier the phrase 'disinformation campaign?  Me thinks so.

Tom Anslow
Limerock Orchards and Roadside Market
Catawba Island, Ohio

Disclaimer:
The previous announcement was paid for by my hard work farming and my wife's
hard work as a registered nurse (at three different jobs).