Market Farming

["Rick Williams" <mrfarm AT frontiernet.net>]

OK folks, I did what paul and barb wanted and gave many spefic responses
based on the web site as per their request. Now did they respond back? NO!!
Just more innuendo, to wit:

> There's another smoking gun to back up my point. Propagandists often claim
> an organization is a "big tent" just to defend their inclusion in it, but
> then tell people of a different opinion they don't belong in it. And
> propaganda works only so long as inconvenient facts are swept under the
> rug.

  In fact, FB at the national level is no way the voice of agriculture
> at the level of local market farmers, many of whom are working on viable,
> sustainable ways of farming and living on the land.

FB is definitely not the voice of ag at only the level of local farmers
markets. It is for all farmers. Not one particular type of farmer. That is
the big tent concept.

What about the excellent URL link that I posted from the AFBF's main page? I
notice that there is no response back on this. Is it perhaps inconvenient
that the FB is supporting small farms and direct marketing since it shows
you are unfairly attacking us?

> They can't support
> opposite approaches to farming, support pesticide/herbicide profits on one
> hand and also support Integrated Pest Management and chemical-free growing
> on the other.

Yes, they can. It is up to the farmer. They don't say pesticides are all bad
or all good. The individual farmer decides that. And IPM is supported by
many FB farmers. Similarly, you will find organic FB farmers too and market
farmers. That is what I mean by a big tent.

> So they follow the money and support big fossil fuel
> industrial agriculture, and leave the rest of us out in the cold.  If they
> are truly "big tent", and reflect all levels of opinion then they
> shouldn't
> even try to take sides in such issues.

The "sides" are in the resolutions which reflect grassroots concerns in the
most democratic way possible. How could you improve on that democratic
process?

> Much less take sides on issues
> totally unrelated to farming like unwed mothers.

Again, FB reflects the members grassroots concerns and they go way beyond
farming because they greatly impact our quality of life as farmers and
citizens. They pass resolutions reflecting that concern.

It is becoming very clear that democracy is not something you support when
it goes against what you want, or you would never attack grass roots
resolutions as you repeatedly have.

Sincerely,

Rick Williams
Misty Ridge Farm
Dairy heifers and dairy beef graziers
Viroqua, WI

www.mistyridgefarm.com