| Rural Community
Updates!
May 25, 2000 ******************************************************************************* Providing key information on recent developments in rural America, including updates on the Farm Bureau and salient issues converging around water quality, farm sustainability and the protection of biodiversity. ******************************************************************************* Farm Bureau director told quit According to an article by Jerry Perkins in the Register Farm Editor (5-25-2000) Iowa Farm Bureau state director Don Narigon said he has been asked to resign his position for "pursuing questions initially raised in a "60 Minutes" television show that was critical of the farm organization." Farm Bureau legal counsel, Steve Morain, countered the statement saying Narigon had been asked to resign because of "internal matters detrimental to Farm Bureau caused by Mr. Narigon." Perkins reports that Farm Bureau officials declined to comment further. Perkins reports the following... "Narigon, 65, said he was told at a May 2 meeting of Farm Bureau's 12-member board of directors that he had 48 hours to resign. He declined and hired an attorney. ‘This is fallout from the "60 Minutes" show," Narigon said. "I've been trying to get some answers, and I think I'm getting too close to something."On April 9th CBS 60 Minutes raised troubling questions about how leaders of the Iowa Farm Bureau profit while their family farmer members face record low farm prices. CBS featured documentation regarding stock options offered to numerous Farm Bureau Presidents. The feature also showed investments the Iowa Farm Bureau insurance affiliate FBL Financial Group held in major agribusiness groups. As Perkins noted, " The segment accused the organization of building a for-profit business worth billions of dollars while tens of thousands of farmers are in financial trouble." |