Providing key information on recent developments in rural America, including UPDATES on the Farm Bureau and salient issues converging around water quality, farm sustainablility and the protection of biodiversity.

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1. FARM BUREAU ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT - BACKS FREEDOM TO FARM, WON’T SUPPORT MERGER MORATORIUM.

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While Farm Bureau delegates in Houston today voted to back the Freedom to Farm Bill and refused to back an agribusiness moratorium, they also made Farm Bureau history by electing a new president. Bob Stallman, the Texas Farm Bureau president was elected this morning by the 365 delegates attending the Farm Bureau conference in Houston, Texas. While Stallman is considerably younger than the previous president Dean Kleckner, little is known about his stance on many of the problems facing farmers today.

In light of Farm Bureau delegates also supporting Freedom to Farm and opposing an agribusiness merger moratorium, farmers want to know, will Stallman be any better than Kleckner? Will he revamp AFBF’s trade policies which are killing the American producer?

Will he demand that AFBF investigate anti-trust and merger-mania? Will he sever AFBF’s myriad agribusiness connections which place AFBF at a "conflict of interest" with the family farmer?

Will he position AFBF to protect the family farmer, rural communities and precious natural resources, or will he continue to use AFBF to exploit rural America and advance the corporate control of agriculture?

All of this remains to be seen. While AFBF was electing Stallman, the vigorous AFBF press machine has been churning out releases and radio stories that make it sound like business as usual under the old regime.

A sampling of this press "spinning" over the last few days reveals this fact clearly.

On the AFBF radio show today, which goes out to hundreds of radio stations around the country, the lead story opens with this line. "Today in Houston the American Farm Bureau Federation voted to back the Freedom to Farm Bill." Quoting Iowa FB President Ed Weiderstein, the report blames low prices on "forces outside of Freedom to Farm", including the Asian market crash and good weather in America.

Weiderstein continues by saying,""for the most part the basic tenants of Freedom to Farm have been reaffirmed." And because of what may be happening in Congress over the next two years this gives us something to stand on."

To appease farmers, AFBF is now calling for some form of "counter-cyclical" method of federal price support. Basically, this term implies federal support when commodities prices are down. These supports would then disappear when prices stabilize. What form will price supports take? According to Weiderstein, the "additional reforming of crop insurance - that would be our counter cyclical assistance."

In a move devastating to family farmers struggling to keep markets open and free, the AFBF delegates refused to support a moratorium on agribusiness mergers. They said they were "concerned" about the impacts of concentration but refused to translate this to action.

This comes on the heels of a resolution passed by the Mississippi state farm bureau "rebuking" AFBF leadership for "conflicts of interest" by lobbying to defeat Sen. Wellstone’s merger moratorium legislation of last year. This bill was designed to halt agribusiness mergers until their effects could be studied. If farm bureau members had any doubts about their leadership’s view on this issue, it has been cleared up today. This decision by delegates will send shock waves through the farm bureau membership.

Other indicators from the conference over the last few days show Farm Bureau is continuing to employ red-herrings as scapegoats for the failed fam policy they have advanced.

"Farmers, lawmakers want less government control", blasts their Newsline radio show from today. By pointing the finger at environmentalists and "tree-huggers", they attempt to blame the current agricultural crisis on "too many government regulations." A quick view of thier press releases shows the are busy condemning the EPA for protecting clean water and food safety.

This is an ironic stance for an organization that refuses to address farmer concerns that the "lack of government regulation" on corporate agribusiness is what's really putting them out of business.

Today, the Farm Bureau's web-supported radio show sports Senator Marion Barry, accussing the EPA of intentionally delaying pesticide approvals. "If you can delay a product past July, what good is it?", Barry said. Then he continues with a veiled accusation saying, "This happens way too often to be coincidental."

Various press releases from the week take pot shots at the EPA for thier lack of "sound science" and "manipulation" of regulations.

Will it be business as usual for the new Farm Bureau president?