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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Farm Bureau national leadership is coming under increasing scrutiny as a "decoy" group for corporate agribusiness. While this may be news to many people, as is often remarked, "Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it." The following is reprinted from the US Congressional Record from 1967 "Congressman Joseph T. Resnick today accused the American Farm Bureau Federation of ‘using the American farmer in order to build one of the largest insurance and financial empires in the United States, and to bring great profits to a select handful of men.’

In a sharply-worded speech delivered to the House today, Congressman Resnick charged the Farm Bureau with ‘masquerading before the Congress, the nation, and the American farmer as a farm organization deeply and exclusively devoted to promoting the best interests of the American farm, when in reality the organization is a gigantic, interlocking nationwide combine of insurance companies."

In an arrogant display of anti-democracy, the House agriculture committee held hearings last week on the EPA's recommended new regulations for factory animal farms. However, the committee refused to allow the Clean Water Action Network to testify. The Clean Water Action Network, which represents 1000 grass roots organizations nationwide had previously requested the right to speak. Their request was denied. Then, once the hearings started, Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) leveled an attack at the EPA saying, "Instead of trusting the states to develop and enforce their own programs, the EPA wants to ignore states' rights and wants to take over the state programs if it doesn't like those programs. This 'Washington knows best' arrogance violates the basic principles of federalism."

Goodlatte’s bravado about federalism and states rights is highly unbecoming to a man whose federal committee refused democratic access to 1000 groups representing dozens of states.

While family farmers and ranchers charge corporate agribusiness with anti-trust violations and unfair predatory practices, the American Farm Bureau Federation refuses to drop a lawsuit opposing wolves in Yellowstone National Park. The Farm Bureau has spent considerable resources on a lawsuit that, if successful, will probably result in the death of all wolves in the park and central Idaho.

Throughout deliberations on the suit, Defenders of Wildlife has maintained a program that reimburses ranchers for all animals lost to wolves. On a recent trip to Idaho, hog farmer Scott Dye had the occasion to tell one unaware rancher about the program. The rancher, says Dye, exclaimed, "Well hell, I’m gonna herd my cattle over towards Yellowstone, it might be the only way I get any money for 'em." The Farm Bureau, which is connected financiallyto several larger corporations notorious for undermining family farmers, has been noticeably silent about mentioning any violations of the federal anti-trust laws.

The Oct. 23 National Journal reported that "more than two dozen Washington trade associations eager to promote wider public acceptance of genetically-altered food have formed the Alliance for Better Foods. The group's members include the American Farm Bureau Federation, the American Meat Institute, the Food Distributors International, and the National Food Processors Association. If you visit the Alliance’s Web site you will see a bounty of corporate propaganda on the benefits of genetically-modified organism's (GMOs). You will also notice a Web link that connects you to the Web site for the American Farm Bureau Federation. Apparently, these trade associations are counting on the "folksy" image of the Farm Bureau to help fend off the rising tide in America against the use of GMOs. Of course, these groups may also be counting on sizeable contributions from Farm Bureau business affiliations like Monsanto and Archer-Daniels Midland.

In case you are unaware of the Farm Bureau’s media sophistication, you might want to check out it’s new "service." In addition to daily radio "actualities" spoon-fed to hundreds of radio stations nationally, the Farm Bureau has begun disseminating live video satellite feeds. The feeds go out regularly and advance the same down-home family image Farm Bureau loves to exploit. Farmers familiar with the corporate policies promoted by the "Bureau" will simmer at the subject matter. One lead story titled, "Hope for 2000" is a spin-off from Farm Bureau President Dean Kleckner's recent editorial titled, "Prosperity Built on our Freedom to Change." In light of the dismal failure of the "Freedom to Farm" bill, the title alone is insulting enough. Info on the live feeds, including specs on picking up the feed, can be viewed at: http://www.fb.com/home.shtml