Missouri Agriculture Under Attack


* Please Forward!!!
Update & Action Alert!!
Please Call/Email "Updated" Key Representatives and Senators TODAY!!!
(see Action Alerts Below)
UPDATE: Thank You to all that attended Wednesday's Family Farm Lobby Day. Farmers and rural landowners from across the state gathered to expose theTRUTH about these bills: they are anti-farmer, anti-Missourian and are written solely to benefit of out-of-state, multi-national corporate agri-business. The lobby day was very positive, and feedback from OUR elected officials showed that all the phone calls and emails are working!
So, it is crucial that we maintain our momentum. The corporate lobbyists of our opposition walk the capitol halls daily, doing everything possible to limit all of our rights. We need OUR elected officials to know that these lobbyist DO NOT REPRESENT US.
Based upon feedback at the lobby day, I have selected new key representatives that were responsive to our message. Please call and/or email these elected officials TODAY!!! Tell them that SB 187 is similar to eminent domain and opposes Missouri liberties and, if passed, will drastically compromise the property rights of Missouri's family farmers and rural landowners.
UPDATE: Since the last action alert, SB 187 has not moved. It has been assigned to the House Agri-Business Committee (Rep. Casey Guernsey is the Chairman and sponsor of HB 209). We are continuing to keep our eyes on HB 209 (the House version of SB 187).
UPDATE: SB 278 can be heard on the Senate floor anytime. SB 278(sponsored by Senator Munzlinger) would abolish rights of farmers and landowners from protecting their property through the court system. This bill not only protects factory farms but also anyindustrial/corporate entity. Similar to SB 187, but broader in scope, SB 278 is simply another layer of deceit with the intent to hand our rights over to out-of-state, multi-national corporations.
UPDATE: House Joint Resolution 17 (HJR 17), the so-called "Freedom in Agriculture Act" (sponsored by Rep. Jason Smith) is currently in the Rules Committee and can go to the House Floor anytime. HJR 17 would radically and dramatically impact Local Controland the rights of local elected officials and the state legislature to protect Missouri's family farmers from the negative impacts of factory farms. This bill is especially dangerous because it is a proposed constitutional amendment.
HJR 17 is supported by the Missouri Farm Bureau (MFB). In the Missouri Farm Bureau's Capitol Connectionnewsletter, MFB praises HJR 17 because it grants “exclusive authority to the state legislature and state agencies to enact laws and regulations” that protects “the right to raise crops and animals…” Missouri Farm Bureau’s explanation demonstrates the intent of this bill: to disable local county governments’ rights to protect their farmers and constituents from the impact of multi-national, corporate controlled industrial livestock operations. In other words, the end of Local Control!
STOP The CAFO Protection Bills
Protect the Property Rights of Thousands of Farm Families-
Tell Them to VOTE NO on SB 187, HB 209 & SB 278!
Senate Bill 187, Senate Bill 278 & House Bill 209
Senate Bill 187 (introduced by Senator Lager), Senate Bill 278 (introduced by Senator Munzlinger) & House Bill 209(introduced by Rep. Guernsey) wouldlimit the rights of Missouri's family farmers, landowners and communities to protect their properties through the court system from the negative impacts of corporate-controlled Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). Similar to eminent domain, this represents a "taking" or "condemnation" of personal property rights without just compensation and discourages factory farms to be good neighbors.

Senators & Representatives should not support these bills because they jeopardize the majority of citizens, farmers and landowners. SB 187, SB 278 & HB 209 are clearly CAFO Protection Bills that take away the property rights of the thousands of independently owned and operated family farms and rural landowners.

*Language for SB 187, HB 209 & SB 278.
Call & Email Key Representatives & Senators TODAY and say...
(See Key Representatives & Senators Below)
Message:
  • Similar to eminent domain, SB 187/SB 278/HB 209 represent a "taking" or "condemnation" of personal property rights without just compensation.
  • SB 187/SB 278/HB 209 would limit the constitutional rights of family farmers and rural landowners from protecting their property through the court system from the negative impacts of industrial livestock operations.
  • The operations SB 187/SB 278/HB 209 protects are a small minority of CAFOs. Out of Missouri’s 100,000+ farming operations, ½ of 1% are regulated as CAFOs.
  • In order to protect this very small minority of industrial livestock operations the majority of farmers and landowners will be left without adequate protection from the potential negative impacts of CAFOs.
  • SB 187/SB 278 are deceitful attempts to hide behind the majority of Missouri's independent family farms to protect CAFOs.
Fix HJR 17--Protect Local Control
Call & Email Key Representatives & Senators TODAY!
HJR 17 is full of broad and dangerous language that would limit local control. Also, who will define "humane manner", "undue economic burden" and "generally accepted scientific principles"--Missouri's independent family farmers, or out-of-state multi-national agribusiness'?
*Language for HJR 17.
Message:
  • HJR 17 could stop the state from regulating CAFOs when corporate agri-business decides that playing by the rules is an "undue economic burden".
  • The state legislature would have to be prepared to prove that any bill they pass related to crops or animal production methods are based on "generally accepted scientific principles". The question is "who owns the science?". Unfortunately, the so-called "science" has oftentimes been bought and paid for by corporate agri-business interests.
  • HJR 17 could infringe upon the state's obligation and ability to protect producers, their markets and consumers from the irresponsible actions of multi-national biotech and pharmaceutical companies whose practices could cause serious economic harm to Missouri's ag economy.
Please Call &/or EMAIL about SB 187 & HJR 17:

"Updated" Key Representatives (see full list of Representatives below):

    Please Call &/or EMAIL about SB 278 & HJR 17:
    *You can email all Senators here:http://www.senate.mo.gov/webmail/mail_form.aspx

    Key Senators (see full list of Senators below):

    Posted by Kansas City Food Circle
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    Confused about "FEED THE WORLD" rhetoric from BIG AG? Just FOLLOW THE MONEY...

    HEADLINE:

    Analyst:?Worldwide grain crunch possible

    Rationing grain may not be option for U.S.

    March 13, 2011 - By LARRY KERSHNER, For The Messenger
    During a national teleconference with media on Wednesday, an environmental analyst said he foresees a long-term looming grain crunch for the U.S.

    • Ok, folks... GOT YOUR B.S. DETECTOR ON? This article details the negative effects of conventional farming, yet Lester Brown of Worldwatch Institute still says we can't "feed the world" with organic farming methods.

      I say, THINK FOR YOURSELVES and FOLLOW THE MONEY.

    Brown discussed why estimating world grain production is becoming more complex, and why there was a time when grain production was on the rise almost everywhere.

    However, due to aquifer depletion, severe soil erosion and rising temperatures, the world of stable grain yields is history.

    • EITHER BROWN or the WRITER... maybe BOTH ARE CONFUSED - maybe the spin-doctors are spun out:
    He [Brown said] there is no advantage in farming organic and went as far to say that conventional fertilizers are not enough to replenish overworked soils.

    We don't have enough organic materials in the soil. We are exporting our nutrients and we can't replace them. "Our only (sustainable) source," Brown said, "for fields like Kansas and Iowa, for example, is chemical fertilizers - mines [mined] phosphorus and potash."

    • Do you SEE IT, PEOPLE? THE MONEY SPEAKS, over and over again...
    "chemical fertilizers - mines [mined] phosphorus and potash"
    "chemical fertilizers - mines [mined] phosphorus and potash"
    "chemical fertilizers - mines [mined] phosphorus and potash"


    Posted by Kansas City Food Circle
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