I truly believe that there are some in Farm Bureau that are trying to
do an honest attempt at sustainable ag, good farming etc.
Unfortunately I don't think that most of the members have a clue as
to what is going on. It has historically been a very top down
organization. And insurance "memberships" account for a lot of their
numbers. Keep in mind that the Farm Bureau was started by the New
York Chamber of Commerce - not from a grass roots agricultural base.
I find it very ironic that a lot of the private property rights bills
introduced in a lot of the states and supported by Farm Bureau have
all been amazingly similar (I'll leave you to draw your own
conclusions).
Here in Kansas the Farm Bureau has been actively partnering with the
Extension Service to hold and fund abandoned well plugging
demonstrations. They were doing this at the same time (and by the
same person) that they were strongly opposing any kind of pesticide
regulation in an area that had severe atrazine pollution in surface
waters. I never did understand how they could rationalize that. If
ever an organization was schizophrenic it is today's Farm Bureau. And
like I said before, there are good people inside the organization
trying to do the right things when it comes to the environment and
sustainable ag - but right now they probably feel like the prophet
crying in the wilderness................................
Chuck
****************************************************************
Chuck Otte Internet: cotte@oznet.ksu.edu
Geary County Extension Office, PO BOX 28 913-238-4161
Junction City, KS 66441-0028 FAX 913-238-7166
================================================================