The National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture is forwarding this action
alert from the Center for Rural Affairs. Please contact John Crabtree (contact
info at end of this e-mail) should you have any questions. Remember to make
your correspondence to Vice President Gore and Secretary Glickman as personal
as possible.
#### Action Alert ####
Family farmers and ranchers need action by Secretary of Agriculture Dan
Glickman to stop price discrimination by meatpackers.
In 1998, the National Commission on Small Farms called on Secretary of
Agriculture Dan Glickman to take action to clearly define and aggressively
prohibit price discrimination and volume premiums that are destroying the
livestock markets and decimating family farm and ranch livestock producers.
We can't afford to wait until the next market free-fall. Inaction will most
assuredly lead to a countryside dotted with a handful of very large, vertically
integrated, industrial hog operations. These operations have every intention of
removing the economic benefit of livestock production from our rural
communities and have little or no regard for the quality of life in rural
America.
What you can do:
(1) Write Vice President Al Gore.
The Vice President came to Iowa in the caucus season and told family farmers
that he would fight for them. This was a message meant for all farmers. Write
him and tell him that now is the time to reaffirm his commitment. Urge him to
call the Secretary of Agriculture and ask him to immediately issue rules on
price discrimination.
Vice President Al Gore
c/o John Winski
Old Executive Building Rm 286
Washington, DC 20501
Fax: (202) 720-5759
Sample:
Dear Mr. Vice President,
I am writing to urge you to use your position in the current administration to
ask Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman to issue rules that clearly define
and aggressively prohibit price discrimination in livestock markets. I
encourage you to contact Secretary Glickman and personally convey the urgency
of this issue. (Add why this would be important to you, this is what adds power
to your letter). It is important that you take action now.
(2) Write Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman.
Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman
14 th St & Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
Phone: (202) 720-3631
Fax: (202) 720-3631
Sample:
Dear Secretary Glickman,
I am writing to urge you to use your authority to immediately issue rules that
clearly define and aggressively prohibit price discrimination. Your lack of
leadership is costing farmers their livelihood everyday. (Add your personal
story here... why this is important to you?) I have enclosed a copy of a
similar letter that I wrote to Vice President Gore.
Thank you for your time and effort!
If you have questions, or for more information about this alert, contact:
John Crabtree
Center for Rural Affairs
PO Box 406
Walthill NE 68067
Phone: (402) 846-5428 xt 29e-mail: johnc@cfra.org
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