Upsetting the Apple Cart

Congressional Candidates talk Local Farms & Food

Hey candidates running for congress:

The corporate ag lobby doesn't represent family farmers. That was one message from last night's forum with all the candidates running for the 5th Congressional seat being vacated by Congresswoman Darlene Hooley.

This was an opportunity for family farmers, rural residents and eaters to talk about the issues that they care about - issues that are far-too-often muddled in the chatter of the campaign season. Thanks to our colleagues over at Friends of Family Farmers for hosting this very interesting forum!

At the forum, candidates addressed a myriad of issues including:

Health care, access to markets, aging farming population, farm workers,rural meat processing, energy, fuel costs, landuse regulations, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and factory farms.

So issues aside, who won the debate? Well we are non-partisan so we won't tell you our thoughts.  However, a big shout-out to Republican Mike Erickson for actually using the term "factory farms" and talking about their negative impacts - something we rarely hear from a Republican.  Clearly someone did his homework.

State Senator Kurt Schrader certainly gets points from us for his farming background and the fact that he still lives on his family farm and seems to have a good understanding of the issues many farmers face. And not to mention, the guy's a veterinarian.

But, Mr. Schrader did make a point to boast about his Farm Bureau ties. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE chalkboard screeching to our ears! Farm Bureau may sometimes represent family farmers here in Oregon, where they have done some interesting things such as supporting Measure 49 (albeit a decision that split the organization) but...

Mr. Schrader, if you make it to Congress, you need to take a hard look at Farm Bureau policies before you jump in bed with them. Farm Bureau has definitely lost it's way from the roots the organization once had with family farmers.  This organization has become one, if not the largest mouthpiece for corporate agriculture in our country, which has resulted in the demise of the family farm. For goodness sakes Mr. Schrader, they are an insurance company not a farm organization!!

Nonetheless, all the candidates (including the 4 minor party candidates) did a great job and we commend them for taking time out of their busy schedules to meet with the people and to talk about local farms and food. From last night's forum, it is clear that there is an overall lack of understanding of food and farming by candidates running for office in this country. And it is incumbent on us - the farmers, the eaters and rural residents- to ensure that we reach out to these people - who, one of which - will be making policy decisions that impact us directly.

And, whoever it is that makes it to Congress, we hope that you remember that most family farmers can't afford to take time from the farm to make a trip  to DC. If sound policies are to pass that truly help family farmers our Congressman will need to reach out to the real farmers on the ground, working the land and supporting their communities, rather than deferring to corporate ag suits that lurk in the halls and stand in lobbies just waiting to further the corporate agriculture agenda by running family farmers out-of-business.

It’s the factory farming stupid.

So before the right-wing extremists poke their heads out from some hole to claim that we want everyone to become vegetarians, let me set the record straight.

First, we at the Apple Cart neither support nor promote an all-vegetarian diet.  In fact, we hope that you will start to eat meat and that you will eat lots of it – provided you purchase your meat from Oregon family farmers who raise their animals in a way that doesn’t pollute the environment and doesn’t impact their neighbors. And, yes we want you to support farmers who raise their animals humanely. 

Ah…the “H” word.  Yup we said it – humanely. “Humanely” doesn’t mean that we’re expecting the farm critters to come in the house and lounge on the couch. It means simply treating the animals that you plan to eat with enough dignity and respect as living creatures and allowing these animals the room and freedom to enjoy life as a pig, cow or turkey before they become bacon, steak or a drumstick.

Recently a commentary written by food animal vet, Dr. Robert B. Chernson ran in our favorite “ag rag” the Capital Press. In the article, Raising Farm Animals Under Attack, Chernson defended the practice of factory farming as, “ modern agriculture” and a system that “provides producers an economic advantage.”  Our question: An economic advantage for who?