farm aid petition

September 30, 2009 in Food + Ag politics
Tags: take action

Farm Aid is collecting your signatures until Friday!  Here’s a note from them:

As a Farm Aid supporter, you know that nobody is more committed than we are to helping family farmers keep their land and their livelihood. While we encourage federal efforts to assist farmers, the fact is that not all government policies are created equally — and neither are all farms.

That’s why we need you to join the thousands of others that have already taken action. Urge the federal government to stop giving taxpayer money to destructive factory farms today!

The basic problem is: a current USDA program funnels taxpayer money to fund new and bigger factory farm operations. This lending is leading to the gross overproduction of hogs and poultry. So much livestock is being churned out that it has caused a long-term depression of prices paid to farmers, forcing many family farmers out of business. Since 1987, we have lost close to 70% of our hog farmers in the US! Meanwhile, the average number of hogs per farm has skyrocketed as factory farms dominate the industry.

Not only that, but these factory farms pose a real danger to our communities, our natural resources, and the livelihood of hardworking family farmers who dedicate their lives to raising poultry and livestock in ways that safeguard our air, water and public health.

Tell Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to stop using our money to prop up factory farms.

Along with partner groups Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, Land Stewardship Project, Missouri Rural Crisis Center and Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA, we’ve collected nearly 15,000 signatures to put pressure on Secretary Vilsack. He needs to hear from us to end this destructive lending and focus USDA resources on helping those who need it most: the family farmers who have been supplying us with healthy, safe food for generations.Click here to sign our petition now — and thanks for standing up for family farmers.

Sincerely,
Hilde Steffey, Program Director
Farm Aid

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