Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
Despite concerns already being voiced by critics that little, if anything, will result from joint U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Agriculture workshops on competition in agriculture, one Missouri producer believes the meetings will make a difference.
“I’m convinced, Mr. Secretary, that this is not a dog and pony show,” hog farmer Jim Foster told Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “You folks mean business, and I appreciate it.”
Foster, who was perhaps one of the most colorful panelists appearing in Ankeny, farms in Montgomery City, Mo., and sits on the board of the Organization for Competitive Markets and the Missouri Farmers Union. His concern for the industry, he said, stems from wanting his children and grandchildren to be able to make a living the way he does.
Despite sitting next to an Iowa pork producer who’s operation is more than 1,100 sows, Foster matter-of-factly proclaimed that he had no desire to grow his antibiotic-free hog business to that level. It’s also unrealistic, he said, to require young farmers to start out on such a level in order to access the market.
“My kids can’t be big — they have to start somewhere. They have to have market access,” he said. “We should not ask them to wait until they are 21-years-old, have put up a million dollars and built hog farms for Cargill and Tyson.”
Follow Lynda Waddington on Twitter
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter