The Elections Are Coming 'Round the Corner ... So Pay Attention to the Right Candidates to Meet Farming Needs!

Smaller CAFOs similar to this one are sometimes able to "run under the radar" for meeting state standards.
 Copyright 2018 Photoartdb.  Photo provided by courtesy of photographer.

  The local, state and national elections are coming up soon so now is the right time to think about those candidates who are going to do the right thing when it comes to farming legislation.  Voter Beware: Not Everyone Is Dealing In FACTS or Telling the Truth (Where the term "alternative facts" ever evolved mystifies me.  Aren't "alternative facts" just non-truths or outright lies?).  One of my favorite posters on Facebook is this one:

   It has been a while since posting in this blog.  Mainly, it has been because of a disease that I contracted down in Mexico through the water or meat consumed while down there during a combination of pleasure and advocacy work for nearly a month.  It has taken another month to recover my health enough to be able to teach, go about my normal business and maintain clarity of mind.  As background, you should know that I have been going to Mexico since the late 1970's and always knew that drinking the water from an unfiltered source was a surefire way to become ill, so "bottled water" has become the usual request from my friends, family and others who accompanied me on trips there.   The last four days of my trip, a close friend and I became deathly ill with a weakening, chronic and long duration unpleasant illness that made the return airline travel a real challenge.  In our discussions on what could have been the source, we hit upon two things as possibilities:

• The water from a "supposedly" filtrated system at the condo development where we were staying that was used to cook brown rice pasta.
• The ground beef that we bought in a local supermarket after checking it over to be fresh from the over-the-counter meat department.

  After much discussion and speculation on our part so we could give good information to our respective doctors in different cities, we determined that it was probably the ground beef and not the water as the source of the illness.  Many of you who follow Concentrated Animal Factory Operations (CAFO) know that these operations are quite prevalently located South of the Border due to the lack of regulation in those countries.  On future trips, I will think more carefully about what I am using for meal preparation down there.  This event was my first ever negative experience in food prep for my travel companion and me.  It will not be repeated.  This photo taken in Nuevo Vallarta where we were sort of symbolizes the devastation of greenery and vegetation that was observed from my last visit to the country:

"Poor Palm Tree"
Photo courtesy of Photoartdb
Copyright 2018

  Those of you who know me understand that I am an Independent when it comes to political considerations and voting for candidates.  A friend of mine calls me a "Libertarian" - not a "Liberal" because I am very conservative on some issues - but this definition fits my point of view:  "doctrine of free will" being the keywords to focus on here.  The definition from the Dictionary website is:

lib·er·tar·i·an

ˌlibərˈterēən/

noun

1. 1. 

   an adherent of libertarianism.

   
   
   

   "libertarian philosophy"

   • 
     
2. 2. 

   PHILOSOPHY

   a person who believes in the doctrine of free will.

  It has always been my practice to vote for "the person not the party" - ALWAYS.  Here lately, the Green Party has offered up a few candidates that intrigue me.  As you may know, Monsanto is not a favorite company of mine.  The State Auditor candidate from the Missouri Green Party this year is Don Fitz, who has been a community activist in STL for many years.  He organized a debate about the use of Monsanto products on State properties or "green ways" in St. Louis and other parts of the State.  Here is the information off of their Facebook announcement about that debate.  The debate has already occurred, but the issue still remains.  There is some contact information here if you want to find out more about his candidacy and platform.

"Audit purchases of poisonous Roundup by the State of Missouri.

In July 2018, a San Francisco jury awarded $289 million to black groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson due to cancer resulting from his exposure to Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup.

As Missouri Green Party candidate for State Auditor, Don Fitz is calling for a full audit of purchases of Roundup for use on roadways, state parks, schools and government buildings. He also wants to know how much could be lost in lawsuits if the State of Missouri fails to pledge to not use Roundup and similar herbicides.  Can you join the Missouri Green Party at the debate between candidates for State Auditor to ask for an audit of herbicide use? The debate is at 1:30pm Friday September 14 in St. Louis.  If you can join us, call 314-727-8554 or email fitzdon@aol.com"

  Another organization that I look to when researching subjects about who are the right candidates and legislative issues that will benefit my small independent farming family and myself is the Missouri Rural Crisis Center, which I've written about in the past on several occasions.  Why am I a member and continue to be an advocate for their good work?  Because in difficult times for our family, this organization reached out and actually helped us.  Please check out their website, consider volunteering or being part of the good community work they do to support small independent farming families in our State who practice sustainable agriculture in their day-to-day operations.  Here is a link to their website to learn more:

Missouri Rural Crisis Center

  Finally, here's a personal "shout out" for my younger brother who operates our independent family farming operation.  You could say that I'm prejudiced and you would be right, but my brother knows and writes about his subject well.  It's because he has lived the story of the small independent farmer from his birth.  Recently, he wrote an op-ed article about the Farm Bills coming out of Washington, D.C.  Many of my urban friends have said in some variation to me, "Oh, the new bills coming from the Trump administration are going to make great things happen for your family, aren't they?"  

   Well, the simple answer is "No, they will not.  However, they will be extremely helpful to the large corporate farming operations"  The reason is more clear if you read this op-ed article that was published and appeared in TheHill.com website.  Here's a link to the article:

Farm bill farce: Corporate ag reports huge profits while farmers 
struggle to feed their families

  It is always my practice to try and end these blogs on a more positive or upbeat note.  Even if you have a Factory Farm as your Neighbor around the corner causing your animals to have breathing issues or even causing you to have more respiratory issues than you did in past locations where you resided ... that doesn't mean you can't try to see the upside of things.  

   Another two of my favorite Facebook posters are these about the humane treatment of animals and one that mirrors my general life philosophy, which is "If I can laugh about it, maybe I can get through it":

  Have a pleasant weekend, y'all.  Try to do the right thing every day.  Vote for the right person or legislation that best suits you and those you love.  Whatever you do ... Please Register to VOTE in the upcoming elections and show up at the polls to make your voice heard.  You know that my take is that if you don't vote, you forfeit your right to complain when you don't like what the elected candidates do after taking office.

  Here's a little music to help you get through the weekend from the late great Aretha Franklin and a clip from one of my favorite movies about Angels coming to earth and doing good deeds.  God Bless You, Aretha - hope you are singing in the great gospel choir that God has assembled upstairs.  The song title is appropriate to my feeling about most politicians in Washington and elsewhere -- "Chain of Fools".  Now get up and dance your blues away:

Aretha Franklin "Chain of Fools" and Michael the Angel

   Thank you for your interest and reading my wandering thoughts about what's going on in the surrounding world and how can we make positive changes for the Greater Good.

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Comments are by this individual writing the blog and no other company, nonprofit or other organization has approved or endorsed them. Am not a scientist, so can't claim my own scientific research but just comment on what is happening. These words are my sole opinion and no one else is responsible for these remarks. Anonymous comments not accepted. Stand up for your opinion. Thanks for your thoughtful and kind responses. Please keep language clean and our farmlands green. :)