Dean's policy would uproot megafarming (AP)

[dajabr]

DES MOINES, Iowa - Democratic presidential contender Howard Dean is proposing tax and investment aid for farmers, corn-based ethanol in all gasoline and limits on giant farm operations to help a rural economy he says is falling apart.

Campaigning in Iowa, site of next year's leadoff campaign caucuses, the former Vermont governor said he was familiar with farm problems - "I come from the most rural state in the country," he declared - and ready to do something about them.

"The truth is, the foundation of our rural economy is crumbling," said Dean, in remarks prepared for delivery Wednesday. "In rural communities across the country, unemployment has jumped over 50 percent and there are now 600,000 more people looking for work. We can do better."

--snip--

He said the nation's rural areas had withered under President Bush, suffering the most from the economic slowdown.

"The bottom line is George Bush chooses his words to appeal to America's heartland, but his actions are starving it," said Dean. "He's clearing his ranch in Crawford this month, but he's been clearing everyone else's ranch for two and a half years."

More: http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/6516291.htm

[papau]

1. Dean will visit Chicago,San Antonio,Portland,Seattle,Milwaukee to meet

Note from Dean:

Last week, an incredible 30,565 Americans signed up for the Dean campaign-- and today you stand with more than 282,300 Americans, Our goal is to have 450,000 Americans supporting the Dean campaign by September 30th. While George Bush is on vacation this month, millions of Americans are having a sleepless summer, worrying about the more than 3 million jobs lost under this President, and about their own economic future. We are going to defeat George W. Bush so that we can put an end to his reckless economic policies. We are going to roll back his irresponsible tax cuts so that we can have health care for every American, funding for our public schools, and true homeland security. And we will again have a foreign policy that is consistent with American values.As part of our effort to spread the word about our campaign, we'll be traveling to 8 cities in 4 days as part of our "Sleepless Summer Tour," beginning August 23rd. If you are near one of the cities we'll be visiting, please sign up below-- and tell your friends who may live nearby to come out and join us. Find out more by clicking here:
http://www.deanforamerica.com/sleeplesssummer

[Aaron]

2. Oooh I like this

We've got some great small family farms in Oregon, I'd hate to see them swallowed up by corp. farms. Lots of good folks make a living here with farming/ranching.

[w4rma]

3. This is very good policy, IMHO. (n/t)

[blm]

4. Nice of him to finally join the populous

and get off the pro-agribusiness train he was on in Vermont.

Nice to see that as president he'd be against much of what he was FOR as governor.

[dajabr]

5. He has no track record to stand on here...

:eyes:

Northeastern Dairy Compact — Governor Dean was the driving force behind the Northeastern Dairy Compact (NEDC). He has been called that program’s “champion.” The Northeastern Dairy Compact brought about $60 million to Vermont farmers and about $180 million to Vermont’s agriculture economy overall.


Leadership in the Northeast — The NEDC aided farmers all over New England and New York, not only in Vermont. Dairy Farmers in New York and New England received almost $150 million over the course of the compact.


Expanding Markets for Farmers — Governor Dean created the position of Vermont Dairy Market Specialist in 1994 and initiated exports to Mexico that year.
Labeling: Protecting Consumers, Rewarding Farmers — Dean implemented the first voluntary rBST labeling law in the nation which encourages processors to pay premiums for non rBST milk.




Lower Taxes for Farmers — Governor Dean’s revamp of the state’s Current-Use program has meant lower property taxes for farmers.


Disaster Relief for Farmers in Need — Dean authorized payments to farmers who suffered feed loses in the floods of 1998 and 1999 when federal programs proved inadequate.


Expanding Credit for Farm Improvement — Dean created the Vermont Agricultural Credit Corporation in 1999, providing farmers access to $10 million a year in capital. Nearly 800 Vermont farms have utilized this credit to capitalize farm improvements.


Land Conservation — Under Dean, Vermont was the first state in the nation to participate in the federal Farms for the Future Program. Dean’s efforts helped saved 333 farms and over 100,000 acres of farmland.




Expanding Farmers Markets — The number of farmers markets in Vermont increased from 20 in 1992 to 43 in 2000, allowing family farmers to sell their products directly to the public.


Aiding Organic Farms — Under Dean, Vermont partnered with private organizations for Northeast Organic Faming Association certification allowing the number of organic farms in Vermont to grow from 80 in 1992 to over 200 in 2000.




Requiring Responsibility from Large Farms — Under Dean, Vermont passed the Large Farm Operations law in 1996 giving the Department of Agriculture the authority to regulate very large farms.


Protecting Groundwater — Vermont was one of the first states to prohibit the spread of manure on frozen ground in the winter.


Giving Farmers the Means to Keep Vermont Clean — Dean formed a pollution control team in 1992 to reduce agriculture non-point pollution. The state spent $4.8 million to help farmers construct 1232 waste management projects on 517 Vermont farms helping eliminate over 18,000 lbs of phosphorous from Vermont waterways


Encouraging Conservation — Dean’s Department of Agriculture created the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program to reduce pollution in the Lake Champlain Basin.

http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_record_economy_agriculture

[kwolf68]

6. Please say SOMETHING Dean

One poster above said “good policy”. Does Dean even know what the hell is going on with our family farms?

NOOOOOOOOOOO. He doesn’t and lemme tell you it didn’t just start under Bush.

Family farms are being driven out by a tri-fecta movement of globalization, agrabusiness monopolies (who Dean has already said he is “FOR”, whatever that means) and sprawl which buys up farm land for suburbs.

If Dean could come up with a detailed, intelligent farm policy that makes sense and supports the smaller farms without the political mumbo jumbo then I would look past the other issues and support him if he wins the nom.

[dajabr]

7. I would think Dean has a good grasp of farms of all kinds...

Being the Governor of a rural state for 11 years. See my post above for his accomplishments for his state.

[w4rma]

8. Dean is proposing what you are asking for here. Read the article. (n/t)

[Feanorcurufinwe]

10. Kerry on Ag Policy

Work for Fair Treatment of Family and Small Farms: Small farmers deserve a fair chance to sell their livestock on the open market. John Kerry supported a ban on packer ownership of livestock, which drives small- and family-owned producers out of business. He has also supported limits on subsidies that flow to the largest farming operations because currently just 10 percent of farms receive two-thirds of payments and 60 percent of farms get no subsidies at all. And he has voted to limit the proliferation of animal confinements, which produce more pollution and put family operations at a disadvantage.

Encourage Renewable Energy: John Kerry has been a strong supporter of renewable fuels, including ethanol, biomass, wind and biodiesel. Kerry believes that renewable energy, grown on America?s farms and produced in producer-owned facilities, must be part of America?s energy future. It will reduce pollution and our dependence on oil. The federal government must lead the way by funding research and development and by creating a national market for renewable fuels.

Support Rural Conservation Efforts: John Kerry believes that good conservation practices are important to a new farm policy. He would ensure valuable conservation programs such as the Wetlands Reserve Program and the Conservation Reserve Program receive adequate funding. Kerry has also supported federal funding to help rural communities provide clean drinking water and proper waste disposal.


Much more at: http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/agriculture.html

In the news:
http://desmoinesregister.com/news/stories/c4789004/21984949.html
http://www.qctimes.com/internal.php?story_id=1016251&t=Iowa+%2F+Illinois&c=24,1016251

[Feanorcurufinwe]

9. sounds like good policy to me

[Feanorcurufinwe]

11. This got me started doing some research on Dean's record

This got me started doing some research on Dean's record. I found this webpage from Vermonters for a Clean Environment that is a bit troubling:

http://www.vtce.org/deancrisisagvt.html

[Rose Siding]

12. Colby writes things about Dean that

that have been less than fair. Some of them are addressed here. I'd definitely read him well salted:

Jeff Kaufman: You Don't Know Dean...

(Editor's note: Apparently an e-mail of Michael Colby's attack on Howard Dean from February is in wide circulation. One individual, Jeff Kaufman, took time to draft a reply - which itself is now circulating by e-mail. In the interest of balancing the debate, I thought it a good idea to let Kaufman's comments get some airtime. --Rick)

I recently received a widely circulated e-mail with an attack on Howard Dean headlined, “The Man from Vermont is Not Green (He's Not Even a Liberal)” written by “Wild Matters” editor Michael Colby. The gross inaccuracies of this piece demand a response, especially for people who don’t know Vermont. Clouded by his narrow vision of political purity, the author misses both the remarkable record of Howard Dean’s tenure as governor and his great promise as a presidential candidate.

As a former Vermont radio and television talk show host (now living in Los Angeles and supporting the Dean campaign), I’ve had an unusually up-close view of Howard Dean and Vermont politics. During my five years as a daily radio talk show host in Vermont, I broadcast from every corner of the state and live each week from the Statehouse. I also served on my local elementary school board and co-founded a pro-environment community planning group. That proximity to the state’s concerns convinced me that Howard Dean is the real thing: a person with a progressive long-term vision who has the courage to make tough decisions and the rare ability to push through substantial accomplishments.
more......................

http://www.rklau.com/dean2004/002208.html

[Feanorcurufinwe]

13. Why bring up this Micheal Colby article? It's not the one I referenced.

Why bring up this Micheal Colby article? It's not the one I referenced.

This is the article I was talking about: Crisis in Agriculture in Vermont

Vermonters for a Clean Environment, Inc. compiled this report in collaboration with others after being contacted by Vermonters with their concerns. Thank you to the many Vermonters who contributed to this report. VCE is a people’s organization founded in 1999. Our mission is to conserve Vermont’s clean, healthy, rural, small-town environment and encourage economic development with minimal environmental impacts and preserve Vermont’s natural beauty. Vermonters have joined with VCE to address energy and mining projects, water pollution issues, and we continue to broaden our focus in response to the needs of Vermonters. http://www.vtce.org/deancrisisagvt.html

Why respond by talking about some other article? I don't get it.

[Rose Siding]

14. Yes, I see now

I visited the first link in your post, found the Colby article and got distracted. I'd seen him before so I shared. It shaded my opinion of the site.

But you had clearly indicated a different article and I've looked through it. The recommendations VTCE made in the end do seem to trend with Dean's priorities as Gov. The number of organic farms increased by 150% and markets for family farmers more than doubled. He passed legislation that enables the DofA to regulate large farms- that sorta goes against the grain.

I'm getting those stats from his site but the article I posted erroneously suggests other innovative successes. Here's the pg I used-

http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_record_economy_agriculture

As for the folks in the vtce study, I'm glad they are pursuing the pesticide issues. But the ones complaining about traffic, diesel and noise? I live across the street from an elementary school and district bus barn, have barking dogs on both sides and someone has a rooster! That's a lot of traffic, diesel and noise that wasn't here when I moved in but never once have I considered linking responsibility for that to the governer of my state.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

15. Strange conclusion.

Strange conclusion.

"The recommendations VTCE made in the end do seem to trend with Dean's priorities as Gov. "

I really don't know how you could draw that conclusion from this article. Some excerpts:

Agriculture has been a mainstay of Vermont's economy and culture for centuries. The state of Vermont does and should take an active role in supporting agriculture. However, in recent years, support for agriculture has been twisted by our state government so that it no longer means what it once did -- support for family farms and sustainable way of life. Instead, support for agriculture has come to mean support for practices that generate the most dollars in the shortest time with the least concern about their impact on other Vermonters , present and future.

<snip>

“He is a business man with big money. He is not a farmer. He doesn’t care about the people or the environment. He doesn’t care that the air stinks or that there are flies everywhere. He doesn’t care that his trucks ruin the roads and make it unsafe for your children to ride their bikes. He doesn’t care that he destroys your way of life, and unfortunately the state of Vermont doesn’t care either.”
–John Tremblay, native Vermonter, neighbor of egg factory who moved his family to New Hampshire

<snip>

"Commissioner of Agriculture Leon Graves has lost the respect of both farmers and the consumers of this state. By his actions, he has shown disdain for small farmers, thumbed his nose at laws set by the legislature and sold out to corporate special interests."
—testimony of Sherry Kawecki and Karen Shaw on the occasion of reconfirmation hearings of Vermont's Agriculture Commissioner Leon Graves

<snip>

Vermont has established a system of regulating agricultural operations that places sole authority in the Commissioner of Agriculture. Complaints about any and all agriculture-related activities get directed to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Markets. Governor Dean’s responses to Vermonters with concerns about health, safety, economic impacts and other problems with neighboring agricultural operations are brief and unhelpful, and pass the problems to Commissioner Leon Graves. On a memo about George Trickett’s problems, Governor Dean made the notation, “Leon, Phil: This isn’t my problem. I can’t fix this. H.”

<snip>

Commissioner Graves defends Vermont Egg Farm’s factory saying, "From an economic standpoint, this is a good idea." “How can he say that?” wonder the neighboring dairy farmers who are seeing their livelihoods, families, and community destroyed by an operation with no ties to the community and no benefit to the Vermont economy? “We ask the Senate and House Agriculture Committee, Commissioner Graves and the State of Vermont, how can you let this happen to our family? After twenty-four years of hard work our children can’t even inherit our farm,” wrote the Bessettes in 1997.

It appears that the current Agriculture Czar’s vision of Vermont’s agricultural future is ever larger farms, genetically modified foods, and continued reliance on pesticides. Advocates of smaller farms, local markets, value-added products, and protection of family farms have no friend in our state’s agricultural policies.

Placing so much power in the hands of one individual can lead to the kinds of frustrations Vermonters are now experiencing with agricultural issues. There is a need to change the regulatory powers and policies to allow for more and different approaches to promoting agriculture on the scale appropriate to Vermont and to eliminate the arbitrary exercise of power.

The best hope for change is to wait until we get a new Governor. But the dairy farmers in Highgate cannot wait. The mothers who are concerned about their children’s exosure to pesticides cannot wait. The fish and wildlife exposed to pesticide run-off cannot wait. None of us should be willing to wait for change. The right to farm should not mean the right to poison. A factory is not a farm.

http://www.vtce.org/deancrisisagvt.html

The authors of this article are calling Dean to task for promoting large, factory farms over small family farms. "The best hope for change is to wait until we get a new Governor." - yet your conclusion is that their recommendations 'trend with his priorities'?