SO THE ECONOMY IS IMPROVING???? OH SURE!

[newscaster]

In Yahoo news, there is an AP story that the 131 year old Nebraska State Fair is going to have to close down for good. There apparently is a lack of farmers to display their livestock or crops. The report says the building that at one time were filled with horses, cows, pigs, chickens etc, plus displays of farm equipment, not stand d empty and rusting in the wind. Visitors to the Fairgrounds was way down this year making future operations perilous.

Being from New York, I am not well versed in agricultural issues but when there are no farmers, seems to me this is a serious situation. And those mega corporate farms are agricultural versions of WalMart: they move in, buy up the farms and put the hangers-on out of business. And Bush is a rancher or farmer???? My ass he is. I do know that an ass is an animal used to pull plows on small farms.

[bluestateguy]

1. This is what Nebraska voted for. They are getting what they deserve.

Perhaps they will remember this when they go and vote in November.

[WMliberal]

3. yep, vote anti-choice, pro-christian conservative

and you'll get someone who only acts on pro-agribusiness issues when they get to D.C.
if only we could set up a tent at states that still have fairs and pass out "what's the matter with kansas"

[w4rma]

8. Bush is no Christian. He only says he is one for votes. (nt)

[Christof]

2. The small farms are decreasing here in Minnesota.

It's really sad that these large corporations are taking over something that's been in a person's family for many generations. :(

I'm starting to question whether or not buying chicken from Tyson corporation anymore. That business is making me sick to my stomach. Everytime I buy something from them, I put more money into the pockets of that big business and take away from small farm owners.

What a country we live in today. It's not run by politicians or even the people anymore. It's run by large corporations who are out to get more money. :(

[lastknowngood]

4. Here you go try buying from small and natural farmers.

http://www.eatwild.com/index.html
It's a great list and most are actually competitive. If you don't find it here keep looking. More and more small farmers and ranchers are refusing to sell to the big boys and sell locally. It makes better business and the food is healthier. In norther Arkansas more that 50% of all meat is sold directly from farmers to customer, you develop a relationship with the rancher and get better food. Free range beef and chicken taste much better. I have found over the last few years that beef has really lost much of it's flavor. I then bought beef from a local and it was wonderful.

[DaveSZ]

5. It's the agricorps

They are really fucking things up for small famers.

[onethatcares]

6. it's not just the farms they want.

it's the land, I've been watching it in my hometown in Penn. They buy the farm, they turn it into condominimums and sell the hell outa them. People travel 3-5 hrs to go to work in Phila/Balt/Washington. They complain about the smell of manure on the fields. They want nice homogenized homes. Once the land is bought, it'll really be serfs and landholders.

[Deja Q]

10. And once the topsoil is destroyed,

it's not easy to reclaim to make food... cool, huh?

MONEY is going to starve us, assuming the end of oil doesn't CHOKE us first. (and peak oil is real once you consider our insane rationalization of 'supply and demand'. The demand is there but once it's said that the supply just isn't there, you can bet your sweet bippy prices will SKYROCKET. An initial factor of 4 is not out of the question.)

[Veggie Meathead]

7. Yes, the economy certainly is improving in China and India!

[Deja Q]

9. With the land and housing boom, many farmers sell because it's more...

profitable than farming.

Our society is totally FUCKED UP THE COLON, I even say this stuff openly in public these days.

Life is not about money, damn it!

Republicans are republicants when it comes to peoples' lives. They only care for corporate money and short term interest gains. I have only strong words these days. :cry: Power corrupts and all, but even I wouldn't corrupt if I had power. I don't know why these 'people' do. :shrug:

[Nikia]

11. I consider agriculture a national security issue

One of the advantages that the U.S. currently has is that it could be self sufficient agriculturally if it had to be. As some unfortunate countries have found out, this is a huge advantage. Even if the world boycotted the U.S., we would not starve. No country could put pressure on us with food prices or threatening to withhold. In addition, Americans enjoy relatively low food prices compared to citizens of countries who do not produce much food. For that reason, it is important to support the continuation of agriculture in the U.S.