SDFU holds four public forums on COOL, CAFTA & Canada

[sarahlee]

South Dakota Farmers Union
P.O. Box 1388, 1410 Dakota S., Huron, S.D. 57350
Ph: [phone], Fax: [phone]

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 27, 2005
Contact: Rick Hauffe

[phone], Extension 118

Email: [e-mail]

SDFU holds four public forums on COOL, CAFTA & Canada
The 3Cs Forums aim to send a strong message to Washington, D.C.

RAPID CITY A series of four public meetings in the western half of South Dakota are aimed at turning up the volume on three major issues affecting bio-security and South Dakota’s agricultural economy, S.D. Farmers Union President Dennis Wiese said.

Called the Three Cs Forums, testimony from ranchers and farmers will be gathered in Rapid City, Union Center, Pierre and Winner on Wednesday and Thursday, he said. The 3Cs Forums are sponsored by the S.D. Farmers Union (SDFU) and the National Farmers Union (NFU). Testimonials will be recorded and sent to the offices of Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., and Rep. Stephanie Herseth, D-S.D.

“We've been swamped with calls from ranchers and farmers who are angry that Washington is ignoring major threats to producers as well as our nation s bio-security,” Wiese said. “They are angry that Congress put COOL (mandatory Country of Origin Labeling) back on the waiting list. They are angry that Congress has learned nothing from NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and are willing to deepen the disaster with CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement). They are livid that Washington still toys with opening up the border to Canadian cattle and spreading the risk of BSE and ruining America’s cattle market forever.

“At these forums, producers can get their message through to Washington so that Congress can witness the faces and voices of people whose properties and livelihoods are threatened. We’re taking these statements from our forums to the halls of Congress.”

Each of the 3Cs Forums will be one hour long and will feature a brief overview from Farmers Union’s leading lobbyist in Washington, Tom Buis. They will be held at:

- 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 1, at the Rapid City Ramkota Inn.
- 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, at the community center in Union Center.
- 10 a.m. Thursday, June 2, at the Governor s Inn at Pierre.
- 2 p.m. Thursday, June 2, at Rich s Rec in Winner.

Wiese said the congressional delegation and staff have been invited to attend the 3Cs Forums. He said the public statements will be used to help persuade Congress to enact mandatory COOL, defeat CAFTA and prevent Canadian cattle from entering the United States.

[Vincardog]

1. And no body is worried that we have no mechanism to test and trace i

infected Bovines to their origin?

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Broke Dad]

3. Progressives need to support the Farmers Union

We progressives need to turn out to support the Farmers Union. They are the real family farmer organization that is working to keep corporate agribusinesses from killing off small farmers around the world and poisoning us with pesticides and genetically modified garbage.

The problem is that all of the active Farmers Union members are of the WWII, and Korean War generation. Their kids were forced off the farm in the 80s.

Progressives have been supportive of farmers markets and buying local produce, meat, milk and eggs. We also need to help the Farmers Union and family farmers politically at the state and national level by getting COOL enacted and by defeating or rewriting CAFTA (and NAFTA for that matter.)

If you care about what you eat, you should care A LOT about these issues!

[sarahlee]

4. Agree completely! n/t