Ferentz, the Iowa Farm Bureau and property rights
March 17, 2010 7 Comments
The Iowa Farm Bureau and Hawkeye Football Coach Kirk Ferentz. Seems to be a good team and a winning combination to promote the goodness of being an Iowan and a Farm Bureau member, right?
WRONG!
The Iowa Farm Bureau has a radio ad that at first seems so positive and truthful of what Iowa Farm Bureau is all about. Great photos of farm families, a barn with a flag, fields of corn, and other great visuals of Iowa. Ferentz talks about the ‘quality of life’ and being ” part of a winning team”. So far, so good.
And then Ferentz says why he supports Iowa Farm Bureau and is a member of the organization:
“and in my case, protection of individual property rights…”
It is more than amazing and disheartening that such a well-known and respected organization like Farm Bureau could put out such a commercial that goes against what they actually are NOT doing for farmers of Clarke County!
According to the Farm Bureau Website:
“Farm Bureau is a unique and highly successful organization because it’s in business to serve members. The organization’s services, programs and benefits are developed based on the causes, concerns and needs important to members based on their beliefs and values…”
I urge readers of this post to view the ad and while you are doing so, keep in mind what the Farm Bureau professes to be about and what is promoted in this radio commercial.
The Iowa Farm Bureau dropped the ball on this one. They have not put into their efforts what their words say they stand for and support.
This commercial is one very, very costly fumble on the part of the Farm Bureau.
Iowans take note. Your land could be the next to be taken in eminent domain and don’t automatically expect the Farm Bureau to help you or protect your individual property rights.
My family was a member of Farm Bureau and they have dropped their support in the recent years. When I asked them why they said it was because FB was becoming more liberal.
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What a joke – shame on the farm bureau organization for promoting something that they don’t have any interest and or guts to do: protect the rights of landowners.
Does the Farm Bureau have something out for Clarke County or do they have some vested interested in seeing the land be taken?
The FB very well could have an interest in seeing the land taken. Here are two more sources of info on the Farm Bureau:
The book “Dollar Harvest” 1971, Sam Berger shows the FB is a business conglomerate hiding inside a tax exempt “rural organization”. One chapter is called “Farming the Farmers” and another is “The Right Wing in Overalls.” He says their local democracy is a deceptive tactic–policy is set from the top.
See this 2006 diary on the politics of the California FB and the many comments below it
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/9/17/111758/946
The FB is an insurance company first and foremost.
From what I understand, the state Farm Bureau won’t get invoved with the property rights in Clarke County because the local Farm Bureau has endorced wanting a lake for water source. What the local Farm Bureau refuses to look at is that the proposed lake is 2-3 times what would be needed for water source only. Osceola’s water source now is West Lake (305 acres) The new lake is 800-plus acres depending on which lake site they want this week. So they would have 305 acres Plus the new lake of 800+. Grossly exagerated needs, but nobody on the local Farm Bureau will stand up to the local powers that be
Seeing the words Farm Bureau is like seeing AARP. These well funded groups are really out for their own interests and those that fit their liberal needs. The ad is so dishonest and I wonder if Ferentz knew he was being used when he did the ad.