In South Dakota, most individuals
have a vision of rural enhancement whereby all people gain, where all
success is shared and all of nature's
assets
are protected.
Increasingly the argument about agriculture development issues is being
framed as two distinct choices. Either you are for industrialized agriculture
or you are against economic development. We don't think either choice
is a viable option. Nor do we think valuable resources should be directed
toward an approach which only creates conflict whereby a few make money
at the expense of others.
We endorse a concept that has far more potential. We promote an economic
system that allocates resources toward a value of "we" versus "me." We speak of an approach that unites people.
We support family farming. Family farming is a system whereby
the farm family provides most or all of the labor,
most or all of the management,
and most or all of the capital. |
Since the farm family
provides all three major economic components, a powerful synergy takes
hold within that operation. Family farming
embraces
risk, reward,
and responsibility. The farm family recognizes the risks involved, assumes
all the responsibility and when things go well, shares in the reward.
Family farming views environmental safeguards not as roadblocks but
rather as financial investments for community enhancement and land
stewardship.
We believe there is five simple criteria by which family farming can succeed
in south Dakota. They include acceptance, accountability, achievement, access,
and advocacy.
(1) Acceptance -- Farming operations should take place where there is local
acceptance. Community residents should have the right to initiative and referral.
People
should have the ability to enact reasonable zoning laws. In no way should
local democracy be compromised.
(2) Accountability -- There should be individual responsibility within all
farm operations. The business structure should be individual or general partnerships.
Any business structure that becomes an artificial entity to limit liability
should
be required to be bonded. Risks to the operation and their associated costs
should not be transferred to public taxpayers.
(3) Achievement -- The measuring stick for success should be how community
and state increases the number of operations not just the number of animal
units
or pounds of production. With the emphasis on increasing the number of operations,
we succeed in furthering community growth. People should come first not production
goals.
(4) Access -- The future of rural south Dakota will depend on how the vast
majority of assets --land, equipment, and livestock is transferred to the
next generation.
That will be an ethical question much more than a legal one. The answer will
depend on how the present generations(s) treat new farmers.
To say that additional capital is the answer is too simplistic and certainly
not realistic. We need a much stronger ethical stewardship of asset transition
in south Dakota.
Farm operations should have equal access to markets. Buyers and processors
should treat all operations with fairness. Farm operators should embrace
collective bargaining to protect and enhance their selling position.
(5) Advocacy -- We believe that family farming needs to be promoted. There
should be a positive message to the residents of South Dakota that a career
in family
agriculture is a viable choice. People of all ages should be encouraged to
explore options without going millions of dollars into debt or forcing others
to work
for low wages. People should be able to work for their own economic benefit
not to increase the bottom line of someone else. We need to recapture the
vision of family farming and not let it's image be sold out to promote industrialized
agriculture.
We believe there should be
a voice for family farming.
There is a better choice than the options being framed for us today.
We can choose community development based on a concept of people
being treated fairly.
We can
choose family farming. |
