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<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>Yesterday
I read the press release about Oklahoma House Bill 2151, by state Rep. Don
Armes, R-Faxon. In Orwellian language, Armes claims the bill will, <i>“…
simplify regulation of livestock producers by making the state the
single-source regulator in Oklahoma (other than the federal government).”</i>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>I was
struck by the labeling, divisive language of Armes’ quotes. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><i><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>"Unfortunately,
there’s been a trend of over-reach by fringe groups who don’t know
much about animals, agriculture production, or the free market, yet still feel
the need to impose their version of ‘animal Nirvana’ on local
farmers and ranchers through arbitrary regulations," said Armes, R-Faxon.
"This bill will simply ensure that livestock regulations are developed by
experts at the state level who know what they’re doing."</span></i><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>And
this: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><i><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>"Let's
be honest: The majority of people in San Francisco probably think the chicken
just magically appears ready to eat next to the arugula and tofu in the grocery
aisle," Armes said. "In a place like Oklahoma, where there are
literally more cattle than people and agriculture production generates billions
of dollars in gross state product, it just makes sense to have trained experts
making regulatory decisions."</span></i><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>Honesty?
Really! There are so many prevarications and inane statements in just these two
quotes it's hard to know where to start. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>First,
about that "let's say hateful things about Californians" thing: I
have a sister and brother-in-law who are former residents of the Bay <a
href="file:///C:\Users\shauna\AppData\Roaming\Windows%20Live%20Writer\PostSupportingFiles\f2072b51-b192-4a50-aee5-ca4c35d5377d\image%5b9%5d.png"></a></span><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype
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href="file:///C:\Users\shauna\AppData\Roaming\Windows%20Live%20Writer\PostSupportingFiles\f2072b51-b192-4a50-aee5-ca4c35d5377d\image%5b9%5d.png"><img
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align=left alt=image title="" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2"></a><![endif]><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'><a
href="file:///C:\Users\shauna\AppData\Roaming\Windows%20Live%20Writer\PostSupportingFiles\f2072b51-b192-4a50-aee5-ca4c35d5377d\image%5b9%5d.png"></a></span><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>Area and are
farmers. They live two hours north of San Francisco and operate a small,
sustainable and organic family farm in Mendocino County, Calif. They are
amazing, informed people with a firm grasp on the agricultural business, very
connected to their land and to the local food movement in their county as well
as in that demonized Bastion of Enlightened Eating known as San Francisco. I am
so proud of them for what they are working hard to do. Wanna talk sweat equity?
This is it! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>This
summer they shared their abundance of produce with local food banks and they
are constantly hosting visitors at the farm to teach them how to be more
self-sufficient and live sustainably. Most especially my sis and bro-in-law
understand the inhumanity, pollution and public health hazards of
industrialized factory farms. As farmers they were huge supporters of
Proposition 2, the ballot question Armes references in <a
href="http://www.okhouse.gov/OkhouseMedia/news_story.aspx?NewsID=2908">his
press release</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>Second,
given all the problems our nation and Oklahoma faces, are belittling,
mischaracterizations such as these from Armes the mark of leadership, or of
someone bought and paid for by the Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO)
industry? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>Blogger
<a href="http://oklavore.com/">Oklavore</a> wrote a beautiful, eloquent reply
to this nonsense: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><i><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>I
am sick of people using food to exacerbate perceived divisions. Just yesterday
a <a href="http://www.okhouse.gov/OkhouseMedia/news_story.aspx?NewsID=2908">state
representative invoked “arugula”</a> to conjure feelings of
“us” and “them.” How is it that a salad green has come
to represent elites, or in this case ignorant, elitist city-folk? Remember
Obama’s so-called “arugula moment” in mid-2007? Ridiculous.
It grows in the wild and is easy to cultivate, for goodness sake! What’s
the big deal? It’s been hijacked as a political tool (remember
“freedom fries”?). Could it be that Californians have actually
gotten <em><span style='font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>more</span></em>
informed about food and agriculture and that’s why <strong><span
style='font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>they voted</span></strong> for
Proposition 2? What do you think? </span></i><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>More
of Oklavore’s reply <a href="http://oklavore.com/">here</a>. And more
about California’s Proposition 2 <a
href="http://www.iowacci.org/news/EQIP%20report%2012-08.pdf">here</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>Third,
as Oklavore notes, why pick on arugula! As I write this, I am feasting on
arugula harvested from my backyard cold frame. It grows in the winter dammit!
It's great with eggs. It's great in dips. It's heavenly in salads. I think it
would be wonderful to flood Rep. Armes email inbox demanding he apologize to
arugula! Or maybe we can take him a nice supply of arugula from Oklahoma's
local farmers along with a stack of studies about what CAFOs are doing to our
grand land. Or maybe we call the TV stations and invite them to a salad
sit-in! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>But
fourth and finally and more to heart of the matter: The demand for an apology
to arugula is light-hearted, but this bill and its true intent are deadly
serious. I think this bill has nothing to do with supporting local agriculture,
and everything to do with protecting big agribiz CAFOs from any possible future
federal regulation of their Grinch-hearted, inhumane CAFO pens and their filthy
practices. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>CAFOs
will spend millions in lobbying and advertising and spin factories to protect
their taxpayer-subsidized machine as long as possible regardless of the
overwhelming </span><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_3" o:spid="_x0000_s1030"
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src="cid:image002.jpg@01C98DC3.8F7776C0" align=right
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style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>mountain of
evidence confirming the damage they do to Oklahoma’s rural communities
and economies, people, environment, public health, watersheds, tourism and
natural resources. So maybe we can help Rep. Armes understand we the people
aren’t as uninformed as he thinks and won’t take this gross assault
on arugula, on family and friends in California, and most importantly,
on Oklahoma's rural and urban communities. From our container and backyard
urban gardens, from our small, thoughtfully run farms, from our hearts and
minds yearning for healthy communities, clean skies and water, and humanity for
all people and all species, we can can speak louder than Armes' bully pulpit. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>Here’s
Armes’ email address: <a href="mailto:donarmes@okhouse.gov">donarmes@okhouse.gov</a>
and his phone number (405) 557-7307. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>If you
want, throw in a few links to studies about CAFOs in your email too. See below
for links to get you started. Please spread the word and share more studies and
info if you want. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>·
<a
href="http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/science_and_impacts/impacts_industrial_agriculture/cafos-uncovered.html"
target="_blank">CAFOs Uncovered: The Untold Costs of Confined Animal Feeding
Operations</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>·
<a href="http://www.iowacci.org/news/EQIP%20report%2012-08.pdf" target="_blank">Industrial
Livestock at the Taxpayer Trough: How Large Hog and Dairy Operations are
Subsidized by the Environmental Quality Incentives Program</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>·
<a href="http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/ra04/sb1128.html" target="_blank">Local
control and CAFOs: A public health issue for rural counties</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>·
<a href="http://istpp.org/pdf/istpp_cafo.pdf" target="_blank">Assessment of
Impacts on Health, Local Economies, and the Environment with Suggested
Alternatives</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"'>·
<a
href="http://www.appvoices.org/index.php?/site/voice_stories/farmers_worry_about_cafo_dairy_pollution_land_values_are_concerns/issue/25"
target="_blank">Farmers Worry About CAFO Dairy: Pollution, Land Values Are
Concerns</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>This
info is archived at my blog ::: <a
href="http://thinklady.typepad.com/thinklady/">http://thinklady.typepad.com/thinklady/</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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