Representative Sonya Anderson had some odd things to say about the Missouri Rural Crisis Center (MRCC) in a recent opinion piece.
Just to set the record straight, the Missouri Rural Crisis Center is a statewide farm and rural organization, representing thousands of farmers and rural Missourians, hundreds of whom raise livestock.
Our organization began out of the farm crisis of the 80’s helping farm families stay on the farm by stopping illegal foreclosures, and since, we’ve organized to support Missouri’s independent family farms and promote strong rural economies.
We assume the reason why we’re being attacked is because we oppose the corporate takeover of our farms and food—and Rep. Sonya Anderson votes on the side of corporate ag virtually every time.
For example, Rep. Anderson voted yes on a bill that allowed China’s biggest meatpacker to own over 40,000 acres of Missouri farmland when Smithfield was bought by the Shuanghui Group. She voted to limit our ability to protect our property rights and values in the court system from the negative impacts of absentee out-of-state and foreign CAFOs. She voted for a bill that allowed an increase in the Missouri beef checkoff.
These are all policies MRCC actively worked to oppose, and MRCC led the fight to stop the doubling of the beef checkoff tax, which would have cost Missouri cattle producers $2.3 million every year. An unprecedented turnout of Missouri cattle producers stopped the beef checkoff increase by a 75% to 25% vote margin.
MRCC and our members fight for independent family farm production of livestock. We fight for local control and the ability of local elected representatives to protect us from industrial livestock operations, many of which are absentee or foreign controlled. We fight for policies that allow farmers to get a price from an open, fair and competitive marketplace. And, one of our programs, Patchwork Family Farms, buys hogs and markets hundreds of thousands of pounds of pork from independent hog producers.
We support independent production of livestock. And adamantly oppose corporate control of our markets, farms and democratic process.
Maybe that’s why she’s got it out for us. Because she’s on their side, and we’re fighting back.
Tim Gibbons
Missouri Rural Crisis Center
