When All The Lands Are Closed and Protected.......

[Guest KTMrad]

<http://www.illinoisleader.com/content/img/f17168/farmland.jpg> MORRISON: Where will we get our food?Wednesday, June 30, 2004By Joyce Morrison (admin@illinoisleader.com) OPINION -- We take for granted that all we have to do is go to the grocerystore or restaurant for food. We are spoiled. Anything we want to eat at anytime is available and we tend to forget where the food actually comes from. Our bread and cereal comes from wheat, corn or grains. We eat fresh, frozenor canned fruits, vegetables and juices. Even pizza is a combination ofgrains, meats, vegetables. Some form of soybean is in many of our fooditems. Of course all dairy and meat items are produced on the land where theanimals are fed grain and hay. The American public should understand that before conservation easements,wetlands, open space, green space, heritage preservation areas, parks,refuges, floodplains and all the other land preservation programs take over,we need to ask, "What will I eat when this land is no longer producingfood?" The extensive environmental propaganda machine has turned public opinion tofavor the preservation of every inch of land and take it out of privateownership. This conversion could cost the taxpayer well into the trillionsof dollars, but people are so afraid we are going to run out of land andthat builders will develop it all, they are willing to pay the cost. It is important to understand that no one takes care of property like theman or woman who has worked and paid for their property with sweat equity.Millions of acres the government owned property now stands in neglect, andyet they want to take property from private ownership and preserve even moreland. Ranchers in western states are being thrown into jail over accusations theyare grazing cattle on government land without permits. It has been reportedthat government agents are actually cutting the fences letting cattle ontogovernment ground and then the ranchers are charged with the trespassingviolation. Ranchers are being hit hard but we don't hear it on our localnews. Why? They are not only fighting government agents but they are subject to havingtheir herds ravaged by wolves and now cougars that have been listed asendangered. The rancher is the one who will be "endangered" if he dares tokill one of these wild animals as it preys upon his livestock and domesticanimals. Government officials cutting fences and letting the rancher's cattle meanderonto government ground is much like the fiction novel written by William Judentitled Greenwar Chronicles which will soon be released for sale. Jud'sintriguing novel appears to parallel true stories happening to real people. In California and other states, there have been major conflicts as towhether the farmers will have access to water to irrigate their vegetableand fruit crops. It has become increasingly difficult for these farmers andsome will sooner or later be forced to quit farming. Farmland in Florida is now being turned back into swamps on behalf of theEverglade restoration project, part of the Wildlands Project. Hundreds of people are losing their homes and farms. Florida panthers(reportedly shipped from Texas) are becoming an increasing menace but no onecan touch them as they are protected. Alligators have been overly protectedand now they are coming into people's yards. Will we become as dependent on third world countries for food as we are forour oil? This land taken or regulated will most likely never be returned tothe farmers who farmed the land. Will farmers become the next endangeredspecies? When land goes out of production and grazing is no longer permitted, foodcosts will sky rocket. If we have to import our food, will we have controlof the safety standards that we have in America? Will our choice of foodalways be readily available? What will be the cost? What happens when we continue to take land off the tax roles to be owned byenvironmental groups and the government? The answer is simple - the burdenof the property tax will fall on the people who still own property and theirtaxes will become more than many can afford to pay. We hear about "urban sprawl" using up all the farm ground. Granted it istaking some but only a small portion compared to the land purchased andtaken under control through government and environmental programs. Millions of acres have found their way into the hands of not-for-profitnon-governmental organizations and land trusts who have used governmentgrants to purchase the land for "preservation" - and they pay no taxes. Farmers are fighting to barely make a living while paying high input costson machinery, fuel, fertilizer and seed, farm payments, taxes, insurances,labor and a long list of hidden costs. Every piece of equipment takes simpleitems such as batteries, tires, and regular maintenance. Major repair billscan run into the thousands of dollars each year. At the same time they are being controlled by farm programs, wetlands,easements, endangered and invasive species, EPA and a whole list of otherregulations. Can anyone blame a farmer for throwing up his hands and cavingin when the right price is offered for his land? Forced to go to town and get a job, he will now receive health andretirement benefits along with a guaranteed weekly paycheck and a lot fewerworries about too much rain or not enough and where the money is coming fromto pay the bills. But a link to the continuing chain of the family farm hasbeen broken. His children will never have the opportunity to learn the artsand skills of being a farmer. Mary Myers, President of the Adopt a Farm Family/Rural Restorationorganization located out of Sikeston, Missouri, has made bumper stickersavailable to the public saying "No Farmers - No Food." Can we afford to loseour family farmers who have trained for their vocation since they weretoddlers following in the footsteps of their daddy? Food and water are critical for man to survive. Will groups like The NatureConservancy and the Federal Government always "preserve" the land they havetaken and will food ever be grown on that land again? According to a May 15, 2003 Washington Post article, "The Nature Conservancyis hiring outside lawyers and one of the nation's largest public relationscompanies to help head off a congressional investigation followingdisclosure that the nonprofit has sold scenic properties to its owntrustees, internal Conservancy memos show." Although allegations have been made and investigations are ongoing, theyjust keep taking more land along with the help of the federal government. Before falling into the trap of "total preservation of our creation," it isimportant to know the Creator and His parables on farming. It is His designthat we must labor to grow our food and He has given us the land from whichto grow the food. Our earth is extremely resilient but we are meant to be good stewards and toconserve and care for our land. We need to ask - "what is the real purposebehind all of this 'preservation?'" God has provided the resources He knewwe would need but we have the responsibility of being wise in their use. © 2004 IllinoisLeader.com -- all rights reserved What are your thoughts concerning the issues raised in this commentary?Write a letter to the editor at letters@illinoisleader.com, and include yourname and town.