Iowa Farmers Union PAC Endorses John Drury, Reveals Gaskill Exercising “Local Control” Over Hog Production
The following annoucement will be made today at noon at the Cerro Gordo County Courthouse.
STANHOPE – The Iowa Farmers Union Political Action Committee will announce today its endorsement of John Drury,
6th District Democratic candidate for the Iowa Senate. Drury is
campaigning for the seat of Senator Thurman Gaskill of Corwith.
“John
Drury is a friend to the family farmer, and a proponent of local
control over siting of animal factories,” said Kevin Miskell, a
Stanhope farmer and chair of the IFU PAC. “He’s the right candidate for
the 6th District.”
Miskell
noted that public records from the Hancock County Courthouse reveal
that Gaskill sold an acreage there and required the new owner to sign
an affidavit swearing he would not keep more than 500 hogs on the
property for longer than 10 days or the property would revert to
Gaskill.
“It’s clear that Mr. Gaskill is in favor of local control of factory farms but only in his own neighborhood,” Miskell said.
Earlier this month, the Iowa Farmers Union endorsed Paul Johnson for Congress
from Iowa's 4th Congressional District, citing Johnson's call for a 10
percent renewable fuels standard by the year 2010, and his support for
full funding of the Conservation Security Program, issues also fully
supported by Farmers Union.
“Johnson also proposes a Private Lands Stewardship Act which would
reward farmers for practicing careful conservation,” Petersen said.
“Farmers Union members already are recognized for their good land
stewardship. Unlike with large corporate farms, they live on their land
and realize how important conservation and care for the environment are
for their own children and their communities.”
Petersen also pointed out Johnson's support for a single-payer health
care system which would benefit rural Americans with little or no
health insurance. Johnson also has stated that concentration in animal
agriculture is reaching “unhealthy levels,” and that large confined
animal feeding operations (CAFOs) should be regulated as industries and
held to strict environmental standards.
Farmers Union is a non-profit advocacy group representing family
farmers across the state. IFU is affiliated with National Farmers
Union, a general farm organization representing a quarter of a million
family farmers and ranchers nationwide. NFU serves its membership by
providing educational opportunities, supporting farmer-owned
cooperative development, and presenting the organization's policies to
lawmakers at the local, state and national levels.
And, in case you missed it, Paul Johnson was recently endorsed by the Des Moines Register.
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