Land of the Free, But Who is That Brave?
By Trent LoosLand of the free and home of the brave. We frequently say that but do we think about what it means? Without a doubt to be in animal agriculture these days, you must be brave but the free part may be in question. Last week it was announced in South Dakota that a Judge will rule on whether two PERMITTED dairy operations can build in Moody County.
The South Dakota Department of Agriculture has aggressively attempted to build the dairy infrastructure within the state. South Dakota has a plentiful supply of feedstuffs including dried distillers grains from newly constructed ethanol plants. A new cheese plant in Lake Norden certainly would entice anyone interesting in expanding the dairy industry. One would also believe that since South Dakota has only 9.9 residents per square mile, less urban rural conflicts should arise. Not necessarily.
Two families decided the SD Dept of Ag offer was a good one. They complied with all requirements put forth by county, state and federal laws, were granted permits and began construction. Last week I visited one of the sites with neighbors who are excited about a new business in Moody County. Cows have been purchased, concrete is poured and then South Dakota’s own little socialist group reared its ugly head.
Dakota Rural Action requested a countywide referendum vote on the two permitted projects. Sighting that "Neighbors did not like large, out-of-state-owned factory farms being developed in our back yards." Dakota Rural Action has, for years, been fighting to keep agriculture stagnant in the state.
What is most perplexing about DRA’s argument is “out-of-state interest”. If someone wants to build a business within the state and meets all rules and regulations, should the offer be limited only to SD residents? Furthermore, many young people who have grown up in SD are tired of watching their parents fight battles with these same groups so they are leaving the state. Here is someone that is brave enough to start a new business that will do the right thing with the natural resources SD has to offer and a vocal minority attempts to slam the door in their face. Welcome to South Dakota!
Ironically, no one better understands out-of-state interest than Dakota Rural Action because that is where they get their bread and butter. The Center for Consumer Freedom reports that nearly every dime of DRA’s $245,000 annual budget comes from out of state interest including $10,000 from Farm Aid in 2000 and $90,000 from Belvedere Fund in 2001. The Belvedere Fund is a subservient subsidiary of the Rockefeller Family Fund, which has assets of over $70 million and earns more than $15 million every year on its stock portfolio. DRA is not really the little grassroots South Dakota organization they want people to believe.
Should a county have the right to vote on every proposed project? This particular situation is similar to one in Hutchinson County. The judge ruled in favor of a countywide vote on a proposed hog farrowing unit. All three of these projects were proposed by farm families trying to make a living with the natural resources the state has to offer. The glaring difference with these dairies is that the two families are not currently SD residents although intend to relocate when the dairies are complete.
This particular issue should get the attention of every business in the country. It is not just an agricultural issue. All business ventures are susceptible to this kind of treatment. If we are coming to a time when anyone in the county can stand up and say, “I demand a vote by the entire county” even though that entity has met every requirement we have established, how on earth can they continue to call this “the land of the free and home of the brave?” Just change our motto to “America, the largest monument to what used to be the land of opportunity.”
