Thank you very much. It is indeed. An opportunity at a pleasure for me to be here. I was able to get here just early enough to visit with a few of you. I have the distinct feeling. That we have indeed. a family I have come to our meetings not necessarily of this go up before. until turmoil in the family belt tension today I feel Like We Are Family That only happens. because of the leaders you have been wise enough to choose those State presidents that are here those that they represent. Cuz it's only $0.02. Who has a Dependable? I'm going constant voice. Those leaders that have directed this Co-op. selectively Bank of coops tells us that the co-op movement generally is having some Financial bending. Q You come out of the year in health. ready to face a tough time for farmers in good shape You and your leadership? Are to be commended. When I took this job and decided that. I wasn't always going to try to say the right thing, but I was going to say what I thought had to be sent. Don't plan to make a career out of this job. I can't do that. It might as well stay home with my family and Redwing anyway. The one thing that I would want to say to you who have done so well. Can I find Rose Union collapse generally who have done so well at serving our farmers. We must be put on notice. The co-ops are under attack in this country. Co-ops are misunderstood. And some are misdirected. And co-ops that on the one hand Farmers allow to be removed from Farmers. And co-ops on the other hand that remove themselves from Farmers. The failed and bring bad name. to our family I submit to you. There are farmers. Had definitely better involve themselves in the co-op movement. as you are doing Are laws that affect us all to correct those who are erroneous and in error? Will be passed because of the few. And I submit to those co-ops that view themselves as corporations. Who have a profit motive? Who is designer just not to say we did this for the farmer? They bring upon us. future problems you are to be complimented indeed. for staying in the family of family farmers There's a danger. And just as coops are a danger for coops. in terms of bringing bad name and bad blood we're going to have to pay something else. the realization now the farmers her Danger performers the real threat is no longer in Most states corporations. major investors the real threat now. Is the survival of the fittest agricultural that I see on the horizon? But has a recently caused us to tear down windbreaks and go fence to fence and not satisfied Horizon to Horizon. and agriculture and Farmers would wait till after the funeral to get to the house to make the first offer on the Neighbors Farm and an outlandish price. So that young Farmers can't even begin to bid on it start the evolution of what I think of as the landed gentry in this state and then this nation. And that landed gentry smacks strongly. Of those who will be the surface. And altogether too many of us will be raising children who will be Serfs. And I do not like that. motorcycle that was begun out of necessity Let's per bushel smaller margins consequently more bushels more pounds. where do we break the cycle The Logical conclusion in each state is that there will be but a few who own the land. And that is the goal of the cycle. If we do not break it. If we do not find the place at which agricultural policy does not translate itself immediately. Agricultural and price. If we do not remove the necessity of farmers, both out of greed and out of necessity economically for becoming bigger and bigger. More consuming and more consuming a product of land. Are co-ops will be only coops that serve a few. The farmers will only be a family up to you. We must deal with that problem. No longer can we stand at our meetings and blame the distant corporations? We must look at ourselves. I also decided when I became commissioner that I was going to deal with problems that I could have influence on. I don't admit it publicly very often with President. Carter has not called me and asked me my opinion. The governor and I flew to Washington the day after I was in office and we gave him an opinion. He never said thank you for that. but the fact of the matter is why we submit our opinion while we tried to Champion the cause submit what are farmers are saying back to Washington? That will not be my main task. Former President Carter really wanted my opinion. I would be in Washington and not in Saint Paul. So that means we Define what we can do. We articulate what we can accomplish in this state. One thing we can do in this state. Is realize that we are indeed in the middle of an energy problem. It is not just major oil companies making up a story and then plating problem profits while I believe many are doing that. It is not just that. Whether you on the oil or the oil companies on the oil there isn't much oil. We are an energy-intensive Nation with an energy intensive agriculture. Fire department has Unleashed a major effort to find energy alternatives for farmers. Psy Carpenter 901 number of other state presidents have gotten immediately involved in this issue. I think we will but I can't make any promises see within the next 12 months of some stanshall breakthroughs with respect to energy as it affect agriculture. Something that concerns me and I guess it's a concern I can't do much about but I'm telling you and all of our Co-op so we had better start doing something about it and I misunderstood at this issue, but I'm going to say it. Are farmers are chemically dependent they handle it. Well, they do it well. But not one base. What goes into your fertilizer near insecticide in your herbicide in your pesticide not one base comes from the state of Minnesota and a decreasing amount of what's needed comes from the United States and South and almost 50% of our consumed oil comes from foreign Nations. route to Scaris set out to the tell us that it is now while we have the time and the choice in the Alternatives that it's incumbent upon are co-ops and it's incumbent upon us to encourage them to seek the alternatives. Understand GTA passed the resolution with respect to gasohol. Whether that is a dead-end issue or not. I haven't the slightest idea. We're investigating it, but my head is off to them that the issue was going to be explored. We don't even have the equipment to do agriculture any different than we do it. We don't have front mount cultivator. We don't have many manure spreaders most they are dependent upon a system that depends on its Supply from places over which we have no control or decision-making. Thank goodness. Cenex has been in the lead. I get us into those places. The supply is limited even with a great seal. We must seek alternatives. We will have failed if we do not use the time now while we don't need the alternative. I've met many of you around the state this year. I refuse to go anyplace without saying that. One of the great dangers that we face right now when farmers are on one knee some Farmers on both knees. Right. Now when those of us could have talked on their behalf. So long wonder if we have not failed. right now when I go to Washington Senators never asked me and Congressman never asked me. What are your Farmers think of rural health care for the elderly? What do they think Abril education? They always ask what are they? What are your Farmers saying about Farm prices? I submit to you that there is a thirsting going on in this nation. I've been to get the sense of the West Coast in the East Coast. I am personally convinced that Jimmy Carter was elected president because this country is seeking after a value system. Whether you'll feel that value system, I have no idea. Thirst is there and I submit to you that we in the Midwest and those of us that do not day after day walk on cement. If we do not infiltrate our values. We will have failed this nation. If we insist about upon talking only about agricultural economics as vital as that is as basic as that is and as necessary to our conversation is that is if that is all we are known for we will have failed. Is it not true that in the Midwest? Is it not true that we care more for people and things? Is it not true that we ought to be totally resentful? the government which is democratic Which is supposed to represent us. Designing a bomb that kills people and does not destroy things. Is that not a mistaken place? What are values? to be respected Do we not in the final analysis not care? most of all our children have the chance to become something similar to us and our values. When are they rejected? or not do we not want that alternative? And the full circle is that if we allow and landed gentry. If we do not speak out on National issues. If we do on my way here this morning on the way to work. I interviewed a young man from Colorado who is so dedicated. He said Farm groups have failed us and that's why we're out doing what we're doing. I submit to you if we ever needed a constant steady voice. a Dependable voice so that the things they're going to affect us and I am concerned that are going to affect their children. I'm not pedestrian decisions, but the decisions made by people that are in the business. I'm respecting your attitude if we've ever needed we need it now. I believe very very basically. farmers real people very very basically know the difference between walking on cement and having a sacramental view of life. If we do not translate that and say once and for all to our president. Say to our Congress. It has been dragging its feet so readily. The proper enemy of man is not man. If we do not say that. If we do not say that when you're designing food policy, we're not after rewarding votes in the United Nations with the AIT program after solving hunger. We do not say that. We do not say that when the Shah comes here and rattles his oil to us. And tells us that he can go elsewhere to buy as weapons. If we do not say that we are knowing or either our export of food or weaponry. And if we do not say in the midwest we want to be known for our export of food are about to have the same delivery ability to President Carter got a phone call when I started my speech by the time I in my speech which is going to be very soon. He could have had military more moments on the road any place in the world with one phone call and they have been there within hours. If we do not insist on the same delivery system for those who are hungry as we will give to those who want to kill. We have not spoken and we have not been heard. I told you many times and it is the Nugget. We can design a policy in this country that willingly economic. can tonight The children of the world are guns. We cannot deny them. our food if you do we will have been a bad experiment. Thank you very much.