(00:00:00) Today, I'd like to tell you a little bit about my involvement and go back into the history of the involvement of women in this whole process. We call agriculture. I got a few buttons on me that I'd like to explain now one is this little thing here. It reads America negri women and on my purse, I always carry as why I hauled it up here Wisconsin Women for agriculture information deliberation Action Now Wisconsin for agriculture was one of the charter members of forming American a green women. And as we go along here, I'll explain more about these things. I wear the thing on the purse all the time. I have a lot of weird old value. I come on a plane for example and everybody sees this button and it's not unusual for nuns to run around with buttons, you know, so obviously you have no idea how many people go to the bathroom so they can pass that Pew and see what I got on. Of course, they asked the question, what's another doing interested in agriculture? You say the old stereotype in the none knows from nothing except the spiritual four last things well, and then I have a chance to spread my gospel. It's a great great little Conversation Piece. I usually take it off the purse when I'm giving a speech and I put it on the bosom one of our members from Michigan says we should always wear a lot of things on the bosom of my pimp, you know, get a lot of propaganda on there. People are always looking there. Anyway might as well give him some. How's the weather introduction? Let's get to the topic who speaks for Farmers. I want to make I'm gonna make a pitch here. I have a thesis. I think that there was a time when women did their share of speaking for farmers and that sort of went into a little deterioration. And I think the time is very ripe for a restoration of women speaking for agriculture. I'll let me go back into the history of this a little bit. There was a time, you know, when women exercised a great deal of influence over everything that happened in on the farm and in the production industry the rise and fall of a woman power parallels, the organizational history and American agriculture. In the beginning American agriculture was not organized our European forebears brought with them a food industry. The components of which were pretty much under their own control. This Farm family these Farm families, they produce the food and they processed it and they marketed it. They did all three functions in the food industry. Now Farm women were vital to this whole process every phase of it with their husbands and or their fathers, they produced and they processed and they marketed equality of opportunity for women in the hard labor market. Was nothing new in Rural America and they shared their opportunities with their kids as a very important concept want to get across here. I wish we would stop talking about the Family Farm or the farm family. I wish we was talking about the entrepreneurial team that runs a farm the entrepreneurial team now, why do I insist on that word entrepreneur entrepreneur is a French word and I have to use the French word because there is no English word. That means the same thing entrepreneur is not a manager. It's much more than that. Why do people manage Farms but they do not call the shots. They do not call the shots. They're not the ones who make the final decisions. The people who make the final decisions the people who determine what you're going to produce high, you're going to produce it how much you going to produce and where it's going to go? That's an entrepreneur. That's an entrepreneur you see and in our farm firms. We have an entrepreneurial team that runs the farm and then team is made up of the farmer is white and the Kent's now Farm wives are getting a few more licks, you know, as far as getting a little creditor is concerned. They're getting a few more like spy still waiting for the kids to get their share Farm kids are not get their share of the credit that is needed that they deserve really because of their Enterprise on the farm and you know better than I do all about Farm kids You Know You Yank The Pacifier out of the kids mouths of you can walk to the bar and he goes, right they have a responsibility from the very beginning and then has to be given credit now, I think when you look at the the people who operate Farms, we call them entrepreneurs, they're business people. They make the shot. They take the risks they take the risk and those kids are involved in the risk to as is the wife. So when we're talking about who operates a farm we should talk about the entrepreneurial team at the top. It's a partnership that is unlike anything in the United States. It's bound together by an adhesive. That is the most powerful known to man The Wedding violin ties of blood you can't do better than that you say so take a look at the entrepreneurial team. Now this entrepreneurial team in the beginning. They ran the whole show they produce the food they processed it and they marketed it now roughly about 1860 in this country the food industry system went into a new phase specialization became very fashionable. The Civil War made that necessary the trend Hit The Agrarian much hotter than the urbanite because steady Farm labor was always in short supply on the farm Farmers had to mechanize they had no choice and the new process mechanization of the farm was not exactly liberating machines change the manner of operation on the farm. But the hours were still the same and the pay was still the same. Fewer people did more work and that's still true that's still true in agriculture. Now the same period around 1860 and thereabouts saw the establishment of the land grant college system, which played a decisive role in pushing the farm family into the mechanization and specialization in the production process only that still characterizes the farm operation. They specialize in production the processing and the marketing functions were gradually transferred almost entirely to a grill industrialists this development fractured the food industry system. The fire management team no longer had a handle on the whole procedure. In fact, the Family Farm lost control of those of the most profitable part of the whole deal the marketing that's where the money is made in marketing not in production and marketing we make money. So the agro-industrial is became extremely influential in both the economic and the political Arenas and remains extremely influential to this very day. Now the farming Community was not without its Visionaries though at that same period around 1860 or so and be on there were those who saw that farmers must mobilize to develop countervailing power. the accent on the word power countervailing power now, they didn't think that you should destroy the Agro industrialist and think that they thought you have to develop countervailing power, you know, you can't beat them and you can't join them, but you can match him and that's what they thought they had to do. Now. They realize you had to do this because the alternative was what you might call Neil mercantilism Rural America would be nothing more than a colony to Urban America. Now the move to mobilize was initiated by seven gentleman who founded the oldest Farm organization in the United States the patrons of husbandry or the Grange the oldest Farm organization. It was begun in 1867. Now these fellas I think had a lot of guts they are only seven of them. No plus one woman the niece of the founder Oliver Hudson Kelly. She was in the thing to it. So you might as well say seven men and a girl and these eight people call themselves the national green. Jh1. They didn't have one single member. Michael let guts, you know or use a vision. All right, their intestinal fortitude all was further demonstrated by what they incorporated into the gut of their organization from the very start women were members on an equal basis with men from the start and so were the kids you became a member of full-fledged member of The Grange at age 14. Heh Donald Jr. Grain is still have a junior grade up to 14. But at 14 the young people the youth became a full-fledged member of the organization. So the whole family was involved and that membership was individual. It wasn't by family one family one vote. No it was the white head of vote in the husband had a vote in every kid who wanted to be a member age 14 and up had a vote so they could vote on all the issues that came before the group and they could also hold office and it wasn't near tokenism either women held office. That's why in The Grange rule, they indicate that the master and spouse the master could be a female and spouse, you know, he came along for the ride. Okay, so the and they went all the way up Minnesota had the first Grange master who was a woman. So you see you got quite a history here I want anyway, and now these people I think that's really the only organization I know of where women and men are in on an equal basis and it isn't mere tokenism. Now people will say well, you know in my organization you can't doing young now, but it wasn't in the beginning wasn't in the beginning. This was rather unique now not everybody looked kindly at this development with the Grange a lot of people said to themselves. What are these farmers do on with women at their meetings when they meet at night Puritan mind it'll find that a little hard to take but it didn't make any difference what the neighbors thought the grand jurors hung on to that idea and they kept it to this very day. Now while other Farmers could brag about their women totem that bail and milking that Cow Green just could boast a female prowess in an area that was as important if not more important and that was decision making in Decision-making process relative to the whole industry the influence of Grange women over policy was increased enormously when the office of lecturer became their special Province now in the Grange, I happen to be a member The Grange there are 13 officers, you know on every level a subordinate the state and the national level the most important office other than the master is the lecturer now, the lecture is a combination teacher idea generator promoter program chairman, you know, and the men were supposed to share the the job, you know along with the women, but they gradually got too busy, you know men in defense and all his Jazz and they left that job up to women. So women dominated The Grange because of that position of lecturer and that was kind of unfortunate and what the men heard what they discussed was determined by the woman and since the men were taken a backseat more and more and more it turned out that the program in the Grange. It'll be a little unbalanced. Now. The program of the Grange was very very important. It had a three-pronged approach. The first thing they did it had was ritual. They had a terrific ritual, you know, secret signs and secret handshakes and and you were all kinds of regalia, you know, a band across the bosom and all this bitching out and you had to meet in secrecy. You couldn't be present at a regular Grange meeting until you were accepted into the fourth degree that seven degrees and a fourth degree. You got to be a fourth-degree Granger. You can't attend meetings. They make it stay down in the basement. Now when I got to be the fourth degree as to how long some Nuns with me and I'll go to meeting them in the nuns in the basement me upstairs. You can't get in and so a very great stuffy about this ritual and I wondered about that, you know, because I'm very interested in ritual being a good ol RC. We got ritual all over the place and I wondered if I studied a little more about the Greenwood and I find out why we're so picky about ritual, you know, When you go to a church function, especially with our few Bishops, there's the hottest show in town, you know, all that red know what and so I wondered why why hang on to this, you know, and you know, I couldn't find anything in the literature go back into journals scholarly journals and all that. What's with the ritual? I couldn't find anything until about nineteen fifty-eight some articles began to appear and the sociological journals about ritual being important and why is it important? Because it builds up the person it builds up the person you find out who you are where you belong in the scheme of things, you know, you got a ribbon on the other guy doesn't you know, you're more important than he is, you know, this kind of thing. It was a very important sociological thing that ritual and why did the Grange insist upon it? Well every member of The Grange that started it all the seven guys were members of the Masonic order and they rituals important to Mason so they bled over they saw the importance of it the sociology of ritual very It's very important. So that's when they hang on to it. So you get an idea of who you are identify and Farmers had a very low opinion of themselves. They still do below opinion in themselves. And so the Grange Founders I had a bill it up and the ritual was one way to do it only, you know the secret handshake only you knew the secret word, you know, add a little secrecy to this my God Fantastico. Okay, and as a second part of the program was the was the kind of a very fun and games type thing. Every member was expected to provide the program. You had either sing a song or play the hollow mouth organ or recite a piece or whatever but what was so important about that a lot of people didn't like the grants because I went for this folderol, you know, get to the gut of the manor never mind the fun and games that was very important because these people who had a low opinion themselves had to get the approval of their peers. So when you sit up there and recited a little poem everybody clapped on great, you know, and home did a good deed. So there's this it was very important that peers get to know one another Used to standing in front of the public and saying your two cents worth, you know, very important and the third part of the program was discussion of got issues. Now the great had a little problem with that because in their bylaws it says they may not discuss religion or politics. Well a religion you could throw out you know, but the politics Pretty hearts, you know what they used to do. They used to have their meeting as a grand goal of the ritual goals of the fun and games do a little discussing a little nonsense and then adjourn the Grange and then meet again as a farmers Club. And they got down to the politics say okay. Now when the women took over this job of lecturer instead of having all three evenly, you know attended to as they put more attention on the ritual and the and the fun and games bit. And then in the discussion, it was mostly home economics, you know, when I joined the Grange back in 1962 or so I ended up not going to too many meetings. I can't cook and I cancel and I have no intention of learning. So, you know, I didn't fit that very well with this thing. They got issues. They didn't get to now this was Fortunate most unfortunate and the organization was, you know wearing down there because of the fact that they weren't getting onto the gut issues at the Grinch a started in 1867 and it had a marvelous Fantastical phenomenal growth up until 1873. It's about six years in there really went gangbusters in 1873. There was a panic and a lot of the Grange cooperatives. They really spawned cooperatives. A lot of those properties went bust and so farmers began getting this Channel with the grain juicy and they began leaving it as fast as they had joined it. So the Grange was in trouble from another angle because people were a little disenchanted with these coops going bust a hardcore remain though a hardcore stuck to the Grange and kept that thing alive and they still exist today and those people work to renew the organization make it strong and they felt that in order to have a strong organization. I really tough organization that pulls it together and you're really have action you develop countervailing power your needs. Things you need three things one. You need good promotional literature. These things are still true. You need good promotional literature. What are you doing? You know, why are you doing it? What do you expect of your organization? And I'll get this power things straight in your head and get good promotional literature tells the truth. Secondly, they need good programming you need good program. If you want people to come to your organization, you have to have good programming really get to the gut of things and thirdly you need full-time organizers. You need full-time organizer. Now these Grange ranges at the Grassroots demanded these three things of their National leadership and the national leadership would not deliver. They refused to deliver. They said if you want those three things you do it at the Grassroots. Well, they couldn't do it at the Grassroots didn't have enough money. They couldn't hire a full-time organizer. They were having a tough time they couldn't do it. And so because they couldn't get through to the top of their own organization. They began looking elsewhere. They began looking elsewhere. And so you have no organizations for me. I am convinced. The Farmers Union and the Farm Bureau or really big gun by disenchanted Rangers and the history of farm. Organizations is right there when they can't get through to the top they form another outfit. That's the history of farm organizations. And today we have 400 Farm organization. The United States isn't that delightful more Farm organizations and churches and for the same dumb reason? Well anyway, so they begin looking elsewhere. You know, now these new organizations were spin-offs the Farmers Union the Farm Bureau Farm Bureau claims. It started in 1920 not quite true. They started around 19 to when the first County agent came into the South and 1911 when the first County agent came into the north, you know as formed around the county agent now that's nothing wrong about that. I mean, that's what it was and the and the in the north the the group that call the first County agent and paid attention to inform the Farm Bureau was a bunch of Granger's a bunch of ranchers. Yes a and funny about the grades they kept their membership in the organization while this started a new one. And one of the reasons was it because it's a family oriented still family-oriented the other new organization the new spin-offs made a big organizational mistake in my estimation. They separated the men and women the women became an auxiliary to the men's division. That's a big mistake. It's a big mistake now. Why is that? See, she wasn't considered part of the decision-making process. She was she did moreover the kitchen table and you never did it turn off. But anyhow, you know, she was separated and we have women meekly accepting this role niggly accepting it and you know ended up catering Farm organization meetings, you know, anybody who farmer wanted to somebody porous coffee, then she bored serve the finger food, you know, I think you know, it's very significant to me. I that the fact that potluck became a big important feature of farm organization meetings to the detriment of the organization women put the potluck on OK, I think that was to the detriment because it's pretty hard to talk turkey about improving prices when you're enveloped in the odor of big beans and hot coffee. You know things can't be all that tough when your belly is full. And I think that was a that was bad thing. But that's the men's own fault. They shouldn't have turned them out, you know now perhaps to to replace this personal development feature that the Grange had women begot got to be very concerned about the artsy-craftsy spear, you know of farm life and they really could wield a wicked crochet hook there. And what was interesting they organized the operation they went into the artsy craftsy and organized it Homemakers clubs outnumber Farm organizations at the local level by about a thousand to one. And to me that's a pity. They didn't generate any more influence over agricultural policymaking than their husbands did who are congregated in the town hall. So here we have Agriculture and split apart the family split apart. And neither one of them are really influencing the development of foreign policy. Now these men needed help and they got it not from their own ranks, but from the halls of academe the secretary of agriculture many times Professor someplace his Department the land grant college system the county agent system and the demonstration agent system The Vocational agriculture set up in the high schools all of these pull together to help the farmer devised Farm policy, and they helped to perfect the science of production. Which makes American agriculture the Envy of the entire world? They did not deliver though on the processing and the marketing part of it, which is where the money is made not to the same degree. They didn't ignore it, but they didn't do it the same degree as they were helping with them, but they production farming has got to be more than productive. It's got to be profitable. Not political and economic power is essential to this end. You don't have a profitable industry without power that have economic and political power the people in the educational system were not equipped nor were they permitted to deliver in this department? And you know, this whole scene really mystifies me it did when I first got into this agriculture seen and it's still does the secretary of agriculture is part of a huge educational system. He's more of a teaching that's a teaching function and I see Farmers looking at the secretary of agriculture and this whole educational Entourage as if the secretary was a combination Guru, you know, Maharaja evangelist. So wisdom of the ages, he's got it all together. I don't see this in the labor movement. I can't imagine George meany looking at the Secretary of Labor as though he's a guru Farmers looked at secretary of agriculture. Well, we you know wife power was substituted for secretary power with a capital S on secretary, you know, and what's the percentage I say zultch percentage, the secretary is not dedicated to the proposition that the Family Farm firm is the best and most efficient way to produce guns. The secretary has no personal stake in the outcome. The secretary is not necessarily interested in healing this fractured farm system that personally there's a personal stake in this the food industry needs healing desperately and the laying on of hands of the chief evangelist of the USDA has produced no miracles to date. But that doesn't matter there's a new movement on in the New Day Dawning in agriculture. And I think as well that we take a good look at this a concerted attempt is being made today to recapture influence that farm families once had over all three functions of the food industry system not going to production but the processing and marketing and the marketing remember that's where the money is made. This is what we have to concentrate on. This action is taking place on several fronts. I see it first of all in the merging and or the federating of farm organizations particularly cooperatives a lot of merging and federating going on that does not bother me. That's not by me. I think it's a good thing. It's a good thing getting the act together with these organizations. And I think this is something farmers have to get used to your soul. Oh, you know hindered by this notion big they're big and therefore they're dangerous and they're bigger. I don't think bigness is Badness thickness is not Badness could be but it isn't necessarily so somebody's getting bigger. That doesn't mean they're getting better doesn't mean they're getting better either but bigness is not bad madness Okay. So this moving together don't get worried about that keep control of the organization. Secondly the emergence of commodity associations as Powers. We wrecked to be reckoned with, you know, every time a politician wanted some answers either one to the to the big for the for General Farm organization. Which include I give them the order of their origin so I can get safe-conduct out of this room. Grange started was first then the Farmers Union and Farm Bureau and the nfo. Those are the four General Farm organizations, but they're not all there is you have dozens of other organizations. Not only the co-op's but the Cattlemen's Association, you know, the Wool Growers Association the cotton people Association the soybean Association always kind of you got a lot of these associations, and they are coming out. They are emerging with a new leadership a lot more Vigor come out of T by come out of T by commodity, you know, I think this is great. This is great. It's getting a regional. It isn't just one state or one County its Regional very, very important. Third is the use increasingly of referenda to fund research and promotion programs by these commodity associations and these coops. This is extremely important as reverent be forever end is coming up. I wonder how many people going to pop maybe that thing. I hope you do. Because this is getting putting your money together pulling your coins, you know, in order to put on a promotion program and research you want to Market. You have to think of two things that's more uses of what you're now putting on the market, but also no uses of the product. Do you realize it around there Tuskegee Institute down in Alabama? It's a little two-bit outfit, you know started by George Washington Carver a black scientist. The only thing that grows around there's peanuts. Do you know Tuskegee Institute has found 300 uses for the peanut 300. And I tell Dairy Farmers, you know, three things you can do with the product of the cow. You can drink it. You can slice it. You can spread it all of which they were doing in the time of Christ. No uses and I owners go was not enough Elmer's glue is not enough yet God I find New Uses and there's only one way to do that that's research research and then promoting what you researched now right now, we're in trouble if I may put a little aside here. Mr. Carter and Company want to cut the funds for the extension program the research that goes into the research bit, you know cutting the extension program dumb boy. Oh boy. Oh boy. Do not let that happen. Do not let that happen yata flood Washington with letters, you know, and everyone was two words remember November This is very important. But you see farmers are not just allowing the extension to do they are trying to get more monies. And so this referenda business on promotion is extremely important. Now I come to you ashamed I really do I come to you ashamed because in Wisconsin, we always vote down the milk referendum, you know as that's a Rite of Spring somebody puts it together and we voted out. You know, last year's 721. It was voted down. I was shamed because Minnesota, you know, you got it you did it and we women Gregor culture we were singing, you know. Minnesota did it. Why can't we you know the Gophers did it wind the badgers or whatever? I don't know what that I don't know what your symbol is about. You should check that out before. But anyway, we are trying to sell it by we didn't we didn't make it we're going to try again spring is coming. You know, I think and we'll try again. But but this is this is bad because we should promote these things now, I think this is great another bringing together of people and then there's a fourth thing and that's the farm women's movement the farm women's movement the restoration of farm women to the role. They played in the beginning is in full swing but there's an added feature and this feature is very important to be effective women need power power is defined simply as the production of intended effects. That's Bertrand Russell says brought power is the production of intended effect certain effects you intend you can produce them. Bertrand Russell was an atheist philosopher when the nuns are quote an atheist, you know things are not what they used to be. So it's the product the production of intended Effects Power. We got to work for power, you know, you know, I'm amazed at the attitude of so many people when you talk about building power and agriculture. They think you're talking to heresy and I know they think I'm talking here is the guy that letters from people saying isn't it a shame that you another running around talking about building power. You should be building. Whoa. Well, I tried love for 20 years. Nothing happened in the power business. Now, you know now it isn't that you don't need love what the world needs now is love sweet love not that's not the main event. Then maybe even is power. You have to be able to produce the effect you intend and he was power every day. If you have a Little Bambino at home say five years old you want that kid under the covers tonight? 9:30. That's an effect. You intend Undercovers 9:30. Okay. I come to your house at 11 o'clock that creature still running around. You don't have any power you couldn't produce an effect you intended was the same thing, you know, you have to have part Powers neutral. It's not either bad or good. It's just like the stable. Yours. Neither better good. I can use it for evil. I can use it for good but it is self is not evil. It amazes me. You know, we in the Lord's Prayer all with line is the power and the kingdom of the glory if power is so evil. What you're giving it to God for thine is the polymer and the kingdom of the Gloria. It's pretty good Trio there, you know. Interested in power. So this women's movement now is not artsy-craftsy. We don't care whether you're not a pot of geranium or not, you know make a better pot holder. That's not our purpose of power purpose is to build power that's objective. And that's what makes this Farm woman this Farm women's movement a little different. The object is to build power. Now this present moment began in 1869 and two states. Neither one of them knew the other was operating Oregon and Michigan and 1869. The organ woman for agriculture was formed out of a political crisis facing the grass seed farmer in Oregon. The grass seed farmers are operating the lower part of the lungs Bali and the only way they have of getting rid of the blight knowledge. As you know on their crop is to burn the fields at the end of the Harvest they get an acetylene torch it but the whole thing to the torch and for three days, there's a big black cloud over one city, Eugene, Oregon. Well all the environmentalist they're using out worried about the three days into the black cloud women there. Try to tell them, you know, we're giving you oxygen for A hundred and sixty two days can't you take three days of black clog, you know that's not very much, but they wouldn't buy it and they not a piece of legislation before the legislature of Oregon saying that farmers were forbidden to burn the fields until they were told they could by the government and that thing passed. And it's interesting the day that they were told they could burn the fields. It was a terrible torrential rainstorm. Big deal. So that's a one-woman welcoming about 30 years old or so a couple of little kids decided. This is this is ends. Well, you know, and so she got another bunch of women grass seed wives to get together and they went and formed organ women for agriculture. And the thing was to change that law. Well, they didn't change the law but they got a they got a reprieve for one year at least so farmers can figure out what to do. You just can't say you can't do it and there they are stuck you have to have time to figure out what to do. So they got a reprieve as a victory at the same time same amount of time in Michigan the women or struck not by a political crisis by an economic crisis Apple Growers. Apple Growers were trying to get a good price from the One Source. They had a marketing their product and that was Duffy Mont Corporation. They wanted a better price for apples and they wouldn't give it to him document wouldn't even look at their business agent. So another young woman bought 30 years old. I don't know 30 35 couple of little kids, you know, so she didn't didn't have all the time in the world. She got Apple Growers wives together and they form Michigan women for agriculture. And they went and amended that they not be my people see their business agent for their husbands and he wouldn't see him. So they picketed the operation there. They wouldn't let the trucks go into the yard, but they dressed up real fit to kill with long white gloves show that they're ladies and they pick a didn't they wouldn't let the trucks through. Well, no truck is going to run over a lady with long white gloves site. And so it is that the Press came along I was a great thing. The cops came along we're protecting the ladies know and I was making such a big fuss out there. But he's enjoying this so much that Duffy mod to get that crowd out of there out of the yard at suggest that they would see three women so that we went into the office there and they got a little preacher know about how the tough things are but the woman said we don't want to hear anything. All I want to know is two things. When will you see our business agent and where that's all just tell us those two things. That's all I want to know. Well, they talking talk Pat him on the head, you know bottom on the head a little bit on the bottom of the they wouldn't go they wouldn't go once you're in the office wouldn't go till they had these two things two pieces of information. That's all I want. And so then they finally arrange to see the business agent and and I got a better price so both tried one thing and it was successful. And that led that just went gangbusters the two groups got together somehow, Oregon and Michigan and be started to proselytize and I know women for agriculture came to Wisconsin. We had a meeting at Silver Lake College where I'm based and and women for agriculture Wisconsin was formed and we end up with 12 States now have women for agriculture groups, but we team up now with Affiliated groups have about 37 Affiliates. There's some of the cobbles have joined us some of the wheat Hearts have joining these groups that are older than we are they're older than we are and their Regional they're not Statewide their Regional have joined up with this group and we formed American a green women, which is a coalition of farm women's groups that was begun in November 1974. Now we meet we have an annual convention this next stage in November. I will meet in San Diego this year and November and this group is different from other Farm organization women's groups in this we're a parallel group we a do not belong to any other organization. We don't we're not tied to any other organization where Parallel Group we do not think we know better than the other organizations. We don't think I'm going to teach him all you know, we got it all together. That's not the point at all all of our members belong to some other organization. They're either belong to nfor Farm Bureau or various coops or associations, you know, we belong and we tried to figure out where we ought to go. How do you build a power thing and go back to our parent organization and figure out what to do. We're trying to help the organization along, you know, get a little extra charge in there and not to go off on our own now. This thing has been you know since 74 we've been going along there and one of our members a woman from, California Anya mrs. Corky Larson who has been victimized victimized by the United Farm Workers. She's a grape grower 360 Acres of grapes and she really was on the receiving end of what power can mean when you abuse it and she was really worried about how she said we're off to rebuild power. But before I go any further with this out, but I want to know how you gonna build it and what you gonna do with it when you get it and if I don't if I'm not satisfied with how you're going to build it and what you're gonna do with it when you get it, I'm cutting out of this thing. I don't want anything to do with it. Now. She started women for agriculture in California, which has now 8,000 members she started it, but she was coming out from under if we didn't come up with some philosophy of our going to operate now instead of just telling us that she set up a meeting or six of us met in at Lake Arrowhead in California. And we drew up a philosophy on the use of power. We call it a call to power our call to Paris and I want to read that to you and with a few comments today so you can get an idea of what we're about and what I think all of us should be about nine at telling you this so you can join women for agriculture. That's not the point you belong to organizations or you ought to belong to organizations. And the idea should be your first objective is to build power. But you have to know where you're going, you know, you got to know where you're going - to use this and so we discussed this for three days. We got up early in the morning and late at night the six of us and we drove one was from Wisconsin one of us Michigan and for from California and we were a different religions Catholic Presbyterian Methodist, and we were mentioned that because we felt this is kind of a spiritual connection. You have to make you know, nobody's going to seller, you know, other give up their fortunes and their sacred honor for a bill of sale or for a good balance sheet. But you'll do it if there's some religious aspect on it you'll do it you'll do it. And so we felt we had a tie in there with this is religious connection. So we battle this all out man. One of the women one of the youngest member actually who was a Elder in the Presbyterian Church says, I feel called by God to write this. I want to write it as we're okay go write it so she went and wrote it and we you know dotted a few eyes and crossed a few T's after and this is what we came up with this article. This philosophy was passed unanimously at our national meeting of American every women in Green Bay last year. It reads a statement of principles the call to power. Now I say call who calls. Man, upstairs called apart. Okay, history will be kinder to us. If our capacity to affect change capacity affected change. That's the definition of power history will be kinder to us if our capacity to affect change is implemented in the right way and for the right reasons. Right way and right reasons our dedication to truth and our identification with the institutions that Foster Justice and good will now what are these are that's why I mention those churches. We are identified. We are all identify with churches. And those are the institutions that Foster Justice and Goodwill our dedication to truth and identification with the institution the faucet Foster Justice and good will provide our rod and staff in the struggle to put away on truth and Injustice when the responsibility for change Falls to only a few the resulting sense of powerlessness is dehumanizing the feeling of helplessness helplessness institute's a plague of apathy and fosters the growth of the philosophies that trouble us important apathy is caused So often people say what why don't people do some apathy apathy is caused what causes apathy powerlessness a feeling of powerlessness? But who has not tasted the sweetness of success in effecting change and been inspired to try again and seek greater challenges by its very nature. The capacity of one along to effect change is limited. You can't do it alone. But the scope expands when the common carriers of more than one give birth to Unity of purpose the common cares of more than one give birth to Unity of purpose from the beginning of time. The Hallmark of any group has been its ability to produce intended effects. The very definition of power itself. The power gained in these efforts is the force which has mobilized mankind the use of the power that Springs from unity and commonality. So power breeds is bread from unity and commonality. The use of that power and the degree to which the group is organized within the framework of sound human oriented principles will determine its ability to survive the stresses from strange from change to Renewal. They say the use of the power will spring from unity and commonality and the degree to which you're organized. But that organization must be in a framework of sound human oriented principles. This will ensure our being able to roll with the punches. The need for power is not shameful and it's not to be feared when power is used to overcome Injustice and untruth we must assume that the hand of God is still at work perfecting his creation. As we move to build power we affirm the following principles first the constant Pursuit Of Truth must lie at the heart of our purpose and actions were looking for truth. Secondly the manner in which we seek truth must be thorough and without prejudice. We don't make a devil out of anybody and we go right to the heart of the matter. Okay, thirdly as we search for truth, we recognize others equally valid searches and seek to remain open to their wisdom right now American angry women are always being asked. What do you think of the agriculture movement? You know the strikers that went to the way to go. What do you think about that? There are looking for you to say something damning about them, you know, I think it's horrible that they destroyed them all (00:43:21) we don't We don't (00:43:23) we cut down nobody we cut down. Nobody say we want to be open to their truth. They must have something that's important. Otherwise, why would they do this? We want to be open to the truth doesn't mean we buy it. It means we're open to it. We cut down nobody. Fourthly we are never better than the means we use. End does not justify the means we are never better than the means we use next we reject the use of violence in either action or words. However one should not confuse vigorous expression of Truth with violence. A little hot under the collar. You know, I'm so anxious to prove my point. That is mean I'm buying you violent. Rejecting the idea that it's necessary to Foster hate. We are called to this responsibility and the spirit of Goodwill. We're not going to make devil's out of anybody. We're not going to do anything to inspire hatred of one group with another group were coming to this whole thing in a spirit of Goodwill and lastly. We have furn our responsibility for the generations yet. Unborn we are responsible for the future. Not just for now Generations yet. Unborn we take responsibility and this is the philosophy under which we build power. This is now how are we going to go in and actually operate we got seven goals The first is to present the real identity of the American Farmer to Urban consumers politicians media and church leadership. Remember looking for truth people do have a wrong idea of who farmers are that's really true right now the Catholic Church there 44 Bishops are going to put out a put out a statement on land ownership and land use they wanted on a discussion on this and so I read that thing over there is a very marvelous idea that they're doing this but they have a wrong idea whole farmer is you know, subsistence farmer are Tycoon. Either got 40 acres and a mule or a tycoon, you know, well who views in that category? I mean that you're not even a statistic according to that. This is wrong idea. It's a wrong idea who are farmers. Who is this Farm family? Who is this? Entrepreneurial team? You gotta Ram that before people over and over and over and over again. They haven't got the message suddenly to develop an appreciation within and outside of the farming community of the interdependence that components of the agricultural system. We depend on the middleman what happens in a middleman is a devil depend on a middleman, you know, we depend on government for certain things. We depend upon the consumers for certain things. Okay. So what's wrong about that nothing and they depend on the farmers had been on Farmers? It's mutual. So let's get that act together, you know, we depend on each other and we don't look at anybody as a being a big devil in the piece. I'm really worried about something. I'm hearing. I was not in Kansas a little bit ago. And they and they were talking to me about about the trilateral commission. I don't know if you heard about the trilateral commission. I'm scared to death about this business because a look at it David Rockefeller is supposed to be heading some Unis outfit, you know that has 250 members and they're going to take over the whole United States and going to destroy the family and destroy the money system and destroy the land and all my oh my Lord. Where did this come from? What is Good from this he bar believe in it? Yes, enemy tapes. I got the tapes. My God scares always thought he listened to the tapes. They're making a damn a lot of somebody so David Rockefeller becomes a devil, you know, well, come on. Come on. He was redeemed to even though he has a few coins. The third goal is to support a marketing system that makes quality food and fiber available to All In a reasonable cost basis at a fair profit of the farmer. It's Raptor to seek the common ground that provides a foundation for United agricultural looking for the Common Grounds. Yeah, all of commonality comes unity and power. So we have to find the common ground to effectively stand against coercive methods unjustly attacked the agricultural system. Now, we regard this attack right now on the extension system cutting down as funds as something that's I'm just I'm going after that you see next to develop analyze to broaden agriculture's influence in the marketplace and to the in the political Arenas at all levels local State national and Global and lastly to develop a responsible and accountable membership that is willing to assume positions of influence in areas that affect the private enterprise system. We're going to try to develop our own members so that we will take positions of influence in the political and economic Arena. It's not just in our clubs in the whole bit. I think most of you look at your organization. If you belong to organizational culture, look at your bylaws, you'll find that you're not so far apart. We're singing the same song Actually, we're singing the same song. The only difference I think is that we have an objective. We have an objective and that is to build power to build power. No other rebuild power and the economic and the political Arena so got to be interested in legislation and marketing power and them economic Arena. That's marketing. Okay. Now the production of these documents is history making its history making what we did there. It's also this nation's best kept secret. The called apart was passed unanimously unanimously at a political convention National political. Now, where are all these independent Farmers that never get together. They couldn't have been at this meeting because we passed it unanimously. The national media founded too insignificant to cover. Never got any coverage in time or Newsweek. The egg, press gave it some attention and properly forgot about it. Although this whole package is a stunning statement of judeo Christian values. The church has ignored it. Totally perhaps the people in this organization had been remiss themselves and not publicizing. What is an historic happening. Perhaps we ourselves are unaware of what it is. We did we had better come on all of us from where I sit there's not one item in this statement of principles or the objectives. That is anyway divisive. It's extraordinary. It's a collage of common denominators. These are the things that could be the mortar that pulls us together and Mosaic. I don't believe in unity as goulash, you know, put all the stuff in the pot stand mixer up and you can't tell where the potatoes begin in the people and you know, (00:50:00) that's Unity but it's (00:50:02) goulash I think of Mosaic or each keep our own identity. We each keep our own sides we each keep our own background you keep your own but we are pulled together in a very high. I want to use whole by a mortar some kind of motor that keeps us together. And don't give me this garbage about it being impossible to get that Mosaic because farmers are independent. I don't buy that farmers are not (00:50:26) independent. They're not independent. (00:50:28) They are the biggest Co-operators. There are really when you approach any rural town. What's the first thing you see our church steeple and an elevator and somebody had to get together to put up either one. And don't give me the garbage either the we can't get together because we're so few farmers are only three percent of the population. Oh that is so much book. That is so much bunk. The National Rifle Association is only 1 million members. That's all it isn't even one tenth of one tenth of one percent of the population. There is not a single piece of gun legislation on the books that they don't approve of I don't really buy their argument, but you got to admire him they could produce the effects a intent and they don't have three percent of the population. Are they crying in their beer about that? No, they're not I'm obviously a church person last week was it we celebrated World Day of Prayer world day of world day of prayer you get that world. That show on the road Christians who started Christianity 12 guys. 12 guys not one of them was a prize. Do you remember? One was a traitor in the other was a fink and the counting sort of think of the amount of the first pope as soon as you got a future even though you have problems. Listen 12 people now, I have world at prayer my God so numbers don't give me that garbage about being a small part of the population can Empower that isn't the power of depends upon your ability to get your act together and organize for action, but you have to be interested in poetry or not engine power. Forget it. I mean go to your potholder or whatever and be happy until Farm families. Conquer this attitude they have of anything you can do. I can do (00:52:21) better, you know (00:52:23) that keeps people apart. This call to power is not going to be answered until Farm families make up their mind that power development is the basic ingredient needed to guarantee a piece of the action in both the economic and political Arenas the call to action will not be answered until Farm families. Learn how to develop consensus on issues that are significant the call to power won't be answered until Farm families accept responsibility for their own economic salvation making use of government rather than being used by it. The call to power will not be answered. Now if I did not believe that these conditions can be fulfilled we can do these things. If I didn't believe it could be done. I would not be standing here in front of you wasting your time and mine. (00:53:12) Thank you.