Room for everyone at agriculture table

I am a member of the Farm Bureau but have never understood the organization's overt bias against non-conforming agriculture. Linn County Farm Bureau Legislative committee member Curt Zingula's letter of April 8 was more subtle than some of the articles one sees in the Farm Bureau Spokesman, but it was apparent to the discerning reader.

This has been going on for years and if asked to give a good reason for the bias, I'd wager no one in the organization could come up with one. It is like racism and it is time it ended.

Life's circumstances are not the same for everyone who wants to grow things. There is no reason why every farm or farmer needs to or necessarily should look exactly like the cookie cutter image Farm Bureau envisions for the year 2010.

Zingula pointed out but a few of the obstacles facing the non-conforming agriculturalist. Obviously they are not a threat to anyone (except maybe to themselves). So, why do we even care if someone wants to raise fresh vegetables organically or milk sheep or goats and try to produce award-winning cheeses?

There is room at the agriculture table for everyone. Farm Bureau should be encouraging the non-conformists. Maybe they can't feed the nation by themselves, but they are offering an alternative that some people enjoy and appreciate, and they know how to grow food in case a more conventional system fails.

The next big thing in agriculture is said to be growing fruits and veggies vertically in the inner city. And they intend to do it year-round - run for the hills.

Alvin Cummings

Walker