Farm Bureau: Don’t cap our future

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau is encouraging all Farm Bureau members in the state to join together in a unified request to federal lawmakers: Don’t Cap Our Future. The appeal is directed to members of Congress who are addressing restrictive climate change legislation that could hurt agriculture, consumers and the national economy, according to Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Mike Spradling.
 
“Don’t Cap Our Future” is a grassroots campaign involving Farm Bureau members from across the nation. Farmers and ranchers are speaking out against congressional climate legislation. Playing off the cap-and-trade climate change bills in the House and Senate, Farm Bureau is encouraging members to participate in the campaign by signing their name to an item very common in farm country – the farm cap. By signing a new “farm cap,” including a message sticker that reads, “Don’t Cap Our Future” and hand-delivering the item to one of the state offices of their U.S. Senators, farmers and ranchers can send an effective message against climate change legislation.
 
“The House has already passed climate change legislation that is bad for agriculture and now an even worse bill is nearing action in the Senate. Farmers and ranchers must speak out now to keep this legislation from becoming law,” said (State FB President).
 
As with any traditional grassroots effort, Farm Bureau is also encouraging its members to call, send letters and e-mails to their Senators, as well as sign online letters and petitions that voice their opposition to the climate legislation.
 
“Grassroots action is the backbone of Farm Bureau,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman. “I am personally asking members to sign a new farm cap on its bill and include the message: ‘Don’t Cap Our Future.’”
 
Stallman said Farm Bureau members should specifically hand-deliver farm caps to their U.S. Senators, but many state Farm Bureaus also are expected to organize special cap-presentation events.
 
According to Farm Bureau, cap-and-trade legislation would impose higher energy and food costs on consumers, raise fuel, fertilizer and energy costs for farmers and ranchers, and shrink the American agricultural sector, resulting in reduced U.S. food production.
 
“The consequences of climate legislation far outweigh the benefits and aren’t worth capping America’s future,” said Stallman.