3.  DORR HEARING SCHEDULED

Thomas Dorr, Bush's controversial nominee to be USDA's
undersecretary for rural development, has been scheduled to have
his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, February 13, 2002 at 9:30
am -- Room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building.  Rural
advocates are gearing up to ask members of the Senate Agriculture
committee to "DUMP DORR."   Mr.  Dorr's background and
position statements indicate that his vision of rural America does
not include a diverse system of food production based on family
farms and good stewardship.  He has expressed the opinion that the
ideal farm size for Iowa is
225,000 acres, an idea that has been called a "return to feudalism."
He has also expressed a preference for mega-sized industrial hog
operations, ignoring the adverse effects of these on air and water
quality, property values and local communities.  Please contact
members of the Senate Agriculture Committee
http://agriculture.senate.gov   and ask them to oppose Mr.  Dorr's
nomination.

Erin's note: Just in case you didn't already know this, Mr. Dorr is from IOWA.


4.   SMITHFIELD THROWS A TANTRUM

Smithfield Foods took out a full page ad in last Sunday's edition of
the Sioux Falls "Argus Leader," threatening to close operations in
South Dakota if lawmakers act to level the playing field for
producers by passing the packer ownership ban.  "If the Johnson
Amendment becomes law, Smithfield Foods will neither rebuild the
Sioux Falls plant, or build a new plant in South Dakota, nor will we
make any further investment in South Dakota, or for that matter in
any other state whose public officials are hostile to our ongoing
operations and our industry,"said Joseph W.  Luter III, the
chairman and chief executive officer of Virginia-based Smithfield
Foods, the parent company of John Morrell & Co., which has a
packing plant in Sioux Falls.  South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson,
along with Paul Wellstone of Minnesota and Charles Grassley of
Iowa, sponsored a Farm Bill amendment that would ban packers
from owning livestock more than 14 days prior to slaughter as a
way to restrict the "captive supplies" family farmers say is
smothering free, competitive markets.  The amendment, which
passed 51-46 last session, has been hailed as a major victory by
family farm advocates.  Senator Johnson responded to Smithfields
threats by saying, "I can understand Smithfield wants more vertical
integration, and I respectfully disagree with that."



Erin Jordahl
Director, Iowa Chapter Sierra Club
3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280
Des Moines, IA 50310
515-277-8868
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