I am 79 and do not like to drive long distances, but if you could schedule a meeting in Newton, Ames, Humbolt, or Fort Dodge, I would try to go.  However, I am not a farmer, only a retired person with ties to farming and the need for independent farmers to keep our independent farmers in business.  The corporate hog lot bill passed by Branstad, and the Republicans has driven the small farmers out of business and off the farms. I think it might be called House 519 or something like it.  It has driven the small farmers who used to raise hogs out of business, and replaced them with corporate farms who are raising the same number of hogs that Iowa used to raise before.  Has anyone investigated the change in the hormones of the hogs grown under stress in the large hog lots, and compared it the levels grown in smaller farms out in the open air where they would coming running and squealing to be fed.  As a Ph.D. Biochemist, I realize that hogs grown under humane conditions may produce better meat for humans to eat.  It seem like our younger drivers are driving faster, and following closer than people of the same age did before

At 05:15 PM 01/28/2002 -0500, you wrote:
I sent out a last minute message last week about the CAFO public hearings held by legislators.  The Mason City hearing on Jan. 26 was well attended, but it would be great to have even more people, especially Sierra Club members, at the next ones

Please contact me if you want to carpool and/or if you would like to testify at the hearings.  I spoke at the Mason City hearing, so I need someone else to speak for the Sierra Club at the next meetings.  

We are going to get something done this session on CAFOs, maybe not exactly what we would hope for, but we need to keep the pressure on our legislators to actually do something!  I hope you can attend one or more of the public hearings.  If you do plan to speak, please arrive early, so you can get signed up on the speaking list.

(to members of the Northwest Iowa Group: I apologize if you get this message twice.  I wasn't sure which of you were on the Iowa-Topics listserv.)

Feb. 1, 2002      Elkhorn, IA        7 PM - 9 PM
      Lutheran Church basement   4313 Main Street

Feb. 2, 2002      Sioux Center, IA       1 PM - 3 PM
      Farmers Co-op  317 3rd St. NW

Feb. 8 or 9   Somewhere between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids
      I will send out more details as soon as I get them.

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