First off, I am not a dairy farmer, nor do I claim to understand the many aspects of dairy farming and milk pricing. I attended the hearing to support John Painter, a Farm Bureau executive committee member who gave testimony on behalf of the Farm Bureau.
My comments are strictly related to Mr. Turner’s unfounded remarks about Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.
Each year, county Farm Bureau members gather at our state conference to engage in policy discussions and take actions that affect members of our organization moving forward.
Almost 50 county Farm Bureaus are represented at our annual state conference by farmers engaged in all sectors of agriculture — pork, mushrooms, dairy, poultry, beef, sheep, organic, fruits, vegetables etc.
Our main objective is to vote on our policies that are put forward and have been thoroughly reviewed by our policy committee members before reaching our state delegate sessions.
On Wednesday, in the hearing, Mr. Turner’s testimony included statements such as that Pennsylvania Farm Bureau policy fails to benefit Pennsylvania agriculture and rural communities, how our new policy regarding the over-order premium will do financial damage to hundreds of Pennsylvania farm families, and how Farm Bureau’s policy is a divisive instrument that creates winners and losers.
Lastly, Mr. Turner said that PFB seeks to “solve this problem by making everyone a loser.”
As a passionate Farm Bureau member who knows first hand how seriously PFB policy positions are taken by our members, I personally found these comments to be offensive.
In over 20 years as a PFB volunteer, I have never heard such negative comments from an individual who proclaimed to be representing not only Turner Dairy Farms but also the Pennsylvania Association of Milk Dealers statewide.
Mr. Turner, there are approximately 35,000 PFB members. It would be greatly appreciated if, when speaking about PFB policy, you consider not lumping all PFB members together, even though a high percentage of the members are dairy farmers.
While you are free to disagree with our policy when it’s in your self-interest, I would respectfully ask that you refrain from attacking PFB in a public forum with such negative and unsubstantiated comments.
— Joe Fecondo, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
