Farmer Labor Tractorcade – Sat. March 12th 10:00am – 2:00 pm Madison, WI

[deminks]

http://familyfarmers.org/?p=144

Next week (March 12, 2011), farmers from across the dairyland will bring tractors and solidarity to the WI capitol to fight for labor rights and a just state budget. Rural communities will be disproportionately hurt by the cuts to education and BadgerCare, as well as Gov. Walker’s decision to eliminate funding for other sustainable agriculture initiatives such as the Buy Local Buy Wisconsin program.

Family farmers in Wisconsin stand with state workers, and all working and middle class families in the state. An injury to one is an injury to all! The event is sponsored by Family Farm Defenders and Wisconsin Farmers Union, among many others. All farmers and eaters welcome and encouraged to come!

(end snip)


http://www.waow.com/Global/story.asp?S=14205138


I can't find many links to this. Once again, I suspect there will be a newz blackout.

[Dogtown]

1. Very cool! n/t

[Scuba]

2. Farmer are traditionally anti-Union....

...as they hire a fair amount of labor. But they understand what is happening. Smart Wisconsin farmers.

[starroute]

3. Family Farm Defenders has a very active Facebook page

These are not old-line farmers. They're environmentally aware, anti-corporate, pro-consumer, and pro-labor. I've been looking at their website, and there's also a lot of information about tomorrow's protest at their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Family-Farm-Defenders/292812867401

There is a lot going on out there is terms of alternative agriculture. It's something that's been bubbling under the surface since the hippie days 40 years ago but is finally starting to surface. I'm only just finding out about it myself -- but I think this protest will raise the profile of the movement in general and also help different groups to link up and network more effectively.