I spotted a recent article on the net that I think all of us in the Midwest should be alerted to. We need to question the federal government's role in eliminating the family farmer.

See http://www.aolnews.com/politics/article/black-usda-official-shirley-sherrod-resigns-in-flap-over-white-farmer/19560922

The USDA is not the friend of the small to medium size farmer. They are the friend of big ag, period. Most so-called farm organizations are not representing us either. Case in point; an Ag/United rep. came to a GCCC meeting a couple of years ago. It was obvious she did not plan to tell us who she represented. When we spoke w/her, she assured us the Ag/United represented 'all farmers', but they never contacted us, asked us about our point of view, or gave us any coverage. What they did do, is use our checkoff money to have a meeting to push the cafo point of view in Milbank. Every Ag/United event that I am aware of only represents industrial ag, using OUR cash to work against us.
Steve Dick has never answered a letter from us.
I think this was a real wake up call for many of our local farmers.
What can we do? The only option is probably to get on governing boards such as the corn and soybean council and vote to change where the check off money goes.
But that takes a great deal of time and effort. Most farmers would rather farm instead of getting political.
Back to the USDA, their stand on food issues seem to me to be more about food control than food safety.
JMO.

It is starting to look as though they made a stooge out of Tom Vilsak, who deserves the title (stooge, not sec of ag) if he did not allow this woman a chance to explain or defend herself.

When I first heard the story, it sounded like there was more to it than what appeared on the surface. When I heard how grossly out of context they took her remarks when posting the video on the Web, I was appalled that no one had researched it better than they had.
She has been wronged, and I hope she turns the hurt into something powerful and positive. She was already headed that way -- her voice can be much larger now.
Providence, I guess, gave her that spotlight.