New Mexico Panelists Tackle Food, Farming and Fairness

By Roz Brown

Food, farming and fairness will be the topics in Albuquerque this week, at a gathering of those who support the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming Act.

The legislation is meant to reform what are known as agriculture checkoff programs.

Introduced decades ago, checkoff programs started as a way for farmers to pool their resources for research and promotion of their products.

But now, critics charge they're being used by corporate lobbyists to consolidate wealth and power into ever fewer hands.

In New Mexico, cattle rancher Cash Carruth is one of many forced to pay into the checkoff program, which he said favors corporations that control the meat-packing industry.

"You have four main packers that pretty much dictate our pricing on our cattle," said Carruth. "So, what's actually happening in the cattle industry is, they've outsmarted us."

A diverse group of panelists will address the checkoff programs and others they see as systemic injustices in the farming industry at a meeting this Wednesday, March 6.

They'll also cover racial discrimination and high suicide rates among farmers. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Albuquerque's First Congregational United Church of Christ.

Event organizer and Assistant Executive Director of New Mexico & El Paso Interfaith Power and Light Clara Sims said she thinks the OFF Act would level the playing field.

She said farmers, ranchers and other producers need the restrictions included in the bill, because they've seen their checkoff dollars squandered or used against their interests.