Follow the Butterflies. Um, no, that’s not it. Follow the… paper trail? I’ve got it! Follow the money! If you really want to know what’s going on, follow the money.
In my last post I told you why I’m voting Yes for Missouri Constitutional Amendment 1. And before I continue I should probably tell you where the money comes from on the “Yes” side. Here ya go:
Missouri Farmers Care, Missouri Soybeans, Missouri Corn Growers, Missouri Farm Bureau, MFA Incorporated, Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, Missouri Pork Association, Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Columbia Chamber of Commerce, FCS Financial, Missouri Grocers Association, Missouri Veterinary Medical Association, Missouri Dairy Association, MFA Oil, Missouri Egg Council, Missouri Equine Council, HUNTE, Missouri Family Network, MoFed, Missouri Sheep Producers, Southwestern Association, United Producers Inc., Missouri Electric Cooperation, Missouri Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association, Mo Ag, The Poultry Federation, American Soybean Association, St.Louis Agribusiness Club, Missouri Levee and Drainage District Association, Missouri Association of Meat Producers, United All Breed Registry
Plus a whole host of private individuals I will not be typing out.
The Gerkes own a vineyard and winery and they will be voting Yes on Amendment 1!
Want to know who is supporting the “No” side? I like this graphic.
But HSUS? Aren’t they the Human Society of the United States? Don’t they help puppies or something?
According to their own financial report HSUS took in $169,900,291 in 2013. Again, according to their own report they helped118,328 animals. Sound odd yet?
This Future Farmer of America will be voting Yes (or at least her parents will!).
Almost 6 million went to “management and general,” and 25 million went to more fundraising. Just under 55 million went to advocacy and public policy! That’s one third of their budget, in case you forgot your calculator. And what are they advocating for?
The end of puppy mills, they say. The end of factory farming.
But if you follow the work they’ve done you’ll see it’s much more than that. They want to be rid of farming all together.
Don’t believe me? Then take it from the horse’s mouth. In a speech in 2006 the vice president of farm animal issues said “We don’t want any of these animals to be raised and killed… unfortunately we don’t have the luxury of waiting until we have the opportunity to get rid of the entire [animal agriculture] industry.”
The director of Animal Cruelty Policy (that thing they spend 55 million a year on) once said “My goal is the abolition of animal agriculture.”
HSUS isn’t a human society that takes care of abandoned kittens. Last year they sent about 1 million dollars to local animal shelters. Out of nearly 170 million. They are a lobbying organization with millions to spend– against farmers.
So that’s where the money leads you. And maybe, if you thought the wording was too open ended or the proposed amendment was too extreme, maybe you’ll understand where we as family farmers are coming from.
Maybe you’ll support us.
The Kelleys raise cattle on their family farm. They are voting Yes!
The Hursts are a muli-generational farm family whose grandkids love helping in the greenhouses. They are all voting Yes!
Help make sure this little guy can come back to 8 Story Farms someday, join his family in voting Yes!
The Gregorys are voting Yes on August 5th as well!
This little guy is already planning to come back to the Whitt family farm, so his parents will be voting Yes!
Daddy's Tractor 
Thanks for taking the time to explain. We drove through Missouri recently and I wondered what all the signs were about.