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Farmers don’t want to take it anymore

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 31, 2008 at 5:32 am

From the Capital Ag Press:

The year: 1976. In the blockbuster movie “Network” the television anchor man played by Peter Finch encouraged people all over the country to go to their open windows and yell: “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore.”

The year: 2008. Several California farmers, most of them in the Central Valley, are lining up at their open windows and clearing their throats.

In the movie the fed-up and frustrated citizens were beset by over-regulation and government meddling in every aspect of their lives. For Central Valley farmers the issue is the same, most of it revolving around water or the lack of it.

A recent decision by the judiciary and by federal agencies has rankled many farmers even though those representing them have managed to put a happy face on it of farmer acceptance and resignation. That image has been accepted by the media, but more intense emotions are roiling beneath the surface.

A militant group called Families Protecting the Valley is dedicated to raising awareness of Central Valley issues as related to farming and external forces that compete for the water farmers traditionally have used for irrigating their crops.

Read more from the Capital Ag Press by clicking here.

October 31, 2008 · Filed Under Agriculture

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