American Agri-women meet with Canadian, Mexican farm women

By Marcie Williams, AAW president
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 3:38 PM MST

WASHINGTON, D.C.,- Anticipation was in the air as American Agri-Women (AAW) discussed issues with women from Canada and Mexico in their second annual International Summit at AAW’s 33rd annual convention in San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 5-9.

Brenda Lammens and Susan Fitzgerald, farm women from Ontario, Canada, and Ana Bella Blankenship, a rancher from Tampico, Mexico, Cheryl Day representing Illinois Agri-Women and Diana Westmoreland Pedrozo from California Women for Agriculture, joined the panel as well.

Discussions on NAFTA, immigration, child labor, the environment, water, and government regulations, were both enlightening and encouraging as the women realized how similar their concerns were. The women shared how each country was working to solve problems such as global warming and labor issues, and what each country thought about programs such as NAFTA. AAW members were able to ask questions of panelists and to also get acquainted with them during the convention.

Investigative reporter Tim Findley was the American Agri-Women (AAW) keynote speaker. Findley made a name for himself during the most liberal decade in the nation’s most liberal metropolis, San Francisco. Now Findley covers issues dear to America’s rural people as a mainstay writer for Range Magazine, fighting urban media bias with good independent journalism, and telling the stories of cattlemen, ranchers, and farmers.

A panel of experts also talked to the over 170 convention participants and guests from over 16 states around the U.S.

Climatologist Dr. Robert Balling showed the latest statistics on global climate change, pointing out that the world has only warmed 1 degree over the last century. He also pointed out that carbon is emitted by every living organism on the earth and is important to our survival, and that humans as a whole cannot affect the amount of carbon emitted.

Dan Byfield, president of American Land Foundation, demonstrated proof that the government is going forward with the Trans-Texas Corridor Superhighway, which will eventually connect Canada, the United States, and Mexico as the NAFTA Superhighway. He showed how by using “coordination,” property owners and local governments can stop this private property-eating project.

Tom Wright from Americans for Fair Taxation explained why we should support the FairTax proposal and left us wanting to know more about this national retail sales tax.

Finally, Mario Villarreal, Assistant Chief, McAllen Sector of the Border Patrol, described what is happening on the border. When asked if the fence is necessary, he explained that in some areas it is very important, to stop vehicles from running through the border with drugs and illegals, but in other stretches of the border, high tech solutions work better. Some areas need both.

For more information, contact Marcie Williams, President, president@americanagriwomen.org, or visit the web site at www.americanagriwomen.org.

American Agri-Women is the nation’s largest coalition of farm, ranch and agribusiness women, with 50 state, commodity, agribusiness affiliate organizations and collegiate chapters throughout the country. AAW is a volunteer organization, working to provide true information about agriculture to the public since 1974.

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