Happy December and Happy Holidays! I hope things are slowing down enough for everyone to enjoy their families and loved ones for this month which is otherwise quit gray weather wise. Feathers, caps n’hats, wine and cocktails, mistletoe, good food and company, some occasional tripping over baby toys and cleaning up some baby hurl all constitute my version of a rain dance. Now that I’ve given you a window into my life, I would be thrilled to hear about all of your own versions of a rain dance. More dancing can’t hurt.
Your local Farm Bureau continues to work hard for all of you, gearing up for the New Year with a wave of top quality safety trainings. We are working to be a one-stop shop for all your safety and compliance needs, including providing worker haz mat training, field worker pesticide training and handling, CPR and First Aid, and many more. Check out our website for more information or if you’d like to sponsor any of these trainings –we’re always looking for sponsors!
In our fight against the High Speed Rail last month, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Frawley ruled against our request for a Preliminary Injunction, which would have stopped all construction activities for the time being until our CEQA case can be heard in April. Losing this injunction has no bearing on the strength of our CEQA case –it merely allows the High Speed Rail Authority to continue their illegal marauding across our land and private property as they search for ways to implement the project ahead of schedule and ahead of what will likely blow their analysis out of the water. It’s imperative for Farm Bureau members to contact our office if you have received property access letters or other mail from the Authority indicating they have the right to survey or be on your property –THEY DO NOT HAVE THIS RIGHT. We’ve been highly successful in stopping their efforts on specific properties when we know about it. The Madera County Farm Bureau Board has authorized me to work with a prominent imminent domain attorney in efforts to stave off this assault on our private property. Looking to the future as reality sets in on the possible dawn of this project, the condemnation battle that Maderans will have to endure will be unprecedented and will constitute the largest State land grab at one time in California’s history for a public works project. The Railroads that have come before the High Speed Rail don’t even come close to what this project proposes to do. We have the resources and the answers to help you, so please give us a call.
The future of farming is mixture of perseverance in the face of extreme adversity. Unfortunately what I’ve discovered working under the guidance of my esteemed Board, is that advocacy doesn’t always equal winning. But I’d rather lose fighting rather than not fighting at all.
Anja K. Raudabaugh
Executive Director
