June 13, 2001

The Honorable Tom Harkin, Chair
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510

Dear Senator Harkin:

We are writing to express our profound opposition to the nomination of Thomas Dorr of Marcus, Iowa for undersecretary of agriculture for rural development. As groups dedicated to social, environmental and economic justice throughout rural America, we urge the Senate Agriculture Committee to oppose this nomination.

Our opposition to Thomas Dorr as undersecretary of agriculture for rural development is based on his most vocal stances: his corporate-oriented vision for U.S. agriculture, his resistance to sustainable agriculture, and his comments tying rural economic development to lack of ethnic and religious diversity.

Mr. Dorr told the New York Times in 1998 that his vision for the future of U.S. agriculture included 225,000-acre farm operations that were centrally managed. That would reduce rural America to one farm for every 350 square miles! This is why family farmers call him the poster boy for corporate agriculture.

Mr. Dorr has also repeatedly spoken out against USDA’s extension services promotion of sustainable farming practices. His most vehement attacks were leveled against the Leopold Center’s sustainable-agriculture programs that research alternatives to factory farms.

Additionally, in a recent article in the Des Moines Register, Dorr told economic development officials that lack of ethnic and religious diversity contributed to the success of prosperous rural counties.

The new undersecretary for rural development must support policies that ensure thriving and viable rural communities. Mr. Dorr’s vision of 225,000 acre farms, his opposition to sustainable agriculture programs, and his contention that economic prosperity can be attributed to lack of ethnic and religious diversity, are the worst possible answers to the economic, social and environmental problems facing rural America.

As Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee and a national leader on agricultural issues, we are asking you to exert your leadership to support America’s family farmers and rural communities and oppose Thomas Dorr’s nomination.

Sincerely,

Cc: Senate Agriculture Committee Members

Organizational signatories to letters opposing Tom Dorr’s nomination at USDA

1. ACCORD Agriculture
2. Alliance for Democracy (Baltimore, Maryland Chapter)
3. Alliance for Democracy (St. Louis, Missouri Chapter)
4. Alliance for Sustainable Communities
5. American Agriculture Movement, Inc.
6. American Coalition for Ethanol
7. American Federation of Government Employees Local 3354 (Missouri)
8. Americans for Democratic Action
9. Americans for Safe Food
10. American Lands Alliance
11. Amo Organics
12. Animal Protection of New Mexico
13. Arkansas River Coalition
14. B.E.A.R. (New Jersey)
15. Broward County Green Party
16. Butte Environmental Council
17. C.A.S.A.del Llano/Communidades Aprovechando Sostenimiento en Agricultura (Texas)
18. California Sustainable Agriculture Working Group
19. Cattlemen’s Legal Fund
20. Center for Food Safety
21. Center for Sustainable Systems
22. Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage (Maryland)
23. Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana
24. Citizens for a Future New Hampshire
25. Citizens for Humane and Wholesome Food (Illinois)
26. Citizens Who Care
27. Coalition of Concerned Citizens (Kansas)
28. Coalition to Preserve Family Farms (Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa)
29. Community Alliance With Family Farmers (California)
30. Community Farm Alliance (Kentucky)
31. Community Food Security Project
32. Community Nutrition Institute (Minnesota)
33. Community of Compassion
34. Concerned Citizens Coalition of Roane, Calhoun and Gilmer Counties
35. Concerned Citizens Committee of Southeast Ohio
36. Concerned Citizens of Central Ohio
37. Corporate Agribusiness Research Project
38. Cumberland Countians for Peace and Justice
39. Cure our River Environment
40. Dakota Resource Council (North Dakota)
41. Dakota Rural Action (South Dakota)
42. Dancing Rocks Permaculture Community
43. Dawson Resource Council (Montana)
44. Defenders of Wildlife
45. Delta Land Trust
46. Earth Action Network
47. Endangered Habitats League (California)
48. Family Farms for the Future
49. Farm Aid
50. The Farm Connection
51. Federation of Southern Cooperatives/ Land Assistance Fund
52. Fires of Hope
53. Florida Certified Organic Growers and Consumers, Inc.
54. Florida Coalition for Peace and Justice
55. Foundation for Global Community
56. Freedom Inc. (Missouri)
57. Georgia Citizens' Coalition on Hunger
58. Global Exchange
59. Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (New York)
60. Grass Roots Organizing (Missouri)
61. Greater Kansas City Fair Trade Coalition
62. Greater Kansas City Southern Christian Leadership Conference
63. Green Gold Hemp Trading Company
64. Green Living Now
65. Green Party of Pima County
66. Home Workers Organized for More Employment (Maine)
67. Hoosier Environmental Council
68. Idaho Rural Council
69. Illinois Humane PAC
70. Illinois Stewardship Alliance
71. Indiana Citizens Action Coalition
72. Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
73. Iowa Citizen Action Network
74. Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement
75. Iowa Family Farm Coalition
76. Iowa Immigrant Rights Project
77. Iowa Organic Consumer/Grower Union
78. Iowa State Greens
79. Jobs With Justice
80. Kansas Rural Center
81. Kettle Range Conservation Group
82. L.A. Coalition to End Hunger and Homelessness
83. Land Loss Prevention Project (North Carolina)
84. Land Stewardship Project (Minnesota)
85. Louisiana Interchurch Conference
86. Loy’s Station Neighborhood Alliance
87. Lumpkin Foundation
88. Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin
89. Marion County Water Watch
90. McCone Agricultural Protection Organization (Montana)
91. Mid Nebraska Pride
92. Minnesota Project
93. Missouri Coalition for Global Justice
94. Missouri Farmers Union
95. Missouri Rural Crisis Center
96. MoKan Alliance for Democracy
97. Morton County Citizens for Responsible Government
98. Mothers for Natural Law (Iowa)
99. Mt. Vernon Concerned Citizens
100. NAACP - Des Moines, Iowa Chapter
101. National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
102. National Catholic Rural Life Conference
103. National Contract Poultry Growers Association
104. National Family Farm Coalition
105. National Farm Action Campaign
106. National Farm Crisis Center (Oklahoma)
107. National Farmers' Organization
108. National People’s Action
109. Nebraska Farmers Union
110. The New England Small Farm Institute
111. New Hampshire Consumers Utility Cooperative
112. New Jersey Environmental Lobby
113. New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association
114. New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group
115. North American Farm Alliance
116. North Central Florida Green Party
117. North Star Neighbors
118. Northern Plains Resource Council (Montana)
119. Northern Plains Sustainable Ag Society (North Dakota)
120. OBED Watershed Association
121. Ohio Family Farms Coalition
122. Operation Spring Plant
123. Organic Consumers Association
124. Organic Farmers Research Foundation
125. Organic Independents (Minnesota)
126. Organic Trade Association (Maryland)
127. Peace and Justice Action Network (Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa)
128. People for Environmental Action and Children’s Health
129. Pesticide Action Network (California)
130. Powder River Basin Resource Council (Wyoming)
131. Promised Land Network
132. Protect Ferdinand’s Rural Heritage
133. Protect Organic Campaign
134. Public Citizen
135. Rainbow Push Coalition
136. Rural Advancement Fund (South Carolina)
137. Rural Advancement Foundation International - USA
138. Rural Coalition
139. Rural Vermont
140. Sacramento Activists for Democratic Trade
141. San Luis Obispo Grandmothers for Peace
142. Sand Mountain Concerned Citizens
143. Sioux City Catholic Rural Life (Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa)
144. Sisters of the Presentation (San Francisco, CA.)
145. Social Concerns Department of Minnesota Catholic Conference
146. Solidarity Committee of the Capital District/Jobs With Justice
147. Sonoma Valley Voice - California
148. Southern Organizing Committee for Economic and Social Justice
149. Southern Rural Development Initiative
150. Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (Arkansas)
151. Student Environmental Action Coalition (Southern Illinois University)
152. Sustainable Agriculture For Everyone (Indiana)
153. Sustainable Petaluma Network
154. Sustainable Sonoma County
155. Texas Organic Growers Association
156. United Church of Christ Network for Environmental and Economic Responsibility
157. United Farm Workers of America
158. United Poultry Concerns
159. Washington Tilth Producers
160. Western Organization of Resource Councils
161. Wisconsin Citizen Action

Published in In Motion Magazine, June 18, 2001

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