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To: lawsone; Tennessee Nana; Godzilla; Elsie
Wherever you are, go visit a Bishops storehouse. You will find fresh produce...

Do you realize that Lds own 1% of ag land in the state of Florida? Do you realize that they keep up a good chunk of it w/"volunteers" who earn nothing? -- in fact, they are less than slave labor because these retired couples have to pay their way to "serve" the farms there. Do you realize then that they are able to operate like a commercial enterprise w/little labor overhead @ non-profit tax rates?

Hey, that's OK. Jim Jones did the same thing first in Northern CA & then in Guyana.

Then there's the other problems the LDS church creates w/their commercial produce enterprise -- like this article from Jan '08 re: Idaho (& states it did the same thing in Washington state):

Source: http://www.agweekly.com/articles/2008/01/29/news/ag_news/new s55.txt

Headline: Farmers face off with LDS Church
By Carol Ryan Dumas, Ag Weekly editor January 18, 2008

BURLEY, Idaho — What riled up Cassia and Twin Falls county farmers and drew about 250 people to a meeting at the Pella Stake Jan. 9 might have been fueled by nothing more than rumor and conjecture, said an official from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

In question was what local farmers believe was the church’s intention of turning 10,000 to 12,000 acres it owns and leases to area farmers into a direct operation, wherein a church management team would handle production and local farmers would lose their leases.

Farmers here worried the church would mirror what it did in the Pascal, Wash., area, where its huge land holdings went from locally operated to church operated.

Heber Loughmiller, a Twin Falls County farmer and LDS Church member who raises three pivots of potatoes, among other crops, said the church was going to use the land to tie up a large amount of contracts with Lamb-Weston. That would put area farmers at a distinct disadvantage in negotiating contract prices because the church-operated farm could produce spuds cheaper.

“Three-hundred and fifty acres of potatoes is pretty key to us,” he said of his operation. “The LDS Church could come in and raise 40 pivots.”

In addition, farmers who lost leases would be competing with other farmers for ground, and area businesses and vendors would be out of the loop.

“The problem is they (the church) don’t buy anything local. The church doesn’t do that, they buy direct,” he said. “The only money locally would be salaries.”

Loughmiller said he sees quite a few farmers loosing their leases and contracts if the church changes to a direct operation.

“How would this be a gain for the community?” he asked.

“Their reply was they weren’t coming to where they’re not wanted. But they didn’t commit to more than one year. “We held ‘em off for a year,” he added, saying the same thing happened last year.

Loughmiller also contends the church intentionally planned the meeting at a time when many of the active local church leaders were away at conventions and the like.

Clark Hirschi, a manager in public affairs at LDS headquarters in Salt Lake City, said Loughmiller doesn’t have things quite right.

He said the church doesn’t operate that way, that it is upfront and candid.

“And that would imply we had something to be afraid of,” he added.

He said rumors that the church had already made a decision to go to direct management was why the meeting was held, and farmers’ attendance and comments didn’t affect any nonexistent pre-made decision.

“No decision has been made or had been made,” he said. “There is no decision, there was no decision and there is still no decision. Up until now there has been no intention to go to direct operated.”

Hirschi said the Washington operation and the fact that the church only gives one-year leases could have sparked the rumors, but that’s all they were.

Declo farmer Mark Darrington, however, is also concerned the church intended to take over management and does not see that as being in the best interest of his community.

“I am an active member of the Mormon Church, but facts is facts,” he said. “I did not want them to turn this into a big corporate farm because of the impact on the local community.”

For one, he said, “local vendors are bypassed. I think that puts a bad taste not just in non-members’ mouth but also in members’ mouth.”

He said the church’s Farm Management Corporation (renamed Farmland Reserve Inc.) is “well run, well managed, and well capitalized and has to take advantage of all opportunities. But sometimes taking advantage of all opportunities steps on some toes.”

Those toes would be area farmers and businesses.

He said the church setting up a large entity and garnering large potato contracts would have an adverse effect on growers’ ability to negotiate a good price. Growers would be competing with a “thing” not other growers. And the church keeps its negotiations confidential, where growers are more likely to collude on prices.

“The church tends to not cooperate with growers,” he said.

“They (church) have a history of making very large contracts,” he said. “It makes it very difficult on the rest of the folks trying to bargain a contract.”

“You don’t like to compete against your own government, and you don’t like to compete against your own church,” he added.

Darrington said he also worries about access to services if the church doesn’t deal locally and puts those service suppliers out of business.

“We don’t benefit from someone like that. I’d like to keep a healthy economy, local businesses,” he said.

Darrington said the church has huge holdings south of Burley, and the issue could have a huge impact on the local community.

“I don’t mean to be disparaging,” he said. “I just don’t agree that’s the best way to manage that land for a healthy community.”

Hirschi said he couldn’t address the local vendor issue. The church does own its own storage and processing facilities and, logically, the church would run its operation as economically as possible. But, he said, there are two tenets on which the church establishes a direct operation: It must be in the best interest of the community, and it must be welcomed by the community.

Clearly, neither is the case here, judging from local response.

I like the graph about how Farm Management Corporation (renamed Farmland Reserve Inc.) is “well run, well managed, and well capitalized and has to take advantage of all opportunities" coupled with the competitive advantages the Lds church holds. I mean, if they're bringing in virtual slave labor, of course they're "taking advantage of all [competitive] opportunities!"

1,012 posted on 11/11/2009 3:27:21 PM PST by Colofornian (If you're not going to drink the coffee, at least wake up and smell it!)
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To: Colofornian

Do you realize that Lds own 1% of ag land in the state of Florida? Do you realize that they keep up a good chunk of it w/”volunteers” who earn nothing? — in fact, they are less than slave labor because these retired couples have to pay their way to “serve” the farms there. Do you realize then that they are able to operate like a commercial enterprise w/little labor overhead @ non-profit tax rates?
_____________________________________________

Mormonism equals slavery...

What selfish greedy criminals those LDS profits are...

Just in it for the money...

They dont even pay their preachers and teachers like we are told to do in the Bible...

But then the Christian Bible is of no concern of the mormons...

For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? 1 Corinthians 9:9

For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer [is] worthy of his reward. 1 Titus 5:18


1,013 posted on 11/11/2009 4:24:14 PM PST by Tennessee Nana
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To: Colofornian

If you do a search re: LDS farming in Pascal, Wash. You will come up empty, the article you showed is just another media attempt to stir up trouble. Nothing came of it. My father in law has a potatoe farm in Blackfoot, Idaho. He has no knowledge of either problem. The Church does not attempt to bankrupt anybody.
The Church uses volunter labor everywhere and we consider it a privilege. This enables us to put the money to use in the Humanitarian, welfare, education,building, and other programs to help the needy. The Tabernacle Choir is all volunteer, except the director, and has a constant waiting list to join. Choir members love it and consider it a great blessing in their lives. Because of this, The Church has no debt. In the late 1880’s the U.S. government siezed all church property (unconstitutional) and bankrupt the whole organization. The volunteering started early on when money was scarce.


1,020 posted on 11/11/2009 7:20:07 PM PST by lawsone (Mormons)
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To: Colofornian

If you do a search re: LDS farming in Pascal, Wash. You will come up empty, the article you showed is just another media attempt to stir up trouble. Nothing came of it. My father in law has a potatoe farm in Blackfoot, Idaho. He has no knowledge of either problem. The Church does not attempt to bankrupt anybody.
The Church uses volunter labor everywhere and we consider it a privilege. This enables us to put the money to use in the Humanitarian, welfare, education,building, and other programs to help the needy. The Tabernacle Choir is all volunteer, except the director, and has a constant waiting list to join. Choir members love it and consider it a great blessing in their lives. Because of this, The Church has no debt. In the late 1880’s the U.S. government siezed all church property (unconstitutional) and bankrupt the whole organization. The volunteering started early on when money was scarce.


1,021 posted on 11/11/2009 7:21:28 PM PST by lawsone (Mormons)
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To: Colofornian

If you do a search re: LDS farming in Pascal, Wash. You will come up empty, the article you showed is just another media attempt to stir up trouble. Nothing came of it. My father in law has a potatoe farm in Blackfoot, Idaho. He has no knowledge of either problem. The Church does not attempt to bankrupt anybody.
The Church uses volunter labor everywhere and we consider it a privilege. This enables us to put the money to use in the Humanitarian, welfare, education,building, and other programs to help the needy. The Tabernacle Choir is all volunteer, except the director, and has a constant waiting list to join. Choir members love it and consider it a great blessing in their lives. Because of this, The Church has no debt. In the late 1880’s the U.S. government siezed all church property (unconstitutional) and bankrupt the whole organization. The volunteering started early on when money was scarce.


1,022 posted on 11/11/2009 7:21:36 PM PST by lawsone (Mormons)
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To: Colofornian

That would put area farmers at a distinct disadvantage in negotiating contract prices because the church-operated farm could produce spuds cheaper.
_____________________________________________

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Brigham Young would be proud...

BY was always looking for a way to make a fast easy buck...

He had expensive tastes...the biggest houses, the best booze, the best cigars, the best hats for his latest fancy piece, the best henchmen and murderers money could buy...

Anyway he could steal or cheat others without having to work for it his lazy conniving self..


1,042 posted on 11/11/2009 8:28:02 PM PST by Tennessee Nana
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To: Colofornian
“The LDS Church could come in and raise 40 pivots.”

No, that is NOT perverts spelled wrong.


1,045 posted on 11/12/2009 3:59:34 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Colofornian

Talking of the Morg and the money they take...err...make...

That mall is now costing the tithe-payers more than THREE BILLION DOLLARS...

There are some good comments in cerious newspapers etc...

“The Morg’s Financial Furture is not in God’s Hands — It’s in Nordstrom’s!”


1,055 posted on 11/12/2009 8:21:05 AM PST by Tennessee Nana
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