Free Republic

A pair of state representatives are calling for an investigation into the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) for misuse of power against a local farm opposed to the Gotion battery plant. MDARD is investigating Majestic Friesians Horse Farm in Green Charter Township in Mecosta County. The investigation comes nearly two weeks after the owner of the farm, Lori Brock, hosted a rally against the proposed battery plant. “I feel like we’re being harassed,” Brock exclaims. “They are trying to shut me up. They’re trying to scare me and I’m not going to put up with it.” The rally...

Stung by Madoff, hedge fund manager may sell farm Wed Feb 11, 2009 3:25pm EST By Scott Malone BOSTON, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Many gamblers have been forced to sell financial assets to cover bets on horses, but it is less common for a lover of thoroughbreds to sell a farm because of bad bets on investments. But that may be what is happening to the co-founder of hedge fund firm Fairfield Greenwich Group, which lost more than half of its assets in Bernard Madoff's alleged $50 billion fraud. Hedge fund manager Jeffrey Tucker's horse farms near the 146-year-old Saratoga...