American Agriculture Movement Meets in Oklahoma City for 23rd Annual Convention

Farmers, ranchers and other interested people came together in Oklahoma City, OK for the 23rd Annual American Agriculture Movement Convention. This year’s convention was held at the Biltmore Hotel. The Convention was called to order by President Buddy Vance with Vice-President Wayne Allen offering the opening prayer. Arthur Chaney lead the group with the pledge of allegiance. Leo Hopper, Oklahoma AAM State President, gave the welcome.

Larry Mitchell, CEO of the American Corn Growers and Spokesperson for the Rural Alliance, brought the delegation up-to-date on the various legislative battles over the past year. Larry said that they were very busy throughout the past session of congress.

Robert Casper, President of Ethanol Products in Wichita, KS, spoke on the various ways his company gets involved with an alcohol plant to help them market their ethanol and other products. He said that none of the plants that he is involved with are having any trouble selling all their production at a profit.

Bob Wells, a farm bill specialist with the Missouri State Extension Service, spoke about all the various ways that any one farm could be signed up in the new farm program. He said that there were several state universities who also had web sites set up to help farmers through the maze of decisions a farmer must make to enroll in the new farm program.

Steve Anderson, a rancher from Alma, KS, spoke about the diminishing family farmer and rancher. He encouraged everyone to be more determined and never give up—that parity was still the only economic salvation of this country. Steve is the kind of speaker that could equal Baxter Black. He was very well accepted.

Gene Pflughoff, President of Business Development Inc. from Hutchinson, KS, spoke on the many projects that he has put together for farm families to help add value to the assets that they really don’t know they have. He gave a list of projects that he has helped get started such as pond leasing, petting zoos, horse boarding, soy-oil, deer leases, pumpkin patches, cattle shared ownership, wind farm and the list goes on and on. Gene has helped farmers in several states and has helped 724 businesses develop projects. Of that, 402 were agriculture related. Gene is a guy with all kinds of ideas. He helps put investors in contact with people who are in need of help developing their projects.

David Senter, Senter and Associates, spoke about how pleased he was to come to a convention where there was no fighting going on about policy issues. He said AAM set it’s goals in 1979 and that they have not changed. David said AAM was the only organization that even has parity still in their goals and policies. He said that he looks forward to working with the leadership in the next legislative session.

The Parity Fund members elected John Willis, Brownsville, TN as the new Parity Fund Chairman. At the business session, V.B. Morris, was re-elected National Secretary, Lynn Kirkpatrick was re-elected Vice-President of Marketing, Bruce Wetzel was re-elected Vice-President of Membership and Don Deichman was re-elected Vice-President of Political Action.

Buddy Vance encouraged everyone to write to the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. about keeping the tractor right where it is. Buddy said even if you have written before—write again! We had a report from one of the Matlack boys that the tractor was still where it belongs in the National Museum of American History.

This was an exceptional convention with a variety of very good speakers. Even with bad weather in some parts of the country, the Convention was very well attended and enjoyed by all.

Address to send letters to the Smithsonian:

Steve Ubar, Chairman
Division of the History of Technology
National Museum of American History
Room 500
14th and Constitution Ave. NW
Washington D.C. 20560

E-mail: lubars@nmah.si.edu

Telephone: 202-357-2371

Fax: 202-357-4256

Be sure to send a copy of your letters, etc. to your Senators and Representatives

Help keep it at the Smithsonian