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AAM announces 30th annual convention in Oklahoma City Jan. 9 to 11Larry Matlack, President of the American Agriculture Movement, has announced that the organization will hold its 30th annual convention in Oklahoma City Jan. 9 to 11. AAM will focus on the agricultural economy and renewable energy as a path to economic parity. "Over 30 years ago the American Agriculture Movement was born from a vision that foretold most of what has happened to farm and ranch families over the past three decades," explained Matlack. "As family farms and rural businesses were destroyed by the hundreds of thousands due to inadequate farm and trade policy, there were many of us that worked feverishly to stem the destructive tide and to bring parity to rural America." "Today there are many uncertainties for farm families. Just a year ago, with the prices received for many commodities at their highest percentage of parity in recent memory, it seemed that we had turned a corner for the best and we were mostly optimistic about the future--cautiously optimistic, but still optimistic," said Matlack. "But with today's economy failing on so many fronts--from the crash of Wall Street, the sub-prime mortgage meltdown and extreme volatility in the markets for energy and agricultural products--America's farm and ranch families are just as vulnerable as almost any other American family. AAM is committed to working with the new leadership in Washington, D.C. to help mitigate that volatility and continue our endeavor to reinstate party prices for the nation's farmers and ranchers." "AAM-inspired work has taken many forms and directions over the past 30 years and many of the ideas have borne fruit to help sustain the family farm system," explained Matlack. "But our tireless quest to put farmers into the business of producing local, renewable, clean energy is our most shining achievement. It was AAM that, in the 1970s, set up a fuel ethanol still on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to raise awareness of what we called gasohol in those days. Today's production agriculture sector is just beginning to reap the harvest of AAM's 30 years of leadership and initiative in the area of farm-raised renewable energy. AAM helped light this pathway to parity." "We defend with zeal our right to profit as we strive to bring America closer to energy independence," declared Matlack. "We will not be swayed by those who want us to believe farm families should be serfs to a cheap food system. We also identify the worn-out and misleading rhetoric concerning 'Food vs. Fuel' as simply a ploy by those who wish to make their profits off of the backs of farm families. American agriculture is up to the challenge to provide both food and fuel for our nation. Do not miss out on the opportunities and challenges in renewable energy from agriculture at this critical time for family farm agriculture." The American Agriculture Movement will hold its 30th annual convention on Jan. 9 to 11 at the Holiday Inn Airport located at 2101 Meridian in Oklahoma City. Hotel reservations may be made by calling 405-85-4000 or 888-465-4329. The convention will begin Jan. 9 at 8 a.m. AAM's regular business meeting will follow on Jan. 10 and a wrap-up session will be held Jan. 11 after AAM's church service. For more information contact Larry Matlack at 620-727-0333. 1/12/09 Date: 12/29/08
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