That s just the way it is. Kleckner, however, says Farm Bureau leaders have been talking about consolidation issues for years, and there have been heated debates on the issue in state and national meetings. The reality, he says, is Farm Bureau and some of the commodity organizations can t move until a majority of their members want to move. He and Whitaker agree larger organizations and those which are smaller and sometimes ahead of the curve have worked together on many ag issues. There are many areas where we agree and where we work together, Whitaker says.
Ethanol is one example.
Whitaker says virtually every ag group in Iowa was lobbying for changes in the state s laws regarding ethanol during the past two years. The votes were there in the Legislature to pass changes, he adds, but the leadership was determined not to bring the issue to a vote. Still, he says, farm groups large and small, conservative and liberal, have worked together on that issue, as well as on many others related to agriculture. Still, there are disagreements. Yet, there are areas where they agree, but only after some years.