Many of your LAND board attended the recent funeral of Charles Haider from Calio. Charles was on the LAND board for about two years before he retired due to a lingering illness. He always had an appropriate story to tell to keep the meetings jovial. A neighbor of Charles commented on how well respected he was in the community and no one had a negative report about him. Charles' generosity helped fund the LAND raffle last year.

What a contrast to Charley’s life are the snake oil salesman who claim to have the best interests of agriculture in mind with conservation easements. The June 15 Doane newsletter reported on a group from Montana testifying before the US Senate Finance committee on the benefits of conservation easements.

Chase Hibbard of the Montana Land Reliance reported that CARA, now titled "Rural Heritage Conservation Act," will help preserve family farms for future generations. This is about the fifth attempt I have seen in recent weeks to present the “benefits” of these easements through the agricultural media.

How can selling off all rights to improvement and change on our property help us compete, as these groups claim? History has taught us that perpetual USFWS easements causes division and mistrust between the landowner and government. Are these perpetual conservation easements going to be any better? I think not.

A veteran agricultural banker in North Dakota said he has never seen the sale of an easement has saved a family farm.

Until these groups prove they can help family farms turn a long term profit, their representatives are no more than snake oil salesmen with self serving interests at heart.

Thank you all for your generous support of the raffle this year and your efforts in member recruitment. The LAND board works hard to be worthy of your support.