Farmers say co-ops work for feed, seed and health care

Source: CNN


WATERLOO, Wisconsin (CNN) -- On a dairy farm that Bob Topel likes to describe as "25 miles from anywhere," the term co-op is old hat.


"Co-ops have been around for well over 100 years in agriculture," Topel said while milking, feeding and other chores on his 660-acre farm.

"Here on our farm we buy everything -- from seed, fuel, fertilizer, feed -- everything we buy is pretty much through a cooperative." He sells his milk through a local cooperative, too.

And, for the past 10 months, Topel and his wife also get their health care through a cooperative, one he holds out as a model as Congress and the White House debate health care reform and specifically whether a robust, government-run health care option is necessary to provide competition with private insurers.

"My coverage is excellent," Topel said. He pays $1,300 a month - not cheap - but he says it is reasonable given his high blood pressure, his wife's high cholesterol and the premium benefits he selected, including coverage for any accidents or injuries that occur on the farm.

Besides, Topel says, when he sees such cooperatives working - there are a dozen health care cooperatives here in Wisconsin alone - it makes him all the more hesitant to think there is a need for a new government-run public option.

"To me, just looking at the way the government managed the clunker program, and managed FEMA and Katrina and all those things, I just don't want to turn my health care over to a government agency and try to fit my round peg into a square hole," Topel said.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/04/sotu.wisconsin.coop/index.html

Enjoy spending your $1,300 month, chum.

The current proposals in the house are for subsidies for people making 400% of the poverty level. Senate Finance wants to lower that to people making 300% of poverty level. That means a couple making $34,000 a year would not qualify. A $1300 per month premium for a couple making $34,000 a year. How's that sound to you?

with pre-existing conditions and "premium coverage", not that bad actually.

Only in BizarroLand. For sane people (i.e. those outside the USA) it's ridiculous.

at that point.

help others.

If he thinks $1300 a month is reasonable 'given' the relatively minor issues he and his wife have, he must be doing pretty well.

I suspect those government subsidies for farmers help his financial situation . . .

the price of feed doubles and the price of milk drops a couple of dollars a hundred weight?

and enrich the community where Mr. Topel and lives.

Unfortunately- he's far too stupid to see that, preferring instead to buy into CNN Fox "news" propaganda about "teh evil" government, while driving the nation further down the road to third world status.

Kinda sad, actually-

think he has room for me in his cooperative?

That is always a very interesting question. I think anyone should have to pay roughly 5% of their salary a year if you make over 30K.

I mean, I always go to a plumber when I have a foreign policy question. Doesn't everyone?

How progressive of you.

Lots of working people have turned to co-ops to do things the business"community" wouldn't offer at a fair price. The credit union I belong to started as an arm of the Glassmakers, Potters, and Molders Union, when those workers needed mortgages and other loans that the banks wouldn't offer.

Farm co-ops and Granges are important parts of the roots of the Progressive movement in this country. If you'd put down your sug self-righteousness and pick up a book, you'd know that.

Co-ops work great for some things. Health Care, not so much.

This piece is just a CNN 'hit job' in service to big pharma and the health insurance racket, both of which purchase a lot of advertising on CNN.

I don't know what your agenda is, but isn't it kind of obvious what this "story" is up to? Here's an example:

"To me, just looking at the way the government managed the clunker program, and managed FEMA and Katrina and all those things, I just don't want to turn my health care over to a government agency and try to fit my round peg into a square hole," Topel said.

So what are we to think after hearing such profundity? That this "Bob Topel," dairy farmer extraordinaire, is the go-to guy about health care policy? Want to guess which teabagger Bund this wacko belongs to?

It's easy to say the government should stay out of health care when he and his wife are relatively healthy. High blood pressure and cholesterol aren't exactly catastrophic or preexisting conditions.

for the same amount of care he gets.
Well actually that does also include unemployment insurance, accident insurance (also outside of work), and a bunch of other things.

At the moment that means 379€ / Month.

ok maybe not exactly the same health care, but add another 55€ / Month should bring me up to his standards.

so all in all i pay 434€ of my 2100 € per month. Sounds a lot but it really isnt.

Actually its a lot less then his 1300 USD / Month.

but yeah thats evil socialised insurance. Cant work. Wont work. Better to pay much more. Cause someone has to earn some money.

Do the poor also pay 18%?

"He pays $1,300 a month - not cheap - but he says it is reasonable given his high blood pressure, his wife's high cholesterol and the premium benefits he selected, including coverage for any accidents or injuries that occur on the farm."



Duh. You're going to need healthcare sometime in your life. The cost should be spread out over A) your lifetime (with no penalty for successfully lengthening said lifetime either), and B) the entire population of America.

Therefore it's reasonable. For him and anyone else who might find their fingers in a vise.

Problem solved.

Thank you and good night.

For that matter, $1,300 a month for health insurance is more than I could afford if I plan to keep a roof over our heads and food in our tummies. I'd say he's in a higher income class.

so I think it's rather unreasonable.

I want some of what this guy gets in subsidies.

treat it as if it was.

...which Baucus always holds up as the model for an alternative to a public option.

Group Health's service is quite good, but its premiums are no different from any private insurer. In other words, around $1,200/month for a family. A bit less than Topel pays, but not enough to count.

And remember -- in any health plan currently under consideration, you'd be legally required to purchase coverage, or pay a hefty fine for the "privilege" of doing without health care.

"I just don't want to turn my health care over to a government agency and try to fit my round peg into a square hole," Topel said.

:shrug:

It happens almost every time. Once the board is driven by the bottom line, the co-op becomes another for-profit corporation that neglects its members. There are many such examples of agricultural co-ops that took that route in Minnesota and the Dakotas.

have run up prices so badly that it would take a HUGE co-op to make the prices really reasonable for most people. If this were done 40 or 50 years ago, it would've been a good idea. It's too late now, imo.

But, in general, I like the idea of working people banding together to meet their needs like this. It's why I belong to a credit union, rather than going to a bank. And farm co-ops do serve important functions. The real opportunity for health co-ops has been missed, though, imo.

a transient population that relocates.

Can you actually imagine the horror of having to apply and re-apply for coverage from co-op to co-op to co-op? What a nightmare for all concerned.

Fuck you asshole.

Topel isn't one of the biggest corporate farmers, but make no mistake, he's no small family farmer either.

$1300/month would be completely out of reach for virtually every single small farmer I know. In my world this includes small breeders, organic producers, specialty or niche operators (like small scale wool or lambing operations), etc.

So yeah, the corporate farm/co-op method works for HIM but what about the rest of us?!

This is bullshit. Since most of you are NOT farmers, you don't even think to ask the question of whether this guy is already a corporatist. You just see the word "farmer" and envision loveable huckster in overalls looking over his small spread. No way. Not at 650 prime acres in the world's breadbasket of Wisconsin. He's sitting on prime farmland that produces at premium production/acre. I smell a corporate plant.

650 acres ain't all that impressive. And most of Wisconsin is NOT prime farmland. In fact, farmers in Wisconsin raise dairly cattle because their land is crap--hilly, rocky, poor soil. Real crap compared to their neighbors in Iowa and Illinois.

One of us knows about farms. And about Wisconsin. I don't think it's you.

A 650 acre dairy farm in Wisconsin is NOT a small family farm. I'd bet anything you want to put up for a bet, that farm is incorporated.

Small farmers cannot AFFORD $1300/month insurance premiums. From my recollection most small farmers net $1300/month profit total. And out of that they have to pay bills etc. There are stats available but you can look that up yourself. There's no way in hell a 650 acre dairy farm is small potatoes.

I'm not sure where you are getting your information but I speak directly from the heartland, from my small farm.

I think you are envisioning corn/soybean farms that are typically many thousands of acres. Very different than dairy operations.

I have a friend in Plainfield, IL. Jim Culver. Last generation of his kind to farm with draft horses. The remainder of his family farm now abuts the Plainfield High School that took 80 of his acres to build. A small farmer can manage about 80 acres themselves with drafts he always told me. That's why most family farms were/are 80 acres or less. His family got their first tractor in 1962 and bought another 160 acres cause they were going "mechanized". He and his dad were hard-pressed to farm 240 acres of a corn soybean operation with tractors. THAT'S a family sized corn/soybean operation. He keeps the drafters for sentiments sake. Anyone who drives on 119th St. in Plainfield has seen or knows Jim. He's a living legend, immortalized in the farm video at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago even.

I have an organic vegetable operation plus I raise, train, breed, compete and sell sport horses. My husband and I bust our ass to make our small farm go.

I'm very sorry to disagree with you mycritters. I like your posts but I stand by my assertion that a 650 acre Wisconsin dairy farm is a large corporate entity. And being able to afford a $1300/month health insurance premium proves my point.

Reasonable, my ass.