The upcoming Farm Aid concert was being discussed when OCM President, Randy Stevenson, challenged Richard Oswald to write a song about the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance. USFRA is a massive allied marketing effort by big industrial food producers and processors and the groups that represent their interests, including hijacked groups like NCBA and NPPC, to convince consumers that they are just like us – family farmers and ranchers.
This affront to honesty is being financed with the mandatory checkoff dollars family farmers and ranchers are forced to pay. BIG FOOD (Robbers and Thieves) is not only destroying our family farm and food system, but are using our own money to do it!
Thanks to Richard for his wonderful writing talents!
Richard and others are working on the music to go along with the following lyrics:
Robbers and Thieves (c)By Richard Oswald
Robbers and thieves won’t let me be, they want all of it just the same
My land, my animals, my seeds–they even want my name
Land is getting awfully high, an acre is like treasure
But take away this poor dirt farm and my life will have no measure
Robbers and thieves won’t let me be, they want all of it just the same
My land, my animals, my seeds–they even want my name
It wasn’t always like this, we had a better way
But they stole my livestock markets and now I have no pay
Robbers and thieves won’t let me be, they want all of it just the same
My land, my animals, my seeds– they even want my name
They patented the plants we grew and charged us for the right
To plant them here on Gods green earth and grow them in His sight
Robbers and thieves won’t let me be, they want all of it just the same
My land, my animals, my seeds– they even want my name
They have this thing called copyright, and they want one on my label
Farmer and rancher is what I am, now they’ve put that on the table
Robbers and thieves won’t let me be, they want all of it just the same
My land, my animals, my seeds–they even want my name
I’ve tried my best to stand my ground, it’s no easy thing to do
But I’m no quitter no sirree, I’ll never say I’m through
Good Lord willing I’ll die here where my life has been so fine
And when they etch my grave stone, I just hope the name’s still mine
Robbers and thieves won’t let me be, they want all of it just the same
My land, my animals, my seeds– they even want my name
Copyright 2011 Organization for Competitive Markets, all rights reserved.
