Letter to the Editor: E-I-E-I-O

Dear Editor,

Those that control our food supply wield an immense amount of power. Small family farms like the one I proudly grew up on, have been integral to the success of the United States all throughout our history, but now such farms are being gobbled up at a staggering pace. It is the who that is purchasing the land that should get our attention and be a cause for some alarm.

The farming industry in our great country is being systematically consolidated, and it should be pointed out that some of the new owners may not have our best interests at heart. Could our national security be at risk?

Recently a Chinese company, The Fefeng Group purchased around 200,000 acres of North Dakota farmland just 20 minutes from one of our most important Air Force bases. That's a lot of land!

It plans to build a corn-milling plant on its newly acquired 300 acres of land in Grand Forks, right down the road from the Grand Forks Air Force Base, which just happens to be where some of the nation's most sensitive drone technology is based. The Fufeng Group insists that there are no ulterior motives for this purchase.

But is it really wise to allow the Chinese to set up shop so close to a base that is being described as "the backbone of all US military communications across the globe"?

The move could give China unprecedented access to the goings-on at the Air Force base, which also has a space-networking center. Not sure what all happens at a space-networking center, but I would assume national security is critical there. Can we know with absolution that every person working at the Air Force base would never work with the Chinese and vise-versa?

Personally, I think that we are absolutely nuts to allow massive land purchasing like this to happen.

If the shoe was on the other foot, the Chinese would never even think of compromising their national security in such a manner! In no way can this benefit our nation.

Allowing the Chinese to gobble up big chunks of our best agricultural land is absolutely inexcusable. We can already thank them for the Coronavirus, so we would be fools to think that this could ever turn out well. Let your mind imagine all of the scenarios that could play out due to this land grab and it could cause you to lose a little sleep…again. We live in a world where these possibilities are no longer those of fiction but sad realities.

Nobody else should be allowed to purchase our farmland but us. Other countries have such laws, and we should too.

On another note, at just about the same time the Chinese were making their new purchase of farmland in North Dakota, an extremely well-known billionaire was making an even larger purchase in the same state.

Bill Gates' $13.5 million investment in 2,100 sprawling acres of North Dakota land has raised questions -- as the purchase coincided with a controversial Chinese company buying 370 acres of farmland just 40 miles away. Hmmm…

Why does Bill Gates just keep buying more farmland?

We have never received a satisfactory answer to that question. At this point, Bill Gates owns more acres of farmland in the U.S. than the Chinese do.

Something about Bill Gates stinks

Jill Struve

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JS August 8, 2022, 12:35 pm Jill B.
No kidding. Ted Turner bought lots of ground some time ago. I think he grows bison on the property.

Link to a Politico article https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/19/china-buying-us-farms-foreign-purchase-499893.
This backs up you data.
Way to go. This rush to buy ariable farm ground is likely to guarantee corn, soybeans, and finished goods to feed their people. They cannot produce enough. So why help them??? They are not only a commpetitor, but a resourceful enemy.

BK August 9, 2022, 6:29 am We should also be concerned about foreign countries acquiring mining companies and land in our nation. I’d actually prefer that no foreign governments own land.

TW August 10, 2022, 12:38 pm Jill…so you would also agree then that it is foolish to allow a foreign country, friend or foe, to put oil pipelines under our farm ground and above the largest aquifer in the Midwest?

Consolidation by large corporate farms and selling out to the Chinese is not a new thing. Btw…have you ever heard of Monsanto? Now there is a risk to our food supply right there.

As for Bill Gates buying real estate that isn’t a new thing either. That’s capitalism. I fail to see the connection in your comments. If you don’t like Bill Gates buying farm ground maybe you would support a wealth tax for the Uber wealthy? Or doing away with farm subsidies for large corporate farms to give the small farmer a fighting chance?

GS August 10, 2022, 1:46 pm Very interesting review of land ownership concerns. Perhaps it would be helpful to consider that land is a basic component of any balanced strategy for investment planning. In fact, almost all investment management entities (unless prohibited in its investment governance) invests at least some of its assets in land ownership. Interestingly, TIA-CREF the largest investment firm associated with teacher/educator retirement and investment plans is one of the largest holders of land as part of their investment portfolio. My Dad was a teacher in Vinton for decades; IPERS, which managed his retirement, invests 8% of its assets in Private Real Assets which includes timberland and farmland in North America. By comparison, Bill Gates' firm likely invests much less than 8% of his wealth in land -- I mean the dude is crazy rich! If that bothers you, throw all your computing devices in the Cedar and never use software again. So in reality, the monster under your bed isn't Bill Gates, it's you, me, teachers, folks who work the line for GM and John Deere. Our retirements and investments are more heavily loaded to land ownership. If you want to worry about land purchases take the advice of the reader who points out that China is encroaching on military installations. That's a real problem!

JS August 10, 2022, 7:35 pm Too many commenters missed the point. China is buying our ground to guarantee to some point feedstuffs and foods to their people. They can not produce enough food to feed their people. They must guarantee foodstuffs to retain their Communist Party power. They have gone into countries in Africa loaning big dough and when they default they get the ownership. Pretty slick if you ask me, but what do I know; I'm just an Iowa farm boy.

IK August 11, 2022, 2:45 pm Very well said Jill!

Opinion : Letter to the Editor: E-I-E-I-O

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