The Farm Bureau is well known around the United States for fighting the creation of additional animal abuse laws. For the longest time we knew someone else was behind these legislators, making them fight us so hard, but who was it? That’s what we couldn’t figure out, until we discovered that the Farm Bureau has a huge presence in Clinton County.
Mark Henry, Calvin Castine, Francis Peryea, and Rob Timmons have gone to such extreme lengths to ensure we do not pass this law. You get to the point where you ask yourself, why are they fighting us so hard? Together these four have quite the laundry list of accomplishments. They have done all they can and more to stop a Dog Tethering Law from passing here in Clinton County.
These legislators have refused to provide the town survey results, lied about those results, ignored the large community of supporters who support our law, ignored their own towns and constituents, changed policies within the Legislative Rules of Order, told us there would be a vote time and time again, and then we would show up and there was no vote taken. They have just failed to do any research whatsoever and admitted they haven’t even bothered to read our law– a law that took us months to draft and get past the county attorney!
Mark Henry re-organized the Public Safety Committee to ensure the Republicans have the say on what passes, banned the entire county from speaking on our topic, denied us a pubic hearing twice, and broke the State’s Open Meeting law three times. You name it, we have been through it since February of 2024. Every time we feel like we are getting somewhere, they throw another zinger at us. We have seen the most incredible explosions by these legislators if things don’t go their way, or we don’t go away.
Lately some legislators are trying to have us removed from parades, to ensure we don’t have a voice even at the town level! Their actions have been incredible, just one game after another. There seems to be no limit to what they will do to ensure we do not pass this simple common sense Dog Tethering Law.
The Farm Bureau is known for its “slippery slope” concept, which is the idea that if we are allowed to put in place additional domesticated animal abuse laws, it will lead to more laws and further restrictions on farmers and their livestock in the future.
One evening I was on the phone with a town supervisor and he slipped up. He asked me, “do you know how the Farm Bureau feels about this law?” It was the hint that I needed to in order to start digging.
According to the Clinton County NY Farm Bureau’s website, the Farm Bureau’s local Clinton County chapter meets once a month out of the Beekmantown Town Hall. Sam Dyer who is the Beekmantown Town Supervisor is on the Farm Bureau Board. (This newspaper clipping was taken directly from the Press Republican.)
Sam Dyer has lobbied Legislator Dave Bezio HARD to ensure he does not vote for our Dog Tethering Law at the county legislature.
Once I received that hint about the Farm Bureau I began digging even further. The New York State Farm Bureau Policy Book explains their stance on many issues. It’s right there in black and white on the internet for anyone to read. I sincerely encourage everyone to take the time to educate themselves on what the Farm Bureau stands for.
Note: Many Farm Bureau members and local businesses may not realize what the Farm Bureau actually stands for. I encourage you to dig deeper and learn more about the Farm Bureau and its roll here in Clinton County and in New York State. I was shocked myself at what I discovered.
The New York State Farm Bureau Policy Book explains that “Agriculture is New York’s most important industry. The farm economy generated more than $5 billion in 2017.” (2024, Policy Book, pg i.) Farming is a huge industry in New York State, and the Farm Bureau will do what it takes to protect that industry. The Farm Bureau is a private organization that collects dues from its members, and in exchange the Farm Bureau protects farmers and their interests. They also help farmers find alternative uses for their land, once they can no longer farm.
According to the Farm Bureau Policy Book “Individuals have a moral responsibility to help preserve freedom for future generations by participating in public affairs and by helping to elect candidates who share their fundamental beliefs and principles.” (2024, Policy Book, pg iv.) Read between the lines here… if they elect candidates who share their beliefs, they can use these candidates to protect the Farm Bureau’s interests.
Unfortunately the Farm Bureau considers animals property and they believe that “Property rights are among the human rights essential to the preservation of individual freedom.” (2024, Policy Book, pg iv.) Dogs are just considered property like other animals, and nobody should tell the owners what they can and cannot do with them. I have been told this many times by many local die hard Republicans who appear to also be Farm Bureau members. When they are Farm Bureau members, they speak the Farm Bureau language and use Farm Bureau jargon. They quote the Farm Bureau Policy Book.
The Farm Bureau supports “funding for research at Cornell University’s Land Grant Colleges, Experiment Stations, Agritech Park, and Cooperative Extension Service, in order to accelerate the development of new “tools” for agricultural production and alternative farm products and uses.” (2024, Policy Book, pg 8, section 4.) What many may not realize, is that the Farm Bureau sponsors animal research, and Life Science programs at Cornell University, which has research facilities at the Miner Farm in Chazy New York. You can go to the Miner Farm website and it has details about Cornell University’s research center.
The Farm Bureau’s Policy Book explains that they “oppose legislation and regulations that would prohibit or unduly restrict the use of animals in research. (2024, Policy Book, pg 10, section 3.)
The Farm Bureau’s Policy Book explains that, “while we strongly favor animal welfare, we oppose the expenditure of public funds to promote the concept of animal rights.” (2024, Policy Book, pg 11, section 5)
If you read the Farm Bureau Policy Book, it reads like an an animal abuse guide. I encourage you to check it out.
This is the BIG one out of the Farm Bureau Policy Book……. the Farm Bureau recommends “that local governments not be granted the authority to make more stringent animal welfare/cruelty laws than existing state laws.” (2024, Policy Book, pg 11, section 11.)
Look at the advertisement/flyer to the left. The Clinton County Farm Bureau offered a seminar on January 31, 2024 on the “Hard Conversation” which explains that volunteers must work on behalf of the Farm Bureau. They seem to push their members pretty hard to do what the Farm Bureau wants them to.
On February 28, 2024, the local Clinton County Farm Bureau Chapter held a class on how to stop local legislation from passing. (Look at the bottom course on the flyer.) This class was held the same exact night I attended my first meeting at the county legislature. I had been making my rounds at the towns trying to gain their support, prior to attending my first legislature meeting. Coincidence?
Finally, among many other things, the Farm Bureau Policy Book explains that they “oppose the creation of a state or federal animal abuse registry.” (2024, Policy Book, pg 12, section 25.) We have been trying to create a county animal abuse registry for a while, and it shouldn’t come as any surprise that we are having a difficult time with this as well.
We attended a local Farm Bureau meeting in the Spring of 2025 one evening in Beekmantown, and we were told “they do not oppose our Dog Tethering Law”. However, their involvement couldn’t be more obvious. It’s one of those things where once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Look into the rolls our legislators play. Look at their backgrounds as farmers. Look at their Youtube channel and the people they interview. They all have farming backgrounds and direct involvement with the Farm Bureau and people within the Farm Bureau community. Look at town supervisors and the ones fighting us the most, look at their backgrounds. Again, farming is a 5 billion dollar industry that according to the Farm Bureau has to be protected. I will let you draw your own conclusions.
I also Googled the Farm Farm Bureau and found multiple articles from across the country where the Farm Bureau fought hard to stop animal cruelty laws. It’s what the Farm Bureau does. The Farm Bureau disguises itself as an organization that supports farmers, when in reality the Farm Bureau is a huge money making machine that strong arms anything that gets in their way.
Please draw your own conclusions and take a moment to read the Farm Bureau Policy Book.
https://www.wlbt.com/story/11771784/support-for-tougher-animal-cruelty-laws-from-insurance-company/
Clinton County New York Dog Tethering Law Campaign 