Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Shining the light on......Alaska Ag.


Robert Service said it best:

"There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,
But the queerest they ever did see..."

(From The Cremation of Sam Mcgee)


Indeed there are strange things done in the light of the midnight sun, especially when it comes to Alaska Ag.  And much of it out of public view, when it comes to the shenanigans surrounding MMM &S (Mt. McKinley Meat & Sausage)  Oh yes, many secret, stinky trails there, if one contrives to follow the bread crumbs.

A very wise person once said, and is often quoted: Follow the money.  In following the money, and the people with their hands on it, and those who wish to handle it, and those who want their part, some disturbing things are brought into the clear light of public scrutiny. But there persist the rumors, the whispers, the stories, oh my, my, my.......and then, friends...there are the facts.

Let's first visit the Division itself. Whatever it's origins, it has delivered little for its burden upon state coffers in recent years. How many reports and conclusions have those well paid scientists produced in the past decade?  Have any strides been made in discovering new varieties of crops that are proven to produce well here?   Does any one know, and if not, why not? What *is* grown in that huge greenhouse at the PMC? That also keeps a well paid state employee quietly puttering inside, producing....what, exactly?  The State does not know. The new Director does not know. The Division does not know. And certainly the residents do not know either.


There has been exactly *one* land sale in the past ten years. Yea, you read that correctly-one! Now this is a great gig if you can get it, because one guy has managed to stretch out one single event for an entire decade of state pay complete with state perks. Pretty sweet for that one man, but it shows no honest effort to the farmers that are supposedly served by the Division. Oversight is so lax there, it's speculated that a number of heads would roll if the Commish (That is, the DNR Commisioner or Governor Walker) paid a surprise visit out to the PMC and the Palmer offices. They could take a look at the size of their phone bills....and where those long distance charges originated, for example. And this time, do not take the Deputy Director's word on what the situation is....because he just parrots whatever the new Director relays. A forensic audit covering a decade would be an eye opening report, indeed it would.

And let's touch on Director Keyes, for a moment. Those that don't know, would be surprised to learn that a person who is computer illiterate (including email, btw) could snag a job that pays north of $120,000 a year. Being related to the BAC certainly pays off, because there were other, more qualified candidates overlooked in his favor. Yet another example of how rigged Alaska Ag is....so sadly true. (Due to this fact, all contact via electronic communications intended for the Director, gets a pre-read and approval by someone else. And you thought those communications were private, didn't you?)  Since there is no way to hold any of these people accountable, we certainly got very little for the State's dollar, all around.  But we did get easily manipulated folks, ones that won't make waves and one could take some small comfort in that.....right?

At this point, the Division could be axed and few would feel any lasting effects. The invasive plant program could be taken on by the Co-operative Extension Service, and the other, smaller efforts that somehow tie up a dozen people for a whole lot of money, could be (pardon the pun) farmed out to other offices, agencies, and organizations. If only the Commissioner or Governor would pay attention to this small segment of their respective duties, much of this could be righted, or eliminated in very short order.  In following the money, a person finds that some people have cadged out a niche on the state teat, and have managed to milk that for years. On our collective dime, mind you.


Going forward....tomorrow, December 1st, 2016 is the BAC meeting. According to a story in the Anchorage Daily News, there are at least two candidate companies planning on tendering responses to the RFP for MMM&S. That would be Mike's Quality Meats and a Co-op headed up by Scott Mugrage in the Delta area. No word on Denali Meat Company, or Inlet Processing, two of the previous players made public earlier this year. The Alaska Farm Bureau is behind the Co-Op idea, and is asking for public support already-before approval. A cursory check of business licenses shows Scott Mugrage as sole proprietor at this point. Likely, this is because the articles of incorporation, officers, assignation of shares and what not, is a lot more complicated for a formal co-op than can be thrown together quickly. The Farm Bureau has pledged $100,000 in support.  Mike's Quality Meats (of Rocket Ranch that does not exist fame) certainly has the wherewithal and experience to qualify on that end. It will depend on how the RFP was written, and whether or not the BAC took Sean Parnell's advice about allowing the plant as collateral for funding.

Now, the idea of a Co-Op is sure to be appealing to many, because the expectation is that the plant would remain open to all, with no preference shown any particular producer. If the plant instead, ends up completely in private hands (such as to Mike's Quality Meats or some other entity not known at this time) than the very real risk arises that scheduling "anomalies" will force some producers out of the market. And quite a market it is, indeed. MMM&S has stamped at least 867 hogs for Mike's, with high demand continuing for the foreseeable future.

This is just another chapter in the Never Ending Story of Alaska Ag.





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