Jack Thornborrow: President of the Idaho Rural Council, member of the Farm Urban Network (FUN) and IRC representative on the WORC Board of Directors. For as far back as the Thornborrow family can be traced the men have been farmers. Jack, too, CHOSE this profession. Feeding the families of the world seemed an honorable way to make a living. However, he arrived at this consideration only after planting those wild sowables through travel and other adventure. After attending Utah State University (Spanish Literature) he joined an Ag program with Peace Corps Ecuador (1969-71). Here he experienced hardworking people struggling to make a life for themselves and their families against the odds of poverty, unstable government, lack of education, etc. Ecuador and Peace Corps gave him lifelong friends, an eternally modified worldview, and a lust to see the planet. In short, he spent a total of 6 years "on the road" where he met the prerequisite wife. He and Darcy were married in Asia and Jack brought an unsuspecting novice to the farm 26 years ago. As Jack did, Darcy has learned to love the land and farming as a way of life. They run a cow-calf operation and raise corn, alfalfa, peas and grain crops. They have also raised two decent, responsible people, Seth 23 and Jenah 19. Jack has served on the Twin Falls County Planning and Zoning Commission for 6 years. In 1994, Jack and Darcy helped develop the 1st chapter of IRC, the Farm Urban Network. Jack has served as a Board Member of IRC for 4 years and is currently President. Jack believes the future of the American farmer is in severe jeopardy and that factory farming, country of origin labeling, excessive chemical use, and more, threaten the survivability of the family farm. The following quote defines Jack's views, "I am honored to work with IRC and WORC to promote & educate regarding issues which lie at the core of not only the way I earn a living--but my belief that the sustainability of farming is linked to the sustainability of our nation."

Richard (Dick) Parrott Vice President of the Idaho Rural Council and Board Member from the CLOVER Chapter Richard Parrott was born in 1942 on the same farm that he now owns in southern Twin Falls County. He has been a lifelong farmer except for a 3-year hitch in the Navy (which included the Cuban Missile Crisis). He has three children, Eric, Jill, Anna, all of whom live in homes on the Parrott Farm. Eric works full time on their family farm and Dick's two son-in-laws work during their summer break from teaching. The Parrotts farm 550 acres of irrigated cropland and 2000 acres of dry pasture and have used totally organic agricultural practices since 1992. They raise dry beans, beef, wheat, squash, forages, and occasional experimental crops (safflower,buckwheat, etc,...). Dick's wife Norma works at a jewelry management office and in her spare time plans, plants, weeds, and harvests a 1-acre organic garden. The Parrot family farm began in 1913 when several brothers moved from Kansas to the desert of Idaho. Dick's father, Elmer, was active as a director in the local Canal Company and worked on several Salmon Tract irrigation projects. Dick was active in the community and county Farm Bureau, until the 80's when it became apparent Farm Bureau does not stand up for farmers over it's own self interests. He also worked with livestock reporter Eddie Collins in a national beef promotion effort and learned about media influence. In 1985, Dick and Norma attended a Holistic Resource Management 5-day course. It changed the way they think about management, people and the group process. He was present at the founding of the Idaho Rural Council when it's by-laws were presented. During his tenure in IRC he has helped organize chapters and worked with the Farmers Hotline. The Hotline is a service offered to farmers and ranchers in financial crisis. Through the Hotline, Dick attempts to help farmers gain critical information that can save or restructure a family farm to stay in business. Dick has helped IRC make contacts with the local media (radio, newspaper, TV) and has attended countless Sustainable Ag. conventions and workshops. He was Sustainable Ag chairman for the National Family Farm Coalition and on the National Sustainable Ag committee to organize for the 1995 farm bill. He enjoys the fleet of friends he's made in the Sustainable Ag movement. Dick is currently working with Kay Holmes, and IRC members in the Boise area, to help start an Ada County/Canyon County Chapter of the Idaho Rural Council. He is also the alternate IRC Board representative on the Western Organization of Resource Council's board of directors. . He believes in the importance of communication and donates over 10 hours a week to IRC Board discussions and community organizing.

Don Cogger Secretary of the Idaho Rural Council and Board member from the LAWS chapter (Land, Air and Water Society) Don Cogger is a retired commercial pilot and business owner. He resides in Gooding County two miles east of the town of Wendell ,Idaho. He became involved in the Confined Animal Feeding issue when he saw how CAFOS were taking over the small family farms in our area. He has serious concerns about the negative impacts of these operations and degradation of the social/economic environment as well as water and air quality and most of all the quality of life for the residents of our area. He has been actively involved in the CAFO issue since 1995, serving on two Ad Hoc committees and several planning and zoning work sessions formulating a CAFO ordinance for Gooding County. His main concern is the negative impact the huge dairies are having on local property rights. Those concerns elevated tremendously when a 10,000-cow dairy was built just over a half mile from the subdivision where he lives. As he watched the quality of life of his neighbors decline due the unbearable odors , flies and dust created by this factory dairy, Don decided to take a more active roll in county government. He is currently running for County Commissioner of Gooding County and hopes to develop a better approach to regulating the uncontrolled growth of the dairy industry in our area. Don joined the Idaho Rural Council to communicate and network with others who shared his concerns about the fate of the family farm, the importance of Sustainable Agriculture and the protection of private property rights. He serves as the Chair of the IRC CAFO committee and donates approximately 20 hours a week to IRC by doing research on the impact of confined animal feeding operations, and to the development of the CAFO committee and the CAFO campaign. He has created a tremendous resource file concerning this issue and readily shares it with IRC members and others affected by large dairies.

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