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On a late March afternoon, several buses brought hundreds of people to the home of Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman. Veneman had refused to attend or send a representative to the NPA toxics workshop that weekend. NPA leaders decided that she could not ignore them any longer.

This action was unlike any other at the 2001 NPA conference because the target wanted on several wide-ranging issues. Hog farmers went after Veneman because of a deal made by the Department of Agriculture and the National Pork Producers Council to keep the pork tax alive after farmers voted to end the tax. Food stamp leaders wanted to remind Veneman that they won't back down on much needed reforms to the Food Stamp program.

Leaders from urban areas joined the farmers in the fight against the department's support of big corporations at the expense of low-income families and family-owned farms.

When the hundreds of demonstrators arrived, Alexandria police and the Secret Service were stationed outside Veneman's home.

They informed NPA leaders that Veneman was not home. NPA, in response, held a public meeting outside her house. Farmers and food stamp leaders took turns giving testimony and voicing their support of each other's issues. Meanwhile, much of the crowd waved little rubber snakes in the air, illustrating their anger at Veneman for "slithering" around the issues. After hearing the stories, some of Veneman's neighbors joined the group and helped flyer their own neighborhood.

The next morning, 150 NPA troops caught the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) off guard when they made a surprise visit to its office to demand CEO Al Tank put an end to the mandatory pork check off.

Farmers and other NPA leaders voiced their frustration with the NPPC's promotion of factory farms and its relationship with the Department of Agriculture. After 45 minutes of chanting and testimony, NPA leaders left their "calling card" - Stop the Pork Tax stickers in the shape of stop signs as well as flyers depicting Al Tank.

The NPPC won't forget that visit any time soon. In fact, they have been trying to obtain a restraining order for some NPA groups since that Monday.

This year's conference gave NPA leaders the opportunity to visit the two institutions responsible for stealing independent hog farmers' victory and their votes.