Just read the Reuter's article. What does the church to with the products from their farming ventures? Does it directly go to furnish the Church's welfare system? Or is any part of it sold on the open market for profit?

The church's so-called welfare farms and canneries also sell their products on the open market, for profit.

A number of years back, I did some volunteer work on one of those farms.


The guy over that farm told us that most of the crop would be shipped to the port of New Orleans, where it would be exported out to South America for sale.

Wow, if this true, more shame on the church. You'd think that it would be exported to central and south America to assist those children and families who live in very precarious circumstances. That's what I would expect a church lead by Jesus-Christ himself would do. "Satan", on the other hand, would love money more than the poor and the needy.

There is no 'if' about it.

The Church farming enterprises have to publish financial accounts in the UK which show produce us sold.

I think it is the biggest ranching operation in the US according to one article. We can be sure that poor Mormons aren't eating all that steak.

There have been reports on this board for a long time that most product is sold on the open market.

They are one of the biggest foreign landowners in England, and there just aren't that many poor Mormons there. Or rich.

LDS Inc does pay tax on their for profit operations, though I am sure they manage to tax-shelter a good chunk of it. For example, they do not pay income tax on money earned from leases, so they probably lease the land for the cattle operations to themselves, so that the land makes a ton of money, the cattle operation, not so much.

A month or two ago someone here posted a link to the Canadian tax filing from LDS Inc Canada, and most of their funds were not sent to the COB, but to BYU, because it received more favorable tax treatment by Canada if it was sent to a foreign educational institution.

I know my mother has a bunch of canned goods in the basement produced by Welfare Services. Since it is sold to church members as part of a church program, proceeds from food storage sales to members might well be tax-exempt.

I am very confident LDS Inc plays every trick like that that they can find. But, getting back to the original post, basically the ranches and farms are for-profit businesses, however it eventually gets pitched to the IRS.

can and do make donations to nonprofits and receive a tax deduction for doing it. Excess profits from the for profit businesses can be "donated" to the Mormon Church and the for profit business pays no taxes.

Actually, it is probably better that they sell most of that food rather then just give it away in third world countries. Well intentioned charities have killed many local economies, as farmers and marketers can earn a living, when their competitors are giving the same stuff away for free.

What we need is for charities to institute a buy local first rule. They will give out free aid, but they will buy as much of it locally as they can, before bringing in outside food and clothes.

"What does the church to with the products from their farming ventures? Does it directly go to furnish the Church's welfare system? Or is any part of it sold on the open market for profit?"

The "products" are sold. The corporations are "for profit".

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,595096557,00.html

"We're in business for profit, and of course the profits go to the church"

"John Hansen, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union, said deep-pocket out-of-state interests put smaller landowners — who need to borrow money to buy land — at a disadvantage."

"Smaller ranches are not able to make as much of a profit while paying off debt. That leads to some ranches being consolidated and ultimately the disappearance of rural communities, Hansen said."

They sell it for a profit. They have a huge advantage in that they have a built in volunteer labor force.


If you are growing something and don't have to pay the people who plant it, tend it, havest, process, ship it, and maintain the entire farm, other farmers can't compete with you.

Good point Mia. Add to this the fact that the farms were brought with donated money, they probably have no mortgage and have access to a pool of money in case they are in financial trouble.

Being major share holders in Burger King I would think they buy their own beef....would be a smart move.

Seriously? They're shareholders in Burger King??? Hahaha! That's f--king hilarious...especially considering that BK commercials and ads are riddled with innuendo that most TBMs would frown upon.

When mishies give the lessons about the Law of Tithing, they should mention that they could honor the payment of tithing by spending 10% of their income by feeding themselves...on Whoppers and Chicken Fries. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is.

Romney/Bain Capitol donated large chunks of Burger King stock to the lds, didn't they?

I used to love 'whoppers'...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/13/2012 07:57PM by mtgrizzly.

When you buy Smuckers products you're contributing to the profits of the Mormon church. Just thought you should know.

The jams and jellies? Is there a list of companies somewhere?

The church doesn't own smuckers (as fas as I know) but, they sell the berries they grow on the church farms to Smuckers. So, in a roundabout way, you support the church when you buy the product.

It’s interesting to me that their impulse to store away food and focus on preparedness is really driven by business and emergency preparedness paranoia. It’s the opposite of having faith and following Jesus, IMO.

What happened to:
Have faith and the Lord will provide
Give all that you have to the poor
Following Jesus who basically roamed around preaching depending on handouts from others

Maybe they think Jesus likes it when people are prepared. Maybe they think Jesus would let the ones who were not prepared die. Maybe they realize that it doesn’t work to think a god is going to bail you out during tough times. Maybe this really just evolved from a simple religous food kitchen idea and became a global business religious food kitchen on steroids.

It seems like the real message now is preparedness and prosperity which seems like it should be more of a business initiative than a religious one. Religion can overlap into everything.

When does a religion cross over the line from being a religion to being a mini-group government system? When it can! When a religion becomes an organization that manages food stores, living quarters, and even things like insurance, it makes me wonder why Jesus wasn’t smart enough to set up businesses that don’t require faith. :-)

If you buy nuts from Berberian Nut Company you are supporting a church owned company. They also use missionary couples as free labor at this enterprise.

I rented farmland from the Cult back in the 80's. They didn't have a clue about farming. My contacts were a lawyer and a building contractor. They made promises about improvements but most of it never happened. Plus they didn't like to play by the rules when it came to marketing the wheat I grew. After 6 years with 2 years of drought, I walked away. The next renter got the irrigation equipment I asked for and never got. Cheap bastards...