Simpson to Obama: Investigate Climategate

Simpson, Lewis use leadership roles on Appropriations Committee to call into question the Obama Administration’s actions on climate change, reliance on suspect data, and use of taxpayer funds

Washington, DC – Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson, in his role as Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, has written to President Obama expressing serious reservations about the way in which the White House and its agencies are using taxpayer funds to combat global climate change. Simpson was joined on the letter by Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) who is the Ranking Republican on the full House Appropriations Subcommittee.

“As you prepare to attend the U.N. climate change conference in Copenhagen, we caution you against pursuing environmental policies that will undermine job creation in our already fragile economy,” Simpson and Lewis wrote. “We are particularly concerned about efforts to address climate change that circumvent the legislative process, are not grounded unequivocally in sound science, and don’t reflect majority public opinion in the United States. Recent events suggest that this is precisely the course your Administration is pursuing with regard to greenhouse gas policy.”

Simpson and Lewis outlined their concern over the impact a number of Administration-backed initiatives will have on job creation and economic recovery while our nation’s businesses and workers are struggling. They specifically noted concern with the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent movement toward regulation of greenhouse gases without Congressional approval and the failure within the Administration to seriously investigate the actions of prominent climate change scientists to suppress or eliminate data and to manipulate the peer-review process.

“It is apparent that the EPA’s recent actions, as well as cap-and-trade legislation approved by the narrowest of margins in the House, may have been based upon false pretenses,” wrote Simpson and Lewis. “The very legitimacy of the information upon which these actions were taken has been called into question. It is clear that the outcome of the House vote on the cap-and-trade proposal may well have been different had this information surfaced prior to the bill’s consideration.”

The Congressmen concluded by calling on the President to limit taxpayer expenditures on climate change research until a full investigation, by a credible unbiased entity, can be conducted.

“Therefore, we urge you in the strongest possible terms to re-direct funds necessary, using a portion of enacted fiscal year 2010 climate change funding, to determine the full extent to which illegitimate scientific evidence and research has been used to support recent legislative and regulatory actions (including the recently passed cap-and-trade legislation in the House and this week’s EPA endangerment finding),” wrote Simpson and Lewis. “In an attempt to set politics aside, we ask that a credible, independent entity conduct this review and report to the Congress and the American public within 90 days.”

Labor News

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Immigration Legislation on Hold

Washington--U.S. House Democrats introduced a bill that would overhaul the country’s immigration laws, although aides say the bill is on hold until the health-care debate is completed.

The legislation introduced by Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D., Ill.), the chairman of the House Immigration Caucus. The effort has the backing of two key groups within the House Democratic membership – the Hispanic and liberal-leaning Progressive caucuses.

It offers a path to legal residence for people currently living illegally in the U.S., and creates a new panel within the Department of Homeland Security to make recommendations about future inflows of immigrants, according to an aide to a member of the Progressive Caucus familiar with the legislation.


Illegal residents in the U.S. with no criminal records would be able to pay a fine, start to pay taxes, take English and civic classes, and after six years be able to apply for a green card. It was unclear how large the fine would be, and whether the immigrants would be required to pay unpaid back taxes.

The bill would largely defer the issue of future inflows of immigrants to officials at the DHS, who will make an annual recommendation to Congress about how many new entrants will be allowed.
No new funds are made available to beef up border security, but the DHS secretary would be tasked with conducting a review and reporting to Congress about what further resources would be required, the aide said.

The bill takes steps to implement an Internet-based verification program for employers to ensure that prospective employees are legal, but stops short of making that program mandatory. Universal usage of the E-Verify program is the ultimate goal, the aide said, and Congress would be instructed to review its take-up by employers.

Just in from Washington

Senate Passes Health Care Overhaul Bill

Washington--The Senate voted in the wee hours this morning to overhaul the nation's health
care system, by passing a bill to guarantee health insurance for
Americans that President Obama hopes will rein in health costs.

The vote came on the 25th straight day of debate on healthcare legislation and brings Democrats a step closer to a goal they have pursued for decades. It clears the way for negotiations
with the House, which passed a broadly similar bill last month by a vote of 220 to 215.

Holiday Travel

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AAA Projects an Increase in Holiday Travel

Boise--AAA is projecting 87.7 million Americans will be traveling 50 miles or more away from home during the year-end holidays. This is a 3.8 percent increase from the 84.5 million Americans who traveled during the Christmas rush last year,which is the greatest projected increase for any major holiday this year.

Last year, the total number of travelers during the holidays dropped 4.7 percent from 2007. In the Pacific region 14.9 million travelers are expected to travel during the holidays, an increase of 11.2 percent from last year. Changes in travel rates range from a low of -4.7 percent in the South Atlantic region to 15 percent in the West North Central region.

More Americans traveling during the winter holidays is another sign consumers are growing more confident in their personal financial situations, says Marie Dodds, Public Affairs Director for AAA Oregon/Idaho. With Christmas and New Year's Day both falling on Fridays this year, many people will take advantage of long weekends to travel."

"The travel industry as a whole is picking up from where it was a year ago, and we'll likely see travel rates continue to increase throughout 2010," says Doreen Loofburrow, AAA Oregon/Idaho Director of Travel.

"The moderate projected rise in the number of air travelers this holiday period is especially welcome since the airline industry was hit very hard by the global recession. Higher Gas Prices Won't Deter Holiday Travelers Travel by car is the predominant mode of travel during the holidays, with 77.7 million going by automobile compared to 74.4 million last year; an increase of 4.4 percent. That means about 88 percent of year-end vacationers will drive to their holiday destinations.

In the Pacific region, 13 million will go by car, an increase of 11.9 percent over last year. Gas prices are about a dollar a gallon more expensive than a year ago, but that's not keeping holiday travelers home. Pump prices are still well below $3 per gallon, which can be a tipping point for many consumers, and prices have been stable since mid-October, with the national average remaining between about $2.59 and $2.70 a gallon, and Oregon's average between $2.70 and $2.76.

The number of travelers by air is expected be 4.2 million compared to 4.1 million in 2008; an increase of 2.9 percent. That means five percent of all holiday travelers will go by air. The number of those traveling by other means, including, trains, watercraft, buses and multiple-modes of transportation, is expected to be 5.8 million compared to 6.0 million last year, a decline of 3.1 percent.

The largest average share of all spending will be on transportation and transportation-related charges. Approximately 11.6 percent of spending will go toward lodging. Dining will account for 17.6 percent of total holiday spending, while shopping will account for 18.6 percent.

Entertainment and recreation expenses will account for 13.1 percent of the average travel budget.In the Pacific Region, average spending is expected to be a bit higher than the national average at $1,135, mostly because of higher fuel costs in this area. Christmas and New Year travelers will average 791 miles roundtrip, which is slightly lower than the 815 mile average traveled over Thanksgiving.

Just in from Washington

USDA Announces New Dairy Economic Loss Assistance Payment Program

WASHINGTON-Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the implementation of the new Dairy Economic Loss Assistance Payment (DELAP) program. The 2010 Agricultural Appropriations Bill authorized $290 million for loss assistance payments to eligible dairy producers.

"Through this program, eligible dairy producers will receive economic assistance that will help stabilize their operations during these tough economic times," said Vilsack. "I have personally heard from hundreds of struggling dairy farmers from all across our country who have been hit hard by declining prices over the past year, and now, we'll be able to offer them help."

Milk prices declined substantially through early-to-mid-2009, with the national price for milk averaging $16.80 per hundredweight (cwt.) in the fourth quarter of 2008 and averaging $12.23 per cwt. in the first quarter of 2009, a 27-percent decline. On average, the price U.S. dairy producers received for milk marketed in the summer of 2009 was about half of what it cost them to produce milk.

"The dedicated employees of the Farm Service Agency deserve a great deal of credit for acting quickly to provide this critical assistance to America's dairy farmers," said Jim Miller, Under Secretary of USDA Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services.

Eligible producers will receive a one-time direct payment based on the amount of milk both produced and commercially marketed by their operation during the months of February through July 2009. Production information from these months will be used to estimate a full year's production for an operation to calculate the payments, using a 6-million pound per dairy operation limit.

Dairy producers who have production records at the USDA Farm Service Agency
(FSA) county office because they participated in another FSA dairy program do not need to apply for the program. FSA will use existing production records for February through July 2009 to calculate and issue their payments.

Producers who have not provided production data for those months to FSA, and have not already been contacted by FSA to provide such data, have 30 days, until Jan. 19, 2010, to apply. FSA officials estimate that more than 95 percent of eligible producers will receive benefits without having to fill out a new application.

A national per hundred weight payment rate will be determined by dividing the available funding of $290 million, less a reserve established by FSA, divided by the total pounds of eligible milk production approved for payment. Based on current information, FSA estimates that 875 million cwt. of milk production will be eligible for payment. The reserve will cover new applicants and appeals. The expected payment rate is approximately $0.32 per cwt.

To be eligible for DELAP, the dairy producer and the dairy operation in which the producer has a share:
· Must have produced milk in the United States and marketed milk commercially at any time from February through July 2009;
· Must have milk production data for those months; Must certify to all milk production produced and marketed by the dairy operation during that time.
· Also, any dairy producer who has an annual average adjusted gross nonfarm income of more than $500,000 for calendar years 2006 through 2008 is not eligible for DELAP.

For more information and eligibility requirements on the new DELAP program, please visit your local FSA county office or http://www.fsa.usda.gov/.

President's Editorial

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Animal Rights Groups Attempt to Block Mustang Management
Editoral by Frank Priestley, Idaho Farm Bureau President

Pocatello--Rangelands in several states are overcrowded with feral horses and the Bureau of Land Management is taking appropriate steps to move the animals to pastures and holding facilities in the Midwest.

The BLM plans to gather about 10,000 of the estimated 36,600 mustangs living on western rangelands and transport them to long-term holding corrals where they will be later offered for adoption. The BLM currently holds about as many horses in captivity as are living in the wild, which cost taxpayers nearly $30 million in 2009, about 70 percent of the total wild horse and burro program budget.

Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar told the Associated Press recently that the current program is not sustainable for the animals, the environment or the taxpayers.

Salazar is right. Free-roaming horse populations double every four to five years and they have no natural predators, according to the BLM. In addition, mustangs compete with native wildlife for food and water. However, in spite of overwhelming evidence supporting more aggressive management, the California-based animal rights group In Defense of Animals has filed a lawsuit in federal court to block the plan to gather and relocate the mustangs. The lawsuit is supported by Nevada Author Terry Farley, singers Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow, and actor Ed Harris. They claim using helicopters to gather horses creates undue stress, the roundups violate the Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act, passed by Congress in 1971, and if the BLM continues there will be no horses left to preserve.

These arguments are hogwash and the federal judge should give this lawsuit a quick dismissal. BLM’s wild horse experts estimate western ranges can sustain 26,000 mustangs. With populations that can double in four years, we have a hard time imagining a scenario that could wipe out the population.

With regard to using helicopters for gathering, it’s really the only effective method. Even expert riders on fast horses are not capable of capturing the numbers of mustangs needed for effective management. One of the goals of the program is to capture mustangs that are adoptable, which means animals less than four years old. It would take an army of exceptional horses and riders to gather 10,000 mustangs. Helicopters are much more efficient.

In our estimation the lawsuit hangs on whether the plaintiffs can convince the judge that gathering mustangs violates the Act. If the judge rules it does, the Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act should be modified to allow roundup and relocation. These animals must be managed in order to protect western rangelands and wildlife and to create a management scenario in which taxpayers’ dollars are managed efficiently.

Just in from Washington

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Minnick Co-sponsors Equipment Depreciation Bill

Washington—Idaho Congressman Walt Minnick co-sponsored legislation designed to help farmers cope with shrinking margins. The Agriculture Equipment Depreciation resolution extends legislation that amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow farm and ranch equipment to be depreciated over five years instead of seven years.

The provision better matches agriculture equipment depreciation period to actual equipment use patterns and financing terms.Farm Bureau supports H.R. 4186, legislation to continue the 5 year depreciation for farm business machinery and equipment for two additional years. Enacted as part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, this important tax provision is set to expire at the end of this year.

"This resolution is an attempt to give some additional tax credits to people who are investing in their business and it basically extends the five year accelerated depreciation for business machinery and equipment which was temporary program that was due to expire this year,” said Rep. Minnick.

Depreciation is treated as a non-cash business expense that lowers reported income and increases cash on hand. Ideally, the allowed number of years to depreciate a piece of business machinery or equipment should match the period of debt service so that the tax benefits can be used to finance payments.

“The thought process,” said Minnick “is that farmers that are making money, to an extent they can keep more of it in the form of a tax shield and that’s good in these tough times, it gives them a little more tax flow. If they are having trouble with their bank it gives them a little more leeway in terms of what their statement looks like, and their ability to service loans.”

Agriculture is an equipment-heavy industry with nearly $100 billion of stock in use during any given year. The share of farm assets attributable to machinery and farm-use motor vehicles makes up 7 percent of total assets owned by farmers and ranchers.

“If they are not making money, they still have to carry forward and carry back provisions so you can use the depreciation that way, so it is not a radical change but an acknowledgement that people in agriculture can continue to do what they need to do in terms of keeping their outfits up to date, and buying equipment that will allow them to be more efficient and to get the benefit of favorable tax treatment and hopefully get back to better times,” said Congressman Minnick.

USDA's Farm Service Agency surveys show that, on average, farmers and ranchers finance business equipment and machinery for five years. Aligning depreciation and debt service increases farm income by $800 million in a typical year, helps farmers and ranchers cover their debt service and facilitates the replacement of worn-out machinery.

The Bill passed the House and now goes to the Senate for final approval sometime in January.

Just in from Washington

Dairies to Address Greenhouse Gas

Washington--U.S. Secretary Tom Vilsack announced an agreement with U.S. Dairy officials to reduce the industry's greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020, mostly by convincing farmers to capture the methane from cow manure that otherwise would be released into the atmosphere.

Thomas Gallagher, the chief executive officer of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and Dairy Management Inc., which signed the agreement with the government, said the commitment shows that U.S. farmers are concerned with making their operations increasingly sustainable.

"This memorandum came about because of the commitment of U.S. dairy farmers and the dairy industry to a sustainable future," Gallagher said. "Sustainability goes hand-in-hand with our heritage of taking care of the land and natural resources while producing nutritious products that consumers want."

Just in Washington

Black Canyon Irrigation District

Simpson Opposes Efforts to Overregulate Agriculture

WASHINGTON, DC -- Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today joined his colleagues on the Congressional Western Caucus in sending a letter to House and Senate leadership opposing the Clean Water Restoration Act. This legislation would dramatically expand federal jurisdiction over agricultural uses of water and is strongly opposed by Idaho’s agriculture community.

The so-called Clean Water Restoration Act would remove the word “navigable” from the Clean Water Act’s definition of waters covered by the Act’s provisions, making virtually any water body in the United States potentially subject to EPA permitting and enforcement authorities. This would include water tanks, irrigation canals, ponds, drainage ditches, and even mud holes. Currently non-navigable waters are regulated by the States.

“I’m deeply concerned that this legislation would give the federal government such a broad reach that it would significantly restrict farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to make decisions about their own property and threaten Idaho’s control over state water rights,” said Simpson. “The Clean Water Restoration Act is a big government land grab, pure and simple, and it is being forced on the agriculture community by people who don’t know the first thing about crops or cows.”

Twenty-seven Senators and Members of Congress representing western states, including Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, joined Congressman Simpson in signing the letter. The letter opposes any legislative effort to expand federal Clean Water Act jurisdiction over water in the West.

“In the West, few things have been more important in our states’ history than water,” the letter reads. “In the areas we represent, where the frontier spirit of smaller government and individual liberty are still sacred traditions, there is overwhelming objection to this bill.”

S.787, the Clean Water Restoration Act, was marked up in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in June, and Idaho Senator Mike Crapo has placed a hold on Senate consideration of the bill. A House companion to the legislation has not yet been introduced.

Potato news

Growers Will Learn How to Put Sustainability into Practice
at Jan. 20-21 University of Idaho Potato Conference

Pocatello—“Putting Sustainability into Practice” is the theme of the University of Idaho’s 42nd Annual Potato Conference Jan. 20-21 in Pocatello. Participants will learn how to more efficiently use fertilizers, pesticides, water, fuel and other inputs.

John Keeling of the National Potato Council will describe the national forces driving potato producers to adopt sustainable practices, while Dave Ingersoll of J.R. Simplot Company will discuss consumers’ interest in improved product quality and nutritive value. A.J. Bussan, potato and vegetable production specialist at the University of Wisconsin, will describe future challenges in potato management systems; Paul Patterson, University of Idaho Extension economist, will examine the Idaho industry’s economic sustainability on both a farm and statewide basis; and Rich Novy, USDA Agricultural Research Service potato breeder, will address improving sustainability with new potato varieties.

Other conference topics will include organic potato production practices, manure management, production cost trends and forecasts, supply-demand balance, and evolving food-service products.

Participants will get research-based updates on managing diseases—including potato virus Y effects, symptoms and strain differences---as well as nutrient-disease interactions, insects, nematodes, weeds, planting, irrigation, harvest and storage. They will get briefings on the 2009 season and on field-burning requirements, learn how to enhance food safety, get tips on developing equitable crop leases, find out how to diagnose disease problems, and get advice on anticipating hail-damage outcomes. They will also learn how to use humic acid and post-harvest phosphorous acid, what crop insurance covers, which Natural Resources Conservation Service programs are available to them and how to implement the updated Good Agricultural Practices audit.

Spanish-language workshops will cover equipment maintenance and pest-management, including green peach aphids, powdery scab and University of Idaho Extension’s new Spanish-English field guide.

Slated for Idaho State University’s Pond Student Union Building, the 2010 University of Idaho Potato Conference is scheduled for 8 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, and 8:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21. In-state registration is $20 until Jan. 8 and $25 at the door. Out-of-state participants pay $75 until Jan. 8 and $90 at the door.

The conference is held in conjunction with the Eastern Idaho Ag Expo, which begins Jan. 19 in the Holt Arena.

YF&R Under New Leadership in 2010

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New YF&R Leaders Stress Leadership and Family

Malad-Last week the Austin and Maysi Tubbs of Malad were elected Idaho Farm Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher Leaders for 2010. The Tubbs are well known in the Malad Valley where they run a cow-calf and feed operation with their four sons.

Tell us about your Operation?

We live in the Malad Valley and ranch, and we farm a bit. Our main production is growing beef cattle, a cow calf operation. And we grow crops, hay and a little grain to put the animals through the winter and we wean the calves in the fall and sell some of them and some of them we maintain throughout the winter and sell in the spring.”

You’ve got a big spread here, how many head?

We run around 300-400 mother cows and we have about 400 acres of irrigated ground and a couple of thousand acres of dry land that we operate, a lot of it is in grass right now.”

How did you first become involved in Farm Bureau?

“My next door neighbor here was the county president of Farm Bureau at the time he asked if I would help him at the Farm Bureau Banquet cook meat and that’s how he got me into it, he got me involved then, we liked what were made a part of, enjoyed it and continued to be involved.”

Why Farm Bureau, and why did you become involved in YF&R?

“Coming from generation after generation of ranchers, its sad to see them disappear especially the youngsters, its nice to be involved with an organization that is striving to improve the lifestyle of farmers and ranchers. Farm Bureau cares about this lifestyle and wants to make sure there is a continued say in for generations to come.”

Maysi, your thoughts about your involvement in Farm Bureau?

“I think its really important that all the young farmers and ranchers get together and communicate with each other about the struggles we are having, and I tell Austin, I like to go to the convention each year because it gives you a boost so you can go through the next year, knowing that there are other people out there struggling and doing it, and we can do it we can raise family and it gives me a boost to go through the next year. Just to be able to associate with them and I’m amazed at what Farm Bureau does with legislation and everything it does in the legislature, everything they know, I was never aware of that until I joined Young Farmers & Ranchers, the voice we have.”

Is it a comfort to be in like-minded company?

“When you sit and visit with them and see how they do theirs, how we do ours and you see what differences, the things that you have that are the same and sometimes you take ideas that people have and try and put in your own operation a little bit.”

Austin, many farm kids never make it back to the farm after college, why did you come back?

“I know that when our first child was born, I knew only how to raise a child on a farm and that was the main pull of coming back, cause I wanted to teach my children how to work and the responsibility of that, I learned growing up and I hope that it can sustain itself so that our children and their children can continue to do things that we enjoy doing.”

In today’s world what is the appeal of an organization like YF&R?

“What’s so appealing about the Young Farmer & Ranchers is that they’re developing leaders, we need more leaders that are involved in Idaho Agriculture. If we want to continue to raise families and enjoy the lifestyle we enjoy we need YF&R to provide that opportunity. Leaders are not born, they’re molded, you spend a couple of years just attending things, maybe not getting too involved and pretty quick it sparks an interest to where you want to get involved more and then you want to become a leader, you start applying yourself within the organization on how to become a better leader. From there you get on the county chair and pretty quick some run in their district and state and that’s good to see, we need people that are willing to step up and be leaders.”

Maysi, is the traditional role of women on Farms and Ranches changing?

“I think every farm and ranch has a different role for each woman, I find that to be able to be here with my children and to raise them on a ranch, and the generation of workers in this family are very strong and the opportunities that have to be with them every day to be with my husband and work along side of him, Id rather change lines than scrapbook any day and I would rather be on a horse and chasing cows than go to a women’s meeting. It’s just what I do, meetings are not a bad thing, but this is what I do and it ties me to the land and it gives me a different perspective. It also gives me a perspective on the family that’s often lost , to be with my husband, my kids all day long; to be a homemaker, I love it.”

New Jackets!

Joel Benson photo

TRADITIONAL JACKETS AWARDED

Pocatello--Idaho Farm Bureau Frank Prietley tries on his new jacket with the help of the new Farm Bureau Vice President, Mark Trupp. New jackets are traditionally awarded to the President and Vice President by the Idaho Farm Bureau Board of Directors to the new leaders. Priestley and Trupp were elected at last weeks annual meeting in Idaho Falls.

Just in from Washington

Mark Harris of Soda Springs is a long-time Farm Bureau Member-Putnam photo
Farm Bureau Reports 49th Year of Membership Growth

WASHINGTON– Farm Bureau’s national membership rose to 6,277,664 member families in 2009, marking 49 consecutive years of membership growth. State Farm Bureaus overall reported a total 34,378 more member families this year than in 2008.

American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman said this year’s membership growth is especially noteworthy considering the continuing economic challenges facing the nation. He credited agricultural advocacy programs at the local, state and national levels and services offered by state Farm Bureaus for the organization’s overall membership growth.

“Farm Bureau members and the county and state leaders they elect are the driving force behind our membership growth,” Stallman said. “Members are the lifeblood of true, grassroots organizations such as Farm Bureau. As AFBF heads into its 91st year, this membership accomplishment sets the stage for even greater achievements in policy, programs and services, all of which are developed with the goal of improving member families’ businesses and standards of living.”

Texas Farm Bureau had the single largest gain of 17,101 members, bringing its membership to 439,260.

Other states organizations with significant growth included Kentucky, which grew by 12,418 members to 483,352; Tennessee, which grew by 10,162 members to 646,240; North Carolina, which gained 9,592 members to 508,426; and Utah, which grew by 5,897 members to 27,313. Tennessee Farm Bureau remains the largest in the nation.

Utah Farm Bureau had the single largest percentage membership gain, growing 27.5 percent to 27,313 member families. Rounding out the top five by percentage of growth were West Virginia (11.6 percent), South Dakota (11.2 percent), Montana (7.7 percent) and Maryland (7 percent). The West had the largest percentage of growth, 3 percent.

Nineteen state Farm Bureaus earned Navigator Awards for exceptional membership growth: Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia.

Forty state Farm Bureaus achieved 2009 membership quota: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Parma Research Center

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Regents Approve Simplot Proposal, Hear Plan to Maintain Tetonia, Sandpoint Center Operations

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – At a meeting today in Twin Falls, the University of Idaho Board of Regents heard details about a proposal between the University of Idaho and the J.R. Simplot Co. focused on the university's Parma Research and Extension Center that both preserves a vital public research asset and promises to expand the center's overall research value to agriculture.

The board approved the proposed agreement during the meeting of the Idaho State Board of Education. The university regents also heard a report that operations will continue through June 30, 2010, at two other research and extension centers at Sandpoint and Tetonia.

"We thank the regents for their favorable reaction to this public-private collaboration," said university President Duane Nellis. "We also extend our thanks to the J.R. Simplot Company for joining the University of Idaho in this thoughtful assessment of how our combined expertise and interests can serve the state's agricultural industry. This agreement could serve as a model for bringing private industry and the public sector together in ways that will lead and enhance Idaho's economic develop in new ways."

The agreement and report are the latest steps in a long-term consolidation and restructuring plan begun early this year for the state-funded Agricultural Research and Extension Service in response to legislative budget cuts and gubernatorial holdback directives that already total $4.7 million or 17 percent.

The Simplot agreement and financial support from other agricultural interests are examples of alternative ways to meet Idaho agriculture's critical needs that university officials pledged to seek in May when plans were announced to close the three centers.

The agreement is critical to maintaining operations at the Parma center, said John Hammel, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences dean at Moscow, adding it does change the center's overall function.

"Simplot has, through this agreement, acquired rights to access research land and also upkeep and maintenance, which is a separate and compact agreement," Hammel said.

"We anticipate that the Simplot Company will still fund nonproprietary research ventures with the other faculty at the Parma station and elsewhere," Hammel added. Additionally, other companies as well as the agricultural commodity groups will fund research just as they currently do.

"The advantage to this agreement is that Simplot Company has research partners that the company will bring to the table, which will only enhance the industrial partnership as our relationships grow," Hammel said.

In broad terms, the agreement submitted to the board of regents outlines a commitment from Simplot to contribute $300,000 each year for five years to the Parma Research and Extension Center that would give Simplot researchers use of facilities and acreage for crop research and development.

The funds would be used to pay the university's labor, materials and other operating costs directly applicable to management and operation of the land and facilities provided by the university under this agreement and to contribute to costs associated with the university's overall maintenance of the Parma center. The agreement states that Simplot's stand-alone research and the resulting intellectual property would be retained by the company.

The university will continue to conduct its separately funded field crop research at the Parma Center alongside of, but separate from, the company’s proprietary research conducted under the agreement. University officials do not anticipate any reduction of field crop research availability to others who have funded research at the Parma Center and wish to continue to do so.

The agreement addresses 50 acres, half of the center's cropland used for research. It does not address orchard or vineyard research that is conducted elsewhere at the center. Parma sits on a total of 200 acres.

Hammel said encouraging conversations continue to maintain the orchard and vineyard with the Treasure Valley's tree fruit industry and the Treasure Valley Agricultural Coalition.

At the Tetonia Research and Extension Center, contributions of $120,000 from the Idaho Potato Commission, $15,000 from the Idaho Barley Commission and $20,000 from licensed potato variety royalties will fund operations there through the 2010 harvest in late fall. A special gift fund will go to support operations at Sandpoint at 60 percent of normal through June 30.

The three research and extension centers were proposed for closure by year's end after a statewide panel of agricultural interests met in April and reviewed the statewide system. In July, Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter and University of Idaho President Duane Nellis called for redoubled efforts to find alternate funding sources to keep the centers operating.

Ag Extension News

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Sugar Beet Growers Will Learn About Strip Tillage
and Other Production Topics Jan.

Twin Falls--Idaho—Strip tillage, which is attracting intense grower interest nationally, will top the agenda when University of Idaho Extension delivers a full day of workshops Jan. 8 during the 2010 Snake River Sugar Beet Conference in Twin Falls.

Members of a grower panel will share their experiences with strip tillage—which limits tilling to the narrow strip in which seeds are planted—and soil scientists Amber Moore of University of Idaho Extension and David Tarkalson of the USDA Agricultural Research Service will discuss their recent nutrient-management research in strip-tilled and other systems. Orthman Manufacturing agronomist Mike Petersen will provide additional insights into strip-tillage nutrient management and agronomics from an industry perspective.

Other topics for sugar beet growers will include insecticide seed treatments, pesticide applicator software, impacts of over-irrigation, refining nitrogen inputs, maintaining planters, and identifying and controlling sugar beet diseases.

For Roundup Ready® sugar beet production, speakers will discuss tank-mixture economics, Roundup application timing and nitrogen’s influence on weed control. A special Spanish-language segment will cover pesticide training, worker protection safety, phosphorus management and a disease update.

To pre-register, call Kathy Garofano or Tamie Keeth at (208) 736-3600. For more information on the workshops, contact Morishita at (208) 736-3616

Co-sponsors include The Amalgamated Sugar Company LLC, Idaho Sugar Beet Growers Association, Nyssa-Nampa Beet Growers and Elwyhee Beet Growers.

Just in from Washington

Near Wilder last summer--Jake Putnam photo

Ag Groups file Supreme Court Brief in Biotech Alfalfa Case

WASHINGTON-The American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Corn Growers Association, the Biotechnology Industry Organization and the American Seed Trade Association have submitted a joint friend-of-the-court brief to the Supreme Court in support of a petition seeking review of the “alfalfa” case, “Monsanto v. Geertson Seed.”

The Ag groups argued that the Lower courts failed to adequately consider the mountains of evidence that prove biotech alfalfa is safe, and thus those courts abandoned a well-established legal principle when they banned the planting of the crop. That is just one of the points supporting a request for the United States Supreme Court to review a case related to biotech alfalfa, according to a brief filed by several groups.

Family-owned Geertson Seed Farms, Adrian, Ore., has been producing alfalfa seed since 1942, and still farms the original 80 acres that was homesteaded by the family in 1939. They're worried that genetically altered seed could put them out of business.

Ag group lawyers contend that the lower court’s injunction against biotech alfalfa was made without the court conducting a thorough review of evidence and absent a finding of irreparable harm, according to the brief. It was also made despite the fact that agricultural biotechnology already is adopted widely in the U.S. for a number of key crops, ranging from corn and cotton to papaya, sugar beets and soybeans.

“The lower courts abandoned the well-established principle that evidence of likely irreparable harm is a prerequisite to issuance of an injunction,” the brief stated. “The district court ruling in this case, instead of fashioning an injunction based on the evidence before it, declined to conduct an evidentiary hearing and applied a legal standard that effectively presumed the existence of irreparable harm.”

If the courts do not respect those established legal standards, the ability to bring future innovations, especially biotech crops, to the marketplace is in real jeopardy, according to the brief.

Just in from Washington

EPA Declaration Could Hurt Family Farms

WASHINGTON--The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's announcement that greenhouse gases jeopardize public health opens the door for the federal regulation of carbon dioxide emissions from refineries, chemical facilities and power plants - even if Congress rejects climate change legislation.

But the EPA's declaration doesn’t directly impose new carbon dioxide caps; it does establish the framework for regulating carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

Monday's announcement clears the way for the EPA to finalize the first-ever national limits on vehicle exhaust emissions that were proposed earlier this year. EPA lawyers say the vehicle emissions rule and the endangerment finding could force the EPA to regulate suspected heat-trapping gases under the Clean Air Act by next spring; which isn’t sitting well with Nation’s largest Farm Organization.

“The decision by the Environmental Protection Agency today to announce an endangerment finding on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases could carry severe consequences for America’s farmers and ranchers,” said American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman.

“We firmly believe any regulations dealing with global warming that could negatively affect our ability to produce food and fiber for our nation and the world should come through the legislative process. While more and more questions are being raised about the scientific validity of global warming models it is not the time to begin making sweeping policy decisions based on the projections offered by those climate models.”

Stallman added that while the EPA’s intention is to focus on a few polluters, he thinks the new rules will affect small operations. “We realize the EPA’s stated intention is to focus this finding narrowly on specific industries, using particular thresholds, but we believe there is no protection in the provisions that prevent them from being applied broadly across all sectors, including farm and ranch families who produce livestock. Due to the timing of the announcement, with the Copenhagen talks about to kickoff, we also believe this move could have more to do with political science than climate science.”

Snow on the Dome

Snow on the Dome, originally uploaded by Jake Putnam.

Idaho Briefs

Road Funding Still a Priority

A task force started by Governor Butch Otter will once again look at crumbling State roads. Funding road repair extended the 2009 session until May, the gas tax could be under attack during the 2010 session.

Snow a Problem

Snow on the roads led to more than 80 accidents yesterday in the Treasure Valley, the Idaho Transportation Department says November to February presents the greatest safety challenges in motorists. Theyre setting up a 511 telephone number that will give travellers up to the minute road conditions that include closures, delays and weather conditions.

Unemployment Down

The Unemployment rate dropped from 10.2 percent to 10-percent in November. Some ecnonomist say the numbers reflect a recovering economy, others think some part-time employees have stopped looking for full time employment.

Seasonal jobs are harder to find this year because of intense competition in the job market.

Boise hit by first snowstorm of season

Putnam photo

Boise buried under three inches of 'partly cloudy'

Boise--Boise was hit by a surprise storm early this morning. The National Weather Service reported 2-3 inches of dry powder snow, the storm subsided by noon.

Morining rush hour traffic came to a standstill on I-84, there were a few accidents but for the most part motorists took the storm in stride. Businesses like the Idaho Farm Bureau scrambled for snow removal equipment but had sidewalks clear by noon. Cold temperatures could keep the snow on the ground through the weekend.

A bobcat clears the Farm Bureau parking lot on Monday morning. Four inches of snow fell on downtown Boise. --Putnam photo

U of I Extension News

Putnam photo

Investing in Idaho's Future: University of Idaho and J.R. Simplot Announce Collaborative Concept for Parma Research and Extension Center

MOSCOW, Idaho – Under a pre-agreement document submitted for consideration by the University of Idaho Board of Regents, the university and J.R. Simplot Company propose a $1.5 million multi-year agreement for the university's Parma Research and Extension Center that would give the center a new lease on life.

"The University of Idaho and J.R. Simplot Company have had a long and proud history of providing leadership to the state and its agricultural industry," said University of Idaho President Duane Nellis."This innovative agreement aligns the research and knowledge expertise of Idaho's land-grant university with the business acumen of one of the state's most respected industry leaders and marks a new era in public-private collaboration in Idaho agricultural research. This is an Idaho-grown partnership that will pay long-term dividends to the state's economy."

Bill Whitacre, Simplot's president and chief executive officer, reiterated the importance of the agreement to Idaho's future.

"The J. R. Simplot Company is excited about the potential for a new level of collaborative research that will benefit both Idaho and our Company," said Whitacre. "The opportunity to work with the University of Idaho will further enable us to enhance both the practical and technical sides of production agriculture in the food system."

In broad terms, the agreement submitted to the board of regents outlines a commitment from Simplot to contribute $300,000 each year for five years to the Parma Research and Extension Center that would give Simplot researchers use of facilities and acreage for crop research and development. The funds would be used to pay the university's labor, materials and other operating costs directly applicable to management and operation of the land and facilities provided by the university under this agreement. and to contribute to costs associated with the university's overall maintenance of the Parma center. The agreement states that Simplot's stand-alone research and the resulting intellectual property would be retained by the company.

“This agreement shows that the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences conducts research that is important to the state, to Idaho agriculture and to a company that symbolizes the entrepreneurial spirit, agriculture and Idaho for many of us,” said John Hammel, dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

Terms of the Simplot agreement will be presented to the University of Idaho Board of Regents/Idaho State Board of Education for consideration and approval. The board's next meeting is scheduled Dec. 9-10 in Twin Falls. At that time, the university will also present its final recommendations for the research and extension centers.

Cooperative conversations concerning the Sandpoint and Tetonia Research and Extension centers have enabled the university to acquire sufficient pledges of funds from industry parties to allow the institution to maintain operations at these two facilities to be maintained through June 30, 2010. The university plans to continue seeking more sustainable permanent funding from industry partners for those facilities.

Under board of regent policy, the university began concurrent administrative processes to have the mechanisms in place in the event that it needed to restructure some or a number of its research and extension center operations.

The college administers research and extension centers statewide, including cooperative efforts with counties to base University of Idaho Extension research faculty in county offices. Action by the Idaho Legislature and the governor's holdback directive, in the face of declining state revenues, reduced the state appropriation to the Agricultural Research and Extension Service budget this year by 17 percent, or $4.7 million.

Brucellosis Found

Boise--Idaho Department of Agriculture state veterinarian Bill Barton sent a memo to state animal health officials last week, saying that a beef cow from a newly assembled 600-head herd tested positive for brucellosis.

No calves or bred females have been sold from the herd, according to Barton's memo.The herd has been quarantined and is being tested, and epidemiologists are trying to determine the source of the infection. Barton said the owner, who lives in the Rigby area, was cooperating. None of his cattle had been sold, other than directly to slaughter, Barton said. The infected animal and other cattle in the herd had been vaccinated for brucellosis

The animals came from a variety of sources, including private sales and livestock markets. Officials had not yet determined where the man purchased the infected animal

A spokeswoman for the federal agency that oversees livestock diseases said an investigation has been launched into whether the infection has spread to other herds.

Just in from Milk Producers of Idaho

Immigration Reform at the Statehouse

Boise--The Idaho Business Coalition for Immigration Reform expect legislation to be introduced again this legislative session creating penalties for businesses that are found to be employing undocumented workers. The Coalition and Milk Producers of Idaho will be working at the Statehouse to stop any such legislation.

Annual Meeting Wrap-up

Idaho Farm Bureau House of Delegates in session on Thursday--Putnam photo

Farm Bureau Delegates Meet for 70^th Annual Convention

Idaho Falls--Delegates from 37 county Farm Bureaus met this week in Idaho Falls for the annual Idaho Farm Bureau Convention. Delegates re-elected Frank Priestley from Franklin County to a 7^th term as president of the organization.

Mark Trupp of Teton County was elected to serve as the organization’s new vice president. Trupp replaces Carl Montgomery of Jerome County. New members elected to the IFBF State Board of Directors include Chris Dalley of Bingham County, who replaces Albert Johnson of Bear Lake County. Austin Tubbs of Oneida County will serve as the new IFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee Chairman. Tracy Walton of Gem County replaces Terry Jones of Gem County, who did not seek re-election. Scott Steele of Bonneville County was nominated to replace Trupp by District 2 delegates and confirmed by the Board. Allis Chandler of Washington County was appointed to the State Women’s Committee.

Re-elected to the IFBF State Board of Directors were Louis Kins of Bonner County, Dean Schwendiman of Madison County and Rick Pearson of Twin Falls County.

“We want to welcome new leaders and to thank the outgoing directors and Carl Montgomery for their years of valuable service to this organization.” said President Frank Priestley. “They improved and shaped the Farm Bureau during their years of service and we’re grateful.”

Bill and Betty DeVeny of Riggins were awarded the IFBF President’s Cup for their contribution to agriculture over the past four decades. Farm Bureau members since the early 70’s, the DeVeny’s remain active in politics from their Shingle Creek Ranch. Betty is the sitting Idaho County FB President and Bill is a past president.

The Women’s Leadership Committee honored Betty Ann Higley of Malta, Joyce Dalley of Blackfoot, Betty DeVeny of Riggins and Pauline Bagley from Victor for their outstanding involvement and accomplishments in their Districts.

The Young Farmers and Ranchers held the state discussion meet finals during the Annual meeting. Emily Ward of American Falls won top honors. She took home a $500 check from Dodge, a new four-wheeler from Polaris, and an all-expense paid trip to the AFBF National Discussion Meet next month in Seattle. Ward took second in last year’s state competition.

Kara Jackson the reining Miss Idaho, competed in the discussion meet, served as a delegate and discussed her platform which is agriculture education in school. She will compete for the Miss America Crown next month in Las Vegas.

IFBF members also attended educational workshops on time management, wealth transfer, and commodity hedging. The banquet keynote speaker was former NBA great Walter Bond.

Idaho Farm Bureau's 70th Annual Meeting

Election of 2010 Officers, Directors


Idaho Falls--Mark Trupp of Driggs, Idaho was elected Vice-President this morning by the Idaho Farm Bureau House of Delegates. Trupp has served on the Board of Directors for years, he takes over for Carl Montgomery.

Idaho Farm Bureau's 70th Annual Meeting

Putnam photo

Bill and Betty DeVeny Awarded 2009 President's Cup

Idaho Falls--Idaho Farm Bureau President Frank Priestley awarded Bill and Betty DeVeny of Riggins the 2009 Presidents Cup on Wednesday night to a standing ovation.

"When I say the word icon in Idaho County, locals know I'm talking about Bill and Betty DeVeny," President Frank Priestley told a packed Shilo Inn house. The award took the DeVeny's by surprise and both were moved by the honor.

The Bill and Betty DeVeny's have been Farm Bureau fixtures for the past four decades and their involvement in North Idaho politics is legendary, when they call or write a lawmaker or Congressmen they get answers.

"In a day or two," said Betty DeVeny, "that's true, it’s the same way with the state legislators. They're very responsive. It’s unique and when you send a letter under Farm Bureau letterhead it probably gets more attention than if you just sent a letter."

Bill and Betty DeVeny made their mark in Farm Bureau through policy development starting at the county level and seeing their issues adapted into the state policy book, year after year and they think it should be played to the letter.

"I think its important for the resolutions committee to pay careful attention to their charter and not get too far out trying to change things. It’s important to recognize and consolidate resolutions that are similar and that sort of thing," said Betty.

While many in politics avoid polarization; Bill DeVeny says its the only way to get things done. "To get any action out of any person or group you have to polarize things, and I think that’s something Farm Bureau should think about is: polarization. That way you can get action out of a person or a group."

The DeVeny's show no signs of slowing down when it comes to Farm Bureau involvement; when they get home from the convention they plan on working on next year's resolutions in Idaho County come next spring.

Bill and Betty DeVeny talk cattle and politics from their high mountain ranch--Putnam photohttp://http//www.flickr.com/photos/idfarmbureau/sets/72157619099997728/

Idaho Farm Bureau's 70th Annual Meeting

Walter Bond addresses the Idaho Farm Bureau--Putnam photo

Annual Banquet Keynote Address:

Walt Bond Strikes a Cord with Farm Bureau Crowd

Idaho Falls--Former NBA player and now motivational speaker Walt Bond found common ground with rank and file Idaho Farm Bureau members Wednesday night. The crowd of 300 whole-heartedly embraced the former hoop star from Chicago. They laughed at Bonds self depreciating humor, but listened intently at life's lessons; dished out in heaping portions.

The former Dallas Mavericks Star inspired the crowd with exquisite story telling and all marveled at his journey. He pointed out that he never started a college basketball game and in fact was injured his senior year and wasn't even drafted. Yet his father encouraged him to give basketball another shot and told his son he has a lifetime to work yet one chance to play pro basketball. Bond set his sights on the NBA, practice, worked hard for a year and landed a tryout with Dallas, he became the first rookie free agent to start for the Mavs.

He says he was never the best or fastest player, instead he found a niche and was able to achieve goals through confidence. That struck a cord with the Farm crowd and he in turn, urged them to find their niche and to be the best in their field.

Walter Bond played in the NBA for 8 years. He was a member of the Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons. He was also a broadcast analyst for the Minnesota Timberwolves. His career has led him to travel around the world to places including, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Germany and many other countries. He now boasts a full calendar of speaking engagements and Farm Bureau members know why, he's so likable!

Idaho Farm Bureau's 70th Annual Meeting

Gem County Delegate Vaughn Jensen is not only a Delegate and Farmer, but an Ironman. Putnam photo

From Farmer to Ironman, Gem County Delegate balances passion and Farming

Idaho Falls--Vaughn Jensen spent most of the day studying resolutions and the Farm Bureau policy book in the Farm Bureau House of Delegates. When he's not farming or taking care of Farm Bureau business he's trying to get in a 10 mile run or a swim. Jensen is a 50-something aspiring tri-athlete and posted respectable times in Boise's Ironman event last summer. He says goal setting and staying in shape makes him a better farmer. Jake Putnam caught up with Jensen during a House of Delegates break:

From farmer to Ironman—not a path many farmers follow, how did you start racing?

A few years ago I was feeling my age and weight, I decided that I wanted to get back in shape and I always wanted to do an Iron Man, and they had a local triathlon with Olympic distance and length there in Emmett and I decided to train for that and from there I went on.

As a farmer you have flexible hours, how do you schedule your workouts?

I try to plan the events I’m going to do at times when I can make the training schedule that would apply to that work as well, it’s not perfect, but its worked so far.

How do triathlons help your farming operation?

I do think they help, when I’m working out or running, bicycle or swimming I think about things that are going on in my farming operation and I think it has given me renewed energy and fresh outlook on things. It’s helped me with my goal setting.

You competed in Boise’s Ironman competition last summer, how did you do?

That race is called an Ironman 70.3 which is 1.2 mile swim followed by a 56 mile bicycle ride, followed with a 13.1 mile run which is a half marathon. It was something that I definitely had to train for, and my first goal was to finish the race and I really didn’t give me much time constraints, I finished in about the 45^th percentile for my age group, so I was in the middle. I’m looking forward to see what I can do to improve that time.

Boise’s Ironman was held in June yet it was a cold rainy day, how did you adapt?

The water temps were not too much of a problem; I had a wetsuit that protected me against the cold, along with head protection. It was windy there were waves and water was rough; I didn’t realize how rough until I got out of the water, the wave action affected my equilibrium and I staggered a bit when I came out of the water. What I experienced in the race, in the bicycle part was that we went through some hard driving rain storms, passing thundershowers. I termed it good working weather, it was just warm enough to me that I didn’t get a chill I stayed warm just by physical exertion. I was really pleased at how it went for me. My only problem was that I over hydrated, so I had extra bathroom breaks that cost me on my time.

Are you going run it next year?

I’m running the Coeur D’Alene full Ironman next year, and it’s too close to Boise’s even to run them both.

Idaho Farm Bureau's 70th Annual Meeting

Grass Root Politics Abound at Annual Meeting

Idaho Falls--The policies and programs of the Idaho Farm Bureau are developed from grassroots recommendations that come from members then adapted by the counties. From these recommendations, tentative policy resolutions are prepared and submitted to the IFBF House of Delegates for action at its annual meeting each December.

The House of Delegates is made up of representatives elected by members of the county Farm Bureaus. Resolutions on state matters become IFBF policy. National issues of interest are forwarded to the American Farm Bureau Federation for consideration.

Idaho Farm Bureau's 70th Annual Meeting

Miss Idaho Kara Jackson Addresses the Idaho Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, originally uploaded by IdFarmBureau.

Miss Idaho Addresses the Farm Bureau Annual Meeting

Idaho Falls-Kara Jackson the reining Miss Idaho, addressed member delegates at the Idaho Farm Bureau annual meeting, Wednesday, December 2nd, at the Shilo Inn in Idaho Falls.

Jackson discussed her pageant platform which is Agriculture Education in schools. Jackson finished third in the State discussion meet and serves as a Board Member on the Ada County Farm Bureau Board of Directors.

Idaho Farm Bureau's 70th Annual Meeting

Highlights from the YF and R Discussion Meet

Idaho Falls--The Discussion Meet contest is designed to simulate a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected from each participant. This competition is evaluated on an exchange of ideas and information on a pre-determined topic. The judges are looking for the contestant that offers constructive criticism, cooperation, and communication while analyzing agricultural problems and developing solutions. This years winner is Emily Ward of American Falls, Idaho. Steve Ritter and Jake Putnam produced this video.

Emily Ward, YFR State Discussion meet winner

Emily Ward, YFR State Discussion meet winner, originally uploaded by IdFarmBureau.

WARD 2009 DISCUSSION MEET CHAMP

Idaho Falls--Emily Ward, a self-proclaimed farmers wife from American Falls, is the 2009 Idaho State Discussion Meet winner.

Ward skillfully weaved her way through the meet, scoring points on confident speech and well articulated thoughts, while at the same time embracing the ideas of fellow competitiors.

Ward won a brand new Polaris 4-wheeler from Karl's Cycles of Boise and a paid trip to the American Farm Bureau National Discussion Meet in Seattle, next month.

Idaho Farm Bureau's 70th Annual Meeting

Idaho Farm Bureau President Frank Priestley's Address to Delegate Members, Tuesday, December 1st, Shilo Inn, Idaho Falls:

"Welcome to Idaho Falls for the 70th Annual Idaho Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting. It’s thrilling to think that for past 70 years fellow farmers, met like we are today in this post season ritual. It’s a time of Thanks but also a time for reflection.

In 1939 the nation was still suffering through the Great Depression, It was also the year of the Farm Bureau’s first annual meeting, times were hard and money tight. That year farmers battled flat markets--shortages of fuel and fertilizer and that drove input costs up, many had trouble getting credit. Seventy years later we’re battling the same issues. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Times are hard but we have a lot to be proud of. Agriculture still represents the greatest success story in the history of the world. We put a man on the moon, harnessed the power the power of the atom, cured polio but all of these monumental accomplishments are second to feeding the world. When you have food you have a civilization, with civilization you have prosperity and harmony; time to pursue intellectual pursuits.

Today, farm land supplies more than 90% of the world food supply while occupying just 12% of the Earth. During the past 100 years, we have increased the amount of food harvested on planet seven times! All done through agricultural science and technology, everything from plant and animal breeding that drastically increase yields to fertilizer with new innovations like Round-up Ready seed.

With global demand for grain doubling in the next decade, Monsanto Company is introducing the next wave of High Impact Technology products that will improve farmer yields.

The world population is expected to top 8 billion people by 2030! With shifting diets and stagger demand, Monsanto is focused on growing more grain with fewer resources through the application of these Round-up products.

We’re not in the habit of endorsing one agricultural supplier over another, but the importance of sending in the public comment cards should not be lost on farmers, their participation is critical; here’s why:
Roundup Ready crops are genetically engineered to resist glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup herbicides. This resistance is a technological breakthrough in plant breeding which enables farmers to produce more crops while reducing the amount of herbicides applied to kill weeds. Fewer herbicide applications not only save farms money, it reduces environmental impact on the land.

This technology allows farmers to increase yields through better weed control. In addition, the technology allows growers to use no-till methods on 62 million acres in the U.S. alone, with the potential to more than double that amount. With no-till, farmers don’t have to plow fields. Less disturbance of the dirt sequesters, or traps carbon in the soil, rather than releasing it into the air in the form of carbon dioxide. This method conserves topsoil, reduces soil runoff into streams and decreases fuel use by reducing tractor traffic across fields.

In spite of the agricultural and economic benefits this project brings to southeast Idaho, we know that several environmental organizations will provide public comment to attempt to block the opening of this new mine. And we know they’ll do it with no consideration for the 770 southeast Idaho jobs at stake, the $115 million in annual wages paid, or the $773,000 in annual property taxes paid by the mine. Losing this mining operation would be a huge blow not only to southeast Idaho’s economy, but to farms and ranches across this country.

Once again, while we don’t make it a practice to endorse agriculture suppliers, this is exactly the kind of progress that makes farms more efficient and keeps American families on the land. We think that’s important. We know that not only farms but most families keep a bottle of roundup in the garage.

Roundup is also used by lots of other folks who manage ball fields, golf courses, cemeteries and various other large tracts of land. We urge all Idaho farmers, ranchers and anyone else who has a stake in this process to write in and let the Bureau of Land Management know how important it is to maintain phosphate ore production in southeast Idaho.

Speaking of Production, last June the House passed the Waxman-Markey climate stabilization act that sets up a ‘cap-and-trade' system to restrict Americans’ carbon emissions. In the months after the 7-vote victory the hidden costs of the legislation have surfaced and the costs to agriculture and struggling families are enormous.

Even the bluest economists have a hard time conceding American families would pay just a few hundred dollars a year in what amounts to a massive carbon tax. Some of the costs could be recovered in a carbon trade market, but the Obama administration has failed to take into account the basics of trade speculation. There’s no limit or even control on how much a carbon credit can be sold for, it's supply and demand and speculators stand to make billions while many Idaho families will struggle to raise a few extra thousand dollars a year.

Last summer Representative Walt Minnick told Dan Popkey of the Idaho Statesman that he opposed the bill, because the sale of pollution credits could be controlled by the aforementioned speculators, the same guys who put oil prices on a roller coaster last year.

MIT did a study last spring and estimated the cap and trade market would be worth $366 billion in revenue. That revenue would be paid by those who purchased the credits and then passed the cost along to the consumers in the form of higher prices for power, fuel, and manufactured goods. If you divide $366 billion by 300 million households, the cost per household is more than $31-hundred dollars. That bill assumed the federal government would return a portion of the money to the consumers while keeping a portion for research on energy related technologies. We all know what happens when we assume…

There are lessons to be learned. Other countries have tried caps and trade and failed. Spain went cap and trade years ago and for every “green job” created, two regular jobs were lost. Also global warming has disappeared in the past year, and is now known as climate change. The reason is that the earth is not warming, at least not in a way caused by humans. Actually the planet has not warmed in 8 years. In fact, the EPA recently said earth is going to have a temperature decline for the next twenty years.

The National Debt continues to be a constant worry. I know at harvest time we all try and pay down our debt as the checks roll in, a practice that the Federal Government has ignored the past two decades. Just paying down the nation's staggering national debt down the road will cost more than the current annual Pentagon budget -- including funding wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That’s just making payments on the debt!

By 2019, the federal government will pay more than $700 billion a year on its debt load, currently ringing in at $12 trillion. The figures, contained in the White House's mid-session budget review, were the basis for an alarming New York Times story warning that actual interest expenses could go higher.

By way of comparison, the Defense Department this year is expected to spend about $664 billion on operations including two costly wars overseas. All we can ask and hope for is that government will spend responsibly, pay its bills, and look for ways to save money instead of ways to spend it.

One way the Federal Government can save money is to quit paying environmental lawyers for suing us…That’s right, the U.S. Government pays the legal fees of environmental lawyers that sue the Government.

Since 2003, the Department of Justice’s Judgment Fund has paid out $4.7 billion in judgments that includes refunding attorney’s fees. Documents uncovered by the Western Legacy Alliance shows that environmental groups have cashed checks amounting to tens of millions of dollars from this fund; but the Department of Justice website just opened this year doesn’t show whom the payments were made or for what purpose.

That’s not sitting well with Western Congressmen including Mike Simpson. In an open letter to the DOJ dated November 2, 2009, members of the Congressional Western Caucus expressed their concerns to Attorney General Eric Holder regarding the abuse of the Equal Access to Justice Act by these environmental and special interest groups.

The Caucus expressed concern over the complete lack of oversight, accountability, and transparency in the process and payments to groups under the act, which some think has contributed to large-scale abuse.

When the law was first enacted, federal agencies had to report Equal Access applications and the amount of attorney fees each agency awarded to groups and individuals. But that reporting ended in 1995 with the Sunset Act. Since 1998 there’s been no uniform method of reviewing the Equal Access Act and there’s no public accountability or transparency in the program.

Since then Environmental groups filed more than 1,500 cases. Since there’s no accountability or reporting, no one knows how many millions or billions the government has paid out. We do have a rough idea with that $4.7 billion dollar figure mentioned before; but it could be more.

Western Legacy is working to find the dollar amounts paid out and educate the public and Congress while demanding prompt action to ensure appropriate use and reporting of taxpayer dollars from federal programs. We commend them in this effort.

In these times the PR people say that image and perception is everything. Some would argue that Ag needs new blood. I would agree that at some time in the near future we will pass the torch to a new generation. I saw a bright, new face this fall on the fair circuit. Kara Jackson the reining Miss Idaho was mobbed everywhere she appeared and she carried with her a unique platform, cause…She chose Agriculture Education as her platform.

Jackson says her platform is to not only educate Idahoans about the importance of Agriculture, but the nation as well. She told reporters last spring that she doesn’t think Americans appreciate how much work it takes to get food from the farm to market.

As many recall, last summer Kara was warmly received by the County Presidents, and I can't think of a better Ag ambassador than this farm girl from Meridian. She will take an important message back to the Miss American Pageant on January 30th that "Agriculture affects every man woman and child in this country," I couldn’t agree more.

Jackson grew up on a hobby farm in Ada County, Idaho. She was involved in 4-H and Future Farmers of America and showed animals as part of her 4-H projects as a child. She’s competed in a discussion meet and is on the Ada County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, one of the youngest directors ever to serve there. We will watch the pageant on January 30th and support this young ambassador.

Farming and the American Farm Bureau have certainly changed since 1919. But in 90 years, but the grassroots power of the organization remains constant. All Farm Bureau policy starts at the local level and is written by thousands of families who are members of more than 2,700 county and parish Farm Bureaus in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

By being a member of this “grassroots” organization you have direct access through your county Farm Bureau to establish state and national policy and direction. By working together, members turn Farm Bureau policies into legislative action, accomplishing together what would be impossible to do alone.

The grassroots movement of Farm Bureau is more important as we look ahead to 2010. There are so many challenges to address. Cap and Trade, implementation of the farm bill, expanding renewable energy and addressing climate change tops the list. Another continuing concern to U.S. agriculture is the increased environmental regulations making it difficult to profitably run a farm or ranch. Farm Bureau will work hard to communicate those concerns to the Environmental Protection Agency, State and County agencies with regulatory authority.

The issues we must address at the Idaho Statehouse and on Capitol Hill are as vast and wide as the cornucopia of agricultural products its members produce. But the mission of Farm Bureau to enhance and strengthen the lives of our members and build strong, prosperous agricultural communities will continue to move forward in 2009.

As I close this speech I think back to 1939 and our first annual meeting, the challenges were daunting, the stakes were great, but we found a way to get through tough economic times. Seven decades later we face the same challenges…We will carry on, knowing that what we plant now, we’ll harvest later."

Idaho Farm Bureau's 70th Annual Meeting

Farm Bureau Member Attends 64th Annual Meeting

Idaho Falls--Dale Rockwood has attended the Idaho Farm Bureau Annual Meeting ever year since 1946, Harry Truman was President, that's when a good car cost $1800 and a fancy house for just $16,000. Rockwood got the house, the car and liked Truman, but he says the best value for the dollar over the years has been the Idaho Farm Bureau.

"We needed someone to watch over us, someone to let 'em know back in Washington and Boise that we were here, The Farm Bureau did that and still do that," he says.

Rockwood serves on the Bonneville County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, is a past President of the Idaho Farm Bureau and served 40 years on local irrigation company boards. He even served a stint on the powerful Committee of Nine but he says, of all the groups he says Farm Bureau packs a lot of clout.

Idaho Farm Bureau's 70th Annual Meeting

Idaho Farm Bureau Staffer Joel Benson unloads boxes on Monday afternoon. Putnam photo

Convention Underway

Idaho Falls--Staff members arrived at the Shiloh Inn late Monday afternoon and started setting up for the 70th annual meeting. "We'll have workshops, health screenings, award banquets and of course the House of Delegates," said Convention Organizer Chuck Garner.

The Conventions opens early Tuesday with registration, then the YF and R discussion meet.

From the Statehouse

Steve Ritter photo

Otter Supports Idaho's Young Farmers and Ranchers

By Jake Putnam

Boise--Idaho Governor Butch Otter met with Jake Putnam and Steve Ritter of the Idaho Farm Bureau to discuss the importance of Young Farmers and Ranchers to Idaho Agriculture. The Governor thinks organizations like YF and R not only builds leaders but improves the state's robust Ag Economy.

Idaho’s Young Farmers and Ranchers, how much of a part do they play in Idaho’s economy?

You have to realize that in a $51.5 billion dollar economy, hopefully we are going to grow that to $60, but agriculture will always be a player either in farm gate or ranch gate production, manufacturing or marketing. It comes down to what’s going on with farmers and ranchers on the ground. It’s also the speed at which technology moves and we have to keep up to date with that. The Young Farmers and Rancher organization and the Farm Bureau is the genesis of that information, it’s the distributor of that information, they do best practice work, and they validate research best practices. The result of that is that we continue to continue to produce better crops, better animals that yield higher even better marketable material for the entire world. In all the export missions I’ve led, it’s always been about the quality of Idaho products and our ability to adapt to the new innovations whether its yield or the quality of the product. So as long as you have an organization with strength and depth of the Farm Bureau and the association with Young Farmers and Ranchers, you are always going to have growth and people on top of the game. I say we’re going to have to stay with it because agriculture will continue to be one of the major players in our economy.

Were you involved as a Young Rancher?

I was in 4H forever; They had to throw me out because I got too old. We were constantly improving the growth rates, the production rates, whether it was in a milk cow and even row crops. It was unheard of in those days to have more than 280 bags to the acre of potatoes, or 240 bushel of corn, unheard of was 4-pound gain per day gain on a beef animal or a hundred pounds of milk or 3.8 percent butterfat from a milk cow. It’s the velocity at which technology moves is only successful if it can be adapted, Once again you have the brain trust within organizations like Young Farmers and Ranchers and the Farm Bureau. They’re the ones that will distribute the newest and the best practices and so I encourage them to constantly stay involved. Not just as a member but provide leadership and new ideas. I would also encourage YF and R members to study other areas, study other countries, and figure out what they’re doing. We are going to be in this game a long, long time and the agricultural industry in Idaho is going to continue to be one of the major players in our economy and our future.

70th Annual Meeting

Idaho Farm Bureau hosts 7oth Annual Meeting

Idaho Falls--The Idaho Farm Bureau will host its 70th annual meeting starting next Tuesday at the Shilo Inn in Idaho Falls.

Idaho Farm Bureau's 70th Annual Meeting Schedule of Events:

Tuesday, December 1

10:00 a.m. REGISTRATION DESK OPENS
Convention Lobby

11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. GENERAL SESSION LUNCHEON
Yellowstone/Grand Teton

1:00 p.m. FARM BUREAU'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOPS
"Market Outlook" – Clark Johnston, Agri Source/JC Mgmnt.

Twin Falls
"Speak Up! Speak Out!" – Bob Wilson, AFBF
Idaho Falls room

"ATV Safety" – Polaris
Pocatello room

Legislative Issues ̶ IFBF Governmental Affairs
Boise room

2:00 p.m. REFRESHMENT BREAK
Convention Lobby

2:15 p.m. FARM BUREAU'S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE AND
WORKSHOPS (continued)
"Wealth Transfer" – Jim McCarthy, FBL
Pocatello

"Bridging The Generational Divide" – Bob Wilson, AFBF
Idaho Falls 2

"Time Management" – Cindy Dyer
Boise

"Commodity Hedging" – Agri Source
Twin Falls

3:15 p.m. REFRESHMENT BREAK
Convention Lobby

3:15 p.m. DISCUSSION MEET PARTICIPANTS AND JUDGES
Temple View

3:30 p.m. DISCUSSION MEET SEMI-FINALS
Twin Falls/Pocatello

4:45 p.m. SCREENING COMMITTEE MEETING
Riverview

5:00 p.m. CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE MEETING
Temple View

5:00 p.m. YOUNG FARMERS AND RANCHERS CAUCUS
Boise

5:15 p.m. HOUSE OF DELEGATES PROCEDURES
Idaho Falls

5:45 - 6:30 p.m. DISCUSSION MEET FINALS
Pocatello/Idaho Falls/Boise/Twin Falls

7:00 p.m. AWARDS BANQUET
(Live auction will follow)
Yellowstone/Grand Teton

Wednesday, December 2
6:00 - 7:30 a.m. HEALTH FAIR
Templeview/Riverview/Exec. Board

7:00 a.m. RISE 'N SHINE BREAKFAST
Affiliated Company Reports

IFBF, Rick Keller
Insurance, Phil Joslin
Marketing, Gary Fuhriman
Yellowstone/Grand Teton

8:00 a.m. - noon HOUSE OF DELEGATES SESSIONS BEGINS
Pocatello/Idaho Falls/Boise/Twin Falls 3

8:00 - 9:00 a.m. DISTRICT WOMEN'S CAUCUSES
Guest Rooms

10:00 a.m. REFRESHMENT BREAK
Convention Lobby

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. WOMEN'S COMMITTEE BUSINESS MEETING
Templeview/Riverview

12:00 noon LUNCHEON
Yellowstone/Grand Teton

2:00 p.m. HOUSE OF DELEGATES CONTINUES
Pocatello/Idaho Falls/Boise/Twin Falls

2:00 p.m. SPECIAL WORKSHOP – Sponsored by IFBF Women
Templeview/Riverview

3:15 p.m. REFRESHMENT BREAK
Convention Lobby

4:30 p.m. DISTRICT CAUCUSES
District I Riverview

District II Templeview

District III VIP Room

District IV Executive Board Room

District V Board Room 2

7:00 p.m. FARM BUREAU'S ANNUAL BANQUET
President Cup Award
Speaker: Walter Bond, Former NBA Great Yellowstone/Grand Teton/Pocatello/Idaho Falls/Boise

Thursday, December 3
7:00 a.m. COUNTY PRESIDENTS BREAKFAST
(County Presidents and Spouses Only)
Yellowstone

8:00 a.m. ELECTION OF OFFICERS and DIRECTORS
Pocatello/Idaho Falls/Boise/Twin Falls

8:20 a.m. HOUSE OF DELEGATES CONTINUES
Pocatello/Idaho Falls/Boise/Twin Falls

10:15 a.m. REFRESHMENT BREAK
Convention Lobby 4

12:00 noon ADJOURN HOUSE OF DELEGATES

12:30 p.m. STATE BOARD OF DIRECTORS LUNCHEON
Templeview

12:30 p.m. STATE BOARD SPOUSES LUNCHEON
Riverview

1:30 p.m. STATE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
Idaho Falls

Happy Thanksgiving!

WASHINGTON– Menu items for a classic Thanksgiving dinner including turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie and all the basic trimmings dropped 4 percent in price this year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

AFBF’s 24th annual informal price survey of classic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table indicates the average cost of this year’s feast for 10 is $42.91, a $1.70 price decrease from last year’s average of $44.61.

“As we gather this Thanksgiving for food and fellowship, it’s fitting to take a moment to recognize and give thanks, not only for the abundant food we enjoy as Americans, but for the hard-working farm and ranch families across our nation who produce it,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman.

The AFBF survey shopping list includes turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and beverages of coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10.

The cost of a 16-pound turkey, at $18.65 or roughly $1.16 per pound, reflects a decrease of 3 cents per pound, or a total of $.44 per turkey compared to 2008. Milk, at $2.86 per gallon, dropped $.92 and was the largest contributor to the overall decrease in the cost of the 2009 Thanksgiving dinner.

“Consistent with the retail food price declines seen throughout the year, consumers will pay just a bit less for their Thanksgiving feast this year,” said Jim Sartwelle, an AFBF economist. “Consumers are benefiting at the grocery store from significantly lower energy prices and the effects of the economic slowdown. Again this year, the cost per person for this special meal is less than a typical ‘value meal’ at a fast-food outlet,” Sartwelle said.

Other items showing a price decrease this year were: a ½ pint of whipping cream, $1.55; a dozen brown-n-serve rolls, $2.08; a 1-pound relish tray of carrots and celery, $.72; and a 12-oz. package of fresh cranberries, $2.41. A combined group of miscellaneous items, including coffee and ingredients necessary to prepare the meal (onions, eggs, sugar, flour, evaporated milk and butter) also dropped in price, to $2.50.

Items that increased slightly (less than 5 percent) in price this year were: a 14-oz. package of cubed bread stuffing, $2.65; two 9-inch pie shells, $2.34; and a 30-oz. can of pumpkin pie mix, $2.45. Two items, green peas and sweet potatoes, stayed the same in price at $1.58 for one pound and $3.12 for three pounds, respectively.

Sartwelle said despite retail price increases during the last year or so, American consumers have enjoyed relatively stable food costs over the years, particularly when adjusted for inflation.
The 4 percent decrease in the national average cost reported this year by Farm Bureau for a classic Thanksgiving dinner tracks closely with the organization’s 2009 quarterly marketbasket food surveys (available online at http://newsroom.fb.org/) and the federal government’s Consumer Price Index (available online at http://data.bls.gov/), Sartwelle noted.

Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers are asked to look for the best possible prices, without taking advantage of special promotional coupons or purchase deals, such as spending $50 and receiving a free turkey. Shoppers with an eye for bargains in all areas of the country should be able to purchase individual menu items at prices comparable to the Farm Bureau survey averages. Another option for busy families without a lot of time to cook is ready-to-eat Thanksgiving meals for up to 10 people, with all the trimmings, which are available at many supermarkets and take-out restaurants for around $50 to $75.

The AFBF survey was first conducted in 1986. While Farm Bureau does not make any statistical claims about the data, it is an informal gauge of price trends around the nation.
More than 200 volunteer shoppers from 35 states participated in this year’s survey. Farm Bureau’s survey menu has remained unchanged since 1986 to allow for consistent price comparisons.

Thanksgiving

One More Thing to Be Thankful For

By Cyndie Sirekis, American Farm Bureau

This Thanksgiving, Americans of all ages, from every walk of life, will gather with friends and family. Most will eat a Thanksgiving dinner with turkey as the mouth-watering main dish, accompanied by a variety of side dishes and trimmings to suit their personal tastes.

Turkey lovers among us have one more thing to be thankful this year – the cost of Thanksgiving dinner will be lower. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual Thanksgiving Dinner survey of the cost of classic food items to make the meal, consumers will pay about 4 percent less, compared to a year ago.

Declines in the retail cost of dairy products and whole turkeys account for most of the overall drop in the 12-item Thanksgiving dinner basket tracked by Farm Bureau. Whipping cream, rolls, sweet potatoes, peas, cranberries and a vegetable relish tray declined slightly or remained the same in average price.

Three items, canned pumpkin pie mix, frozen pie shells and cubed bread stuffing, increased in retail price. The price uptick in these three staples of a classic Thanksgiving meal, although modest (less than 5 percent), makes perfect sense considering the large amount of energy-intensive processing and packaging for these foods compared to most other items in the survey.
Whether we as consumers like it or not, foods that are highly processed have been slower to show retail price decreases compared to items that are minimally processed, like milk and whole turkeys. This has been true throughout the year.

Farm Bureau’s annual Thanksgiving survey has remained much the same for its 24-year run, to allow for consistent food price comparisons over time. What’s new is the flurry of attention accorded the survey by some retailers, along with its increased visibility in the social media arena.

The grocery business is well-known for being extremely competitive and never more so than today, as the economic recession continues. Anything that could possibly give one store the edge over another when it comes to luring shoppers inside is enticing to marketing managers. That is likely what sparked the recent interest among retail grocers in piggybacking on Farm Bureau’s survey results when developing special holiday meal promotions and pricing.

In addition, the survey results, whether showing the average price for classic Thanksgiving meal items went up or down, have always provided a treasure trove of information for creative print, radio and broadcast stories. Over time, the type of coverage has evolved, with many stories highlighting how food is produced by farmers and ranchers. And more people than ever before are weighing in online with their viewpoints about the survey through social media avenues such as blogs, Tweets and Facebook postings.

This sharing of information – whether centering on getting the most “bang for your buck” on holiday meal items, how to prepare various foods or even tips on buying direct from a local farmer or rancher – ultimately benefits consumers. That’s just one more thing to be thankful for this year, in addition to paying less for a classic Thanksgiving Dinner.

Capitol Cuts Expected

Capitol restored, originally uploaded by Jake Putnam.

Boise--Expect more budget cuts to state programs and agencies, this legislative session according Idaho Gov. Butch Otter.

Details of the cut won't be released until after the annual State of the State address in January, but Otter doesn't plan to raise taxes, he said.

Budget chief Wayne Hammon said state workers will not receive pay raises in the 2011 fiscal year and may face additional benefit cuts. Workers recently had their health benefits reduced. He also said that some state-run services may be privatized.

Earlier this month, Otter urged agencies not to fill vacant jobs and he now is looking into selling state assets such as buildings.

Just in from Washington

Farm Bureau Urges Timely Disaster Payments for 2009 Crops
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 19, 2009 – Farmers and ranchers in many areas of the nation have been hit hard by late planting and a protracted, wet harvest season and they would benefit greatly from the Agriculture Department maximizing farm bill emergency assistance programs, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

“Farmers are experiencing both quality and quantity losses and many still do not have crops out of the fields,” AFBF President Bob Stallman wrote in a letter to Secretary Tom Vilsack.
When a disaster of this magnitude strikes, “getting help to farmers quickly can make the difference between a farmer filing for bankruptcy and holding onto the farm in hopes of passing it on to the next generation,” Stallman wrote.

In light of the situation, Stallman urged Vilsack to maximize its use of farm bill programs such as Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments and Emergency Loans to aid farmers and ranchers.
Further, Stallman requested that USDA “act as it has in the past and provide farmers and ranchers with estimated fast-tracked partial disaster payments for the 2009 crop year as quickly as possible.”

AFBF also urged USDA to consider using its authority under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to maximize Emergency Loans program funds by offering as many farmers as possible guaranteed (rather than direct) loans.

“Guaranteeing private loans versus providing them directly will help USDA stretch limited funding to assist the largest number of producers possible in a fiscally responsible way,” Stallman said. “While guaranteed loans certainly come with additional logistical difficulties, we believe these hurdles are worth overcoming if it will allow for additional funds to reach those producers most in need.”

The 2008 farm bill included a standing disaster program for crop years 2008 to 2011, in the hopes that this program would provide more consistent and timely assistance to farmers when they are hit by natural disasters. However, this program has yet to be implemented, Stallman noted.

While agricultural credit appears to have weathered the financial downturn better than many other sectors, Farm Bureau is concerned that those producers who have faced multiple years of disaster will feel the brunt of the nation’s credit crisis as they visit their lenders to obtain operating credit for the 2010 crop year.

As harvest season draws to a close and final crop yield and quality data becomes available, AFBF will continue to monitor the situation closely and explore other options that might prove beneficial in helping farmers stay on their land, despite the disasters they have faced this year.