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A publication of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
Past Issues
July 6, 2001 What's New on the NASDA Website
CAFO letter & Updated CAFO Survey NASDA 2001 agenda and sponsorship information Florida Environmental Laws Guide available
Proposed Agricultural Stewardship Program documents
Secretary Adams' testimony concerning the Agricultural Stewardship Program
2002 Farm Policy Initiative Working Documents
NASDA's 2002 Farm Policy Briefing Book
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NASDA MEMBERS MEET WITH SENATE COMMITTEE NASDA members returned to Washington, D.C., last week to meet with Senate Agriculture Committee members and staff. The briefings were part of NASDA's ongoing effort to promote its 2002 Farm Policy Initiative recommendations on a financial safety net for agricultural producers and the agricultural stewardship block grant program.Representing NASDA were Roger Johnson, commissioner of the North Dakota Department of Agriculture and chairman of NASDA's Financial Security and Rural Development Committee, and Nathan Rudgers, commissioner of the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets. Committee staff attending the briefing included legislative aides representing Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Ranking Minority Member Richard Lugar (R-Ind.). Johnson and Rudgers also held individual meetings with their congressional delegations, agricultural organizations, and USDA officials. (Contact: Rick Kirchhoff, Charlie Ingram, or Patrick Atagi) JESERNIG ANNOUNCES PLANS TO LEAVE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Director Jim Jesernig has announced plans to leave the agency late this fall, departing a cabinet post he has held since 1993. Jesernig was first appointed to head WSDA by former Gov. Mike Lowry and was reappointed by Gov. Gary Locke."Jim has been a great advocate for farmers, ranchers and the entire agricultural community," said Gov. Locke. "Jim has worked diligently to remind government at all levels and the general public about the importance of agriculture as the foundation of this state's economy." Jesernig will be joining the Perkins Coie law firm in Olympia, working on public policy issues. Perkins Coie, headquartered in Seattle, is the Northwest's largest law firm with more than 500 lawyers serving clients from offices throughout the United States and Asia. During his tenure at WSDA, Jesernig has worked vigorously to support the agricultural community. He has fought for budgets that supported critical department activities and the marketing of Washington's diverse crops and has worked with interest groups and all levels of government to help shape policies that affect the state's agricultural industry. Prior to joining the state department of agriculture, Jesernig, a native of Kennewick, served the southeast Washington farming communities of the 8th Legislative District for seven years as state senator and representative. He was Senate majority floor leader in 1993. Current priorities for Jesernig and his executive management team include working with constituents to shape the federal farm bill and developing a strategy to keep agriculture viable in Western and Eastern Washington. As president of the Western Association of State Departments of Agriculture, Jesernig will be hosting a meeting of state agriculture directors and commissioners in August in the Tri-Cities. The group will discuss national farm policies and learn more about the importance of the Snake River dams for regional power supplies and for transporting many of the nation's commodities for export. (Contact: Rick Kirchhoff) NASDA REVIEWS ANIMAL HEALTH SAFETY Gus Douglass, commissioner of the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, and Dr. Lester Spell, commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture & Commerce, led a discussion in Washington, D.C., last week on animal health safety issues. Specifically, Douglass, chair of NASDA's Animal Safeguarding Review, analyzed reports from four NASDA-appointed committees researching and reporting on the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service's Veterinary Services (VS). Douglass and Vice Chair Spell, along with a review panel of associations, universities, private industry, and other interested organizations on the status of VS, discussed the draft reports which, upon completion, will be sent to the Secretary of Agriculture and Congress.The review panel systematically studied the reports from the Exclusion, Response, International Information, and Domestic Detection and Surveillance Committees. The reports praised VS, saying that during the 20th Century, Veterinary Services has led a successful disease eradication effort for many animal and bird diseases. Unfortunately, the reports also noted that VS has become a victim of its own success because of declining concern about and political pressure for adequate animal health safeguarding funds. The preliminary recommendations ask for improved communication within and outside the agency; funding for diagnostics, research and reporting; restructuring of agency components and delivery systems; a faster, flexible, and integrated surveillance system--including other federal agencies--to prevent the incursion of foreign animal disease; provision of adequate human resources to VS; and creation of a "Surveillance Steering Committee." The final report will be released at the end of August. The review panel participants are Dr. Richard Breitmeyer, California Department of Food and Agriculture; Dr. Sharon Hietala, California Animal Health & Food Safety Laboratory; Dr. Bob Hillman, Idaho Dept. of Agriculture; Dr. Beth Lautner, National Pork Producers Council; Dr. Donald Lein, Cornell University; Dr. Martha Roberts, Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services; Paul Rodgers, American Sheep Industry Association; Dr. Richard Ross, Iowa State University; Dr. Bruce Stewart-Brown, Perdue; Dr. Peter Timoney, University of Kentucky; Dr. Gary Weber, National Cattlemen's Beef Association; and Sherman Wilhelm, Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. (Contact: Patrick Atagi) HOUSE PANEL APPROVES NEW FARM BILL The House Agriculture Committee unanimously approved a new Farm Bill late last week after a marathon markup session. The legislation (H.R. 2646) would provide $73.5 billion in spending for agriculture programs over the next decade and generally follows the outline of a draft concept paper released earlier by Committee Chairman Larry Combest (R-Texas) and Ranking Minority Member Charlie Stenholm (D-Texas).During the committee session, there were no major policy changes or amendments made to the chairman's original draft concept paper released on July 20. The main difference was a new budget scoring by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) which allowed the committee to increase spending for conservation, agriculture research, food and nutrition, and rural development. The centerpiece of the "Agriculture Act of 2001" is a counter-cyclical assistance program based on target prices. Counter-cyclical payments will be in addition to continued fixed payments under the existing Agricultural Market Transition Act (AMTA) system. Payment limits are set at $50,000 for fixed decoupled payments, $75,000 for counter-cyclical payments, and $75,000 for marketing loan gains and loan deficiency payments. The committee rejected an amendment offered by Rep. Nick Smith (R-Mich.) that would have put a $150,000 cap on the amount of federal assistance farmers could receive annually. Smith said that his intent was to help small farmers; but, Chairman Combest argued that placing a cap on funding would cause many farmers to go out of business during hard times. Rep. Tom Osborne (R-Neb.) offered one of the few amendments that was approved. His amendment, which passed on a 26 to 20 vote, shifted $200 million for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to agricultural research programs. Numerous other amendments were offered for discussion only and withdrawn, perhaps setting the stage for future debate and amendments when the full House considers the legislation. Some of the amendments considered, but withdrawn included: (1) a proposal offered by Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) for an alternative "market-based" counter-cyclical program to ensure payments go directly to producers; (2) an amendment offered by Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.) providing counter-cyclical payments to dairy farmers; (3) an amendment offered by Reps. Pickering (R-Miss.), Etheridge (D-N.C.), and Shows (D-Miss.) to reauthorize the Northeast and Southeast Dairy Compacts; and (4) an amendment offered by Rep. Nick Smith (R-Mich.) providing more flexibility and price protection to northern growers who have later harvests. Other highlights of the legislation include: (1) extending the milk price support program at $9.90 per cwt. through 2011; (2) creating a marketing assistance loan program similar to other program commodities and provides producers with price support loans or loan deficiency payments setting loan rates at $0.60 per pound for peanuts, $1.0 per pound for graded wool, and $4.20 per pound for mohair; (3) gives the USDA Secretary sole decision authority to combat outbreaks for plant and animal diseases with emergency funds; (4) retains planting restriction of fruits and vegetables on base acres. In the conservation title, the committee bill would increase funding by 75 percent providing $16.5 billion over ten years for soil, water, and wildlife programs. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) would receive $1.2 billion annually compared to $200 million a year currently authorized. In addition, a $675 million fund would be created in EQIP to address groundwater conservation issues. Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.) offered, then withdrew, an amendment adding $5 billion annually to expand conservation programs. Kind said he would continue negotiations and offer a new amendment on the House Floor. He is also working on an amendment to ensure data confidentiality for producers who participate in conservation programs. In other action, Rep. Nick Smith (R-Mich.) offered, then withdrew, an amendment on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) that would allow states to develop their own regulations to address water quality issues. Finally, the bill also establishes a new "Farmland Stewardship Program" (FSP) to assist producers through existing USDA conservation programs. The new program includes some of the concepts outlined under NASDA's proposal for a Agriculture Stewardship Program. For example, state and local agencies could enter into stewardship agreements with producers for conservation practices. However, the legislation does not provide funding for the program. The bill also appears to limit technical assistance funding. Since legislative details were only released when the committee markup session began, NASDA and other farm groups are still analyzing the proposal and will continue to work with congressional staff. As the committee waded through almost fifty amendments, the only major controversial issue arose late in the night when Rep. John Thune (R-S.D.) proposed country of origin labeling for agricultural products. The proposal seemed to threaten final passage and generated a slew of amendments to exempt specific commodities, states, and retailers from labeling provisions. The committee resumed debate for a few hours the next morning and then rejected the Thune amendment by voice vote. That cleared the way for a final voice vote approving the committee bill. Both Combest and Stenholm praised the bill saying it would insure flexibility and predictability for producers and taxpayers. They plan to take the new Farm Bill package to the full House for debate sometime in September. A detailed section-by-section analysis (without amendments) is available on NASDA's website under the "Farm Policy Briefing Book" link. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) SENATE PANEL PASSES FARM AID PACKAGE The Senate Agriculture Committee has approved a $7.4 billion 2001 crop year economic assistance package for farmers. The congressional budget resolution only provided for $5.5 billion for emergency farm assistance this year and the White House issued a veto threat over the spending amount.The Senate bill provides $5.4 billion to double Freedom to Farm payments based on 1999 levels and includes assistance to a wide variety of farmers including oilseed and cottonseed producers. The legislation also extends the dairy price support program and expands emergency loan eligibility to energy costs and costs of energy-intensive supplies such as fertilizer. Although most of the money would go to market assistance payments, the measure also provides an additional $542 million for conservation programs including $250 million for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), $44 million for technical assistance for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and $200 million for the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). During the committee session, former Chairman Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) strongly opposed the $2 billion funding increase. He said it would bust the budget and take away money from FY02 supplemental assistance. On a 12 to 9 party-line vote, the Committee defeated an amendment offered by Lugar that would have kept the spending package to the $5.5 billion level. The House approved a $5.5 billion farm assistance package last week. Lawmakers are trying to speed action on the legislation because the money must be distributed by September 30, 2001. The measure now goes to the Senate for consideration. Specifically, the legislation would provide 85 percent of last year's market loss assistance payments to major crop producers including $423 million to producers of oilseeds, $54.2 million to peanuts producers, $16.9 for wool and mohair producers, $84.7 to producers and first handlers of cottonseed, and $129 million in supplemental payments to tobacco quota holders. Most significantly, is the assistance provided to specialty crops because, for the first time, some of the money will be distributed as block grants to states. The bill provides $169 million in the following manner: (a) $10 million for direct and indirect costs related to processing, transportation, and distribution of commodities; (b) a $500,000 grant to each state and $1 million for Puerto Rico to promote agriculture; and (c) allocates the remaining $134 million as block grants to states based on the value of production of specialty crops in relation to the national value of specialty crop production. States receiving these grants must agree to give a priority to specialty crops as a condition of receiving the grant. The House Committee report (H.Rpt. 107-111) describes in more detail the amounts each state would receive and other legislative specifics. The report is posted on NASDA's website in the "What's New" section. NASDA has been discussing how these state grants would be administered and distributed with congressional staff because there may be a current, or future role, for state departments of agriculture. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) JOHNSON URGES SENATE TO PASS PESTICIDE HARMONIZATION ACT North Dakota's agriculture commissioner says that allowing states to register Canadian pesticides that are identical or substantially similar to products registered for use in this country would end market segregation practices that cost North Dakota farmers millions of dollars annually.Testifying on June 26, Commissioner Roger Johnson urged the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Foreign Commerce and Tourism to pass the "Pesticide Harmonization Act." The legislation, Johnson says, will end the pricing disparity that has put U.S. producers at a competitive disadvantage. "Every day, Canadian grain moves freely south across the U.S./Canada border to compete with domestic grain on the open market," Johnson said. "Much of that Canadian grain has been produced using pesticides that are identical in chemical composition to pesticides registered for use in the U.S. but offered at a price substantially lower in Canada." Johnson said barriers currently exist in federal statutes that prevent American growers or pesticide dealers from legally importing Canadian pesticides without the consent of the manufacturers, even if the products are identical in composition to pesticides registered with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the desired use. "As a result, product registrants have been able to use the U.S./Canada border to create two separate pesticide markets," Johnson said. "Pesticide pricing studies have repeatedly shown that American producers pay significantly higher pesticide prices than do Canadian producers." Johnson presented the senators with documentation showing that North Dakota farmers would save about $24 million annually if they could buy pesticides in Canada. "Internal estimates at the North Dakota Department of Agriculture show this cost disparity to be even higher," Johnson said. "Conservative estimates, using only a handful of common herbicides, indicate that North Dakota farmers would save over $32 million per year if they could pay Canadian prices." The solution, said Johnson, is to give the states authority to register Canadian pesticides that are essentially identical to higher-priced American crop protection products. "This bill creates a system in which a party can serve as a state registrant for certain Canadian pesticides without the consent of the manufacturer," he said. "A state registrant for the Canadian product is necessary since it ensures that some party will assume responsibility for distributing and re-labeling the product to meet EPA requirements." "I believe that the majority of registrants will be chemical distributors who will use the authority in the legislation to access Canadian pesticides from Canadian wholesale markets," Johnson said. "The net effect will be a new, competitive market for these products, and manufacturers will be forced to discontinue segmenting U.S. and Canadian pesticide markets." Johnson will assure the committee that the problem is not confined to North Dakota, and he will present a letter sent to the EPA regarding pesticide harmonization signed by the agriculture commissioners of 11 states bordering Canada. On May 4, NASDA sent a letter to Congress in support of the legislation. Johnson's testimony is available at http://www.agdepartment.com/testimony/Testimony2001/PHA%20Testimony.htm. (Contact: Rick Kirchhoff) STATE SURVEY ON WASTE & MANURE MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS An updated copy of the "State Survey on Waste and Manure Management Regulations" has been posted on NASDA's website at http://www.nasda.org/ in the "What's New" section. The original survey was completed in December 1998. The survey information can be found in the "What's New" section by scrolling down through the items listed under "Legislative Updates."This survey data will be critical for NASDA's ongoing discussions with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials and in its written comments on the agency's proposed CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) rules. NASDA uses the survey to explain state activities and programs to other federal agencies, policymakers, agricultural and environmental organizations, and the media. (Contact: Tom Sommer) ~~GAO Releases Report on Federal Payments to Farms~~The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) released a report to Congress finding that nearly one-half of U.S. farms are receiving payments for income or price support purposes and/or for engaging in activities such as land conservation. Senator Harkin requested the report and asked the GAO to respond to the following questions: 1) determine the distribution of farm payments over the past decade by farm size, operators' age, state, and crop and 2) identify the major barriers that make it difficult for young people to enter farming. In a letter to Senator Tom Harkin, chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, GAO notes that the payments, in total, made up almost one-half of net farm income in fiscal year 2000. GAO found that over 80 percent of farm payments have been made to large- and medium-size farms, while small farms received less that 20 percent of the payments. As an example, in 1999, 7 percent of farms nationwide with gross agricultural sales of $250,000 or more received about 45 percent of the payments. The 17 percent of farms that are medium-sized (gross sales between $50,000 and $249,000) received 41 percent of the payments. The remaining 14 percent of the payments were shared by the 76 percent of farms that are small (gross sales under $50,000). The GAO also found that of the farmers receiving payments, the average payment in 1999 of those under age 35 was about $16,544, slightly less that the $16,751 average for those of all ages. ~~House Leadership Expects Action on TPA~~House Majority Leader Dick Armey said in a press statement on Tuesday that he expects that the House will take up legislation on Trade Promotion Authority for the president (also known as Fast Track Trade Promotion authority). Some Democratic members were surprised by the remarks because, in their view, that there is much work left on the issues of the environment and labor. The Senate has yet to schedule a time to discuss Trade Promotion Authority, but it is expected to take up the legislation in September. ~~EPA Panel Mulls Tolerances for Starlink~~Scientific experts on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Scientific Advisory (FIFRA) Panel recently met to review new information supplied by Aventis on Starlink. The creator of StarLink corn, Aventis Crop Science, has requested that EPA set a tolerance level be set to indicate a level for safe consumption by humans. If EPA were to set a safe tolerance, it would allow foods with levels below tolerance to be distributed to the public. Panel members did release an opinion this week that there are too many variables about the potential allergic affects of StarLink corn and tests for the corn to recommend a safety tolerance for the product. The final report and recommendations are expected next month, but the initial inclination of the group is not to set a tolerance level for the product. ~~Telecommunications/Internet Groups Comment on Farm Bill~~The House Agriculture Committee continued its series of hearings with the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) testifying before the committee. Specifically, the NRTC asked for additional funding to help rural areas with high-speed internet access. The president of NRTC, Bob Phillips, asked the committee to increase the $100 million allowed annually to eligible rural entities in view of over $400 million in requests to increase high speed Internet access for rural communities. Phillips did not request a specific amount but proposed a loan guarantee program. An increase in funding for the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), under the USDA, is highly unlikely for this year as both the Senate and House have requested level funding of their budget. (Contact: Patrick Atagi) ~~President Warns of Veto Threat on Mexican Trucks~~The Senate is considering the FY2002 transportation spending bill which contains language that would prevent Mexican trucks from entering into the United States. Specifically, the language, introduced by Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), would require the Department of Transportation to perform a full, on-site, safety inspection of Mexican trucks before any operating certificate is granted for operation within the United States. President Bush has threatened to veto the legislation if the language remains as currently written because it would prevent the United States from conforming to its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) obligations. Under NAFTA, trucks from Mexico are granted passage into the United States as of January 1, 2002. Mexican domiciled carriers were supposed to have access into the United States along the borders by 2000, but President Clinton delayed opening of the borders based on safety concerns. Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Phil Gramm (R-Texas) announced that they would offer an amendment to take into account the administration's concerns. The McCain-Gramm amendment would require safety reviews, drug and alcohol testing, drivers' qualifications, and vehicle inspection records before issuance of conditional operating certificates. ~~Bush Holds Firm Against Kyoto Treaty~~Prior to the G-8 summit of the world's superpowers in Genoa, Italy, British Prime Minister Tony Blair met with President Bush to discuss the Kyoto Protocol agreement. Blair asked Bush to reconsider his opposition to embracing the Kyoto protocol which calls for a cut in greenhouse gas emissions. The protocol is faltering because of the Bush administration's decision to not follow the agreement. President Bush held firm to his position, but did note the U.S. would work toward a strategy that conforms to the goals of the Kyoto protocol. Without the U.S. support, though, the treaty will most likely remain stagnant. The G-8 summit ended on July 22 with world leaders agreeing to consider agreements reached on launching a new trade round and working with developing countries such as Africa in developing them to compete in the world economy. (Contact: Patrick Atagi) ~~Technology to Clean up Swine Manure~~North Carolina and Smithfield Foods, Inc., have selected technology adapted by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Florence, S.C., to clean up and dispose of manure from swine-production wastewater at a 4,360-pig farm in North Carolina's Duplin County. The environmentally superior new technology will be used by Smithfield Foods to replace current lagoons for cleaning up wastewater in the state's hog operations. A team of ARS scientists has devised an innovative way to remove the ammonia form of nitrogen from swine manure quickly, effectively and relatively inexpensively. They adapted a Japanese state-of-the-art technology for treating municipal wastewater with large populations of nitrifying bacteria entrapped in polymer gel pellets. The full-scale treatment system to be built in Duplin County will separate solids and liquids, make a soil-less growth medium from the solids, remove the nitrogen and phosphorus from the wastewater, and recycle clean water for the cleaning of the swine houses. ~~Science Helps with Calving Issues~~Calving difficulty, or dystocia, costs the U.S. beef and dairy cattle industries more than $400 million annually. Females giving birth to their first calf are most likely to have difficulty. But producers have dramatically reduced dystocia and resulting deaths of calves and their mothers, thanks to several decades of research by scientists at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory, in Miles City, Mont. Previously, retired ARS physiologist Robert Bellows and colleagues pinpointed calf birth weight as the most important cause of calving difficulty: Large calves mean more problems. They also found that feeding heifers to maximize growth from weaning to breeding increases the size of their skeleton and pelvis, which helps reduce dystocia. The scientists further showed that large, high-gaining sires produce calves with large birth weights. Based on this information, geneticists developed selection tools to improve calving ease. Additionally, breeders stopped selecting primarily for weaning weight and looked closely at keeping birth weight under control. Now laboratory scientists are focusing on hormonal and genetic influences. They've discovered that cows with difficulty calving have different estrogen and progesterone levels than cows that don't need assistance. They also have evidence that a gene on chromosome 2 may influence birth weight without influencing subsequent growth. Eventually, this information may yield more tools to help cows deliver calves easily. An article describing this research appears in the July issue of Agricultural Research, ARS' monthly magazine. ~~NASS to Release Data on Computer Usage~~On July 30, the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will release the third in a series of reports on Farm Computer Usage and Ownership. The report was previously issued in 1997 and 1999. Data will be published for the percent of farms who have access to computers, own computers, use computers for farm business, and access the Internet. For 2001, a new subset of information will be available on the specific uses of the Internet by farmers. All NASS reports are available at www.usda.gov/nass/. For more information, call 1-800-727-9540. STATE NEWS GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR DAIRY DEVELOPMENT ENHANCEMENT AND PROFITABILITY TEAMS The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has announced that up to $704,000 in grants are available for nonprofit organizations for the development of dairy development enhancement and profitability (DDEP) teams.The purpose of these grants is to establish an educational delivery team that will provide new technologies and information applicable to small and medium-sized dairy farms throughout the state. This assistance is designed to enhance the financial success and long-term sustainability of Minnesota dairy farms. DDEP teams work with farmers to help them adopt new practices and technologies that will help the farm become more sustainable. Examples of these practices include rotational grazing and other sustainable agricultural methods. The teams typically include agricultural educators, extension specialists and industry representatives. DDEP teams give producers the opportunity to brainstorm with professionals who give input on their operation. This allows all team members to contribute to the success of an operation through a focused approach. To help enhance financial success and long-term sustainability for producers, DDEP teams focus on improving cost control, milk production, milk quality, animal nutrition, milk marketing, comprehensive financial analysis, risk assessment education and improving environmental stewardship. "This program shows how ag-related industries are increasing their support for small and medium-sized operations," MDA Commissioner Gene Hugoson said. "This will become increasingly important as the state continues to implement its new feedlot rules." The programs are run by nonprofit organizations through grants received from the MDA. Because of ongoing economic difficulties in the dairy industry, at least one Minnesota dairy farm goes out of business every day. As a result, MDA has given preference to organizations targeted at assisting small and medium-sized operations. Programs with low administrative costs, relative to services delivered to farmers, are also favored. For a grant application contact MDA Project Consultant David Weinand at 651/215-3946. All grant applications must be received by August 13, 2001. (Contact: Ryan Benbo, 651/284-0279) WATERS NAMED STATE NOXIOUS WEED COORDINATOR The Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) has announced that Brenda Waters has been named state noxious weed coordinator. She graduated from Boise State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and received her Master of Science degree from the University of Idaho in weed science."Brenda brings to the position a wealth of knowledge and practical experience in the area of weed biology. She will continue meeting and working with local leaders and county officials to strengthen Idaho's Noxious Weed Program." said Director/Secretary Pat Takasugi. Since 1995, Waters has worked at the University of Idaho's Parma Extension doing weed science research and combating weeds in Southwest Idaho. She has extensive experience in cropland weed control including wheat, dry and snap beans, hay and seed alfalfa, peppermint, spearmint, field and sweet corn, clover, sugarbeets, potatoes, onions, orchard, and rangeland vegetation management. After the untimely death of Dr. Gary Lee, Waters was in charge of the Weed Control Program at Parma prior to accepting a position with ISDA in the Noxious Weed program. For the last 8 months, Brenda has worked as the noxious weed program specialist at ISDA. She has been working with cooperative weed management areas (CWMAs), researchers, educators, county weed superintendents, and other state and federal agencies to bring greater attention and resources to halting the spread of noxious weeds. In addition, her responsibilities have also included the distribution of more than $1.5 million to counties and CWMAs through the ISDA Noxious Weed Cost Share Program. The Cost Share Program funds are used to supplement local, on-the-ground weed prevention, eradication, control, restoration, bio-control, and education for noxious weeds throughout Idaho. (Contact: Julie Pipal, 208/332-8671) BISSETTE PROMOTED TO TOBACCO PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR Joseph Scott Bissette was recently promoted to tobacco program administrator for the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) Marketing Division. Bissette will serve as a liaison between NCDA&CS and tobacco interests, and will be responsible for following market trends and issues related to the industry."Tobacco is an important crop for North Carolina farmers that has undergone tremendous changes in recent years," said North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps. "As advocates for farmers, it is critical that the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services stay abreast of these sweeping changes and the potential impact they could have on producers and the farm economy. I am pleased Scott will be working closely with growers, tobacco groups and industry representatives." Bissette graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in Economics. He is also a 1984 graduate of Southern Nash Senior High School. Bissette worked on the family farm before joining NCDA&CS in 1995 as a Pesticide Inspector in the Food and Drug Protection Division. He was promoted in March 1998 to a Pesticide Specialist. He has served as a Horticultural Marketing Specialist II in the NCDA&CS Marketing Division since November 1998, where he was responsible for statewide marketing campaigns for sweetpotatoes, strawberries, pumpkins and organic crops. (Contact: Scott , 919/733-6152) |
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