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A publication of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture STATE AG COMMISSIONERS ELECT LOVELAND NASDA PRESIDENT NASDA MEMBERS FINALIZE 2007 FARM BILL RECOMMENDATIONS INTERSTATE MEAT BILL INTRODUCED IN HOUSE NASDA URGES CONGRESS TO TAKE ACTION ON DISASTER ASSISTANCE USDA AND INDUSTRY LEADERS SPEAK AT NASDA ANNUAL MEETING CONGRESS PREPARES TO ADJOURN FOR ELECTIONS NASDA HONOR AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED SENATE APPROVES MANDATORY PRICE REPORTING LEGISLATION HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE PASSES RESOLUTION EMBRACING NEW ENERGY VISION USDA ANNOUNCES NOTICE OF AVAILABLE FUNDS FOR SPECIALTY CROP BLOCK GRANTS State News JOHNSON NAMES TWO AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT EXECUTIVES State News--BRONSON ANNOUNCES KICKOFF OF CONSUMER EDUCATION BRAIN BOWL _________________________________________________________Past Issues What's New on the NASDA Website
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STATE AG COMMISSIONERS ELECT LOVELAND NASDA PRESIDENT Valoria Loveland, director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture, was elected as the new president of the NASDA during its annual meeting held in Norfolk, Virginia, on September 15 to 20. As president of NASDA, Loveland will represent the states' interests in national farm policy. "I look forward to working with members of Congress to develop an effective national farm policy that supports diverse interests in every corner of the country," said Loveland. "The farm bill is so broad and touches so many issues relevant to rural communities. In Washington state, it benefits farming families, but also conservation programs to support salmon recovery, international trade promotion and clean energy production. I'm looking forward to the challenge." Loveland was appointed to serve as director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) in June 2002. She oversees a state agency responsible for animal health, plant inspections, pesticide regulation, food safety, fruit and grain inspection and certification, and the marketing of agricultural products regionally and internationally. She is a former state senator, treasurer of Franklin County, Washington, and chair of the state's Public Disclosure Commission. Loveland is the first woman to serve as president of NASDA since the association's beginnings in 1915. She is also the first woman appointed to serve as the director of the WSDA. Washington state will host NASDA's annual meeting next year in Seattle on Sept. 21 to 26. NASDA members also elected Roger Johnson, commissioner of the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, as president-elect; Douglas Gillespie, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources as vice president; and Ron Sparks, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture, was elected secretary-treasurer. (Contact: Rick Kirchhoff) NASDA MEMBERS FINALIZE 2007 FARM BILL RECOMMENDATIONS NASDA members finalized their policy recommendations for the 2007 farm bill during NASDA's annual meeting which was held September 15 to 20 in Norfolk, Virginia. NASDA will officially release and distribute the comprehensive document in the coming weeks. NASDA's farm bill proposals address nine core areas of a broad, opportunity-based agricultural policy. These policy areas include: (1) Farm and Ranch Financial Viability; (2) Enhancing Domestic and International Markets; (3) Sustaining Agricultural Resources: Land, Water, and Air; (4) Rural Development; (5) Safe, Healthy and Nutritious Food; (6) Agricultural Bio-Industry Development and Energy; (7) Biotechnology; (8) Bio-Security: Safeguarding Plants and Animal; and (9) Infrastructure. NASDA plans to present these policy recommendations to congressional lawmakers and the administration as Congress gears up their work on the 2007 farm bill. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) INTERSTATE MEAT BILL INTRODUCED IN HOUSE Bipartisan legislation (H.R. 6130) was introduced in the House on September 2 that would allow interstate sales of state-inspected meat and poultry. The bill was introduced by House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and thirteen original cosponsors. The key objectives of H.R. 6130 are to: (1) ensure that all meat and poultry products are inspected under a seamless national inspection system; and (2) eliminate the prohibition on interstate shipment of state-inspected meat and poultry products. NASDA and other agriculture groups have long sought to fix current law which is outdated and restricts free markets. The 1967 and 1968 Meat and Poultry Acts prohibit state-inspected products (beef, poultry, pork, lamb, and goat) from being sold in interstate commerce. However, the prohibition does not apply to "non-amenable" products--such as venison, pheasant, quail, rabbit, and a host of others. These products are normally regulated by state inspection programs, yet can be shipped in interstate commerce without restriction. NASDA has pointed out that it does not make sense to allow these products to be shipped across state borders while beef, poultry, pork, lamb, and goats cannot be shipped interstate. NASDA has also emphasized that H.R. 6130 would ensure fairness in trade. Foreign-produced meat and poultry products can be freely shipped and sold anywhere in the U.S. as long as that foreign country's inspection program is equivalent to U.S. federal standards the same standard which state meat inspection programs must meet. H.R. 6130 would provide U.S. small businesses the same marketing opportunities given to companies in foreign countries. Similar legislation (S. 3519) was introduced in the Senate in June by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) which now has twelve cosponsors. NASDA has organized a coalition of agricultural and farm groups to support passage of H.R. 6130 and S. 3519. NASDA is encouraging its members to contact their congressional lawmakers asking them to cosponsor and support the bills. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) NASDA URGES CONGRESS TO TAKE ACTION ON DISASTER ASSISTANCE NASDA just concluded its annual meeting in Virginia last week, wherein significant concerns were expressed about the dramatic nature and extent of disaster-related conditions for U.S. agriculture over the last two years. NASDA members are urging Congress to support emergency disaster assistance for farmers and ranchers suffering losses and damages in 2005 and 2006. "This assistance is critically needed to help farmers, ranchers and their communities recoup from financial losses due to hurricanes, drought, fires, tornadoes, floods, and other natural disasters occurring in both years," NASDA President Valoria Loveland said in a letter to Congress. NASDA believes that emergency agricultural disaster assistance is a high priority requiring action by Congress this year. This week, a discharge petition on agriculture disaster assistance (H. Res. 998) will be available for Members of Congress to sign. The discharge petition would require the House of Representatives to consider agriculture disaster assistance legislation once 218 members of Congress have signed it. The discharge petition was introduced by Congressman John Barrow of Georgia with the support of Democratic leadership, including House Agriculture Committee Ranking Democrat Collin Peterson of Minnesota, and Rural Working Group co-chairs Bob Etheridge of North Carolina and Stephanie Herseth of South Dakota. A discharge petition starts a process to force a bill out of committee. A coalition of more than 30 farm and allied organizations, including the National Farmers Union, American Farm Bureau Federation, Independent Community Bankers of America, Farm Credit Council and others have recognized the critical need for disaster assistance and are urging Congress to act quickly and decisively to provide comprehensive relief before the October recess. More than 60 percent of all U.S. counties have been declared primary or contiguous disaster areas by the USDA this year, and last year, 80 percent of counties were primary or contiguous disaster areas. A press conference call with Members of Congress leading the charge on the discharge petition is expected to take place early this week. (Contact: Jennifer Yezak) USDA AND INDUSTRY LEADERS SPEAK AT NASDA ANNUAL MEETING Last week, NASDA members heard from a number of USDA and industry leaders on issues impacting agriculture. Among those speaking were Bruce Knight, USDA under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs; Larry Pope, CEO, Smithfield Foods; Bibb Swain, Founder, Delta-T Corp.; Meyera Oberndor, mayor of Virginia Beach, Va.; and Scott Chapman, Senior Vice President, Richmond Cold Storage. Knight addressed the issue of animal identification, trade, and specialty crops in his remarks. He told NASDA members that he has a commitment to transparency and working in partnership with states and producers in setting up a voluntary animal identification system. He also discussed cooperative partnerships and having them built on a transparent platform with incentives--awarding states with highest performancewith contracts moving forward. Pope discussed agriculture from the processors point of view with emphasis on trade, working with producers, and animal welfare issues. The other speakers highlighted the growing ethanol industry; the nexus of farmland preservation and urban sprawl; and shipping issues and advantages from the Port of Norfolk which has the world's tallest and fastest container cranes. (Contact: Jennifer Yezak) CONGRESS PREPARES TO ADJOURN FOR ELECTIONS Both the House and Senate are preparing to adjourn on September 29 for the November elections and lawmakers are facing a hectic legislative agenda before leaving town this week. Congress is scheduled to return to work for a lame-duck session the week of November 13. Congress is expected to finish work on only two FY07 appropriations bills for defense and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). All of the remaining appropriations bills, including the agriculture spending bill, will be considered when Congress returns in November. Lawmakers are expected to pass a continuing appropriations resolution to fund government agencies and programs for the new 2007 fiscal year which begins October 1. Most of the legislative agenda this week will be focused on homeland security issues, such as electronic surveillance and border security. Lawmakers are also holding hearings this week on a wide range of high profile topics, including taxes, Medicare, trade, and immigration. The House Agriculture Committee is holding more hearings on the 2007 Farm Bill before adjourning. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) NASDA HONOR AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED Connie Riherd, Jeff Weispfenning, and Jessica Chittenden were honored at NASDA's annual meeting last week for outstanding professionalism and service to state departments of agriculture. Connie Riherd was the recipient of the James A. Graham Award for Outstanding Service to Agriculture; Jeff Weispfenning was the winner of the NASDA Honor Award for Administration; and Jessica Chittenden the recipient of the Honor Award for Communications. The award is for outstanding work in media and public communications. Connie Riherd is the assistant director of the Division of Plant Industry with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Riherd joined the Division of Plant Industry in the fall of 1977. Connie has served as assistant director since 1988. Jeff Weispfenning, North Dakota's deputy agriculture commissioner, has served since 1989. Weispfenning is responsible for general department administration and planning, fiscal management, including preparation of the biennial budget and annual payrolls, and human resource management, including personnel policies, performance reviews and personnel recruitment. Jessica Chittenden has served as the New York Department of Agriculture director of communications since 2000. She serves as the spokesperson for agriculture and food safety issues on behalf of Governor George Pataki and the state agriculture commissioner. SENATE APPROVES MANDATORY PRICE REPORTING LEGISLATION Last week, the U.S. Senate reauthorized the law requiring meat packers to report the prices they pay producers for animals. Senators approved by unanimous consent a five-year reauthorization of the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999. The House passed an identical bill last September. The law expired Sept. 30, 2005. The legislation had bipartisan congressional support and backing from the animal agriculture industry. Among those organizations were the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA). Mandatory price reporting requires meat packers to report to the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) daily price and volume information on negotiated and non-negotiated purchases of cattle and boxed beef sales. In addition, companies are also required to report beef exports and imports. "Pork producers are extremely grateful to the Senate for taking action on this important legislation," said NPPC President Joy Philippi, a pork producer from Bruning, Neb. "The mandatory price reporting law is an important tool that helps producers make business and production decisions." "This reporting process is important to U.S. cattle ranchers, and since the mandatory law expired last fall, we have been working diligently to urge its renewal," said NCBA President and Missouri cattle producer Mike John. (Contact: Jennifer Yezak) HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE PASSES RESOLUTION EMBRACING NEW ENERGY VISION Last week, the House Committee on Agriculture approved H. Con. Res. 424, which embraces a new national vision of meeting 25 percent of the nation's energy needs from renewable sources by 2025. The 25x'25 resolution has the support of a broad coalition including agriculture, industry, and environmental leaders, as well as governors, four state legislatures, over 80 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, and 27 co-sponsors in the Senate. NASDA supports this resolution and is a member of the 25x'25 Steering Committee. "25x'25 is a bold energy vision for this nation," said Read Smith, Co-Chair of the 25x'25 Steering Committee. "It has the support of Republicans, Democrats, industry, and environmental leaders - and the agriculture and forestry communities are at its heart. All of the 25x'25 partners have shown great leadership in helping to forge a new energy future." Lead sponsors include: Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Collin Peterson (D-Minn), Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.), Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), and Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.); and Sens. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Ken Salazar (D-Colo.), Dick Lugar (R-Ind.), and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). Over the last two years, support has been building for the 25x'25 initiative, which would tap renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and biofuels. More than 275 organizations have endorsed the vision, along with 18 governors. More information on H. Con. Res. 424 can be found at http://agriculture.house.gov/inside/legislation.html. (Contact: Drew Steans) USDA ANNOUNCES NOTICE OF AVAILABLE FUNDS FOR SPECIALTY CROP BLOCK GRANTS This week, USDA announced that the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will award block grants to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. The "Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004" authorizes USDA to make grants to states for each of the fiscal years 2005 through 2009 to be used by state departments of agriculture solely to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and nursery crops (including floriculture). Of the approximately $7 million available for grants, each state that submits an application that is reviewed and approved by AMS, will receive $100,000. In addition, each state will receive an amount that represents the proportion of the value of specialty crop production using the latest available complete data set in all states whose applications are accepted. The notice provides a list of the base grant amount for each state. NASDA is urging Congress to approve additional funds in the fiscal year FY07 agricultural appropriations bill to continue this grant program. Currently, the House version of the FY07 agricultural appropriations bill, H.R.5384, the "Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act," provides $15.6 million for the block grant program. The Senate version, as approved by the Senate Committee on Appropriations, provides $10 million. As Congress resolves the differences in funding levels, NASDA urges a conference committee funding level of $15.6 million. Instructions to apply for a grant are available in the Sept. 11, 2006, Federal Register, or on the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program website at http:www.ams.usda.gov/fv/. AMS must receive applications no later than Oct. 11, 2007. For more information, call Trista Etzig at 202/690-4942; Margaret Irby at 202/720-3209; or e-mail: Scblockgrants@usda.gov. (Contact: Jennifer Yezak) STATE NEWS JOHNSON NAMES TWO AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT EXECUTIVES North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson has appointed Kenneth Junkert as Plant Industries program manager in the North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA). "Ken has overseen major improvements, including new marketing programs, new accounting procedures and the overhaul of communications systems, in the department's Executive Services program area," said Johnson. "I know he will show the same enthusiasm and ability in managing Plant Industries." The Plant Industries program area includes pesticide enforcement, plant protection, noxious weeds, chemical and feed registration and apiary programs. A Mandan native, Junkert graduated from the University of Mary, Bismarck, and is currently completing a master's degree in public administration from the University of North Dakota. He lives in Bismarck with his wife, Dawn, and their two children. Junkert succeeds Jeff Olson, who resigned to take a position with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in St. Paul, Minnesota. Johnson also announced that Jeff Knudson will succeed Junkert as NDDA's new Executive Services program manager. Executive Services includes marketing, mediation, policy analysis and development, communications and reception. "I am pleased that Jeff has returned to North Dakota and to NDDA," Johnson said. "His knowledge of federal farm programs and policies, coupled with proven administrative ability, are real assets to the department." A native of McVille, Knudson attended Mayville State University before taking over the family farm with his brother. He was hired as a part-time negotiator for the North Dakota Agricultural Mediation Service (AMS) in 1991, and in 1994, he moved to Bismarck to direct the Farm Management for Profit program. Johnson named him the administrator of AMS in 1997. Knudson has operated a fencing business in Arizona the past two years. Knudson and his wife, Lenette, live in Bismarck. They have two children. (Contact Ted Quanrud, 701/328-2233) BRONSON ANNOUNCES KICKOFF OF CONSUMER EDUCATION BRAIN BOWL Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson has announced the first phase of the annual LifeSmarts program is now underway in Florida. The online competition will culminate in a battle for the state championship at the state fair in Tampa on February 19, 2007. LifeSmarts is an innovative high school competition conducted across the United States that tests students on their knowledge of consumer issues, including financial management, consumer rights and responsibilities, health and safety issues, technology and the environment. The Department is the lead agency for consumer protection issues and is the state sponsor of LifeSmarts, which is entering its second decade in Florida. LifeSmarts is conducted in a game-show style format, providing teens with a fun and exciting way to learn about important issues. Participants gain meaningful consumer knowledge, access to information, awareness of consumer resources, and confidence to participate in today's dynamic global marketplace. They also develop teamwork skills, self-esteem, verbal communication skills, and leadership abilities. LifeSmarts helps teens become better decision-makers and savvy consumers. There is no cost to participate in the program. Teens will compete on line until January 12, 2007 and top scoring teams will move on to the state competition. The Department will provide expenses for the winner of the state event to attend and compete in the national competition which is held in different cities each year. The 2007 national competition will held in Orlando, Florida, in April. The last time the national LifeSmarts competition was held in Orlando was in 2003, a Florida team took home the national title, beating the other finalist with just seconds to spare. The National Consumers League, (NCL) a non-profit organization promoting and protecting consumer issues is the national sponsor of the LifeSmarts event. The NCL works in partnership with other nonprofit, government and education groups. News media can find out if any teams from a particular area have made the final cut for the state competition by contacting LifeSmarts state coordinator Gwen Worlds at 850/410-3702 after January 12, 2007. To find out more about LifeSmarts, visit http://www.lifesmarts.org. (Contact: Gwen Worlds, 850/410-3702) |