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A publication of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture SENATORS CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR FARM DISASTER AID HOUSE APPROVES BILLS ON FARMLAND PRESERVATION AND PROPERTY RIGHTS CONGRESS ADJOURNS FOR ELECTIONS State News--FARMWORKERS TO BENEFIT FROM BILLS SIGNED BY GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER State News--FLORIDA NURSERY AND LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY'S IMPACT ON ECONOMY SOARS State News--WESTBY FARM IS HOME TO 2006 COW OF THE YEAR, NILSESTUEN ANNOUNCES _________________________________________________________Past Issues What's New on the NASDA Website
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SENATORS CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR FARM DISASTER AID A bipartisan group of more than 20 senators joined Senators Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) in demanding a vote last week on a bill to provide relief to farmers and ranchers recovering from natural disasters including drought, flood, and disease. Conrad asked for unanimous consent to allow for a floor vote on the latest version of agriculture disaster assistance (S. 3991); however, objections were raised. The bill, introduced by Conrad with 24 additional cosponsors, was the third attempt this year by the two North Dakota senators to get a vote on agriculture disaster assistance. Conrad's first disaster assistance bill easily passed the Senate, but was stripped out of a spending bill by the House Republicans after the White House threatened a veto. Since then, Senate Republican leaders have prevented any other votes on assisting farmers overcome natural disasters. When Conrad brought his bill up last week, he noted during his remarks that 34 farm organizations had informed the Congress of the United States to take action on disaster assistance and take it now. He also displayed NASDA's letter on an easel on the Senate floor during his remarks. "In addition, we have this letter from the State Commissioners of Agriculture from all across the country, saying that emergency agricultural disaster assistance is a high priority requiring action by Congress this year," Conrad said. In an attempt to overcome objections to farm disaster relief voiced by the administration, the Senate bill drops assistance to help producers pay the skyrocketing costs of fuel--costs that have eaten into the income of farmers and ranchers substantially. Early forecasts predict that farm income in 2006 has fallen $20 billion since last year. The most recent bill contains $4.9 billion in assistance for producers who demonstrate yield losses of more than 35 percent, quality losses, and damage to livestock feed supplies. It also provides payments for livestock losses. Besides Senators Conrad and Dorgan, the bill's cosponsors include the following senators: Max Baucus, D-Mont., Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Tim Johnson, D-S.D., Ben Nelson, D-Neb., John Thune, R-S.D., Ken Salazar, D-Col., Conrad Burns, R-Mont., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Barack Obama, D-Ill., Norm Coleman, R-Minn., Chuck Schumer, D-NY, Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Mark Dayton, D-Minn., Pat Leahy, D-Vt., Harry Reid, D-Nev., Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., Jim Jeffords, I-Vt., Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, Patty Murray, D-Wash., Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., Hillary Clinton, D-NY, Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, and Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. (Contact: Jennifer Yezak) HOUSE APPROVES BILLS ON FARMLAND PRESERVATION AND PROPERTY RIGHTS The House approved two bills before adjourning last week dealing with farmland protection grants and private property rights for homeowners. Both measures will now go to the Senate for action. The first bill (H.R. 5313) is the "Open Space and Farmland Preservation Challenge Grant Act." It would set aside 15 percent of Farmland Protection funds for cost-share grants to support the purchase of conservation easements by eligible state agencies, county agencies, and one or more eligible entities. The Farmland Protection Program is administered by USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and provides funds to state, tribal, and local governments, and non-governmental organizations to help them purchase conservation easements from willing sellers to limit conversion of farmland to non-agricultural uses. Currently, the federal government contributes up to 50 percent of the cost-share program. H.R. 5313 lowers the federal contribution to 25 percent allowing the federal dollars to go further. The second bill is H.R. 4772, the "Private Property Rights Implementation Act," which was approved by the House on a 231 to 181 vote. The legislation would allow landowners to go directly to federal courts to challenge "takings" of property by local governments under eminent domain authority. The legislation overturns two recent Supreme Court decisions on eminent domain which have generated much controversy. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) CONGRESS ADJOURNS FOR ELECTIONS The House and Senate adjourned late September 29 for the November elections after approving several homeland security measures while leaving a lot of unfinished business on appropriations and other policy issues. Congress is scheduled to return to work for a lame-duck session the week of November 13. Congress has only finished 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 passed a continuing appropriations resolution to fund government agencies and programs for the new 2007 fiscal year which began October 1. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) STATE NEWS FARMWORKERS TO BENEFIT FROM BILLS SIGNED BY GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER California Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura last week joined Calif. State Senator Denise Ducheny (D-San Diego) to announce that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed bills that will benefit farm workers. The bill signing announcement took place at Oceanside Produce in Oceanside, California. "These bills work together to improve conditions for those who work so hard on our farms, from safe vanpool transportation to housing and training" said Kawamura. "The bills will ultimately increase the competitiveness of California's agricultural industry and make the state's economy more viable." Below is the list of bills signed by Governor Schwarzenegger: * SB 1135 by Committee on Budget and Fiscal review establishes protocols to expend $20 million made available in the 2006-07 Budget Act for an agricultural worker transportation grant program. * SB 1690 by Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) authorizes the Employment Training Panel, on a limited basis, to fund the training of workers in seasonal industries. * SB 1802 by Ducheny increases the number of beds in group quarters from 12 to 36 that are allowable as employee housing on agricultural land. "Not only will this bill (SB 1690) provide job-related vocational skills training to workers in seasonal industries such as agriculture," said California Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Victoria Bradshaw. "It will also help increase worker productivity and wages." Others attending today's bill signing announcement included Assemblyman Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara), Western Growers Association Executive Vice-President and General Counsel Jasper Hempel, Luawanna Hallstrom, CEO of Harry Singh and Sons/Oceanside Produce, and representatives from the California Department of Housing and Community Development. "This legislative package, and specifically SB 1802, will increase affordable housing for farm workers near their jobs," said Department of Housing and Community Development Director Lynn L. Jacobs. "Having housing that is affordable also helps farmers secure the adequate workforce needed to put food on our tables." (Contact: Steve Lyle, 916/654-0462) FLORIDA NURSERY AND LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY'S IMPACT ON ECONOMY SOARS Florida nursery and landscape industry sales soared to a record $15.2 billion last year despite being pummeled by the eight major hurricanes that hit the Sunshine State in 2004 and 2005. This staggering 54% increase in just five years eclipsed the $9.9 billion in 2000 sales reported by the previous University of Florida-IFAS economic impact study. "This study showcases the nursery and landscape industry as one of Florida's most robust economic engines," said Ben Bolusky, Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association's (FNGLA) executive vice president. "Florida's nursery and landscape industry is comprised overwhelmingly of family farms and businesses," Bolusky said. "It is truly a small business industry with a big business impact on Florida's economy." Florida's nursery and foliage growers generated $3 billion in farm gate sales in 2005, clearly positioning Florida as the nation's second largest nursery crop production state after California. Nearly half of all nursery grower sales were to markets outside Florida. Landscape installation, maintenance and design services represented $5.26 billion in sales, while the garden center retail segment racked up sales of $6.97 billion. Total sales impacts were highest in the counties of Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Orange, Hillsborough, Broward, Pinellas, Duval, Volusia, Lee and Lake. In the aftermath of the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes, sixty percent of Florida's nursery growing operations suffered costly business interruptions for at least three weeks. Business for nearly a quarter of all of Florida's nurseries was interrupted for four months or more. The 2004 and '05 hurricanes hit the industry hard with an estimated $2.1 billion in nursery crop losses, structural damage and clean-up costs. "To have an industry grow so expansively in the face of the recent tropical punches thrown by Mother Nature is a true testimonial to the resiliency of the hardworking professionals in Florida's nursery and landscape industry," said FNGLA president Paul Polomsky. The Florida nursery and landscape industry's total employment impact increased by 131,000 jobs in the last five years representing an average annual increase of 11 percent. It directly employs 294,000 people statewide with a value-added impact of $5.19 billion in wages and salaries. Total employment impacts were highest in the counties of Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Orange, Hillsborough, Broward, Duval, Volusia, Pinellas, Lee and Lake. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson, joined the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association (FNGLA) as the results were announced during FNGLA's annual industry trade show at the Orange County Convention Center. The industry's economic impacts were evaluated and compared with results from the previous 1997 and 2000 studies also conducted by the University of Florida-IFAS. Each study was funded in part by the Farm Credit Associations of Florida. For a complete version of the 40-page economic impact report, access the following: http://economicimpact.ifas.ufl.edu. (Jennifer Nelis, 800/375-3642) WESTBY FARM IS HOME TO 2006 COW OF THE YEAR, NILSESTUEN ANNOUNCES A Jersey dairy cow named Norse Star Jude Berry is the 2006 Cow of the Year, Secretary of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Rod Nilsestuen announced today. "Congratulations to Mike and Merna Fremstad and Arden and Jan Sherpe of Norse Star Jerseys, Westby, on the selection of this outstanding animal as the Wisconsin Cow of the Year 2006," said Nilsestuen. "She represents the outstanding attributes that make Wisconsin America's Dairyland." Gov. Jim Doyle will make the Cow of the Year Proclamation at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4 at the Top of the World Jersey Sale, held during the World Dairy Expo at the Alliant Energy Center, Madison. Mike Fremstad noted that Norse Star Jude Berry is an outstanding animal that any Jersey breeder would be proud to own. Berry moved up to number 39 on the top 200 Jersey cow list following August milk production proofs. "I was happy and surprised when I got the news she had been named Cow of the Year," said Fremsted, who farms with his wife, Merna, and family. They are partners with Arden and Jan Sherpe in operating a 500-cow registered Jersey herd on 600 owned and rented acres. Merna Fremstad said her family has been involved with Jerseys since 1917, when Mike's grandfather Henry began the family history of breeding high quality Jersey cows. The Sherpe family has been in the Jersey business since 1942. Norse Star Jerseys LLC began in 1997 when the two families formed a business partnership. World-record producing cows are familiar to the Norse Star farm, as one of their cows--Normandell Khan Ariel, a four-year-old Jersey--produced over 43,000 pounds of milk in 2001. In 2005-06, Berry produced 38,669 pounds of milk containing 1,737 pounds of fat, or 4.5 percent, and 1,431 pounds of protein, or 3.7 percent. She was milked three times a day year-round. In addition to her outstanding production, she has been recognized for her genetic potential by many of the leading artificial insemination companies. The Jersey breed was selected to receive the Cow of the Year award according to a succession plan between the major dairy breeds as determined by the Wisconsin Purebred Dairy Cattle Association. (Contact: Donna Gilson, 608/224-5130) |