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A publication of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture NASDA ANNOUNCES 2007 FARM BILL RECOMMENDATIONS PROGRESS CONTINUES WITH TRI-LATERAL ACCORD WORKING GROUPS HOUSE AND SENATE ELECT NEW LEADERS SENATE PLANS VOTE ON AGRICULTURE SPENDING & DISASTER RELIEF CONGRESSIONAL AGENDA FOR LAME DUCK SESSION REMAINS UNCERTAIN State News--DR. MIKE MARSHALL TAKES EXTENDED MEDICAL LEAVE, HONORED FOR YEARS OF SERVICE State News--LOVELAND APPOINTS NEW WASHINGTON BEER COMMISSION _________________________________________________________Past Issues What's New on the NASDA Website
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NASDA ANNOUNCES 2007 FARM BILL RECOMMENDATIONS NASDA officially released its 2007 farm bill recommendations on November 16 at Trade Talk at the National Farm Broadcasters (NAFB) meeting in Kansas City, Missouri. The state agriculture officials finalized the document during NASDA's recent annual meeting in September. NASDA's President and Washington State Agriculture Director Valoria Loveland discussed NASDA's proposals with numerous farm broadcasters during the Kansas City event. NASDA's recommendations offer a broad, opportunity-based agricultural policy focusing on expanding and improving the safety net for farmers and ranchers. NASDA's recommendations also outline bold, new ideas to address environmental and food safety challenges. For the first time, NASDA's recommendations emphasize development of renewable energy resources, nutrition initiatives, and an expanded invasive species program. NASDA plans to present these policy recommendations to congressional lawmakers and the administration as Congress gears up their work on the 2007 farm bill. A copy of NASDA's reommendations and a summary highlighting NASDA's top 10 recommendations has been posted on the NASDA website under "Hot Issues." (Contact: Charlie Ingram) PROGRESS CONTINUES WITH TRI-LATERAL ACCORD WORKING GROUPS New Mexico Agriculture Secretary Miley Gonzalez and North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson led a NASDA delegation to participate in meetings of the Tri-Lateral Accord Working Groups in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico, November 16 to 18, 2006. Gonzalez is co-chair of the U.S./Mexico Accord Working Group and the Rural Development Tri-Lateral Working Group while Johnson is chair of NASDA's committee on Rural Development and Financial Security. Other NASDA delegates represented California, Illinois, and Iowa with speakers from New Mexico and Iowa also contributing to the meeting. Michoacan Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development Carlos Naranjo Urena hosted the meeting with delegates from several other Mexican states and Canadian provinces. Delegates agreed on strategic directions for 2007. Those included: * Address sustainable agriculture research and extension programs. * Participate in advancing conservation programs. * Promote agriculture and industry programs. * Create financing and marketing programs. A summary of outcomes with detailed action items can be located on the Accord website at http://www.nasda.org/Accord/. Work in bioenergy and nutritional program development will continue with possible implementation in 2008. Delegates learned about nutritional programs at schools in Mexico and met with leaders and growers at a local school and toured its kitchen and facilities. In addition, delegates also toured an anaerobic digester in a local community. Presentations were made on current research activities at Iowa State University on bioenergy development, recent marketing opportunities developed by a farmer in New Mexico, and community development in New Mexico. The tri-lateral working groups on harmonization and trade remedy policies also discussed plans for the coming months with a view toward progress by the next Tri-National Agricultural Accord meeting set for April 18 to 21, 2007, in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. (Contact: Jennifer Yezak) HOUSE AND SENATE ELECT NEW LEADERS Both political parties in the House and Senate last week elected new leaders for the upcoming 110th Congress. Democrats won a majority of seats in the November 7 elections to control both chambers for the first time in twelve years. The House Democratic Caucus voted November 16 for Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to be speaker of the House when Congress reconvenes January 4. Democratic lawmakers elected Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) the majority leader and Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) as majority whip. House Republicans voted to reelect most of their current leadership when they are in the minority party next year. Current Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) will be the minority leader and Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) was elected to be minority whip. Senate Democrats have chosen Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to be the new majority leader and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) as majority whip. Senate Republicans voted last week to elect Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as minority leader and Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) as minority whip. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) SENATE PLANS VOTE ON AGRICULTURE SPENDING & DISASTER RELIEF The Senate plans to debate and vote on the FY07 agriculture appropriations bill, including an emergency farm disaster assistance package, when lawmakers return to work December 5. The action comes after negotiations last week between Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and congressional leaders to allow a vote on the disaster relief amendment. The $4.5 billion emergency disaster assistance package would provide relief to farmers suffering from weather-related crop and livestock losses in 2005 and 2006. Farm state lawmakers have been pushing for the disaster relief package, but Republican leaders and the Bush administration have opposed the proposal because it does not include spending offsets. In June, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY07 agriculture appropriations bill which includes $3.5 billion in emergency disaster assistance. In September, the Senate defeated an amendment offered by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) that would have provided about $6.5 billion in emergency agriculture assistance. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) CONGRESSIONAL AGENDA FOR LAME DUCK SESSION REMAINS UNCERTAIN The legislative agenda for the congressional lame duck session remains uncertain, but lawmakers will be focused on passing the ten remaining FY07 appropriations bills. Lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill last week to organize and hold leadership elections. Congress is taking a two-week break for Thanksgiving and will reconvene December 4. Last week the Senate approved two FY07 spending bills for military construction and veteran's affairs, but made little progress on the ten outstanding appropriations bills. Progress on other budget bills was halted because some Republican lawmakers blocked action to demonstrate their oppositions to spending levels and legislative earmarks contained in the bills. The Senate will debate and vote on the FY07 agriculture appropriations bill and a disaster assistance amendment when lawmakers return to work the week of December 4 (see separate story). Meanwhile, both the House and Senate passed a continuing budget resolution to fund government operations and programs until December 8. There is much speculation that Congress will pass a long-term continuing resolution to fund government programs into next year or wrap up any remaining FY07 spending bills into an omnibus funding package. During the first congressional work week after the November 7 elections, lawmakers focused on getting organized and held leadership elections. No major legislative business was conducted and congressional staff says that no decisions have been made yet about what bills may be considered during December. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) STATE NEWS DR. MIKE MARSHALL TAKES EXTENDED MEDICAL LEAVE, HONORED FOR YEARS OF SERVICE Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) employees honored Utah State Veterinarian Dr. Michael R. Marshall's for his 23 years of service during a recent celebration at the Agriculture and Food Building. Marshall is taking an extended medical leave from his office. Marshall was praised by Utah Agriculture Commissioner Leonard Blackham as a dedicated and skilled public servant who helped keep the state's livestock industry strong and safe. The department's directors presented Dr. Marshall with a custom made quilt as a show of their appreciation for his service. The quilt was selected as a gift because Dr. Marshall likes quilts, but traditionally gave them away to family members after purchasing them at the department's Christmas auction. "This quilt was one the doctor could keep for himself," said employee Terry Menlove. Testimonials of their appreciation for Marshall's contribution to the state livestock industry and agriculture were given by representatives from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Utah Veterinary Medicine Association, the Bureau of Land Management, and Brent Tanner of the Utah Cattlemen's Association who spoke on behalf of Utah's producer groups. "I consider myself very fortunate to have worked in a profession that I enjoyed very much," said Dr. Mike Marshall. "I enjoyed working with animals and with the people of our department, and I enjoyed facing the daily challenges that came with this position. I hope I am remembered as a veterinarian whose decisions were based on sound medicine, not on politics," he added. Marshall's departure prompted Blackham to appoint Brands Bureau Chief, Terry Menlove as the division director, and Assistant State Veterinarian Dr. Earl Rogers as the acting state veterinarian. (Contact: Larry Lewis, 801/538-7104) LOVELAND APPOINTS NEW WASHINGTON BEER COMMISSION Washington's growing craft beer industry will now have a proud new advocacy and marketing organization to promote locally brewed ales and lagers. Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Director Valoria Loveland announced the appointment of six industry representatives to serve as the newly formed Washington Beer Commission. "Simply put, Washington produces some of the finest beer in the country and our new Beer Commission will help spread the word about these wonderful products," Loveland said. "Our microbrews emphasize quality and flavor, and are a signature product of the Evergreen State. And our renowned hops, barley and wheat are the perfect premium ingredients for the nation's best craft brewers." The commission will represent licensed breweries with less than 100,000 barrels annual production per location. The inaugural members of the Beer Commission are Bob Maphet, Diamond Knot Brewing Co., Mukilteo; Mark Irwin, Northern Lights Brewing Co., Spokane; Doug Hindeman, Elliott Bay Brewing Co., Seattle; George Hancock, Pyramid Breweries, Inc., Seattle; Jeff Smiley, Baron Brewing Co., Seattle; and Allen Rhoades, Anacortes Brewing Co., Anacortes. "Washington is a leader in the production of craft beers, which have grown to be an important segment of the beer market," said Arlen Harris, executive director of the Washington Brewers Guild. "One of our goals is to increase the sale of Washington beers in markets where competition is heavy from other states." Harris said the commission would work closely with the Washington Hop Commission to develop additional beverage tastes. Washington growers produce 75 percent of the nation's hops, which give beer its characteristic bitterness. During the 2006 session, the Washington State Legislature authorized the creation of the Beer Commission to promote the state's microbreweries. The law also required a referendum of microbrewers before any revenues were collected. For that simple-majority referendum to be valid, 30 percent of the state's brewers representing at least 30 percent of the volume brewed must participate in the vote. This fall, WSDA issued ballots to 84 licensed craft breweries in the state, and 56 breweries representing 84 percent of production participated in the referendum. The result of the vote was 47 in favor of creating the state's 25th commodity commission and nine opposed. To fund the commission's research, promotion and education activities, the industry-led commission will collect a ten-cent per barrel assessment on a maximum of 10,000 barrels per brewer. WSDA assists in the operation and organization of all the state's agricultural commodity commissions, including review and approval of commission budgets. Loveland appointed David Mudd, a WSDA international trade specialist, to serve as her representative on the Beer Commission. (Contact: Mike Louisell, 360/902-1813) MARYLAND'S BEST AGRICULTURAL BRANDING PROGRAM TO BE REDEVELOPED: FARMERS ASKED TO COMPLETE SURVEY FOR NEW WEBSITE Maryland's Best, a branding program to promote the uniqueness and quality of agricultural products grown in the state is being redeveloped. An important component of the program will be a relaunched dynamic and informative website. The new the website (http://www.marylandsbest.net) will be a resource for both consumers and wholesale buyers and will better promote Maryland-grown products throughout the state and the region. The Maryland Department of Agriculture is seeking producer input into the new website through a survey that is in the mail. "Over the past two years as we have met with farmers all over Maryland leading up to the Governor's Agricultural Forum, and found that the top concern was keeping farming profitable," said Agriculture Secretary Lewis R. Riley. "The Maryland's Best program is just one of the ways we are raising the visibility of delicious, high quality Maryland-grown products to consumers. The goal of the program is to keep farmers on the land and keep agriculture profitable in Maryland." The new website is expected to be an easy-to-navigate, consumer-friendly resource and will contain expanded information about participating farming operations. In order for the new website to be the best marketing resource possible, MDA has sent out surveys to farmers requesting information about their operations. Producers are encouraged to fill out these surveys and return them to MDA Marketing Services at 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401 by November 30, 2006. Anyone growing or processing agricultural products in Maryland is eligible to participate in Maryland's Best. To request a survey or for more information about participating in the Maryland's Best program, call 410/841-5770. (Contact: Sue duPont, 410/841-5889) |