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A publication of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture FRED DAILEY TO LEAVE THE DEPARTMENT
TAKASUGI TO WRAP UP 10 YEARS WITH THE IDAHO STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DON AMENT TO RETIRE FROM PUBLIC SERVICE NASDA HIGHLIGHTS FARM BILL RECOMMENDATIONS TRADE OFFICIAL NOTES FOREIGN DEMAND A U.S. AG OPPORTUNITY State News--AASNESS NAMED STATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR MINNESOTA State News--MYERS DAIRY--INNOVATION AND AGRONOMIC STEWARDSHIP
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All policy amendments to be considered at the Midyear Meeting, Feb. 7 to 12, are due in the NASDA office by January 25, 2007. Electronic copies please! Midyear group hotel rates are available until Wednesday, January 10, and early-bird registration ends on January 20. Find additional information and register online at http://www.nasda.org/ under the "Calendar" section. NASDA WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS Idaho Governor Butch Otter nominated Celia Gould as Idaho agriculture director/secretary on Dec. 22. Gould is a cattle rancher who was in the state Legislature for 15 years and chaired the House Judiciary Committee. Vermont Governor Jim Douglas nominated Roger Allbee as Vermont agriculture secretary Dec. 14. Allbee has worked for the Farm Services Agency since 2003. He has also worked in the private sector, as a banker, and as a staff member for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture. Colorado Governor-elect Bill Ritter has nominated farmer and longtime Prowers County Commissioner John Stulp as Colorado agriculture commissioner. Stulp served as a Prowers County commissioner from 1991, when he was appointed to fill a vacancy, until January 2005. He also has served on numerous other boards and commissions, including the state Board of Agriculture (1986 to 1995), state Wildlife Commission (1995-99), the Connect Colorado technology committee (1996), and the Colorado Ag Development Authority & Value Added Board (2005-06). A member of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union since 1975, Stulp for the last several years has been a leading proponent of building wind farms in wheat fields as a way to develop new economic opportunities and jobs for Colorado's farmers and ranchers. Stulp's family farming operation is home to the Lamar Light and Power Wind Farm, and Stulp is a principal in Prairie Wind Energy LLC. (Contact: Rick Kirchhoff) FRED DAILEY TO LEAVE THE DEPARTMENT Fred Dailey is leaving the Ohio Agriculture Department (ODA) after 16 years when Governor-elect Ted Strickland is sworn in on Jan. 8. Gov. George Voinovich, a Republican, hired him in 1991. Fred L. Dailey has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation and has served as its chairman since August 16, 2002. He also serves as chairman of the Corporate Governance Committee and is a member of the Compensation Committee and the Public Policy Committee. His appointment to the Board was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 29, 2002. Dailey has served as the director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) since 1991. Prior to that time, he was the executive vice president of the Ohio Beef Council and executive secretary of the Ohio Cattlemen's Association from 1982 to 1991 and served as the director of the Indiana Division of Agriculture from 1975 to 1981. Dailey is past president of NASDA and has received the FFA Honorary State Farmer degree from both Ohio and Indiana. In 1998, he received the national "Outstanding State Agriculture Executive" award presented by the Biotechnology Industry Organization and was named "Man of the Year" by Progressive Farmer magazine in 1999. Dailey resides on a working farm in Ohio where he raises Angus cattle. ODA deputy director Fred Shimp, who has worked with Dailey all of his 16 years, said he's left a lasting mark on agriculture in Ohio. "When it comes to advocating for this industry, he's an absolute bulldog." (Contact: Rick Kirchhoff) TAKASUGI TO WRAP UP 10 YEARS WITH THE IDAHO STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Idaho State Department of Agriculture Director Pat Takasugi announced Dec. 13 that he will leave the agency at the end of December, completing 10 years of service to the state's citizens and 25,000 farmers and ranchers. Takasugi was appointed director in 1996 by Governor Phil Batt. He was reappointed by Govs. Dirk Kempthorne in 1998 and Jim Risch in 2006. "What we've done in the last 10 years have been nothing short of extraordinary. We've improved regulatory conditions for the agriculture industry while protecting the environment. We've improved protections for seed growers, fought noxious weeds and improved the marketability of Idaho-grown commodities," Takasugi said. "It has truly been an honor to represent the state's agriculture industry, and I'm proud to leave to the next director and next governor a thriving, growing agriculture industry," Takasugi said. Takasugi will return to his farm in southwestern Idaho. Takasugi is a grower/shipper with more than 1,500 irrigated row crop acres of alfalfa seed, onions, wheat, pea seed, and garden bean seed on fields near Wilder and Homedale. Takasugi is a third generation farmer. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Albertson College in Caldwell. After he graduated in 1971, he served five years active service and five years reserve service in the U.S. Army, achieving the rank of captain. While in active service, Pat served as a Green Beret A-Team commander in the U.S. Special Forces, 10th Group. Pat and his wife, Suzanne, have three children; Taylor, Cole and Paige. Takasugi is recognized as a leader in the agriculture industry, and has served many key positions designed to promote positive changes to state and national agriculture policies. Among those positions: chair of the U.S.-Canada Working Group, advisory to U.S. Trade Representative and USDA; chairman, Governor's Idaho Invasive Species Council; co-chair, NASDA's Warehouse Task Force; member, USDA Agricultural Air Quality Task Force; member, The Farm Foundation's Executive Committee; member, University of Idaho, College of Agriculture, Dean's Advisory Board; member, NASDA Board of Directors and past president of NASDA, Western Association of State Departments of Agriculture (WASDA), the Western United States Agricultural Trade Association (WUSATA); member, NASDA's Biotechnology Task Force and Specialty Crop Task Force. (Contact: Rick Kirchhoff) DOUG GILLESPIE LEAVING MDAR Massachusetts Agriculture Commissioner and NASDA Vice President Douglas Gillespie was replaced by incoming Governor Deval L. Patrick. Scott Soares will serve as acting commissioner until a permanent commissioner is named. Douglas P. Gillespie has served as commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) since April 3, 2002, under Governors Jane Swift and Mitt Romney. The department, organized in 1852, is one of the oldest state agencies in the United States, and has as its dual missions 1) the protection and preservation of a safe local food supply coupled with the promotion of Massachusetts farms and agricultural products and 2) the protection and preservation of Massachusetts farmlands and natural resources. Prior to becoming commissioner, Doug Gillespie was employed as assistant executive director of the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, the member advocacy organization for Bay State farmers. He had been on the Farm Bureau staff for twelve years, and prior to that had been active in livestock media and marketing careers in Massachusetts, Illinois and Missouri. He is a graduate of the University of Maine, with a B.S. degree in secondary education, and an A.S. degree in animal science. He grew up on the family farm in Weston, Massachusetts, and was active in 4-H club programs. Gillespie's family maintains one of the oldest flocks of Horned Dorset Sheep in the United States, and the Woodleigh Farms flock has won several championships in national competition. On his mother's side of the family, Mayunsook Farm Guernsey cattle were kept for many years in northern Berkshire County, and the family has also been active in quality Morgan horses, Black Cochin bantams, Fantail and Muff Tumbler fancy pigeons, and registered Basset hounds. Beginning as a 4-H club project in the late sixties, Gillespie also developed highly regarded flocks of Hampshire and Montadale sheep, which grew to over 150 brood ewes in the early eighties. Gillespie Sheep Company hosted annual seed stock production sales, and participated in shows and sales from California and Oregon to New England and the East coast. The flocks were dispersed in the mid-eighties before Gillespie and his family returned to Massachusetts. Gillespie is also active in his local community, and currently serves as a member of the Weston Board of Selectmen. He also serves as Vice-Chair of the 11-town MetroWest Growth Management Committee. He formerly chaired both the Public Works Committee and Solid Waste & Recycling Advisory Committee for the Town of Weston. Gillespie is past president of the Northeast Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NEASDA), and served on the Board of Directors of NASDA. Gillespie is a trustee of the Eastern States Exposition, and corporator of the Massachusetts 4-H Foundation. He is a member of the Massachusetts Agricultural Club, Middlesex County Farm Bureau, Boston Poultry Exposition, and Essex Agricultural Society. Gillespie has been married to his wife, Denise, since 1983, and they have one son, Seth. The Gillespies enjoy dividing their time between the family farm in Weston (where they keep heritage breeds of goats, sheep, llamas, donkeys and miniature horses) and Denise's family ranch in central Texas (where they maintain a commercial cow-calf herd). In his spare time, Gillespie enjoys bringing agriculture to Massachusetts citizens through an educational farmyard at several Massachusetts agricultural fairs. (Contact: Rick Kirchhoff) DON AMENT TO RETIRE FROM PUBLIC SERVICE Colorado Agriculture Commissioner Don Ament announced his retirement from public service January 3. Ament will return to his family farm near the town of Iliff in northeastern Colorado. "Serving as Colorado agriculture's principal advocate has been the most rewarding part of my career," Ament said. "I hope I have made some measure of difference for a brighter and more prosperous future for Colorado's farmers and ranchers." Ament was appointed to the state's top ag post in 1999 by Governor Bill Owens and has served in the position continuously since. Prior to serving in Owens' cabinet, Ament was a twelve-year veteran of the Colorado General Assembly serving four years in the state House of Representatives and eight as a state senator. In the Senate, Ament served as chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, he chaired the Capitol Development Committee, and served on the Senate Education Committee. Ament's public service began with his election to the local school board in Sterling, Colorado, where he served fourteen years. He also served five years on the State Board of Education and was elected president of the Colorado Association of School Boards. Ament is regarded as one of the state's top water experts and has been an outspoken advocate for development of Colorado's natural resources, such as timber, coal, and water. Ament served as president of the Western Association of State Departments of Agriculture (WASDA) and chairman of the Natural Resources Committee of NASDA. Ament faced several challenges during his tenure, including several years of drought, an outbreak of chronic wasting disease in some of the state's alternative livestock herds, and dealing with the nation's first case of BSE. In addition, an economic downturn resulted in a 25 percent cut in the department's budget. In spite of these challenges, the agency expanded its domestic marketing efforts, updated its animal health statutes, and established a sound financial footing for the State Fair. Ament's retirement is effective January 9, 2007. (Contact: Rick Kirchhoff) NASDA HIGHLIGHTS FARM BILL RECOMMENDATIONS NASDA officially released its 2007 farm bill recommendations in November 2006. The state agriculture officials finalized the document during NASDA's annual meeting in September. NASDA's recommendations offer a broad, opportunity-based agricultural policy focusing on expanding and improving the safety net for farmers and ranchers. NASDA plans to present highlights each week in NASDA News in preparation for NASDA's Midyear Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., February 7 to 12, 2007, and as Congress gears up its work on the 2007 farm bill. A copy of NASDA's recommendations and a summary of highlights are posted on the NASDA website under "Hot Issues." This week, NASDA highlights recommendations on "Economic Safety Nets and Assistance Programs." As outlined in NASDA's recommendations a price/income safety net is a necessity for the agriculture industry in today's global competitive markets. Maintaining the market loan and counter cyclical programs that are currently in place as part of the 2002 farm bill is necessary until revenue insurance is available for all producers. Furthermore, the U.S. must demonstrate to its trading partners that the U.S. is serious about using all the tools available under the World Trade Organization (WTO) to maintain U.S. market share. The next farm bill must also retain planting flexibility, which will allow producers to plant crops they believe will provide the greatest return. Among the key recommended actions are: * Permanent disaster assistance should be provided for in the farm bill rather than on an ad hoc basis. Disaster assistance should be relative to the cost of production with payment eligibility determined by participation in a federally sanctioned program, where available. Disaster assistance must be provided in an on-going, consistent, and predictable manner to be fully effective. * Market Loan and Counter Cyclical programs should be maintained in federal farm policy until further analysis of the agriculture budget and the results of WTO rules and negotiations on farm policy. * Expand crop insurance options with an emphasis on whole farm revenue insurance. * Payment limitations must be clearly established and enforceable. Money saved from payment limits must remain in the agriculture budget. In addition, the "three entity rule" needs to be reviewed. Moreover, the General Accounting Office (GAO) should study the impact of direct payments on land values. (Contact: Jennifer Yezak) TRADE OFFICIAL NOTES FOREIGN DEMAND A U.S. AG OPPORTUNITY According to Ambassador Richard Crowder, chief agricultural negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the sale of farm products abroad will be a major source of revenue in 2007 for America's farmers and ranchers. While addressing a conference during the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, this week, Crowder acknowledged the importance of farm exports for the national economy. "Trade is fundamental for U.S. agriculture," Crowder said. "And agriculture is fundamental for U.S. trade." He listed a series of bilateral and multilateral farm trade negotiations undertaken by the administration in the past year to boost such exchange. Among other accomplishments he cited, the U.S. and trading partners implemented the Central American Free Trade Agreement--Dominican Republic pact, concluded trade treaties with Peru, Panama and Colombia, and also signed agreements with Ukraine and Russia. In 2007, the total value of U.S. farm exports is forecast to reach $77 billion. Exports account for one-quarter of all agricultural cash receipts annually. Crowder called on Congress to ratify such measures promptly. Once ratified, he declared, they "will help level the playing field by affording U.S. growers these markets." National lawmakers must also extend the president's trade promotion authority (TPA), a power that facilitates a clear, definitive vote on any new agreements negotiated by the administration. NASDA recommends that Congress reauthorize Trade Promotion Authority to allow flexibility for U.S. negotiators. News reports also highlighted that U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) is calling for an extension of TPA and that it should include trade enforcement capability and environmental provisions. "We need to finish the job by passing them through Congress and getting them so that you can sell your products," Crowder added. "All trade negotiations ought to have TPA because of the importance of these agreements for agriculture and the U.S. economy in general." Although talks in the World Trade Organization's Doha Round were suspended last summer, Crowder pointed out that work on an international framework of reciprocal trading rules has continued. (Contact: Jennifer Yezak) APHIS RELEASES BSE PROPOSAL Last week the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced a proposal to expand the list of allowable imports from countries recognized as presenting a minimal risk of introducing bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) into the United States. Currently, Canada is the only minimal-risk country designated by the United States. The proposal expands upon a rule published by APHIS in January 2005 that allowed the importation of certain live ruminants and ruminant products, including cattle under 30 months of age for delivery to a slaughterhouse or feedlot, from countries recognized as minimal-risk. APHIS is proposing to allow the importation of: * Live cattle and other bovines for any use born on or after, March 1, 1999, the date determined by APHIS to be the date of effective enforcement of the ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban in Canada; * Blood and blood products derived from bovines, collected under certain conditions; and * Casings and part of the small intestine derived from bovines. It is important to note that BSE transmission is prevented in bovines by a series of safeguards including; slaughter controls and dead animal disposal, rendering inactivation, feed manufacturing and use controls, and biologic limitations to susceptibility. These layers of protection work together to prevent spread of the disease. In the United States, human health is protected by a system of interlocking safeguards that ensure the safety of U.S. beef. The most important of these safeguards is the ban on specified risk materials from the food supply and the Food and Drug Administration's ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban. Canada has similar, and in some instances, more stringent, safeguards in place. A risk assessment conducted by APHIS concluded that for all the commodities considered under the current proposal, the risk of BSE infectivity is minimal and the disease will not become established in the United States. The proposed rule will be published in the Jan. 9, 2007, Federal Register and is available on USDA's Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov. APHIS invites comments on this proposed rule (due in by March 12, 2007). (Contact: Bob Ehart) STATE NEWS AASNESS NAMED STATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR MINNESOTA On Jan. 5, USDA's Farm Service Administrator Teresa Lasseter announced the appointment of Perry D. Aasness to serve as Farm Service Agency state executive director for Minnesota. "Perry Aasness has been in the midst of farm policy in Minnesota since 1997, when he first served as assistant commissioner for the state's Department of Agriculture," said Lasseter. "His more recent duties as deputy commissioner added oversight of department operations, including nine programs and 500 employees. He is well prepared to be FSA's state executive director," Lasseter said. The role of deputy commissioner also put Aasness in line to become chair of the Midwest Governors Association Farm Bill Task Force, an assignment he accepted on behalf of Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. His job responsibilities also called for oversight of the department's Agricultural Marketing Services Division, which promotes Minnesota's food products and development of renewable fuels. In a brief hiatus from Minnesota's Department of Agriculture in 2003, Aasness served as executive director for the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association in Fargo, N.D. Prior to joining the department, Aasness served as legislative aide to U.S. Senator Rod Grams from 1995 to 1996. He assisted with legislation and policy evaluation on agriculture issues, including the 1996 farm bill. Aasness attended North Dakota State University and earned his bachelor's degree in agricultural economics and political science from the University of Minnesota. He became part of the family farm operation near Fergus Falls, Minn., in 1984, raising wheat, corn and soybeans. He makes his home in Woodbury, Minn. (Contact: Michael Schommer, 651/201-6629) MICHIGAN MOVES FORWARD WITH ANIMAL HEALTH SAFETY MEASURES: ELECTRONIC IDENTIFICATION HELPS PROTECT STATE FOOD SUPPLY The Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) recently announced that all Michigan cattle moving off farm premises must have electronic identification tags in the left ear as part of the effort to achieve bovine Tuberculosis (TB) free status for the lower half of Michigan's Lower Peninsula by March 1, 2007. "The ability to trace food sources is increasingly important in a global economy," said Michigan Agriculture Director Mitch Irwin. "These radio frequency tags play a critical role in protecting the health of Michigan livestock, ensuring the safety of our food supply, and managing animal diseases like bovine TB." Since Michigan embarked on a statewide electronic livestock identification program in 2001, more than 40 percent of Michigan farmers have voluntarily incorporated the new tags, and all cattle, goat and bison premises have been registered with MDA. "Livestock producers don't need to change their tagging practices--just the type of tags," said Dr. Steven Halstead, State Veterinarian. "Cattle are to be tagged if they are leaving the farm to be sold or changing ownership, however, producers are encouraged to tag animals born on their farms while the animals are small." The individual animal identification has traditionally been a plastic or metal tag or tattoo. Electronic identification incorporates a radio frequency device marked with a number unique to that animal. This electronic tag speeds up the location and tracing of livestock - from farm to market - and ensures that animals sold in between disease testing can be quickly tracked down if needed. The electronic livestock identification pilot project was launched in Michigan in November of 2001 as part of the state's bovine Tuberculosis eradication plan. To date, 5,858 Michigan cattle premises have received more than 605,816 tags for their animals. Approximately 40,000 of those tags have been collected at slaughter facilities thus far. In addition to disease surveillance testing, electronic identification was instrumental in Michigan obtaining bovine TB free status for the Upper Peninsula in 2004. Currently, only a handful of other states, Canada, and a few European countries are utilizing electronic identification on a regular basis. For more information, contact Kevin Kirk, MDA's electronic identification coordinator, at 517-241-4339 or via e-mail at kirkk@michigan.gov, or go to http://www.michigananimalid.com. (Contact: Kevin Kirk, 517/373-1077) MYERS DAIRY--INNOVATION AND AGRONOMIC STEWARDSHIP No matter how good things are, Barry Myers knows they can be better, and his dairy operation reflects that attitude. Myers Farms boasts a sophisticated, three-tiered waste storage system and is the only dairy in the state with a machine to clean and recycle the sand used for animal bedding. Although he has a penchant for improvement, there is one thing Myers wouldn't change --his working relationship with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS). Myers has relied on NCDA&CS services for 21 years--ever since the Agronomic Division created its field services program in 1985. That year, the division hired a team of regional agronomists to advise N.C. farmers on soil fertility and plant nutrient issues. When Myers inquired about the new service, agronomist J. Ben Knox showed up at his door. "Myers was the first client I visited when I began working for the Agronomic Division," said Knox, who still covers Iredell County. "Although he took soil samples regularly and sent them to a private lab, he wasn't sure what to do with the results. I took a look at his reports and saw that even though he was putting out lime, his crops were low in magnesium. I suggested that he switch from using calcitic lime, which doesn't contain magnesium, to dolomitic lime, which does. I've worked with him ever since." As Myers began using the state's soil testing lab, he became aware of other agronomic testing services. In addition to soil samples, he was soon collecting waste samples. Waste analysis measures the plant nutrient content of animal manure to be used as fertilizer--a very useful tool for a dairy operation. By knowing the nitrogen content, Myers found he could minimize his purchases of commercial fertilizer and manage the nutrient needs of his forage crops more precisely. In 1995, when the state's new animal waste regulations went into effect and required this testing, waste analysis was already an integral part of Myers' operation. Another agronomic tool that Myers uses to fine-tune his nitrogen applications is plant tissue analysis. Laboratory analysis of leaves and petioles can reveal whether a crop is taking up sufficient amounts of essential nutrients. This test is especially appropriate for crops like small grains and corn whose yield potential can be determined by supplemental applications of fertilizer early in the season. Now that the amount of fertilizer that can be applied to a crop is limited by the crop's realistic yield expectation, Myers wants to know precisely how much fertilizer is needed and when. "Sometimes I use tissue testing to see if an additional application of fertilizer is really necessary," said Myers. "It usually turns out that corn needs additional nitrogen, whereas barley and small grain often do not. Whatever the case, I know I can discuss it with Ben and make a good decision." "Myers and I have had a good working relationship over the years," Knox said. "It's gratifying to advise someone who wants to be on the cutting edge. Myers wants to find the best way to do things, and he's always ready to try something new--whether it be no-till; hard-hose waste application, the sand separator; or agronomic tests. This fall, he even hosted a training event for certified waste operators on his farm. He goes all out." All North Carolina farmers have access to the same testing and advisory services that Myers uses. The NCDA&CS Agronomic Division performs soil tests; measures nutrient levels in plant tissue, animal wastes and composted materials; assays soil for plant-parasitic nematodes; and tests water for its suitability for a variety of agricultural purposes. To support these testing services, 13 regional agronomists are available to visit growers; evaluate problems; give advice on sampling, liming and fertilization; and help identify and manage nematode problems. To find contact information for the NCDA&CS regional agronomist assigned to your area, visit the Agronomic Division's Field Services Section online at www.ncagr.com/agronomi/rahome.htm. Agronomist J. Ben Knox is available to provide advice on fertilization, nutrient management or nematode problems in Cabarrus, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Iredell, Mecklenberg, Rowan, Stanly, Surry, Union and Yadkin counties. He can be reached by phone at 704/278-9414 or by e-mail at ben.knox@ncmail.net. |