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A publication of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture GOV. ROUNDS APPOINTS EVEN TO HEAD DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NASDA HIGHLIGHTS FARM BILL RECOMMENDATIONS--RESEARCH AND INFORMATION SENATE PANEL APPROVES FY08 BUDGET ON-FARM ENERGY BILL INTRODUCED IN SENATE SENATOR OFFERS RURAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR 2007 FARM BILL LAWMAKERS INTRODUCE CONSERVATION, NUTRITION & ENERGY BILL LAWMAKER INTRODUCES ENDANGERED SPECIES TAX BILL FDA ISSUES GUIDANCE FOR PROCESSING FRESH FRUITS & VEGETABLES State News--LOCAL FOOD IS FOCUS OF GOVERNOR'S SUMMIT _________________________________________________________Past Issues What's New on the NASDA Website
NASDA's 2007 Farm Bill Recommendations NASDA's Midyear Meeting Documents NASDA's Trade Shows: USFES; AFF; IFE
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_____________________________________________________________________ The seventeenth meeting of the Tri-National Agricultural Accord will be held April 18 to 21, 2007, in Monterrey, N.L., Mexico. The deadline for hotel reservations and meeting registration is APRIL 1. Please note that you are responsible for making your own hotel reservations. Information and a link to the meeting site are available at http://www.nasda.org/accord. _____________________________________________________________________ GOV. ROUNDS APPOINTS EVEN TO HEAD DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Gov. Mike Rounds announced last week the selection of William Even as South Dakota's new secretary of agriculture. "I'm please to announce Bill Even has accepted my offer to step in as South Dakota's Secretary of Agriculture," said Rounds. "Bill brings a wealth of personal knowledge about the agriculture industry in South Dakota. His background in production agriculture, as well as his current service as Deputy Secretary of Tourism and State Development, will serve him well in his new role as Secretary of Agriculture." Even has most recently served as director of the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) and deputy secretary of tourism and state development. He also served as the state's energy director and as executive director for the South Dakota Energy Infrastructure Authority. Bill is also a member of the State Energy Advisory Board, which advises the U.S. Department of Energy on policy. In addition to his duties with the South Dakota Department of Agriculture, Even is a member of the South Dakota Bar Association and the American Agricultural Law Association. He served for ten years on the Board of Directors of the Humboldt Farmers Elevator Company and 15 years as a volunteer emergency medical technician and firefighter. Bill owns and operates a diversified crop and livestock operation with his father and brother near Humboldt, S.D., that was homesteaded in 1881 by his great-grandfather. They raise corn, soybeans, small grains, and hay and have a cow-calf operation. Bill and his wife, Janell, live in Pierre with their three children: Sarah, Anthony, and Jill. Even holds an associates degree in Agricultural Production from Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, S.D., a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Business with highest honors from South Dakota State University in Brookings, S.D., and a JD with high honors from Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa, where he was an Opperman Scholar and received a certificate in food and agricultural law. He will begin his duties on Monday, March 26, 2007. He fills the vacancy left by Larry Gabriel. (Contact: Rick Kirchhoff) NASDA HIGHLIGHTS FARM BILL RECOMMENDATIONS--RESEARCH AND INFORMATION NASDA is presenting farm bill highlights each week in NASDA News as Congress gears up for consideration of the 2007 farm bill. NASDA's recommendations and a summary of highlights are posted on the NASDA website at http://www.nasda.org/fb2007. This week the highlights focus on research and information. Public investments in agriculture research have paid large dividends to society and the global, high-tech, environmentally-sensitive era we have now entered requires support of public research. The nation's land grant universities must remain a strategic resource for agriculture and the general public. They must be used wisely and fully support the needs of an ever expanding domestic and worldwide population. The past several years have seen an erosion of public support for agricultural research. While private contributions to the research effort have been on the increase, federal support has been eroded by some 20 to 30 percent during the past five years. This is a trend that must be stopped. Food and fiber are essential to all people, and the U.S. must ensure its productive capacity is secure. Land grant universities must remain a strategic resource for agriculture and the general public. These universities should prepare our nation's students in agriculture and related fields to function in today's society and meet the needs of our food, fiber, and fuel systems. Land grant institution faculty must be prepared and equipped to teach and recruit students in agriculture related fields. Key recommended actions: * Congress should increase federal funding in research, extension, and education programs for agriculture, bioenergy, fiber, nutrition, food safety, market development, aquaculture and natural resources during the next five years. * Congress should fund competitive grants programs like the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS) and USDA's Organic Research Initiative, as proposed in the 2002 farm bill. Congress should increase funding for the Organic Transitions Program at the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES). * Congress should continue funding the national Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and the organic production and market data collection and tracking authorized in the 2002 farm bill. * Create a concurrent cooperative research program (through USDA's CSREES and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and state program oversight) to assure that control methods are being developed in the event that eradication programs fail and / or emergency program funds cannot reach the goal of eradication. Effective agricultural policy should be based on accurate and objective data that describe the structure and operation of agricultural enterprises and measure their economic health. Key recommended actions: * Proper data are needed both to administer programs and measure their performance. Adequate resources must be provided for conducting censuses of agriculture and for additional research to improve response, ease data reporting, and enhance data quality. * State agriculture programs need access to U.S. Customs data on plant, animal, and food entries to enhance each state's ability to prevent introduction of such harmful pests and diseases, to enable directed and preventive programs against pests and diseases and to provide better focus on food safety issues. (Contact: Jennifer Yezak) SENATE PANEL APPROVES FY08 BUDGET The Senate Budget Committee approved an FY08 budget resolution on March 15 which provides a total of almost $950 billion in budget authority for the next fiscal year. The budget resolution is not signed into law and serves as a blueprint for the individual congressional appropriations committees as they develop their spending bills. The full Senate is expected to begin debate on the budget bill the week of March 19. The Senate's FY08 budget plan would provide more money than the administration's $932 billion proposal, and would boost spending for a variety of domestic programs such as health, education, homeland security, and veteran's care. The budget plan allows a $15 billion increase in mandatory agriculture funding between 2008 and 2012, and provides a "deficit neutral reserve fund for the reauthorization of agricultural programs" under the new farm bill. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) ON-FARM ENERGY BILL INTRODUCED IN SENATE Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) has introduced legislation (S. 828) that would take an innovative new approach to boosting domestic energy production by giving farmers and ranchers incentives to produce renewable energy "on-farm." Baucus' bill would amend the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which currently gives producers incentives to do conservation work on their lands. The On-Farm Energy Production Act is designed to help farmers and ranchers install windmills, solar panels, or biodiesel oilseed presses on their operations. The federal government would pay about 50 percent of the total costs to add renewable energy sources to the farm or ranch. Baucus said that the bill would directly benefit farmers and ranchers because they will be able to cut their energy and fuel bills. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) SENATOR OFFERS RURAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR 2007 FARM BILL Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) announced on March 13 that he will offer a bold new approach to rural competitiveness in the 2007 farm bill. Harkin's proposal creates a Rural Collaborative Investment Program to address the rural disadvantage in federal funding commitments to community resources and economic development. Under Harkin's proposal, select communities would develop local partnerships between government, business and nonprofit organizations to develop and implement comprehensive plans to improve their areas with the help of federal assistance. Generally a region would have to include a rural population of at least 25,000 people. A local council could receive an innovation grant to help it develop plans for how to create jobs and improve the quality of life in its area. Those plans viewed as likely to make substantial improvements could receive implementation grants from USDA. Harkin said his proposal would be part of the rural development title of the 2007 farm bill. He is working with various stakeholders on details of the proposal. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) LAWMAKERS INTRODUCE CONSERVATION, NUTRITION & ENERGY BILL Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Reps. Ron Kind (D-Wisc.) and Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.) on March 15 unveiled a comprehensive proposal that would double conservation spending, promote nutrition and healthy foods, and boost energy development on farms. The Healthy Farms, Foods, and Fuels Act is one of the first major 2007 farm bill proposals to be introduced in this session of Congress. The legislation increases funding for current USDA conservation programs, expands the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), expands eligibility criteria for the Conservation Security Program (CSP), and encourages local cooperative conservation. It also includes proposals to help producers with pest management. In the energy area, the legislation provides $100 million in grants, loans and loan guarantees to farmer-owned cooperatives and businesses developing fuels and energy on farms, ranches and forests. Another major component of the bill expands community food grants, expands the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, increases funding for Farmers Markets, encourages locally produced and specialty crop purchases. Finally, the legislation boosts funding for the Value-Added Market Development Grant Program. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) LAWMAKER INTRODUCES ENDANGERED SPECIES TAX BILL Sen. Larry Crapo (R-Idaho) recently introduced legislation (S. 700) that would provide tax incentives to qualifying landowners who voluntarily contribute to the recovery of endangered species. The bipartisan legislation has sixteen coponsors and is supported by various agricultural, property rights, resource, hunting, and fishing groups. The Endangered Species Recovery Act (ESRA) ensures taxpayers are eligible for tax credits if they own habitat or incur costs to recover species and are a party to a qualifying agreement. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) FDA ISSUES GUIDANCE FOR PROCESSING FRESH FRUITS & VEGETABLES The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a draft final guidance document for processors of fresh-cut produce. The document is designed to minimize microbial food safety hazards common to the processing of most fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, which are often sold to consumers in a ready-to-eat form. The guide complements FDA's current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations and provides a framework for identifying and implementing appropriate measures to minimize the risk of microbial contamination during the processing of fresh-cut produce. Specifically, it discusses the production and harvesting of fresh produce and provides recommendations for fresh-cut processing in several areas: (1) personnel health and hygiene, (2) training, (3) facilities and equipment, (4) sanitation operations, and (5) fresh-cut produce production and processing controls from product specification to packaging, storage and transport. The guide also provides recommendations on record keeping and on recalls and tracebacks. The document available on the FDA website at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/prodgui3.html. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) STATE NEWS LOCAL FOOD IS FOCUS OF GOVERNOR'S SUMMIT Can Montana produce more of its own food? An upcoming Governor's Summit on Food and Agriculture will explore ways Montana agriculture and other food-related businesses can produce a larger share of the food Montanans eat and boost the state's economy, jobs and nutrition in the process. Governor Brian Schweitzer invites Montanans to take part in the summit March 22 to 23 in Helena to "explore ways to build our family farm economy while increasing access to Montana-produced food for Montanans." The summit will seek ways to develop more local food production, processing and distribution as part of a trend in several states to revitalize agriculture, provide employment opportunities in local communities and improve residents' access to nutritious food. Until the early 1950s, nearly 70 percent of the food Montanans consumed was grown and processed in Montana communities. Since then, however, an ever-increasing share of agricultural production leaves the state each year in its raw form to be processed and consumed elsewhere. With it goes the potential for food-related economic activity. Experts estimate that Montana currently produces less than 10 percent of its own food. At the same time, Montanans are increasingly turning to emergency food assistance as a routine source of food. The Governor's summit will examine the economic and social implications of these trends and look for opportunities to reverse them. Following Schweitzer's opening address, keynote speaker Molly Anderson will describe pivotal changes in the food system, from global to state and local, and offer examples of efforts elsewhere to re-localize agriculture and increase community food security. Anderson is an internationally known Massachusetts-based researcher and educator on the science and policy of food systems, and is currently working with a broad national coalition exploring federal policy options to increase economic opportunities for farms, ranches and rural communities while increasing access to healthy food. Bill Yellowtail, who holds the endowed chair in Native American studies at Montana State University-Bozeman and co-directs the Bozeman-based Rural Landscape Institute, will speak at the first day's luncheon on closing the gap between local agriculture and healthy communities. Other summit presenters include food system experts from Montana and the region. Summit participants will work in self-selected small groups on the second day of the summit to identify specific economic development, policy and educational opportunities for Montana to pursue over the next two years. Registration for the summit, to be held at the Red Lion Colonial Hotel in Helena, is $35. The public is encouraged to attend. Some scholarships are available. For more information or a registration packet for the Governor's Food and Agriculture Summit, call the conference coordinator at 406/442-4141, or visit the summit website at http://www.foodandag.mt.gov. (Contact: Gail Brockbank, 406/442-4141) DEPARTMENT'S PLANT INDUSTRIES DIVISION INCREASES COTTON PRODUCTION WITH BOLL WEEVIL PROGRAM Since 2001, the Missouri Department of Agriculture's (MDA) Plant Industries Division has been working to increase Missouri's cotton production by eradicating an insect that has cost cotton producers more than $7 million a year in crop loss and pesticide use. The boll weevil is a beetle which feeds on cotton buds and flowers. Missouri joined a 17-state effort to eliminate the boll weevil nationally in 2001. This year, the Missouri Boll Weevil Eradication Program is scheduled for its seven-year completion. "We have been asked by the Missouri Cotton Grower's Organization to conduct a referendum to begin a post-eradication program in 2008 for continued monitoring of the boll weevil and we support their efforts," said Matt Boatright, interim director with MDA. "Missouri cotton yield averages have increased and have been well above the national average since the beginning of the Missouri Boll Weevil Eradication Program. We want to continue that success." Before the eradication program began, Missouri cotton growers estimated a loss of 50 pounds of lint per acre due to the boll weevil, which translates to $25 per acre. Before the eradication program, Missouri was ranked nationally in the lower tier of yield averages. Over the past three years, Missouri's yield averages have ranked fourth across the U.S. Cotton production in the state has steadily increased with a record of 985,000 bales produced in 2006. "During the past six years, each cotton producer dollar invested into the eradication program has resulted in a fivefold increase in the value of Missouri's cotton industry," said Judy Grundler, program administrator with MDA. "By continuing with the post-eradication efforts, we hope to carry on the monitoring of the boll weevil and protect our investment in this $148 million business." The national Boll Weevil Eradication Program has sought to eradicate the boll weevil in the cotton-growing areas in the U.S. and has become one of the world's most successful implementations of integrated pest management. The annual economic benefit to eliminating the boll weevil is estimated to be $780 million nationwide. For more information regarding the Missouri Boll Weevil Eradication Program, contact Judy Grundler at 573/526-9548. To find more information regarding MDA's Plant Industries Division, visit http://www.mda.mo.gov. (Contact: Misti Preston, 573/751-8596) |