Retail food prices at the supermarket decreased for the fifth consecutive quarter and are significantly lower than one year ago, according to the latest American Farm Bureau Federation Marketbasket Survey.

The informal survey shows the total cost of 16 food items that can be used to prepare a meal was $42.90, down $3.13 from the third quarter of 2009 and $7.31 lower or about 15 percent less compared to one year ago. Of the 16 items surveyed, 11 decreased, four increased and one remained the same in average price compared to the prior quarter.

Russet potatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, deli ham, flour, bacon and boneless chicken breasts declined the most in dollar value from quarter-to-quarter. Potatoes dropped 47 cents for a 5-pound bag to $2.18; shredded cheddar cheese dropped 43 cents per pound to $3.65; sliced deli ham dropped 40 cents per pound to $4.35; flour dropped 38 cents to $2.10 for a 5-pound bag; bacon dropped 37 cents to $3.00 per pound; and boneless chicken breasts dropped 37 cents per pound to $2.71.

The year-to-year direction of the marketbasket survey tracks with the federal government’s Consumer Price Index (www.bls.gov/cpi) report for food at home, although Farm Bureau’s reports a sharper decline. As retail grocery prices have increased gradually over time, the share of the average food dollar that America’s farm and ranch families receive has dropped.

Further, according to USDA, the average price farmers received for their products from November to December, as well as compared to a year ago, remained flat or showed negligible changes. According to USDA, Americans spend just under 10 percent of their disposable annual income on food, the lowest average of any country in the world. A total of 99 shoppers in 32 states participated in the latest survey, conducted in early November.

Weather, Economy, Animal Issues Top Farm News in '09

American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman says the biggest news story for agriculture in 2009 was weather extremes, from the drought in California and Texas to the wet planting in many parts of the country and the unseasonably cool and wet harvest in many areas.

In an AFBF Newsline interview, Stallman said the cool, wet harvest created quality problems in many parts of the country. “It was really kind of an unusual weather year for U.S. agriculture,” Stallman said.

The other big news was the economic crisis that hit all aspects of the economy, some more than others.

“We had hogs and the dairy industry under a lot of economic stress,” Stallman said. “We had much lower commodity prices than we had in 2008, while at the same time producers were still coping with higher input costs. So from an economic perspective, we took a significant decrease in net farm income, even though we still had a relatively high level. That created a lot of anxiety for producers.”

Another major agriculture news story for 2009 was the continuing attacks on animal agriculture from animal rights groups, which resulted in legislation and ballot initiatives in several states to regulate livestock production and management practices.

“The biggest issue we face is that the American people are so far removed from agriculture and the way livestock and their meat is produced that they accept the emotional arguments which are not fact-based that the animal rights groups use to pass legislation to restrict the way producers raise animals,” Stallman said. “We do care for our animals. We would not be successful otherwise and we do take care of their welfare. We just have to do a better job of telling that story to a public that really doesn’t understand much about production agriculture.”

The Taiwanese Legislature has voted to ban some U.S. beef imports, which the U.S. government says undermines Taiwan’s credibility as a trading partner. The move reverses an earlier deal the government had negotiated with Washington.

“The legislature’s decision to abrogate the bilateral protocol we negotiated in good faith disrespects both science-based standards as well as the findings of Taiwan's own risk assessment,” according to a statement by the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto U.S. embassy on the island.

Mother Nature Wreaks Havoc on Ag in 2009, Giving Food Market a Jolt

Mother Nature wreaked havoc on producers of agricultural commodities in 2009 and gave the food market a jolt, sending prices for staples like corn and soybeans on a wild ride only to end the year close to where they started, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Last year was characterized by extremes and overall greater attention to weather, reported the WSJ.

“There is much more sensitivity to weather extremes or abnormalities than I have seen in past years,” said Richard Feltes, head of commodities research at MF Global, a Chicago-based brokerage company.

At the end of the year, corn prices were up 2 percent to $4.145 a bushel at the Chicago Board of Trade, wheat was down 11 percent to $5.415 a bushel, and soybeans gained 7 percent to $10.3975 a bushel. Rough rice lost 5 percent.

For 2010, corn is likely to be the price leader due mainly to higher ethanol mandates in the U.S. that could use up to one-third of the total U.S. corn supply.

The outlook for soybeans hinges on the production outlook in the U.S., said Anne Frick, a soybeans analyst at Prudential Bache Commodities. Currently, South America looks to have a record-high crop year in 2010. Absent an unexpected bout of poor weather in the U.S., the increase in world supply will exceed demand.

Hog Producers Should Break Even in 2010

U.S. hog producers should break even in 2010 as both the average price received and the total cost of production are expected be around $50 per hundredweight, according to Purdue University Extension Economist Chris Hurt.

In a report, Hurt forecast first-quarter live hog prices “in the higher $40s per hundredweight” followed by “the low $50s” in the second quarter, “nearly $50” in the third quarter and “in the mid-to-higher $40s” in the fourth quarter.

He put total costs of production, including feed, labor and full depreciation of buildings and equipment at $50 to $51 per hundredweight.

“The bottom line is that hog producers are not expected to go backwards financially in 2010,” said Hurt.

Estate Tax Viewed as Big Ag Issue in 2010

The estate tax will be one of the big issues in Congress for farmers and ranchers in 2010, according to Mark Maslyn, executive director of public policy for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

“The exemption levels at the end of 2009 were $3.5 million per household. In 2010 that has gone away. The estate tax has expired,” Maslyn said in an AFBF Newsline interview. “However, leadership in Congress and the administration are opposed to keeping it dead, and it will come back to life in 2011, but it will do so in a way that encompasses far more people than it previously affected: a $1 million per household exemption. And that’s going to cover a lot more people, particularly in agriculture.”

Farm Bureau continues to advocate repeal of the estate tax, maintenance of stepped-up basis and action to provide certainty for estate tax planning. AFBF backs H.R. 3905, the Estate Tax Relief Act of 2009, introduced by Reps. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.), Kevin Brady (R-Texas), Artur Davis (D-Ala.) and Devin Nunes (R-Calif.). The bill phases in a $5 million exemption and 35 percent top rate over 10 years while preserving stepped-up basis.

Also for 2010, trade issues should draw more attention and Congress will likely pass new food safety laws, according to Maslyn. Farm Bureau will also be urging Congress to slow down the creation of new climate change rules and other environmental regulations. Maslyn also said farmers and ranchers can expect more activity from animal rights activists in 2010.

Russia Blocks Import of U.S. Poultry

Russia began blocking imports of U.S. poultry as of Jan. 1 because of concerns about a commonly used chlorine treatment, USDA and a Russian news agency reported last week.

Russia plans to proceed, over U.S. objections, with a new law prohibiting chlorine as an anti-microbial treatment in poultry production, said Katie Gorscak, a USDA spokeswoman.

“Since chlorine has been used as an anti-microbial treatment for poultry in the United States for more than 25 years, this resolution effectively blocks U.S. exports of poultry to Russia, has a devastating impact on the U.S. poultry industry and trade, and raises the costs of poultry products for Russia's consumers,” Gorscak said.

U.S. and Russian officials have agreed to hold further technical talks on the issue “as soon as possible,” but are still working to finalize dates, she said.

The United States believes Russia's new regulation is unjustified because of "overwhelming scientific evidence" showing chlorine is a safe and effective disinfectant for use in poultry, Gorscak said.

NASS Report: Farm Prices Mostly Flat in December

Farm prices were mostly flat in December compared to November, according to the Agricultural Prices Report released Tuesday by the Agriculture Department’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

In December, prices rose for milk, soybeans, grapes and strawberries, but prices fell for oranges, cattle, corn and broccoli.

The corn price in December was $3.59 per bushel, down 6 cents from November and 52 cents below the December 2008 price. The soybean price, at $9.96 per bushel, increased 43 cents from November and is 72 cents above the December 2008 price. The December all wheat price, at $4.81 per bushel, is up 2 cents from November but $1.14 below the December 2008 price.

The December all-milk price of $16.30 per hundredweight was up $1.00 from November and up 80 cents from December 2008.

Hog Herd Reduction Lower Than Expected

The U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on Dec., 1 was 65.8 million head, according to the quarterly Hogs and Pig Report released Tuesday by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This was down 2 percent from Dec. 1, 2008 and down 2 percent from Sept. 1, which was a lower than expected herd contraction.

Sam Carney, president-elect of the National Pork Producers Council, was hoping for a 5 percent drop, according to the Des Moines Register. Pork industry leaders have been urging greater reduction in swine herds to bring production in line with demand. Economists have said the U.S. needs to reduce its swine herd by as much as 10 percent to return profitability for hog producers.

Hog producers have suffered losses for two years because of high feed costs, a drop in exports and a falloff in demand caused by the H1N1 scare earlier this year.

Proposed Crop Insurance Cuts Sending Alarms

Proposed cuts in the crop insurance program are sending alarms through the insurance industry for both underwriters and agents, according to National Underwriter.

Under a proposal unveiled earlier this month, the Obama administration wants new cutbacks in the program that in addition to other recent action, would collectively reduce government involvement in the program by close to 30 percent.

“We definitely cannot live, without a doubt, with what they have suggested,” said Robert Parkerson, president, National Crop Insurance Services, the liaison to USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA). RMA represents the 16 carriers that provide crop insurance to an estimated 270 million acres of all crops grown in the U.S., an estimated 78 percent of all tillable land. The group also helps develop policies, claims procedures, research on new plants and new genetic seed processing for the agriculture industry.

“If this isn’t resolved, we have a tremendous problem on our hands, and so does the nation’s farmers,” Parkerson said.

Editorial Warns of Higher Food Prices due to Climate Bill

An editorial in a recent Investor’s Business Daily rallied against climate change legislation, stressing that consumers will pay higher food prices due to increased farming costs.

“If the cap-and-trade provisions of the Waxman-Markey bill become law, you can wave goodbye to those amber waves of grain as America’s heartland falls victim to a perverse set of incentives and a process called ‘afforestation.’ Soybeans and wheat will give way to elms and oaks,” the editorial emphasized.

“When the enemy was Big Agriculture, Willie Nelson started Farm-Aid and elites lined up to save the family farm. Now, it seems, saving the planet is more important. Who really needs cheap and plentiful food when we can hug trees and get rid of all those pesky barnyard animals and their greenhouse-gas emissions in the process?” the editorial concluded.

Producers Benefit More from ACRE than Price-Based Programs

A report released Tuesday by USDA’s Economic Research Service on the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program suggests that for 2009-2012, producers of corn, soybeans, wheat and rice are likely to benefit more from the ACRE program than from the price-based, income-support programs.

Initial enrollment data suggest that factors aside from expected market prices and yields entered into the enrollment decision such as producer risk preferences and initial learning and negotiation costs, according to ERS.

Data indicate that about 8 percent of farms with almost 13 percent of eligible base acres elected to participate in ACRE, which is less than might be expected given price and yield-based analysis alone.

Vilsack Directs USDA to Revise Climate Change Model

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has directed the Agriculture Department to revise a computerized forecasting model that showed that climate legislation passed by the House would make planting trees more lucrative than producing food, according to the Washington Times.

The latest USDA economic-impact study of the climate bill found that the legislation would profit farmers in the long term, but those profits would come mostly from higher crop prices as a result of incentives to plant more forests and thus reduce the amount of land devoted to food-producing crops.

Vilsack said the Forest and Agricultural Sector Optimization Model (FASOM), created by researchers at Texas A&M University, does not take into account other provisions in the House-passed bill, which would boost farmers' income while they continue to produce food. Those omissions, he said, cause the model to overestimate the potential for increased forest planting.

Vilsack has directed USDA Chief Economist Joe Glauber to work with EPA to “undertake a review of the assumptions in the FASOM model, to update the model and to develop options on how best to avoid unintended consequences for agriculture that might result from climate change legislation.”

Moderate Democrats Urge White House to Drop Cap & Trade

Moderate Democrats in the Senate are urging the Obama administration to stop urging passage of climate change legislation with cap-and-trade provisions in 2010. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and several other Democrats are speaking to the White House and party leadership about setting aside efforts on cap and trade.

“I am communicating that in every way I know how,” Landrieu said. Although cap-and-trade provisions are central to Democrats’ plans to curb global warming, some senators in the party are urging a focus on health care and the economy instead.

Senate Approves Health Care Bill Along Party Lines

The Senate on Thursday approved H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, on a 60-39 vote along party lines. Senate Democrats and Independents supported the measure; no Republicans voted for it.

President Barack Obama praised the Senate for approving its version of the bill. He earlier urged speedy action on the measure and has said he would like to sign it into law before his annual State of the Union address in January.

Differences in the health care reform bills passed by the House and Senate will be reconciled by a conference committee early next year.

Farm Bureau-opposed provisions requiring employers to provide health insurance for full-time employees were dropped from the bill approved by the Senate.

More information is available via National Public Radio.

USDA Implements New Crop Disaster Assistance Program

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last week announced that USDA has implemented the new Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments program (SURE) in accordance with the 2008 farm bill. Vilsack also encouraged producers to visit their USDA Farm Service Agency county office beginning Jan. 4, 2010, to participate in the program if they suffered crop production losses during the 2008 crop year.

“This program is an important component of the farm safety net and will provide financial assistance to producers who have suffered crop losses due to natural disasters,” Vilsack said. “Producers will receive payments beginning in January, in time to help them with planning for next year’s crop.”

SURE provides crop disaster assistance payments to eligible producers on farms that have incurred crop production or crop quality losses. For more information, producers are encouraged to visit their local FSA county office or http://www.fsa.usda.gov.

Climate Summit Ends with Accord, Little Real Progress

The Copenhagen talks on climate change wrapped up Sunday with a whimper rather than a bang, by most accounts. A “Copenhagen Accord” document was produced by the U.S., China and other parties at the conference, putting down on paper commitments by nations to act individually to combat global warming. The plan does not include firm targets for industrialized or developing nations’ greenhouse gas emission reductions, over either the short or long term.

The accord does provide a system to monitor and report progress on international pollution-reduction goals, with hundreds of billions of dollars moving from wealthy nations to less-developed countries. A goal of limiting the global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2050 was set. The 2-degree target was set as a threshold to forestall dangerous global weather events including floods, droughts, mudslides, sandstorms and rising seas, although how this would be achieved was not outlined.

The accord did not set a goal for a binding international treaty. Months, if not years, of additional negotiations are anticipated before internationally enforceable provisions are developed.

Fox News Story Explores Clean Water Restoration Act

How passage of the Clean Water Restoration Act would affect farmers and ranchers was the subject of a Fox News broadcast story on Sunday. Don Parrish, water expert with the American Farm Bureau Federation, appeared live on a segment about the issue.

Parrish explained that removing the word “navigable” from the Clean Water Act would harm America’s food producers by allowing federal regulation of all interstate and intrastate waters, including puddles, ditches and farm ponds. If the bill becomes law, farmers and ranchers would likely be forced to apply for expensive permits, Parrish said.

$60 Million Cheese Purchase Assists Producers, Food Banks

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Friday announced the purchase of $60 million in cheese and cheese products by the Commodity Credit Corporation for use in domestic feeding programs through USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. USDA is expediting the cheese purchase to help provide much-needed support for low-income families struggling to put nutritious food on their tables in addition to assisting dairy farmers challenged by high feed costs and low dairy prices.

“This purchase will provide food to people in need, while helping dairy producers who are facing economic challenges,” Vilsack said. Along with providing market benefits for U.S. dairy producers, commodity purchases such as the $60 million announced on Friday provide much-needed food aid—in the form of high-protein cheese—to food banks across the nation.

The cheese purchase is the second of two steps announced by USDA last week to utilize $350 million authorized in the fiscal 2010 Agricultural Appropriations Act. The Dairy Economic Loss Assistance Program will provide $290 million for one-time payments to eligible producers

U.S. Farm Income Projected to Decline in 2009

U.S. farm income is projected to decline in 2009, according to a new report from the Agriculture Department’s Economic Research Service. The ERS report, “Agricultural Income Finance and Outlook,” shows all three measures of farm income are projected to decline in 2009.

Net farm income is projected to decline 34.5 percent, net cash income by 28.4 percent and net value-added income by 20 percent. Overall farm debt is expected to remain steady at $239 billion.

Average net farm income for farm businesses (intermediate and commercial operations, including non-family farms) is projected at $61,578 in 2009, down 10.6 percent from 2008. The largest declines in farm-business income are forecast for livestock farms, particularly dairy. Farm-operator household income is forecast at $76,065, down 3.5 percent compared to 2008. Household earnings from off-farm sources are projected to be similar to 2008, according to ERS.

Download the full Agricultural Income and Finance Outlook report online.

ACRE Payment Estimator for 2009 Available Online

A new Microsoft Excel spreadsheet has been developed to estimate the amount of Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) payments a farm will receive for the 2009 crop. Download the ACRE Payment Estimator spreadsheet from the FAST section of the farmdoc Web site at www.farmdoc.illinois.edu.

Climate Change, Livestock Care, Social Media Highlight American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Seattle, Jan. 10-13

Climate change legislation, livestock care issues and social media tools will be at the forefront of topics discussed during conferences at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 91st annual meeting, Jan. 10-13, in Seattle, Wash. AFBF President Bob Stallman will deliver his annual address on Sunday, Jan. 10, during the general session in Seattle. It has been 58 years since the AFBF annual meeting was last held in the Emerald City.

The exciting conference lineup includes Christopher Horner’s “story behind the story,” Global Warming: A Red Hot Lie? Horner, a frequent guest on national news shows, has testified before Congress, spoken to the European Parliament and is the best-selling author of two widely acclaimed books on global warming and environmental policy. The keynote speaker for this year’s annual meeting is Pittsburgh Steelers football legend and Texas rancher Terry Bradshaw. He will speak at the Monday afternoon general session. Bradshaw is a four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback, two-time Super Bowl “Most Valuable Player” and Pro Football Hall of Fame member. He owns an 800-acre ranch in Texas, where he raises cattle and breeds horses.

On Tuesday the delegate session will begin to decide what policies will lead AFBF through 2010. As this is an election year, state delegates will also have the opportunity to vote for AFBF president before the convention officially ends on Wednesday, Jan. 13. For more, see the AFBF news release.

USDA Implements Dairy Assistance Program

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the implementation of the new Dairy Economic Loss Assistance Payment (DELAP) program. The 2010 agricultural appropriations bill authorized $290 million for loss assistance payments to eligible dairy producers.

“Through this program, eligible dairy producers will receive economic assistance that will help stabilize their operations during these tough economic times,” said Vilsack. “I have personally heard from hundreds of struggling dairy farmers from all across our country who have been hit hard by declining prices over the past year, and now, we’ll be able to offer them help.”

Milk prices declined substantially through early-to mid-2009, with the national price for milk averaging $16.80 per hundredweight (cwt.) in the fourth quarter of 2008 and $12.23 per cwt. in the first quarter of 2009, a 27 percent decline. On average, the price U.S. dairy producers received for milk marketed in the summer of 2009 was about half of what it cost them to produce milk.

Eligible producers will receive a one-time direct payment based on the amount of milk both produced and commercially marketed by their operation during the months of February through July 2009. For more, see the USDA news release.

Vilsack, Dairy Producers Seek to Cut Emissions 25% by 2020.

At the Copenhagen climate talks on Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced an agreement with U.S. dairy producers to accelerate adoption of innovative manure-to-energy projects on American dairy farms. “This historic agreement, the first of its kind, will help us achieve the ambitious goal of drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions while benefiting dairy farmers,” said Vilsack. USDA and dairy producers will work together to reach a 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2020, according to Vilsack. For more, see the USDA news release.

Republicans Plan Resolution to Stop Endangerment Finding

Republican leaders in the Senate plan to pass a “disapproval resolution” that would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating gases such as carbon dioxide and will stop appropriations of any federal funding for administrative efforts to finance international climate agreements.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) wants the resolution to stop EPA’s recent “endangerment” finding that greenhouse gases are a danger to public health, which would allow for regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

“I remain committed to reducing emissions through a policy that will protect our environment and strengthen our economy, but EPA’s backdoor climate regulations achieve neither of those goals,” Murkowski said. “EPA regulation must be taken off the table so that we can focus on more responsible approaches to dealing with global climate change.”

More information can be found via the Dow Jones article.

Lucas, Chambliss Request Updatd Climate Change Analysis

Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), ranking members of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees, respectively, wrote to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday regarding his recent remarks on USDA’s climate change legislation analysis.

Chambliss and Lucas said the statement made by Vilsack implies a lack of confidence in the modeling used by both USDA and EPA. Additionally, they ask that both the USDA and EPA report to the House and Senate Agriculture committees on the problems with the economic model in order to reflect realistic scenarios while examining the impact of cap-and-trade on the agriculture and forestry sectors.

Biotech Aids Farmers, Despite Environmental Challenges

Despite mounting challenges brought on by climate change, farmers around the world are increasingly being aided by modern agricultural practices, such as biotechnology, according to Sharon Bomer Lauritsen, executive vice president for food and agriculture at the Biotechnology Industry Organization). Lauriseten says biotechnology is one tool that can help increase agricultural productivity despite these environmental challenges.

Climate change is already affecting U.S. agriculture and land and water resources, and will continue to do so, according to a USDA report, The Effects of Climate Change on U.S. Ecosystems, released this week at the climate talks in Copenhagen. The report was published in cooperation with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP).

“Our member companies have been developing environmental stress tolerance traits (plants that are naturally tolerant to extreme cold, heat, drought, saline soil, diseases and insect pests) for the past decade, and many of these are poised for commercialization,” said Bomer. “The pending authorization of these products couldn't be more timely given the challenges facing farmers.”

According to this recent report, climate change is hurting crop production, distribution and yields directly through changes in temperature and precipitation, and indirectly by increasing pest and weed outbreaks. Through biotechnology, seeds yield more per acre, plants naturally resist specific insect pests and diseases, and farmers use less energy. Genetically engineered plants and animals can naturally fight diseases and adapt to environmental stress.

VOA Highlights AFBF's Opposition to Climate Change Bill

Voice of America reports on Farm Bureau’s opposition to climate change legislation and explains the impact it will have on North Carolina cotton production in a recent report.

North Carolina cotton producer Gwen Pitt explains that her cotton pickers use nearly 106 gallons of fuel per day. She is concerned that measures to address climate change may make fuel more expensive.

“My feeling on climate change is, I don’t know that what we do as Americans or as people is what’s causing most of what’'s happening. I think nature has its own course,” Pitt said.

AFBF President Bob Stallman tells Voice of America that extra costs will make it harder for farmers to stay in business. “Our margins are really thin, in terms of our bottom line, and any additional costs have to be absorbed by the farmer because we can’t pass on those costs to consumers directly,” he said.

You can listen to the report HERE.

Veterinary Accreditation Program Revised by USDA

The Agriculture Department’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service has revised its National Veterinary Accreditation Program with the goal of strengthening animal health safeguarding activities. A key aspect of the revised program is stepping up training and skills for accredited veterinarians in the areas of disease prevention and preparedness for animal health emergencies.

The new program creates two accreditation categories based on species in place of a former single category. It also includes requirements for supplemental online training. Veterinarians must now apply for accreditation to be renewed every three years. Previously accreditation did not require renewal. According to APHIS, the renewal requirement ensures that accredited veterinarians will have the most up-to-date information on foreign animal and zoonotic diseases and the risks associated with them.

Notice of the final rule was published in the Dec. 9 Federal Register.

Studies Explore Local Foods and the Economy

According to a new report published by nonprofits the Wallace Center and the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), consumers should view local food enterprises as profitable startups that are key to economic growth and recovery. The survey examined 24 community food enterprises, including the Weaver Street Market in North Carolina’s Research Triangle and Zingerman’s, the well-known deli in Ann Arbor, Mich.

“This is not only a movement about health or taste. Local food offers a sophisticated business model that is becoming more savvy and more competitive,” said Michael Shuman, BALLE’s director of research and principal author of the report.

According to Shuman, all locally owned businesses can help the economy grow. “But food businesses are the gateway for many people to rethink their relationship with local stores. People have a closer relationship with food than, say, financial services or energy,” he said. That is why food is at the forefront of local businesses’ driving of economic growth, providing a model for other kinds of entrepreneurs. More than a dozen studies have shown that every dollar spent at a locally owned business generates two to four times the income, wealth and jobs than at an equivalent nonlocal business.

Feb. 12 Deadline Announced for National Ag Essay Contest

The Agriculture Council of America is again calling on seventh- to 12th-grade students to submit an original, 450-word essay about the importance of agriculture. The theme of this year’s competition is “American Agriculture: Abundant, Affordable, Amazing,” with a Feb. 12 deadline. Teachers and parents are asked to encourage students to participate.

This year, the theme highlights the importance of agriculture and how the industry continues to overcome new challenges. These include keeping food affordable, meeting the demands of a growing population with fewer acres, working with legislative influences and addressing consumer concerns. Students may choose to specifically address one or more of these challenges in their essay.

This year’s national winner will receive a $1,000 prize and a round-trip ticket to Washington, D.C., to be recognized during the Celebration of Ag Dinner on March 18. The winner will have the opportunity to meet industry representatives, members of Congress, federal agency representatives, media and other friends in a celebration of agriculture. Statewide winners of the contest also will be selected. Each state winner will receive a $100 prize.

All entries should be sent to: Ag Day Essay Contest, Agriculture Council of America, 11020 King Street, Suite 205, Overland Park, KS 66210, or submitted by e-mail to essay@agday.org. Entry applications and official rules for the contest can be found online.

Biodiesel Production Could Disappear Without Tax Credit

According to a study by the National Biodiesel Board, biodiesel production could end unless the federal $1 per-gallon tax credit is extended. The credit is scheduled to expire at the end of the year and there are concerns that efforts to extend it will get bogged down in Congress.

The study says if the tax credit expires, biodiesel profits will vanish and fuel output will suffer a “complete decline.”

On Wednesday, the House passed by a ­­241-181 margin H.R. 4213, the Tax Extenders Act of 2009, that will extend the biodiesel tax credit as well as other tax credits. The American Farm Bureau Federation supported passage. Senate action is uncertain because of the continuing health care debate.

Kansas Farmer Says EPA Plan Could Put Him Out of Business

Garden Plain, Kan., dairy farmer Mike Rausch says plans by the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gases will likely put him out of business. “It’d be a death toll and there are a lot of producers that would be in the same boat,” Rausch said.

“The small family farmer would probably be a thing of the past,” predicted Rausch.

Ag Groups File Supreme Court Brief in Biotech Alfalfa Case

Lower courts failed to adequately consider the mountains of evidence that prove biotech alfalfa is safe, and thus those courts abandoned a well-established legal principle when they banned the planting of the crop. That is just one of the points supporting a request for the United States Supreme Court to review a case related to biotech alfalfa, according to a brief filed by several groups.

The American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Corn Growers Association, the Biotechnology Industry Organization and the American Seed Trade Association have submitted a joint friend-of-the-court brief to the Supreme Court in support of a petition seeking review of the “alfalfa” case, Monsanto v. Geertson Seed.

According to the brief, if left to stand, the lower court ruling “could begin a wave of anti-biotechnology injunctions.” Such a wave would generate uncertainty in the agricultural biotechnology industry, throughout American agriculture and in the global food market.

EPA Seeks More Thorough Assessment of Pesticide Risks

A proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would include a more thorough assessment of pesticide health risks to workers, including farmworkers and farm children, as well as risks posed by pesticides that are not used on food.

The proposed policy will be available for a 60-day public comment period after it is published in the Federal Register. AFBF plans to submit comments.

“Better information and applying these tools will strengthen EPA’s protections for farmworkers exposed to these chemicals, and children living in and around the areas of highest possible exposure,” said Lisa Jackson, EPA administrator. “It’s essential we have the tools to keep everyone, especially vulnerable populations like children, safe from the serious health consequences of pesticide exposure.”

Under the policy, EPA risk assessments for children, farmworkers and others would consider aggregate pesticide exposures from all sources in addition to the cumulative effects from multiple pesticides that have similar toxicity. EPA also would apply an additional safety factor to protect infants and children from the risks of pesticides where the available data are incomplete. Currently these analyses help assess risks of pesticides to the general public as required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Climate Change Bill on Track for Senate Vote in Spring

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) told reporters Tuesday that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is committed to move on the climate change bill after the Senate finishes legislation to reform the financial regulatory system. Kerry said this should allow for a spring vote on the climate measure.

The Kerry-Boxer bill must still clear the finance, agriculture and judiciary committees before a floor vote. The Senate bill (S. 1733) would establish an emissions trading system to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels, somewhat deeper reductions than included in the House version (H.R. 2454) passed by that chamber in June.

Farm Bureau will continue to step up its “Don’t Cap Our Future” campaign to help defeat the Kerry-Boxer bill. The campaign will be a key focus of AFBF’s annual meeting in Seattle Jan. 10-13.

'Endangerment Finding' Could Prove Severe for Ag

American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman warns that the decision by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday to announce an endangerment finding on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases could carry severe consequences for America’s farmers and ranchers.

“We firmly believe any regulations dealing with global warming that could negatively affect our ability to produce food and fiber for our nation and the world should come through the legislative process,” Stallman stressed. “While more and more questions are being raised about the scientific validity of global warming models, it is not the time to begin making sweeping policy decisions based on the projections offered by those climate models.

“We realize the EPA’s stated intention is to focus this finding narrowly on specific industries, using particular thresholds, but we believe there is no protection in the provisions that prevent them from being applied broadly across all sectors, including farm and ranch families who produce livestock. Due to the timing of the announcement, with the Copenhagen talks about to kick off, we also believe this move could have more to do with political science than climate science.”

Farm Bureau Reports 49th Year of Membership Growth

Farm Bureau’s national membership rose to 6,277,664 member families in 2009, marking 49 consecutive years of membership growth. State Farm Bureaus overall reported a total 34,378 more member families this year than in 2008.

AFBF President Bob Stallman said this year’s membership growth is especially noteworthy considering the continuing economic challenges facing the nation. He credited agricultural advocacy programs at the local, state and national levels and services offered by state Farm Bureaus for the organization’s overall membership growth.

“Farm Bureau members and the county and state leaders they elect are the driving force behind our membership growth,” Stallman said. “Members are the lifeblood of true, grassroots organizations such as Farm Bureau. As AFBF heads into its 91st year, this membership accomplishment sets the stage for even greater achievements in policy, programs and services, all of which are developed with the goal of improving member families’ businesses and standards of living.”

Texas Farm Bureau had the single-largest gain of 17,101 members, bringing its membership to 439,260. Tennessee continues to be the nation’s largest state Farm Bureau with 646,240 members.

Utah Farm Bureau had the single largest percentage membership gain, growing 27.5 percent to 27,313 member families.

Cap & Trade Could Reduce Livestock by Double Digits

Under a cap-and-trade program some sectors of livestock production would be reduced by double digits by 2050, according to testimony Thursday by USDA Chief Economist Dr. Joseph Glauber before the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research.

“I am alarmed by Dr. Glauber’s testimony,” said Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), the committee’s ranking member. “If USDA’s analysis is true, then U.S. agriculture may have difficulties providing food security for the U.S. population. From my discussion with witnesses on our second panel, we can find alternatives to cap and trade that will not have these negative effects on our farm economy.”

Goodlatte said USDA’s projection of 59 million acres of new woodland by 2050 was “stunning” and would mean higher feed costs for livestock and dairy farmers because of less pasture and cropland. USDA said the land conversions could start at 8 million acres, mostly pastureland, in 2015 with a carbon price of $13 per tonne and expand as carbon prices rise.

Beekeepers Will Find Bees Tough to Keep Alive Again this Year

A University of California at Davis bee expert warns that the nation’s beekeepers again will experience difficulties keeping their honeybees alive this winter. “It really does appear as though across the country we’re going to see a significant loss of bees again,” apiculturist Eric Mussen told the California Farm Bureau Federation.

Twenty-nine percent of U.S. hives were lost last winter to the mysterious phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder, according to a survey conducted by the Apiary Inspectors of America and USDA. Several causes are suspected but have yet to be proved since the disorder was first noticed in 2005.

Bees are crucial to U.S. agriculture, adding an estimated $15 billion in value each year by pollinating such staples as nuts, fruit and vegetables. More than 1 million honeybees typically are required to pollinate California's almond crop.

Percentage of Americans Who Believe in Global Warming Drops

The percentage of Americans who believe global warming is happening has dipped from 80 to 72 percent in the past year, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, even as a majority still support a national cap on greenhouse gas emissions.

The poll’s findings—which also show that 55 percent of respondents think the United States should curb its carbon output even if major developing nations such as China and India do less—suggest increasing political polarization around the issue, just as the Obama administration and congressional Democrats are intensifying efforts to pass climate legislation and broker an international global warming pact.

The increase in climate skepticism is driven largely by a shift within the GOP. Since its peak 3 1/2 years ago, belief that climate change is happening is down sharply among Republicans—76 to 54 percent—and independents—86 to 71 percent. It dipped more modestly among Democrats, from 92 to 86 percent. A majority of respondents still support legislation to cap emissions and trade pollution allowances, by 53 to 42 percent.”

Sen. Inhofe Seeks Investigation of Alleged Climate Research Manipulation

After hackers obtained and disclosed the e-mail correspondence of numerous prominent climate scientists last week, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the most outspoken global warming skeptic in Congress, said Tuesday that he’d begun an investigation into what he alleges to be the manipulation of global warming research.

He also said he wanted to look into whether the conclusions of an international panel on global warming—and the policies based on it—were distorted.

Inhofe, the senior Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, sent letters to many of the scientists whose e-mail messages were made public, and to a number of U.S. government agencies, asking them to preserve all correspondence as the first step in his investigation.

“The stakes in this controversy are significant, as it appears that the basis of federal programs, pending E.P.A. rulemakings, and cap-and-trade legislation was contrived and fabricated,” Inhofe said.

Fuel Costs to Skyrocket Under House Climate Bill

A crop and livestock producer from Texas on Wednesday said cap-and-trade climate change legislation could hike the cost of fuel used for farming to the point that it will have a devastating economic impact on his and similar family-owned businesses.

Speaking at a Capitol Hill news conference, Texas farmer and cattle producer Richard Cortese said increased fuel prices, on top of other energy-related costs, would deal a sharp blow to farmers and ranchers. Cortese, who farms near Little River, Texas, is a member of the Texas Farm Bureau board of directors.

The event, hosted by Sens. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), highlighted a new report the senators released showing that cap-and-trade legislation will result in a considerable fuel tax increase on Americans. The senators’ report is the first such effort to quantify climate change legislation’s effect on fuel costs.

According to the senators’ report, under House climate change legislation, America’s farmers and ranchers would be hit with $550 million in higher fuel costs in 2020 and $1.65 billion in 2050.

“Agriculture is an energy-intensive business,” Cortese told reporters. “I use diesel fuel for tillage, planting, harvesting and spraying. And I use gasoline for service vehicles for checking livestock, utility vehicles and small engines. Having a reliable and affordable supply of gasoline and diesel fuel is very important for my operation to continue to make a living for me and my family.” Cortese explained that the new statistics on fuel costs under cap-and-trade legislation, included in the senators’ report, raise enormous concerns for America’s farmers and ranchers.

“The type of gasoline and diesel fuel cost increases described in this report will make it very difficult for me to continue on the farm,” Cortese said. “As a small businessman, I cannot pass along my increased fuel costs to my customers without running the risk of losing them. That means I would have to absorb any increased costs and have it consume my bottom line.”

American Farm Bureau Backs Estate Tax Relief Bill

The American Farm Bureau Federation supports H.R. 3905, the Estate Tax Relief Act of 2009, introduced Thursday by Reps. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.), Kevin Brady (R-Texas), Artur Davis (D-Ala.) and Devin Nunes (R-Calif.). The bill increases the estate tax exemption to $5 million per person and reduces the top rate to 35 percent in equal increments over 10 years.

“We are pleased there is bipartisan support to do better than current law in the House and commend the sponsors of the bill for working to increase the exemption,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “Extending the current estate tax exemption of $3.5 million per person and the tax rate at 45 percent, is a non-starter for Farm Bureau, which supports an increase in the exemption to $10 million a person.”

With health reform legislation stalled, estate tax legislation could reach the House floor as early as next week. The legislation is expected to move independently and not be tied to other tax provisions that expire at the end of the year.

Farm Bureau continues to support estate tax repeal, but AFBF’s goal for this year is to obtain a permanent $10 million per person exemption that is indexed for inflation and is transferable to a spouse.

Oklahoman Bashes Climate Change Bill

The lead editorial in today’s Oklahoma City Oklahoman came out strongly against climate change legislation in the Senate. The editorial said the bill would place the U.S. on the wrong path.

The editorial stressed that passage of the Kerry-Boxer bill would dramatically change life in America. “Whatever Kerry and Boxer call their bill, opponents believe it will create what amounts to a tax on any good, service or activity that involves carbon emissions—ultimately to be borne by Americans,” according to the Oklahoman.

The editorial cites studies by the American Enterprise Institute and the Congressional Budget Office that point out the negative consequences of the legislation. “The statistics suggest impact on job creation and prosperity, which necessarily would affect low- and middle-income Americans the most,” the editorial stressed.

FSIS Plans Public Meetings on Interstate Meat Shipping

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will hold two public meetings on proposed regulations to implement a new program under which state-inspected establishments with 25 or fewer employees will be eligible to ship meat and poultry products in interstate commerce.

The meetings will be held by teleconference and will provide the public with an opportunity to comment on the proposed rule published Sept.15. The first teleconference will be Oct. 27, from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT and the second will be Nov. 5, from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT.

Pre-registration is required to participate in these meetings. Information about the meetings, including how to register and the agenda will be made available for viewing on the FSIS Web site at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Meetings_&_Events/. Call-in information will be provided via e-mail to pre-registered participants.

CBO Releases Climate Change Cost Estimates

If cap-and-trade provisions in the House-approved climate change bill become law, U.S. gross domestic product will be reduced by 0.25 percent to 0.75 percent in 2020 and by 1 percent to 3.3 percent in 2050, according to the director of the Congressional Budget Office. Douglas Elmendorf on Wednesday testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Significant job losses in the fossil fuel industries will be likely as the U.S. shifts to renewable fuel production, Elmendorf said. In addition, he noted that although there would be growth in industries that benefit from the legislation, such as solar and wind power, disruptions will occur as people shift employment. In his testimony, Elmendorf emphasized that the estimates contained significant uncertainties.

More information can be found via the Washington Post article.

World Will Need 70 Percent More Food by 2050

PDavid Miller, director of research and commodity programs for the Iowa Farm Bureau, tells the Des Moines Register that the House-passed climate change bill includes restrictions on farmers’ carbon-saving projects that could make the credits virtually worthless.

The legislation also includes provisions to guarantee that most of the credits permitted by the bill would go to landowners overseas who agree not to cut down rain forests. This would primarily benefit foreign landowners who generate the credits and hedge funds and other big investors who speculate in them.

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) called the proposed credit trading a “Rube Goldberg notion” that would wind up “transferring wealth out of this country to other countries around the world.”

The Des Moines Register article also includes a graphic that explains how the cap-and-trade system works.

Fifth Season of 'America's Heartland' Launched

America’s Heartland, a nationally broadcast weekly program on agriculture, launched its fifth season earlier this month. The show’s producers promise this season will be even better than the last four.

This season the show offers a new, faster-paced format, a larger reporting staff and new features, such as “Off the Shelf,” which gives viewers information on the food they buy every week; “Harvesting Knowledge” that takes a look at the historical background of our favorite foods; and “Working the Land,” which takes urban viewers to various farm fields to look at the specialized and sometimes dirty, demanding jobs of people working in agriculture. Season five will also examine issues like food safety, animal welfare, urban farming, sustainability and environmental concerns.

America’s Heartland has also dramatically expanded its social networking outreach with new online features on its Web site, www.americasheartland.org, on Facebook and Twitter, and an extensive channel of exclusive video offerings on YouTube. One recent story has been viewed more than 1 million times.

America’s Heartland is produced by KVIE Public Television with support from the Monsanto Company and AFBF. Check your local public television station listing for America's Heartland broadcast times. You can also catch the show on RFD-TV on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Sundays at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

'Keep Kids Away From Tractors'

The Childhood Agricultural Safety Network has chosen the theme, “Keep Kids Away from Tractors” this year in its promotion of Farm Safety Week, which began Sunday.

The campaign is being coordinated by the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety. Of the estimated 100-plus farm-related deaths to children each year, most will die in incidents involving tractors and other machinery.

Teresa Derfus, community relations and public relations manager for the center, said two incidents this spring involving four-year-olds who fell off tractors driven by their fathers—an Oklahoma boy killed in the blades of a trailing mower and an Idaho boy maimed in a rotary cultivator—have refocused commitment among safety experts to stop the practice of letting children ride tractors.

The Childhood Agricultural Safety Network has placed free safety awareness materials on its Web site at www.childagsafety.org and encourages everyone to download these campaign materials and post them prominently to help spread the message.

Utah Producers Eligible for Emergency Assistance for Fire & Drought Damage

USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Utah today announced that producers may now begin applying for benefits under the provisions of the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) and the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) of the 2008 Farm Bill.

These programs ensure that producers who have suffered agriculture losses receive the critical disaster assistance needed to remain financially solvent and help them continue on in their operations.

LFP provides payments to eligible livestock producers that have suffered livestock grazing losses due to qualifying drought or fire. More information can be found at http://www.fsa.usda.gov.

Meet a Farmer

A new Meet a Farmer profile has been posted on the Your Ag Web site. Doug and Susie Silberhorn own and operate Susie’s Garden patch in Garden Prairie, Ill., a fruit and vegetable you-pick operation.

“It would take a book to tell the complete story, so here is the short version. Doug has an agriculture degree and always wanted to farm,” said Susie Silberhorn. “When we met, we decided that was the way to go. Having discovered strawberries as a money-making crop, we thought they would pay for a farm. “After buying an abandoned farm in 1985, we opened a fruit and vegetable farm. After a great deal of struggles and droughts, we have succeeded to have many great years. Twenty-four years later, Susie’s Garden Patch is still going and growing. Three children have been raised and now grandchildren are being raised with the love of the land.”

Vilsack Urges Media to Call Virus 'H1N1'

In a news conference Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack continued his quest to urge the media to use the technically correct “H1N1 influenza,” rather than “swine flu” since the virus now circulating among humans is not the same as “swine flu.”

“Since last spring and the onset of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza outbreak in humans, USDA has consistently asked that the media stop calling this ‘novel’ pandemic virus ‘swine flu.’ By continuing to mislabel the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus that is affecting human populations around the world, the media is causing undue and undeserved harm to America’s agriculture industry, especially to pork producers,” Vilsack said.

“Each time the term is used it unfairly hurts America’s farmers who are suffering severe economic losses during these challenging economic times,” Vilsack said. “And each time the media uses the phrase ‘swine flu’ a hog farmer, their workers and their families suffer. It is simply not fair or correct to associate the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza with hogs, an animal that does not play a role in the ongoing transmission of the pandemic strain.”

Food Safety Web Site Launched

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, the co-chairs of the Obama administration’s Food Safety Working Group, unveiled a new consumer Web site Wednesday at www.foodsafety.gov. The site is designed to help consumers get the latest information on food safety and recalls in one convenient place.

The new site features information from all the agencies across the federal government that deal with critical food and food safety information, including preventive tips about how to handle food safely, alerts on life-saving food recalls and the latest news.

Obama's Treatment of Rural America Incomplete

Almost eight months into his presidency, Barack Obama’s treatment of rural America is complicated—and incomplete, according to the Sioux Falls (South Dakota) Argus Leader.

Rural interests credited Obama for reaching out through a “rural listening tour” and welcomed his $787 billion economic stimulus plan that targets a number of rural priorities, such as broadband expansion and highway improvements. However, Obama’s call in his 2010 budget plan to phase out agriculture subsidies for farmers with a gross income of more than $500,000, unveiled less than a month after his inauguration, drew much criticism from rural America.

Rural interests remain cautious and are looking at what will happen in Congress this year.

“What happens next will tell the tale about whether or not the administration is a friend or foe of rural America,” said Pat Wolff, director of public policy for AFBF.

Court Decision Preserves Grazing in Wyoming

In a decision last week in Wyoming, U.S. District Court Judge Clarence Brimmer upheld the Bighorn National Forest Plan Revision, siding with defendants and ruling against an environmental group that challenged livestock grazing in the forest. The ruling preserves livestock grazing in the forest.

In the case, Western Watersheds Project (WWP) v. United States Forest Service, et al., WWP’s primary focus alleged that the Forest Service failed to consider livestock grazing alternatives in the revised Bighorn National Forest Plan.

Defendants included the counties of Bighorn, Johnson and Washakie, the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, the Muddy Creek Grazing Association and Joe Foss. Other supporters in this lawsuit were the Wyoming Association of Conservation District and Guardians of the Range.

New Study Highlights Pitfalls of Climate Change Bill

The Agriculture & Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University recently examined 98 farms in its database to understand the implications for farmers and ranchers of the House-passed American Clean Energy and Security Act. The analysis indicated 71 of the operations would be financially worse off under the bill.

The study was conducted at the request of Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Based on the findings of the study, Chambliss reiterated his call for additional hearings on comprehensive global warming legislation.

“Clearly the data outlined in the Texas A&M University study is troubling,” Chambliss said. “I have said before this bill, particularly the cap and trade program, will undoubtedly raise production costs for farmers and ranchers….We need to pursue legislation that reflects the realities of producing food, fiber, feed and fuel in the United States, and not favor one geographic region.”

Farm Bureau continues to urge improvements to pending climate change legislation so that it is as beneficial as possible for the agriculture industry.

Prescription Discounts Offered to State Farm Bureaus

AFB, Inc. has introduced a new discount program that offers members of participating state Farm Bureaus an average savings of 30 percent on prescription drugs. All state Farm Bureaus, including those that currently provide prescription discounts, are eligible to participate.

Farm Bureau members and their families without insurance, as well as those who find themselves with no prescription coverage in their plan, will benefit from the Prescription Discount Program, according to AFB, Inc. Further, Farm Bureau members who have full-time, part-time or seasonal workers may provide the card as an employee benefit.

Other benefits of the program include no enrollment forms, no age restrictions, no income requirements, no waiting periods, no eligibility requirements, no exclusions, no claim forms to file, and no annual or lifetime limits.

The card is provided at no cost to participating state Farm Bureaus to offer to members.

Participating state Farm Bureaus have the option of allowing members to download a discount card from a Web site or distributing cards directly to members. The following state Farm Bureaus currently offer the program to members: Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming. To learn more, contact your state Farm Bureau office or visit www.fbcountry.com online.

Time Piece Was 'Point of View' Journalism

Bryan Walsh, the writer of the Aug. 31 Time magazine cover story “The Real Cost of Cheap Food,” acknowledged in an interview with Meatingplace that his article was “point-of-view journalism” and that opposing views were not presented.

“Looking back, there’s always the question of trying to get a story down to the proper length and get it down in a readable way. You could have had more of that side, as well. That’s one definite criticism—I can certainly understand why people would feel that way,” Walsh said, explaining why agriculture’s side of the story wasn’t told.

Walsh defended only speaking with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the National Pork Producers Council and no other industry groups.

“The story we ended up doing—and this is partially I think the result of the changes that our magazine and journalism generally is going—I think in the past we would have gone more with sort of a headline that would have come with a question mark, with an on-the-one-hand, on-the-other-hand [approach]. Now I think there’s a desire on our part … to look at the information you have and try to make a judgment based on the best of your understanding, so that it does come off as a way of taking a stronger point of view than stories that I would have done in the past,” Walsh said.

AFBF Granted Observer Status at Copenhagen

The American Farm Bureau Federation has been notified by the Observer Organization Liaison Office of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that it will have observer status for the upcoming climate change negotiations, Dec. 6-18, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Up to this point, AFBF has been limited to working through the business and industry non-governmental organizations group organized by the State Department. With observer status, AFBF will have the opportunity for greater participation.

As an observer, AFBF will have the opportunity to attend all negotiating sessions; have immediate access to conference reports and materials; attend all negotiating sessions; be briefed and offer input directly to the U.S. delegation headed by the State Department; and share AFBF’s position with other countries and international organizations.

Column Blasts 'Lefty Social Critics, Foodie snobs'

An opinion piece by Charlotte Allen in Sunday’s Los Angeles Times tells “lefty social critics” and “foodie snobs” to “keep your self-righteous fingers off my processed food.” Allen blasts them for demanding that consumers pay more for food.

“Just in time for the worst economic downturn since the Depression, here comes a new crop of social critics to inform us that we’re actually spending too little for the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the furniture we sit on and the gasoline that runs our automobiles,” Allen wrote.

Johanns Leery of Carbon Credit Promise

In an interview with the Illinois Farm Bureau’s RFD Radio and FarmWeek, Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) says the promise of carbon credits for farmers under the House-passed climate change bill is unlikely to square with higher input costs.

Johanns said Nebraska farmers are “enormously skeptical, if not downright opposed” to proposed greenhouse emissions caps projected to impact future electrical, fuel and input costs.

“You’ll pay more for fertilizer and diesel fuel and electricity to run your irrigation pump,” Johanns said. “On the other side, I think the benefits are very, very uncertain. I think this idea that farmers are going to make money by trading credits is a very uncertain promise.

“If I were a farmer out there, I’d want the certainty of what I’m doing now, and even at that, that can be very uncertain. Add cap-and-trade to it and what you add is higher input costs with no promise of what comes out on the other end.”

Meat Groups Blast TIME Article

Meat industry groups are airing discontent with the Aug. 31 Time magazine cover story “The Real Cost of Cheap Food” that is loaded with inaccurate information and has no hint of objectivity.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the only meat industry group quoted in the article, lashed out with a press release outlining the steps it took to provide information to Bryan Walsh, the article’s writer. The vast majority of the information was not included in the final piece. The Cattlemen indicated they were called late in the reporting and writing process, and that the writer discussed the angle of his story only when pressed for details.

Patrick Boyle, president and CEO of the American Meat Institute, wrote a letter to the editor of Time. “In a world of 7 billion people and expanding, where malnutrition, hunger or outright famine are commonplace, it’s dumbfounding that Time magazine would take one of the great American success stories—the efficient agricultural production of an abundant variety of healthy, safe and affordable foods for consumers in the U.S. and throughout the world—and turn it into an unrecognizable story of exploitation, manipulation and greed,” Boyle wrote.

In AFBF President Bob Stallman’s letter to the editor of Time, he called the article “a vicious attack on modern farmers and the processes they use to care for the land, their animals, their neighbors and communities, all while producing safe, affordable, healthy and abundant food for consumers.”

Farm Bureau members are encouraged to write a letter to the editor by clicking HERE.

Mandate Could Increase Farm Health Care Costs 100%

The Obama administration’s proposal to mandate certain kinds of health care coverage could increase the cost of health insurance for farmers and ranchers and other self-employed individuals in Nebraska and the nation by more than 100 percent, the Nebraska Farm Bureau warned Monday.

A large majority of food producers are self-employed, and many buy their own health insurance without the benefit of being part of a group, Nebraska Farm Bureau President Keith Olsen said. A 2007 survey conducted for USDA found that 46 percent of Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers purchased their health insurance on an individual basis directly from an insurer.

“If a farm or ranch family can obtain health insurance through a spouse’s off-farm job, that’s usually the route they go,” Olsen said. “But that approach isn't available to everyone. The primary issue we continue to worry about is the affordability of health insurance.”

Removing 'Navigable' from CWA 'Regulatory Quicksand'

Legislation that would remove the word “navigable” from the Clean Water Act and allow the Corps of Engineers and EPA to regulate all interstate and intrastate waters could put farmers in “regulatory quicksand,” Missouri Farm Bureau President Charlie Kruse told members of the House Small Business Committee.

Kruse, and every other witness before the committee, expressed strong opposition to the Clean Water Restoration Act (S. 787) approved by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee June 18 on a party line vote. All the witnesses, who represented contracting firms and farms, testified they would be faced with increased costs and delays if current permit requirements were broadened.

Kruse noted that expanding the scope of the Clean Water Act would sweep many agricultural and forestry activities under Clean Water Act regulation simply because such activities are conducted near some isolated ditch, swale, wash, erosion feature or ephemeral stream that would newly be deemed a “water of the United States.”

According to Kruse, the Clean Water Restoration Act would give the federal government the right to regulate any body of water, from farm ponds to storm water retention basins to roadside ditches to desert washes, and even a puddle of water standing for two days after a rain.

In the question and answer period, Kruse said a great concern of removing the word “navigable” from the Clean Water Act is the risk of third-party litigation. Another major concern is the potential reduction in the value of the land. “Land is a farmer’s 401k. It is the largest and most valuable asset we have,” Kruse said.

If passed, he said, the Clean Water Restoration Act would be the largest expansion of the Clean Water Act since the law was enacted in 1972.

Climate Bill Could Add Thousands of Bureaucrats

The House-passed climate change bill, if enacted, would expand the federal government so much that it would take billions of dollars and thousands of new employees to implement, according to the Washington Times.

Federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission would greatly expand in order to handle the expanded responsibilities. Congress would have to appropriate billions of dollars for more bureaucrats, much of which is not reflected in the House bill.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the government's expansion would cost $8 billion over a 10-year period. For the bill to operate effectively, nearly 1,500 regulations and mandates would have to be approved for at least 21 federal agencies. The rule-making process alone would take years.

New Online Resources Shed Light on Food and Farming

Two recently unveiled online resources provide information on U.S. food production and farming. Both of the new resources are consumer-friendly and garnered the backing of the Center for Food Integrity.

Best Food Facts employs the “Food Integrity Index,” which was developed to provide balanced, objective information that will aid consumers in making informed choices. Experts at leading universities provide answers to common questions and explore contemporary issues related to the U.S. food system. Links are provided to source material and research.

The Farmers Feed Us site allows consumers to tour farms online, learn about farming families and see for themselves how food is grown and ends up on the table.

The American Farm Bureau Federation, Indiana Farm Bureau, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and Ohio Farm Bureau are among more than 20 organizations representing each segment of the food chain that support the CFI.

Obama Pledges to Resolve Mexican Trucking Dispute

In a summit in Guadalajara that ended Monday, President Barack Obama told his Mexican counterpart Felipe Calderon that he is committed to resolving a dispute over truck access to U.S. highways.

Removing restrictions that prevent Mexican trucks from delivering goods across the border has been a top issue for Calderon since the U.S. Congress, citing safety concerns, ended a pilot program in March that allowed some trucks access. Mexico retaliated by imposing $2.4 billion in tariffs on U.S. goods after the program ended.

Rural Broadband Leads to Greater Economic Growth

Rural communities with greater broadband Internet access had greater economic growth than areas with less access, according to a new analysis by the Agriculture Department.

The study, “Broadband Internet’s Value for Rural America,” by economists at USDA’s Economic Research Service, compared counties that had broadband access relatively early by 2000 with similarly situated counties that had little or no broadband access. Employment growth was higher and non-farm private earnings was greater in counties with a longer history of broadband availability.

By 2007, the study found, most households—82 percent—with in-home Internet access had a broadband connection. However, there was a marked difference between urban and rural broadband use. Only 70 percent of rural households with in-home Internet access had a broadband connection in 2007, compared with 84 percent of urban households.

Organic Produce Not More Nutritious

A study in the United Kingdom shows there is little difference in nutritional value and no evidence of any extra health benefits from eating organic produce.

The study, which is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found no differences in most nutrients in organically or conventionally grown crops, including in vitamin C, calcium, and iron. Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine looked at all the evidence on nutrition and health benefits from the past 50 years.

American Farm Bureau Picks 5th Leader Class

The American Farm Bureau Federation has selected a group of 10 young agricultural leaders to participate in the fifth class of the Partners in Agricultural Leadership (PAL) honors program.

Farm Bureau’s PAL program is carried out with support from the Monsanto Company, the Farm Credit Foundation and AFBF. It is designed to strengthen participants’ leadership skills and put their abilities to work for the benefit of agriculture.

Selected to participate in the 2009 program are: Allen Bonthuis, Michigan; Rose Bradshaw, Virginia; Tiffany Briggs, New Hampshire; Chris Chinn, Missouri; Heath Eisele, New York; Renae Gebhart, South Dakota; Garrick Hall, Utah; Ana Kennedy, Arizona; Ben Moore, Tennessee; and Stacy Thoeny, Minnesota.

“We’re pleased to announce the members of the fifth PAL class and we look forward to the contributions they will make as individuals and collectively to strengthen American agriculture and tell the farmer’s story,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “Each of the previous PAL classes has been an outstanding success. Thanks to continued partnerships with Monsanto and the Farm Credit Foundation, we are confident this one also will prove to be a stellar experience for participants.”

ABC News Outlet: Where do HSUS Donations Really Go?

Where millions of dollars donated to the Humane Society of the United States end up is being investigated by WSB-TV, the ABC News affiliate in Atlanta, Ga. On Thursday the station aired an “action news” segment in which reporter Amanda Rosseter said the issue goes deeper than simple consumer misunderstanding about where donations go. HSUS intentionally misleads consumers about how funds will be used to secure donations, according to the report.

You can watch the report HERE.

Is FFA a Dying Breed?

A 77-year-old tradition at Hampshire High School in Illinois is dying. The school’s FFA chapter will likely close in the next three years.

A group of Hampshire residents asked the school board to help keep the program going.

“We would like to do whatever it takes to try to preserve this long-standing tradition, not only at Hampshire High School, but in District 300,” said Mark Drendel, father of Hampshire FFA President Matthew Drendel.

Hampshire High School still has a school-supported FFA chapter of about 20 members, but since the new school building opened in 2008, no agriculture classes have been offered, Principal Chuck Bumbales said. To become an FFA member, high school students must be enrolled in an agriculture class. Unless the membership rules change or the school begins offering agriculture classes again, the club will die out when the current members graduate.

H1N1 Hysteria Fades from View

William Bradley penned a column for the Huffington Post pointing out that despite the media hysteria, the H1N1 virus has already faded from view. “Remember that big, dangerous swine flu threat that the cable culture was going on about round the clock, still scaring the sweat out of people a week ago? Why, it's going to ... er, never mind,” Bradley wrote.

The H1N1 flu turned out to be much less dangerous than regular flu. “This flu didn't cause physical mayhem, it caused media mayhem, with the cable culture locking on to it around the clock,” Bradley wrote.

Message on Capitol Hill: 'Don't Call H1N1 Swine Flu"

According to The Hill, a newspaper published every day Congress is in session and read widely on Capitol Hill and in Washington, D.C., offices, farm-state lawmakers are urging their colleagues to stop using the term “swine flu” for the H1N1 virus and are imploring them to stop using pig graphics on congressional Web pages.

“If I could make a request, please avoid using a pig in any graphics for the current flu outbreak that you are creating for your Web site and other media,” House Agriculture Committee communications director April Demert Slayton wrote in a Wednesday e-mail to all Democratic congressional press secretaries.

“As President Obama and other administration officials have explained, the current flu outbreak is most properly called ‘H1N1 flu.’ The moniker ‘swine flu’ suggests that people are getting sick through consumption of pork products, which is not correct,” Slayton wrote. “If you could please try to refrain from using ‘swine flu’ to refer to the outbreak (and please no pig graphics), this would be extremely helpful as the U.S. tries to maintain international trade and consumer confidence in our nation’s swine industry.”

'Why Chickens Need Cages'

Dennis Avery, a senior fellow for the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C., wrote a column titled, “Why chickens need cages” that points out the importance of wired cages for the safety and comfort of birds.

Higher feed efficiency with the cages is kinder to the planet, because millions of acres don’t have to be converted from wildlife habitat to grow extra feed and for chicken pastures, Avery noted.

“Activist pressure hit the European Union years ago, and the EU announced it would ban cages for laying hens pending a report from an advisory commission. In due course, the advisory commission reported that non-caged layers pecked each other to death more often, while spreading salmonella and other dangerous bacteria,” Avery wrote.

Prop. 2 Worries Cage-Free Egg Farmer

Steve Mahrt, co-owner of Petaluma Farms in California, warns that the recently passed Proposition 2 could put local egg producers out of business. And Mahrt, who has used a cage-free environment for egg-laying hens for the past 25 years, says the measure is so vague and ambiguous that he is unclear if it applies to cage-free operations such as his own.

“It’s probably going to mean the end of an era in Petaluma,” Mahrt told the Petaluma Argus-Courier.

Local egg farmers say the regulations will mean fewer eggs can be produced and will increase the cost of doing business. Mahrt said his operation faces up to a two-thirds cut in production He is concerned big out-of-state producers, who don’t have to conform to Proposition 2 will gain a competitive advantage and further undercut the prices of Petaluma’s smaller egg producers.

Farm Bureau Conversations on Care Web Site Honored

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s Conversations on Care Web site has been named a national winner in the National Agricultural Marketing Association’s Best of NAMA Awards competition. The Conversations on Care site was the first-place winner in the “Web site, Educational Focus, Directed to Consumers” category. The Web site was created as a consumer engagement tool designed to create opportunities for dialogue between livestock producers and consumers. The site includes virtual farm tours, facts about animal care by species and an opportunity for consumers to seek information from producers. The site was produced by Osborn and Barr Communications. NAMA is the nation’s largest professional association for professionals in marketing and agribusiness.

CAST Releases Paper on Gestation Accomodations

The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) has released a new issue paper examining the use of individual gestation accommodations for dry sows in commercial pork production.

CAST published the paper, Scientific Assessment of the Welfare of Dry Sows Kept in Individual Accommodations, because perceptions and misconceptions of welfare issues have the potential to dramatically impact swine production. The paper provides objective, scientific information on the welfare of dry sows housed in individual gestation accommodations.

“Too few statistically adequate, scientifically controlled trials on industry farms have been conducted; many reports are not useful for critical evaluation, thus for developing public policy,” said Task Force Chair Dr. Stanley Curtis, a professor of animal science at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. “More large-scale, on-farm, multidisciplinary, scientifically robust research and development are needed before rigid regulations should be imposed.”

Dr. John Bonner, CAST executive vice president, said the issue of swine welfare related to housing accommodations remains in the forefront of conversation in production agriculture and the mainstream media. “CAST strives to provide crucial scientific information on such important issues to facilitate informed discussions and decision-making,” Bonner said.

NYT: Organic Certification No Assurance of Food Safety

Just because some foods have organic certification does not mean that they are safer to eat than conventionally grown foods, according to an article in the New York Times.

As an example, the recent outbreak of salmonella related to peanut products has proven that federal organic certification of those products did not prevent them from being unsafe, according to today’s article. People who are paying up to 50 percent more for organic food think they should be able to rely on organic products to be safer than others, the article asserts.

“Because there are some increased health benefits with organics, people extrapolate that it’s safer in terms of pathogens,” said Urvashi Rangan, a senior scientist and policy analyst with Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. “I wouldn’t necessarily assume it is safer.”

AFBF supports the right of producers to choose among all types of production methods including organic and conventional.

Shortage of Livestock Vets Presents Problem

A 13 percent increase in the demand for veterinarians involved in the food supply chain is predicted by 2016 according to Michael San Filippo, spokesman for the American Veterinary Medical Association. However, there is a 4 percent to 5 percent shortage in the number of people willing to take those jobs.

The predicted shortage reflects the fact that future veterinarians are growing up in cities or suburbs rather than on farms. Also, San Filippo noted that small animal practices tend to be more lucrative because they offer veterinarians the opportunity to see more clients than is possible when driving from farm to farm. Only about 10 percent of all veterinary school graduates are choosing to work with livestock.

The shortage poses a threat to the safety of the nation’s food supply. “There’s a lot of concern about disease being spread, whether it’s naturally or something that might be spread maliciously. If something’s not picked up on, that can cause a lot of damage,” said San Filippo.

AFBF supports legislation that encourages veterinary school graduates to work in underserved rural areas.

Clean Water Act Ruling a Major Blow for Ag

A three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that allowed pesticides to be applied to U.S. waters without a Clean Water Act permit.

This decision is a big blow for agriculture. AFBF is evaluating the court ruling and seeking information on how EPA will implement it.

On Nov. 27, 2007, EPA issued the final rule, which states that pesticides applied in accordance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act are exempt from the Clean Water Act's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting requirements. Environmental advocates challenged the rule, and AFBF intervened in defense of EPA’s rule.

The Wednesday court ruling held that all biological pesticides are pollutants requiring NPDES permits if they reach waters of the U.S. Similarly, any residue or excess from chemical pesticide applications that reach waters of the U.S. would be considered pollutants. As a result of this ruling, many, if not most, ground and aerial pesticide applications near or into water will likely require NPDES permits.

Egg Producer Explains Operations on YouTube

Illinois Farm Bureau’s second Conversations on Animal Care video is up on YouTube. In this two-part video, Keith Mussman, Kankakee County Farm Bureau president explains his family egg operation to the Kankakee County Kiwanis Club.

Mussman explains how his family entered the egg business in the early 1950s and compares “the good old days” to today’s modern systems. Mussman received high marks for his presentation.

The YouTube video includes two parts, Mussman’s presentation and a question and answer segment.

Mussman's Presentation on YouTube

Question and Answer session on YouTube

USDA Launches Unwanted Horse Study

At the request of AFBF, the animal care division of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is leading a study to quantify the impact of unwanted and abandoned horses.

The APHIS study will characterize the type, history, ownership and health status of unwanted horses entering animal control facilities, rescue and retirement facilities, and auction markets. It will involve 15 to 20 animal control and rescue organizations throughout the United States, as well as a number of auction markets that sell horses on a weekly or monthly basis.

The study will evaluate 300 to 500 horses over a one-year period and include surveys for owners, sales personnel, and animal control and rescue personnel. The survey data will be statistically analyzed and reported in peer-reviewed scientific journals. The information also will be disseminated to the equine community through lay journals, Web site fact sheets and outreach presentations.

While there are no firm calculations on the number of unwanted horses in the United States, it’s estimated to be about 100,000 animals based on previous processing statistics, anecdotal evidence and transportation data. The results of the APHIS survey will help to quantify and validate the true extent of the unwanted horse problem.

Stallman Corrects Kristof's Misconceptions

AFBF President Bob Stallman sent a letter Thursday to the New York Times, clearing up a number of misconceptions presented by Nicholas Kristof in an op-ed in Wednesday’s edition calling for a “secretary of food.”

Stallman made it clear that America’s food production is not broken, as Kristof insinuated. “It’s simplistic to suggest that most of society’s ills stem from our current food policy. Some of those ills, such as obesity, are the result of individual behavior. Other conditions Mr. Kristof decries are the result of consumer choice and preference. In fact, the marketplace now provides consumers with myriad opportunities to purchase the types of food Mr. Kristof prefers--a far better solution than having a new ‘food czar,’” Stallman wrote.

“To lay all of society’s problems on the front porch of U.S. farmers, who are the envy of the rest of the world, performs a disservice to them and millions of others who work in the U.S. food production system,” Stallman stressed.

Benefits of Livestock Grazing Important

The Capital Press reported Tuesday that delegates to the California Farm Bureau Federation’s 90th annual meeting agreed on the environmental benefits of livestock grazing. Discussions about livestock grazing resulted in an approved resolution that came in response to negative perceptions among regulators and others about grazing.

Ken Mitchell, a member of the organization’s sheep advisory committee, said, “There are enhanced benefits from grazing.” Mitchell, who raises turkeys and sheep, said, “If a stand isn't taken . . . and the status quo stays the same, the next generation won't necessarily know anything about grazing.”

The resolution calls for efforts to educate the public and government officials about scientific data that show the benefits from well-managed livestock grazing. It also advocates incentives and monetary compensation for environmental benefits provided by producers.

YouTube Tells Pork Success Stories

The Pork Checkoff is using the popular video-sharing Web site YouTube to highlight what the pork industry is doing right through three new videos on the checkoff's YouTube channel, the National Pork Board announced.

The new videos, which run one to two minutes each, include:

“Pigs Go Green”: Randy Spronk, a Minnesota pork producer, and Brad Greenway, a South Dakota pork producer, describe how they protect the environment, from fertilizing crop ground with swine nutrients to maintaining air quality.

“Ethical Treatment of Pigs”: Greenway, along with Dale Norton, a Michigan pork producer, and Leon Sheets, an Iowa pork producer, discuss how proper animal care and modern livestock facilities help farmers supply safe, high-quality food.

“Hungry Pigs” Norton and Gene Nemechek, a swine veterinarian and National Pork Board member, explain how pigs are fed a balanced diet that provides the proper nutrition for each stage of life.

EPA, Corps Offer Revised 'Navigable Waters' Guidance

The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued revised guidance Wednesday to help clarify the scope of Clean Water Act (CWA) protections.

The new guidance updates an earlier document released in June 2007 that sought to interpret a very high profile Supreme Court ruling. The revised guidance attempts to clarify federal jurisdiction over traditional navigable waters; wetlands adjacent to traditional navigable waters; non-navigable tributaries that are relatively permanent; tributaries that typically flow year round; tributaries that flow seasonally (typically three months); and wetlands that abut such tributaries.

The agencies will not assert jurisdiction over swales or erosional features or ditches (including roadside ditches that drain uplands).

The agencies will apply the significant nexus standard as follows when the wetland or tributary is determined to affect the biology, hydrology or ecology of a downstream traditional navigable water.

The new language attempts to clarify that “traditional navigable waters” are those used, or susceptible to being used, for commercial navigation, including commercial waterborne recreation such as boat rentals, guided fishing trips or water skiing tournaments.

The “navigable waters” issue is a Farm Bureau priority, primarily because of its potential wide ranging impact on farmland, according to Don Parrish, AFBF senior director, regulatory relations. “Farmers and ranchers understand the importance of clean water and have long advocated the need for clear jurisdictional lines and a common sense definition of wetlands,” Parrish said.

Obama Sees Ag Sector Responsible for Several Problems

TIn an article appearing in TIME on Oct. 23, President Barack Obama said, “Our agriculture sector actually is contributing more greenhouse gases than our transportation sector. And in the meantime, it’s creating monocultures that are vulnerable to national security threats, are now vulnerable to sky-high food prices or crashes in food prices, huge swings in commodity prices, and are partly responsible for the explosion in our health care costs because they’re contributing to type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease, obesity, all the things that are driving our huge explosion in health care costs.”

Oprah Invited to Tour Illinois Livestock Farm

A press release issued today by the Illinois Farm Bureau reports that “daytime talk show icon Oprah Winfrey has a standing offer to travel downstate, strap on some boots and visit a livestock farm in her backyard.” The offer comes only hours before today’s broadcast of Winfrey’s show which is devoted entirely to the debate over Proposition 2. That initiative will appear on next month’s California ballot and, if passed, will severely regulate poultry, veal and pork production.

Philip Nelson, a LaSalle County grain and livestock producer and president of the Illinois Farm Bureau, said, “Oprah is obviously interested in the subject of animal welfare, and we have a great story to tell. If Oprah is willing to take some time out of her busy schedule to visit a farm, she would discover that modern livestock producers are ethically committed to the well being of their animals. Our livelihoods depend on the production of healthy animals. No one understands better than a livestock producer that well cared for animals mean healthy food for Americans and the rest of the world.”

Lisa Ling, a special investigative correspondent for Winfrey, went to the Kellogg family’s grain and hog operation in Yorkville. California livestock producers were also interviewed on the program, but the discussion was dominated by Wayne Pacelle, the leader of the Humane Society of the United States, the national animal rights group that put the measure on the California ballot.

Illinois Farm Bureau’s board of directors voted last month to make a $7,000 contribution to the campaign opposed to Proposition 2.

AFBF Provides COOL Guidelines

Livestock producers must provide definitive origin information to slaughter facilities under the new country-of-origin labeling (COOL) rule that went into effect this month. To help producers comply, the American Farm Bureau Federation has prepared guidelines for providing necessary COOL documentation to buyers.

Livestock producers may use one of the following methods to comply with COOL and provide the required information to buyers:

Affidavits: Packers may rely on producer affidavits to initiate claims. Affidavits must be made by someone having first-hand knowledge and must identify animals unique to the transaction. Producer and packer affidavits are available on the AFBF Voice of Agriculture Web site and may be used to comply with COOL. Producers can access the documents at:

http://www.fb.org/newsroom/nr/nr2008/10-03-08/COOLProducerAffidavit.pdf

http://www.fb.org/newsroom/nr/nr2008/10-03-08/COOLPackerAffidavit.pdf

National Animal Identification System (NAIS): Animals that are part of a NAIS-compliant system may rely on the presence of an official ear tag and/or the presence of any accompanying animal markings, as applicable, to base origin claims.

USDA-Approved Age Verification Programs: Participation in USDA Quality System Verification Programs (QSVP), such as the USDA Process Verified Program (PVP) and the Quality Systems Assessment (QSA) Program, which contain a source verification component, is also considered acceptable evidence to substantiate COOL claims.

PETA Urges Ben & Jerry's to use Human Milk in Ice Cream

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sent a bizarre letter to Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, co-founders of Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., urging them to replace cow's milk they use in their ice cream products with human breast milk.

The request comes in the wake of news reports that a Swiss restaurant owner will begin purchasing breast milk from nursing mothers and substituting breast milk for 75 percent of the cow's milk in the food he serves.

A spokesperson for Ben and Jerry’s said PETA’s approach was novel, “but we believe a mother’s milk is best used for her child.”

Farm Bureau Members Speak-Up on Animal Care

A diverse collection of farmers and ranchers from across the nation are sharing their thoughts with consumers on the importance of providing care to farm animals, and how the ultimate result is healthy food for American consumers.

Hillary Maricle, a beef and swine producer in Nebraska, and Bob Power, a swine producer in Mississippi, are just two of the seven farmers who have posted testimonials to consumers on AFBF’s www.ConversationsOnCare.com Web site. The seven producers who have shared a paragraph or two on that Web site regarding their values related to animal care are among a growing group of producers who have participated in a spokesperson training and consumer engagement program sponsored by AFBF. Their testimonials can be found at http://www.conversationsoncare.com/testimonials.aspx. In addition, many of the program participants are engaging with consumers and local leaders through local speaking opportunities and through interaction with members of the news media.

Country-Of-Origin Labeling Forms Available on Web

AFBF has prepared implementation guidelines for livestock producers to comply with the new mandatory country-of-origin labeling that takes effect Tuesday. COOL requires retailers to notify their customers of the country of origin of beef (including veal), goat meat, lamb, pork, poultry, fish, pecans, peanuts, macadamia nuts and other perishable agricultural commodities. Retailers, packers and their suppliers are mutually responsible for contributing the information necessary to meet the requirements of this new law.

Because livestock producers have first-hand knowledge concerning the origin of their animals, definitive origin information must be provided to slaughter facilities so that meat products can be accurately labeled at retail. Livestock producers should be prepared to provide necessary country-of-origin documentation to their buyers.

The forms are available HERE.

Video Tells Story of Illinois Hog Farm

Chad Leman, a Farm Bureau member and pork producer in Illinois, has opened the door to his farming operation and invited millions of consumers into his pig barns via the video-sharing site – www.YouTube.com. The video is also one of three featured producer videos that can be found at the Conversations on Animal Care Web site – www.conversationsoncare.com.

Lenman serves as Illinois Farm Bureau’s representative on the AFBF Swine Advisory Committee. He also has served for three years on IFB’s Livestock and Dairy Grass Roots Issue Team. Married with four daughters, Chad operates Leman Farms, Inc., in partnership with his father, raising corn, soybeans and hogs with two full-time and two part-time employees.

AFBF’s Conversations on Animal Care initiative is a comprehensive effort that supports farmers and ranchers who are eager to engage consumers in a positive dialogue about animal care. The initiative also helps livestock producers share positive and personal insights on the care they provide farm animals, through presentations, speeches and other efforts to engage in communication with consumers. The initiative puts the faces of farmers and ranchers on our nation’s livestock care issues as they demonstrate that the animals they care for produce safe, healthy food for Americans.

Click here to see the video Lenman and his family produced in cooperation with Illinois Farm Bureau and the Conversations on Animal Care initiative.

California Egg Producer Posts Virtual Tour of Farm

Jill Benson of Modesto, Calif., a participant in the Conversations on Animal Care spokesperson program carried out by the American Farm Bureau Federation, has opened the virtual doors of her family’s farm to show consumers how they care for hens that lay eggs. Jill, whose great-grandfather moved to California and started the family farming business in 1909, hosts a YouTube.com video tour of her family’s modern egg production farm to show what it’s like inside the poultry facility, and to explain the care and feeding of the hens.

Visitors to www.youtube.com are encouraged to sign up for a free YouTube account and post comments about the new video. Jill’s video also will be featured on the home page of the www.ConversationsonCare.com Web site. An earlier YouTube video featuring Missouri hog farmer Chris Chinn is posted in both locations. Thus far, on YouTube alone, Chris’ video has been viewed more than 3,300 times.

To view Jill Benson's egg farm video, click HERE.

To view Chris Chinn's hog farm video, click HERE.

Utahns strongly supportive of local agriculture and public lands grazing

Utah Department of Agriculture survey finds that Utahns are overwhelmingly in support of local agriculture, and specifically support livestock grazing on public lands.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, "[a]lthough nearly two-thirds of the respondents said they had never lived on a farm, 91 percent said they considered farming and ranching important and 72 percent supported livestock grazing on public lands.

'"That's an encouraging message to the thousands of farmers and ranchers in our state," said Agricultural Commissioner Leonard Blackham. "We're also pleased to see the support for livestock grazing, since cattle and sheep ranching are so important to rural Utah's economy."

The survey, conducted in June of 210 people by Dan Jones and Associates, also found that when Utahns shop at the grocery store, 96 percent look for freshness in making their selections, followed by nutrition, 85 percent, and price at 82 percent. The survey has a margin error of 7 percent."

Traditional Zanjeros Focus of L.A. Times Piece

Men known as “zanjeros” have long shepherded water in the West, but there are fewer of them all the time. Automated irrigation systems are taking their place as each drop of water becomes more precious in the West.

The Los Angeles Times recently published an in-depth look at this dying way of life in certain portions of rural America. Describing one long-time zanjero, Jose Romo, and his work in the Imperial Valley, Mike Anton writes, “His job is to deliver prescribed amounts of Colorado River water to farmers served by the Imperial Irrigation District in southeastern California. It’s a job rich in tradition, one that mirrors the settlement of the West and its complicated relationship with water.

“The zanjero was once the most powerful man in any community, entrusted with overseeing its most valuable resource. In early Los Angeles, he was paid more than the mayor.”

Sheep Shearing May Become A Lost Art?

Low wool prices and high shearing costs are behind the addition of a special breed of wool-less sheep to some flocks. Sheep producers focused on the meat market are turning to Katahdin sheep, which grow hair instead of wool. The Katahdin breed originated in Maine more than 30 years ago, and there are about 100 million hair sheep around the world.

Sheep numbers have risen slightly after declining significantly over the past decade, according to the American Sheep Industry Association. The nation’s sheep numbers fell from about 8 million in 1997 to 6.1 million in 2004, then edged up to 6.2 million this year.

Read more from the Associated Press, HERE.

University of California-Davis Seeks Producers for FMD Survey

Researchers at the Center for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance (CADMS) at UC-Davis are seeking livestock producers to participate in an online survey about foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease. The goal of the survey is to collect information for a computer simulation model that will help predict how FMD might spread in the U.S. and identify the control strategies for containment.

The online survey was launched in 2006 and is part of a research study funded by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense. The current version of the survey consists of nine questions about animal and people movements on and off the farm and takes only about 5-10 minutes to complete, according to researchers. Dairy, swine and goat producers, in particular, are sought for the survey.

FMD is a highly contagious animal disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, swine, sheep, goats and deer. According to CADMS, producer information from the survey will be kept confidential and used only for modeling purposes.

The survey can be found HERE.

Web site counters attacks on food production

A group of 18 national food and agriculture associations launched a Web site last week dedicated to telling the real story of the U.S. food system.

The Web site, www.bestfoodnation.com, contains current factual information about the positive contributions delivered by the food system each and every day, as well as individual stories about some of the millions of men and women who are dedicated to providing safe, abundant and affordable food in the United States.

“We believe it’s important to set the record straight when critics use out-of-date or inaccurate information to attack the food system,” said Mike John, a Missouri cattle producer and president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

The new Web site was created to counter “Chew on This,” the latest book by Eric Schlosser that is critical of food production and processing. Aimed at middle-school students, the follow-up book to “Fast Food Nation” offers sensationalized misinformation about the U.S. food system.

“We welcome open dialogue about our food system,” said Janet Riley of the American Meat Institute. “There are important issues worthy of discussion. However, some of the information contained in this book is inaccurate and misleading, and Americans should know the facts so they can form their own opinions.”

Visitors to the Best Food Nation Web site can learn about efforts that directly benefit the public, including the various healthful and balanced food choices offered by restaurants and food-product manufacturers, the creation of millions of jobs offering competitive wages, the practice of good animal welfare and environmental stewardship by our nation’s farmers and ranchers, and the numerous benefits local communities derive from the food and agriculture industries.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is among the 18 organizations supporting Best Food Nations.