|
SDFB Leader Connection |
July 27, 2008 |
Iin this issue: NRCS Technical Committee
Meeting
Ag Land Assessment Advisory Task Force
YF&R Summerfest
DakotaFest
AFBF launches conversation on animal care
Law would give police powers to activists
Legal Defense Fund files suit to stop Animal ID program
New website aims to provide comprehensive Beef Checkoff
information
GAO looks at other countries’ food safety systems
European food safety group says cloned food safe
Deadline for carbon credits contract signup is August 15
Unprecedented Gains in U.S. Agricultural Exports
OECD blasts biofuels policies
McCain, Obama remarks highlight productive AFBF meeting
Smithsonian
exhibit reveals soil’s impact on life
Quote of the
Day
Upcoming events:
Ag Land Assessment Advisory Task Force Meeting – July
28, Pierre
GF&P legislative interim review – August 11-12, Pierre
YF&R SummerFest – August 16, Pierre
Dakota Fest – August 19-21, Mitchell
Century Farms recognition – August 28, Huron
South Dakota State Fair – August 28-September 1, Huron
Highway Needs & Financing interim study – September 24-25,
Pierre
SDFB Annual Meeting – November 21-22, Sioux Falls
National Farm-City Week – November 21-27
AFBF Annual meeting – January 11 – 14, San Antonio, TX
Ag
Land Assessment Advisory Task Force
The first meeting of the “Agricultural Land
Assessment Implementation and Oversight Advisory Task Force”
is scheduled for tomorrow – Monday, July 28 – starting at
10:00 a.m. in the Capitol Building. The tentative agenda
is:
10:00 a.m. Call to order
Roll call
Determination of Quorum
Staff Remarks – Jim Fry
10:10 a.m. Election of Chair and Vice Chair for the 2008
Term
10:15 a.m. Review of the Duties and Responsibilities of
the Task Force
- Fred Baatz, Legislative Research Council
10:30 a.m. Revising the Ag Land Assessment Process
- Michael Kenyon, Director, Division of Property and Special
Taxes
10:45 a.m. Update on Data Collection and Model for Ag
Land Assessment
- Burton Pflueger, Economics Department, South Dakota State
University
11:45 a.m. Lunch
1:00 p.m. Update on Data Collection and Model for Ag
Land Assessment
2:30 p.m. Public Testimony
3:00 p.m. Break
3:15 p.m. Committee Action
Next Meeting Date
Staff Direction
4:00 p.m. Adjourn
The task force was created in the bill
passed last session to change ag land tax assessments from a
market-bases system to a productivity-based system.
Members of the committee are:
Walt Bones
III, Parker
Kirk Chafee,
Sturgis (Meade County Director of Equalization)
Representative Paul Dennert, Columbia
Curt
Everson, Pierre (Banker’s Association)
Larry
Gabriel, Cottonwood (Former state legislator and Ag
Secretary)
Senator Alan
Hoerth, Aberdeen
Senator Dave
Knudson, Sioux Falls
Senator
Kenneth McNenny, Sturgis
Representative Kristi Noem, Castlewood
Ron Olinger,
Pierre
Senator Jim
Peterson, Revillo
Representative Larry Rhoden, Union Center
Representative Steve Street, Revillo
Duane
Sutton, Aberdeen
YF&R
Summerfest
The Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee SummerFest
is just three weeks away. This is a chance for YF&R
members, as well as anyone interested in YF&R, to cool off
and enjoy a day on the river with good friends and great
food.
Festivities will begin
August 16th at 11 a.m., with dinner at 1 p.m. The event
will be held north of Pierre at the Oahe Downstream Park.
Entry into the park is $5 per vehicle unless you already
have a yearly parks pass. You can reserve a camping site at
http://www.sdgfp.info/Parks/Regions/OaheSharpe/OaheDownstream.htm.
If you are not as one with nature, there are a block of
rooms at the Pierre Days Inn, 520 W Sioux Ave. The phone
number is (605) 224-0411. The rooms are held under SDFB YF&R
Please RSVP
to Kara Nagel @ 605-494-0196,
knagel@pie.midco.net. Or…if you want more information,
please contact Kara.
Hope to see
you there!!!
DakotaFest
Dakotafest will be held August 19, 20 and 21 near
Mitchell. Please plan to stop by the SDFB red and white
hoop building while you are there.
Show hours
are: Tues. Aug. 19 - 9:00am -
5:00pm
Wed. Aug. 20 - 9:00am -
5:00pm
Thur. Aug. 21 - 9:00am -
4:00pm
On Wednesday, you are invited to a
“Threshers Lunch 2008” in the Farm Bureau building, between
11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The SDFB will be serving
hamburgers, brats, buns, chips, milk and relish. Cost to
you will be the value the farmer receives for the meal.
Proceeds will be donated to the SDFB Scholarship Foundation.
Also on Wednesday, the FFA
Foundation will be serving ice cream in the Farm Bureau
building.
AFBF launches conversation
on animal care
To address consumer concerns about the care provided to farm
animals in the production of meat, milk and eggs, the
American Farm Bureau Federation has launched the
Conversations on Animal Care initiative.
Conversations on Animal Care 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.
The program was debuted in a webinar for agricultural
journalists Wednesday.
A key component of the effort is a Web site
www.conversationsoncare.com.
On a related subject…
Law would give police powers to activists
Animal rights and vegetarian activists
could have the authority to enter and search California farm
buildings and arrest producers for suspected violations of
animal welfare laws if California voters approve a ballot
initiative this fall.
This is the
conclusion of attorneys who are analyzing the legal
consequences of the initiative for agricultural and food
interests in California, whose "Californians for SAFE Food"
coalition is organized to educate Californians on the
initiative and urge them to vote no on the measure.
The
determination makes it exceedingly important for producers
and production companies, trade associations and allied
industry across the U.S. to become involved in the "SAFE
Food" coalition, its supporters said.
The
initiative -- which has been designated "Proposition 2" or
"Prop 2" -- is directed at the treatment of farm animals
and, if passed, would require that farm animals not be
confined or tethered in a manner that prevents an animal
from lying down, standing up, turning around and fully
extending its limbs.
For a hen in
an egg production system, fully extending its limbs means
extending its wings without touching the side of an
enclosure, such as a cage, or another hen, according to the
initiative.
Legal
Defense Fund files suit to stop Animal ID program
A Virginia family farm advocacy group
made good on a threat to sue USDA to stop any further
development and implementation of the National Animal
Identification System (NAIS). Attorneys for the
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund filed suit in the U.S.
District Court – District of Columbia to stop the USDA and
the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) from
implementing NAIS, a plan to electronically track every
livestock animal in the country.
The suit asks the court to issue an
injunction to stop the implementation of NAIS at either the
state or federal levels by any state or federal agency. If
successful, the suit would halt the program nationwide. Fund
President Taaron Meikle said that existing programs for
diseases such as tuberculosis, brucellosis and scrapie
together with state laws on branding and the existing record
keeping by sales barns and livestock shows provide the
mechanisms needed for tracking any disease outbreaks.
New
website aims to provide comprehensive Beef Checkoff
information
The Cattlemen's Beef Board has launched
a new Web site,
MyBeefCheckoff.com, that aims to be a one-stop shop for
finding out how national Beef Checkoff dollars are invested
and the results of those investments.
Highlights of the new site include:
- Easy access to CBB members and
staff
- Expanded state beef council
information and access
- Monthly e-newsletter sign-up
- Producer profiles from across the
country
- Links to all checkoff-funded
consumer and industry sites
- Newsroom
"It is our hope that the site brings
producers together, whether they are a dairy producer in New
York or a beef producer in Washington," said CBB member
Richard Nielson, who chairs the producer communications
committee. "That's the unique thing about the new site — it
reinforces the idea that producers can't be everywhere, but
their checkoff can."
GAO
looks at other countries’ food safety systems
In a recent audit report, the federal
General Accountability Office examined the food safety
systems of six other countries and the European Union.
Findings generally indicate that consumers seem to benefit
from a comprehensive farm-to-table approach, and consumers’
opinion of their effectiveness is improving.
The GAO said that the study
was not intended to be an evaluation of other countries’
systems, nor did the agency intend to compare and contrast
other countries’ systems with that of the United States.
However, the GAO did take note of most other countries’
ability to trace food shipments quickly and better track
down bad food in case of a recall. The agency also noted
that other countries consolidated their food safety
responsibilities in one office alone.
The report is a follow-up
to a similar report the GAO conducted in 2005.
A summary of the audit
results is available at the GAO website at:
http://www.gao.gov/docsearch/abstract.php?rptno=GAO-08-794
European food safety group says cloned food safe
The European Food Safety Administration (EFSA)
announced a final scientific opinion last Thursday saying
food from cloned cattle and pigs is safe and there are no
implications on the environment from animal cloning.
EFSA found
that there is no indication that differences exist in terms
of food safety for meat and milk of clones and their progeny
compared with those from conventionally bred animals. Also,
somatic cell nuclear transfer (the most common technique
used to clone animals) results in the production of healthy
cattle and pig clones and healthy offspring that are similar
to their conventional counterparts, based on parameters such
as physiological characteristics, demeanor and clinical
status.
Deadline for carbon credits contract signup is August 15
August 15 is the deadline for farm operators with
no-till or strip-till cropping practices or new grass
plantings to sign up to sell carbon credits and still take
advantage of a bonus provision that includes credit for 2007
practices.
Completed
contracts must be postmarked by the mid-August date to
qualify, according to Chad Martin, Soils Specialist with
AgraGate Climate Credits Corp. The 2008-2012 contract is for
cropland farmed with continuous no-tillage or strip-tillage,
or with grass plantings made since January 1, 1999. The
contract also has a bonus clause for operators who used the
conservation tillage practices in 2007. Blank contracts are
available on the AgraGate Web site:
www.agragate.com.
"The
contract includes an option for an additional year of credit
for cropland that was no-tilled or strip-tilled in 2007,"
Martin says. "If the tillage practices qualify and can be
verified the operator could earn credit for last year's
action. However, that option is gone after the deadline and
the contract rolls over to a 2009-2013 term with possible
2008 credit."
Unprecedented Gains in U.S. Agricultural Exports
While developments elsewhere in agriculture
including the ethanol industry have attracted more
attention, U.S. agricultural export performance has been
truly exceptional over the last two years, according to
analysis by AFBF economists. Agriculture is currently
experiencing a “perfect storm” that has put calendar year
2007 farm exports at $90 billion compared to a previous high
of $71 billion in calendar year 2006.
While U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) data is available for just
the first 5 months of calendar 2008, the pace is up 50
percent over 2007, and this early momentum would put U.S.
farm exports for the 2008 calendar year above $130 billion.
More realistic estimates, recognizing the impact of rising
prices as concern about crop developments in the U.S., put
the final 2008 total in the more-likely $115-120 billion
range. This makes likely export volume gains in the
unprecedented 13 to 15 percent range. Even with the U.S.’s
import bill up by 15 percent, shipments through May foresee
the largest agricultural trade surplus on record.
OECD
blasts biofuels policies
Government support of biofuel production is
costly, has a limited impact on reducing greenhouse gases
and improving energy security, and has a significant impact
on world crop prices, according to a new study. The
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD) study said blending and use mandates increase fuel
costs to consumers and import tariffs impose a cost burden
on biofuel users. The United States imposes a 54-cent per
gallon tariff on imported ethanol and mandates domestic
corn-based ethanol blending.
Last week,
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told the House
Financial Services Committee he thought removing the tariff
on Brazilian ethanol imports would be a good idea, according
to media reports.
The OECD
report called for more open markets in biofuels and
feedstocks in order to improve efficiency and lower costs.
It also called on governments of OECD countries to refocus
policies to encourage lower energy consumption. And it
suggested research to accelerate development of
second-generation biofuels that do not require commodity
feedstock.
Costly grain use
Current biofuel support measures alone are expected to
increase average prices for wheat by about 5 percent, corn
by around 7 percent and vegetable oil by about 19 percent
over the next 10 years.
The OECD
pointed out that while ethanol from sugar cane reduces
greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 percent compared to
fossil fuels, biofuels produced from wheat, sugar beet or
vegetable oil rarely provide emissions savings of more than
30 to 60 percent, while savings from corn-based ethanol are
generally less than 30 percent.
It estimated
that current biofuel support policies would reduce
greenhouse gas emissions from transport fuel by no more than
0.8 percent by 2015.
Taking into
account the 2007 US Energy Independence and Security Act and
the proposed EU Directive for Renewable Energy, 13 percent
of world coarse grain production and 20 percent of world
vegetable oil production could shift to biofuel production
in the next 10 years, the study estimated.
McCain, Obama remarks highlight productive AFBF meeting
A successful and productive three-day AFBF
Council of Presidents meeting ended with a bang last
Wednesday with teleconference appearances by both major
party presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama.
Both candidates took questions from the state Farm Bureau
presidents and touched on many of the top farm issues.
Here are
some highlights of their comments on the issues:
Estate Tax
John McCain: “I believe that one
of the most onerous or unfair taxes is the estate tax or the
death tax. I agree with my friend Jon Kyl who’s worked so
hard on this issue that we should have the first $10 million
exempt, anything above that taxed at a 15 percent rate. It’s
outrageous that you should not be able to pass on to your
children and grandchildren the hard-earned fruits of your
labor.”
Barack Obama: “I will keep the
estate tax at the rate that it is going to be in 2009. It
will affect those of individual estates of more than 3.5
million or 7 million for married couples. That’s going to
eliminate the estate tax for 99.7 percent of all taxpayers.
The truth though is a complete repeal of the estate tax
would cost the government $1 trillion over the first 10
years at a time when our country has some huge priorities.
To finance that repeal, we’d either have to borrow money or
we’d have to raise taxes on working families who never even
benefit from the estate tax or slash a trillion dollars in
public services and investment.”
Immigration
McCain: “We need a temporary
worker program associated with tamper-proof biometric
documents so that you as an employer will know that that
person is a temporary worker in the United States and you
won’t have to worry about a bogus Social Security card or
birth certificate.”
Obama: “My goal in the first
year would be to have comprehensive immigration reform done.
Without immigrant workers a lot of farms in America would
shut down. My commitment to you is that at minimum we would
have the AgJobs section of the immigration reform package
done hopefully by the first year. We have strong bipartisan
consensus on that front. If we are to have a vital
agricultural industry, then this has to be resolved; and I
intend to resolve it quickly.”
Trade
McCain: “I believe the American
agricultural worker is the most productive and most
efficient and one of my jobs is to open every market in the
world to your products. As you know, I came back recently
from a trip to Colombia. Colombia is the largest importer of
American agricultural products in South America and yet the
Democrats will not agree to the Colombian Fair Trade
Agreement, which actually harms our ability to get more
products into those markets, so I’m a free trader and I
believe that we need to get our agricultural products into
markets all over the world and it will be a great thing for
America not to mention our trade deficit.”
Obama: “We got to have a trade
strategy that allows us to do what we do best and allows
farmers to do what they do best and that is to get products
to market. In order to do that, it is important for us to be
tougher negotiators than we have been. There are an awful
lot of countries that are shipping products into the United
States, but still have restrictive practices. Look at the
fight that we had to get into to get beef into South Korea.
It’s been dragged kicking and screaming just to get American
beef into their markets. We’ve got to have tougher
negotiators. I’m a strong believer in free trade.”
Both
candidates also discussed agriculture’s role in helping make
America energy independent. Friday’s issue of Executive
Newswatch will focus on the candidates energy comments.
Smithsonian exhibit reveals soil’s impact on life
There are more living creatures in a shovel-full
of soil than human beings on the planet, yet more is known
about the dark side of the moon than about soil. These are
just a couple of the facts visitors can learn from the new
temporary exhibition “Dig It! The Secrets of soil” which
opened Saturday and runs through January 3, 2010, at the
Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in
Washington.
The 5,000
square foot exhibition reveals the complex world of soil and
how its hidden ecosystem supports nearly every form of life
on earth. The exhibit is sponsored by the Soil Science
Society of America and the Nutrients for Life Foundation,
which is underwritten by The Fertilizer Institute.
More
information is available at the Smithsonian’s Museum of
Natural History website: http://www.mnh.si.edu/
Quote
of the Day:
“It is not enough to
have every intelligent person in the country voting for me.
I need a majority,” – Adlai Stevenson