Beitlich and Ziegler Talk About Farm Bill

Thursday, August 14, 2008 8:48 AM CDT

Joan Sanstadt, News Editor

Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU) President Sue Beitlich told Agri-View last week she is “pleased that the recently passed Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (also called the Farm Bill) contains many WFU priorities.

“Of highest concern was a permanent disaster provision for farm losses not covered by crop insurance and this was included in the Act,” Beitlich said.

Katy Ziegler, vice president of government relations at the National Farmers Union (NFU), said “establishment of a standing disaster program was also a NFU priority. We’re pleased it was included in the safety net provisions of the bill and that it recognizes the cost of inputs.

“It’s just common sense to have a permanent disaster program available. Disasters will hit some part of the country at some time and this year Wisconsin has had its share,” Ziegler noted.

While WFU preferred to “retain the commodity title safety net and move to all counter cyclical payments and eliminate direct payments, as well as reducing the payment limitation level and closing loopholes so the benefits go to farmers,” Beitlich acknowledges “there were provisions to retain this safety net, but direct payments were not completely eliminated n however they were reduced.”

While mandatory County of Origin Labeling (COOL) was included in the bill, Ziegler said it is still “not perfect. A week ago, USDA released the interim final rule to implement the program. This at least gets it started and we hope to work out the kinks as it moves forward.”

Interstate Shipment of State Inspected Meat is another WFU-favored item included in the Farm Bill. “It’s a brand new program,” Ziegler said, adding “it’s an issue that’s been around for 30 years.”

Ziegler cautioned interstate meat shipments are not automatically permitted. “This is in the bill because of a compromise. Shipments from state plants inspected by state inspectors will be allowed for those products processed in their own facility. There is also a requirement as to the number of employees a participating plant must have and USDA will begin issuing some guidelines and regulations on how state plants can become certified. A state-inspected plant cannot automatically begin shipping products out of state,” she emphasized.

Here are some of the other WFU/NFU priorities included in the Farm Bill:

- MILC Program n a feed adjustor has been included for the first time and the eligibility cap will increase.

- Beginning Farmer Program n the 2008 Farm bill includes a provision for a beginning farmer/rancher program.

- Conservation - Programs are continued with increased funding for them. Ziegler said although there is less money for the entire Farm bill compared to the 2002 bill, “money for conservation programs increased $4 billion. However the increased spending comes from a different committee and is a hodge-podge of tax credits, tax incentives, user fees etc. and comes from a variety of sources.”

- Local Foods n the bill includes provisions expansion of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack program to school children and there are provisions for farmers markets and local food grants.

- Renewable Energy Projects n The Energy Title of the 2008 bill includes investment in new technologies beyond feed grains and addresses development for advance biofuels. There are also incentives for farmers to grow biomass crops. Ziegler noted cellulosic ethanol is part of the next generation of renewable energy, “but today none is being produced commercially anywhere. We had to have corn-based ethanol first in order to get to cellulosic ethanol. The Biofuels crop assistance program will help producers if a biorefinery comes into their neighborhood.”

- Production Contracts n The Farm Bill is part of a comprehensive review of the way production ag contracts work. “Right now,” Ziegler said, “producers don’t have a lot of negotiating power on their end. Arbitration reform in the bill puts a little bit of contract fairness back into the hands of producers. It’s been a sort of take it or leave it situation and now producers would retain some autonomy in signing a contract. A grower would have the right to cancel a contract within three days of signing. Right now a producer is prohibited from even showing a contract to any other person. The bottom line is that it puts more tools in the producer’s hands.”

- ACRE n This is new within the commodity program. It is based on whole farm revenue and the threshold of coverage has a state trigger. It starts with the 2009 crop. Ziegler said she wants to see the USDA rules because right now it is new and “we don’t know how it will work. If you are a producer and you’ve experienced a loss (could be wind, rain or hail) and you don’t have a crop but the rest of the producers in your state had a great year, you would not be eligible for a safety net. Farmers don’t farm in the aggregate; they farm as individuals. Producers will have to run the numbers for their individual farms and they may have to run these figures multiple times to see how it would work for them,” she said.

Ziegler pointed out that 73.5 percent of all the money in the Farm Bill is directed toward domestic and international feeding programs. “People are shocked that only 16 percent of this bill goes to farmers. But this is critical to farmers,” she continued, “because it is the link between food producers and hungry people. It is a shame anyone in America and the world would go to bed hungry with our ability to produce food.”

The bill has the largest investment in domestic nutrition programs “in a long time,” Ziegler said. Nutrition program spending includes the food stamp program and emergency food assistance such as food banks, food pantries, etc.

Livestock siting

The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has issued an “advisory notice” relating to the Livestock Siting Law. The advisory explains how to ensure that local permit applications are consistent and credible in meeting different requirements that involve calculations based on the number of animals kept at the operation.

In other words, how to demonstrate that management plans account for the maximum amount of manure expected to be produced at an operation. This advisory is intended for livestock operators who are applying for a local permit under the siting law, and the professionals who are required to sign off on worksheets required by the application. The advisory is now on the web at http://www.datcp.state.wi.us/arm/agriculture/land-water/livestock_siting/latest_news.jsp.

For more information, contact Mike Murray, livestock facility siting program manager at 608-224-4613 or by e-mail, Michael.Murray@wisconsin.gov or on the web at http://livestocksiting.wi.gov.

LFSRB meeting

The Aug. 15 meeting of the Livestock Facility Siting Review Board has been cancelled. The board’s next meeting is set for Sept. 19.

No Call List

Anyone wishing to be on the updated No Call List that will come out in October needs to sign up by Aug. 31. If you sign up in September you will not be included on the quarterly list until January 2009.

The No Call List, maintained at the DATCP, is for the first time accepting cell phone numbers in addition to land line numbers.

To continue having your number on the No Call List you must register every two years.

To register go to: NoCall.Wisconsin.gov or call toll free 866-966-2255.

Up North tour

Governor Doyle, the First Lady and members of the governor’s cabinet are visiting northern Wisconsin this week. The nine-day tour extends through Aug. 18.

On Aug. 14, the group will be touring sites in the Woodruff area; on Aug. 15 and 16; they will be in Rhinelander, Wabeno and Three Lakes; on Aug. 17, in Tomahawk and Conover; and on Aug. 18 in Antigo, Portage County, Weyauwega and Wild Rose.

This is an opportunity for northern Wisconsin residents to communicate their concerns, needs and priorities for the state to the governor and other state officials.

Back to School

Don’t forget BadgerCare Plus covers the cost of immunization and other services for uninsured children in the state. Vaccinations are recommended for children entering grades K-12 and for college students, especially those living in dorms.

For more information visit: http://www.BadgerCarePlus.org or call 800-362-3002 or your local county human services agency.

Political Conventions

The Democratic National Convention is set for Aug. 25n28 in Denver, Colo. The Wisconsin delegation will consist of 92 delegates and 12 alternates.

The Republican National Convention will be held at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. on Sept. 1n4.

Capitol Notes:

- Mark Sept. 9 on your calendar. That is Primary Election Day in the state and results from votes cast that day determine the candidates we’ll be voting for in the General Election on Nov. 4. This will include seats in the Wisconsin Assembly, half of the seats in the Wisconsin Senate and seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

- After the Democratic and Republican conventions Senators Barack Obama and John McCain will no longer be called their party’s “presumptive” nominee.

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