Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
‘Web 2.0’
More farmers and ranchers
are using blogs and social
media to tell their stories
and influence others | 4
Continued on Page 3
©istockphoto.com/boltoch
TOO WET, TOO DRY, TOO WINDY, TOO COLD—U.S. farmers and ranchers have seen it all. Much-needed agriculture disaster aid is in-
cluded in a bipartisan Senate jobs bill, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has plans of his own that don’t include assistance
for growers.
Farmers, ranchers and fellow And fewer farms, farmers and disaster areas. The payments
congressional lawmakers, includ- U.S. farm goods are not good are designed to hold growers
ing members of the Democratic for anyone in this country.” over until 2009 Supplemental
leadership, were taken aback The agriculture disaster portion Revenue Assistance Program
when Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on of Baucus and Grassley’s bill in- payments are made in the fall.
Feb. 11 announced a considerably cludes $150 million for specialty Reid’s bill, which he rolled out
pared down jobs stimulus pack- crop producers, $50 million for just hours after Baucus and Grass-
age. Most conspicuously absent livestock, $42 million for first- ley released their draft measure,
for growers was $1.5 billion in di- handlers of cottonseed and $25 contains payroll tax relief for busi-
saster assistance included in a bi- million for aquaculture. Also, nesses that hire new workers, an
partisan bill drafted by Senate Fi- $21 million would be allocated extension of the current highway
nance Committee Chairman Max for a sugar cane cooperative bill through 2010, the “Build Amer-
Baucus (D-Mont.) and ranking transportation project in Hawaii ica” bond program and expense
n e w s p a p e r
member Charles Grassley (R-Iowa). and $75 million would go to- deductions for small businesses.
“Farmers and ranchers through- ward no-interest loans to poultry The Finance Committee’s ver-
out the country have been hit producers whose contracts with sion includes those elements and
hard by weather-related disas- Pilgrim’s Pride were terminated would also extend through 2010
ters, from drought to floods to when the company declared a number of expired tax provi-
extreme frosts,” explained Tara bankruptcy in December 2008. sions important to farmers and
Smith, American Farm Bureau It also would provide about ranchers. Among them are tax
Federation farm policy specialist. $1.1 billion in direct payments incentives for biodiesel, renewable
“For some producers, no disas- to producers in counties des-
ter aid means no next harvest. ignated by USDA as “primary” Jobs bill Continued on Page 3
fbnews.org February 22, 2010
Viewpoint 2|
FBNews
February 22, 2010 Vol. 89 No. 4
Published semimonthly, except monthly in August and December, by the
American Farm B ureau Federation, 600 Maryland Ave., SW, Suite 1000W, Washington, DC 20024.
Phone: 202-406-3600. E-mail: fbnews@fb.org. Web site: http://www.fb.org.
Don Lipton, Director, Public Relations Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. Subscription rate for officers
and board members of county and state Farm Bureaus—$6, which is deducted from dues.
Lynne Finnerty, Editor For other subscribers—$10.
Erin Anthony, Assistant Editor Postmaster: Send address changes to FBNews,
Phyllis Brown, Assistant Editor 600 Maryland Ave., SW, Suite 1000W, Washington, DC 20024. (ISSN 0197-5617)
February 22, 2010 fbnews.org
|3 Capitol View
Well owners should give wells a ‘check-up’
The American Farm Bureau fied pump installer and a mem- water, the water that fills cracks
Federation is supporting Nation- ber of NGWA’s board of directors. and other openings in beds and
al Ground Water Awareness “While well owners can spot a rock and sand, for its drinking
Week again this year and is urg- damaged or unsecured well cap, water supply, according to Kevin
ing Farm Bureau members to they should always use a quali- McCray, NGWA’s executive direc-
take the time to schedule an an- fied water well systems contrac- tor. In rural areas, the number is
nual water well checkup. tor who knows applicable well about 96 percent.
Ground Water Awareness construction codes,” Pitz said. “Irrigation accounts for the
Week, sponsored by the Nation- “If the well cap is damaged or largest use of ground water in the
al Ground Water Association unsecured, the water well con- United States, about 65 percent of
(NGWA), is March 7-13. NGWA tractor may also need to test the the ground water pumped each Key Points:
is urging every household well water and disinfect the well.” day. Some 58 billion gallons of
• About half of the U.S. population
owner to check his or her well The well cap is the cover on top ground water are used daily for
cap to make sure it is in good of the well casing that sticks out agricultural irrigation from more gets its drinking water from
condition to protect the water of the ground. It is the first line than 374,082 wells,” McCrary wells.
supply from contamination of protection against nonpoint said. Irrigation is a major reason • The National Ground Water As-
during National Ground Water source pollution, which consti- for the abundance of fresh pro- sociation recommends routine
Awareness Week. tutes the majority of ground water duce and grains that we all enjoy.” annual maintenance of wells to
“A damaged or unsecured well contamination. Nonpoint source To learn more about proper
ensure safe water.
cap can allow the entry of bacte- pollution includes runoff of pesti- well location and construction,
ria or other contaminants into cides and herbicides, soil erosion well maintenance, water test- • Be aware of changes in your well,
the well. It is one of the easiest and elements from the street. ing and treatment, and ground the area around it and the water
things to check, and a well owner Roughly 47 percent of the U.S. water protection, visit NGWA’s it provides.
can do it,” said John Pitz, a certi- population depends on ground Web site, www.wellowner.org.
Jobs bill
Last year farmers and ranchers said a projected increase of $1.3 price for cattle forecast to go up
were affected by a demand billion in ad hoc and emergency by about $6.22 per cwt. The price
squeeze due to the economic re- assistance payments would be of pork is expected to increase
Continued from page 1 cession. Demand for higher-end more than offset by lower pay- by $3.77 per cwt. as pork produc-
diesel and small agri-biodie- beef and pork, cheese and other ments in other programs, par- tion declines slightly (2.8 per-
sel producers; incentives to dairy products shrank in 2009 ticularly the Milk Income Loss cent). Small increases are ex-
upgrade farm operations, do- as consumers ate out less and Contract program, the certificate pected for poultry and egg re-
nate food and preserve farm- looked for ways to cut their gro- exchange program and counter- ceipts, as well.
land, including extensions cery bills. cyclical payments program. Of course, the expenses side of
of the five-year depreciation Bob Young, American Farm Bu- “I think it’s important to stress the ledger is just as important to
for farming business machin- reau Federation chief economist, that point as we seek ad hoc as- farmers’ and ranchers’ bottom
ery and equipment, bonus says the latest USDA forecast sistance for crop producers who lines as cash receipts. USDA says
depreciation, the enhanced shows that the predictions of late have dealt with too much rain production expenses in 2010 will
charitable deduction for do- last year that the agricultural and other natural disasters,” said rise a bit, but less than 1 percent.
nated food and the enhanced economy would start to rebound Tara Smith, AFBF farm policy The bad news is expenses will
tax deduction for donating in 2010 are coming true, but they specialist. still be at the second highest level
a conservation easement. also support the prediction that Dairy farmers have survived the ever. On the other hand, the
In addition, the commit- the recovery won’t be a quick worst milk prices since the 1970s, good news is that the increase in
tee’s bill would extend the one. and so the prediction that dairy income exceeds the increase in
additional standard deduc- “This forecast is definitely good cash receipts could increase more production expenses, which was
tion for state and local real news for producers. Toward the than $7 billion in 2010 is espe- not the case in 2009.
property taxes and the de- end of last year we became opti- cially welcome. USDA expects a “Last year will go down in
duction of state and local mistic that the agricultural mar- $4-per-hundredweight (cwt.) in- the record books as one of the
sales taxes. ket had already hit bottom,” said crease in the annual average milk toughest years farmers have had
Baucus and Grassley’s draft Young. “This forecast bears out price this year as dairy product since the Great Depression,”
also includes a commitment that expectation. It is important exports pick up and the number said Young. “This year won’t be
to take up estate tax legis- to remember, though, that this is of milk cows declines 228,000 great, but it certainly will be an
lation in the near future. only a forecast. Different weather from 2009. improvement.”
However, an expected Feb. 27 and production levels could
change the picture. It’s still too
cloture vote on Reid’s bill—
early to take this to the bank.” NET FARM INCOME
which means a vote on the
bill itself in early March— The improvements will come
creates more uncertainty mostly from the livestock sector,
about a timeline for estate which suffered the biggest price
tax reform, long a priority drops in 2009. On the other
for farmers and ranchers. hand, producers of several crops,
“Still, Reid and the rest of particularly wheat and soybeans,
the Senate can’t get their bill are expected to experience price
on the president’s desk with- drops in 2010. The wheat price is
out approval by the House, expected to decline 34 cents a
which passed its tax extend- bushel as quantities sold, domes-
ers bill (H.R. 4213) in De- tic demand and exports fall. Soy-
cember,” pointed out AFBF bean prices are expected to fall
tax specialist Pat Wolff. 58 cents per bushel.
House Speaker Nancy Pe- Sales of corn for grain are ex-
losi said Democrats in that pected to decline 1 cent per bush-
chamber would work to en- el from 2009, but a decline of 1.6
sure the priorities addressed percent in the quantity of corn
in their bill will be part of a sold is expected to take a bigger
final jobs package. bite out of corn cash receipts.
Demand for U.S. cotton is ex-
Growers add social media to their farm chores
Web 2.0
From cell phones, smart News earlier this month that Facebook, Twitter and blogs diet, while putting farmers
phones, PDAs, laptops and Yellow Tail Wine was donating weren’t the only social media and ranchers out of business.”
desktops, billions of people $100,000 to the Humane Society stages on which this drama Yellow Tail ultimately went
connect to the Internet each of the United States (HSUS) got played out. South Dakota ranch- ahead with its donation, em-
day to access instant informa- farmers and ranchers buzzing, er Troy Hadrick’s YouTube video phasizing that the one-time
tion. On Google alone there blogging, Facebooking and has been viewed more than 8,000 contribution was made to
are more than 250 million Tweeting. times. In the 53-second video, HSUS’ Animal Rescue Team
searches each day. With a nod Numerous posts were made to Hadrick, standing with his cattle, and will be used to help ani-
to the increasing prominence Yellow Tail’s Facebook page, the tells of his frustration with Yel- mals in disasters.
of social media in people’s newly created Facebook group low Tail’s donation and pours a However, the winemaker
lives, Google’s search results announced last week that it
include links to blogs and would not donate to HSUS or
Twitter posts. any other political group in
The opportunities that so- the future.
cial media sites like Facebook Through an effort that
and Twitter provide to con- started off with a handful of
nect directly with—and even 140 character-or-less Tweets
influence—individuals and and a few postings on Face-
communities that would oth- book, farmers and ranchers
erwise be unreachable because put an international company
of time or geography are not on notice and changed the
lost on agricultural producers. course of its future donations.
According to a 2009 Ameri- “What you have on the so-
can Farm Bureau Federation cial media is a true, pure op-
survey of young farmers and portunity to tell people what’s
ranchers, among the 92 per- really going on out there, and
cent of farmers and ranchers you don’t get the mass media
aged 18-35 who use computers, spin which has a real bias
46 percent regularly plug in to against agriculture as we all
some form of social media. know,” said Gary Truitt, presi-
While a number of growers Troy Hadrick pours Yellow Tail wine on the ground in a YouTube video protest of the dent of Hoosier Ag Today.
use social media to connect company’s $100,000 donation to animal-rights activist group Humane Society of the “The social media doesn’t
with fellow producers and ag United States (HSUS). The video has been viewed more than 8,000 times. After Yel- have that. It’s individuals ex-
supporters, many are engaging low Tail Wines faced a backlash on social media Web sites, the company said it would pressing their opinion, and
in conversations with people not support such organizations as HSUS in the future. what’s interesting is consum-
who hold different opinions, ers are part of this dialogue.”
but who want information “Yellow Fail” gathered more than bottle of the company’s wine For these reasons Truitt said
straight from the farmers’ 3,200 fans and the donation was into the snow. it’s critical that growers put
mouth, or keyboard. And con- the topic of many blog posts and “They are paying attention, themselves out there.
sidering the numerous activist updates on Twitter. Most of the folks!” blogger Amanda Nolz “That means get online and
groups who use social media to posts focused on three main wrote in the Beef Daily Blog. “It get on board,” he said. “It
plant seeds of doubt about points: people enjoy the company’s will be interesting to see what they doesn’t even cost any money,
modern farming, their presence wine but will think twice about do next as a result of this massive so all it takes is a little bit of
is vital. their future purchases; requests response from agriculture stand- time, a little bit of education,
It is also powerful, as a to the company to reconsider the ing up against their partnership and once you do that you’ll
Google Update search of the HSUS donation; and suggestions with HSUS, an organization with find that you can become part
phrase “yellow tail,” as in Yel- that the company focus its dona- a main mission to abolish meat, of a conversation that reaches
low Tail Wine, shows. tions on local animal shelters. dairy and eggs from the American consumers in a new way.”
course on
Feed: Content served at regular inter-
others. Allowing users to share videos, vals, such as the latest articles from a
pictures and information about them- blog or status updates by your friends
selves, it is one of the fastest growing on Facebook.
media
munity used to network with fellow
Friend (verb): The act of adding a per-
professionals; an online resume shar-
son to your social graph on a particu-
ing site.
lar social network, as in “Friend me
YouTube: An online site for upload- on Facebook.”
Social media, a term ing and discussing videos. Videos
used to describe tools Hashtag: Similar to regular tags, these
can also be embedded from You-
are keywords assigned to an item of
and platforms people Tube onto other social media sites
content with a hash mark (#) at-
use to produce, publish such as blogs or social networks.
tached to the front of the word. Hash-
and share online con- Flickr: Online site for storing, sharing tags make it easier to follow a topic
tent and to interact and commenting on photos. of interest on Twitter.
with one another, has Network: A Facebook term for a
Twitter: A micro-blogging com-
a language all its own. broader social grouping such as a
munity where posts, called Tweets,
Below the list of the are 140 characters or less. city, large company or university.
most prominent social
Glossary: Profile: The online representation of
networking sites are an individual’s, group’s or company’s
key social media terms. Blogs: Web sites with dated items of identity.
February 22, 2010
S P E C I A L R E P O R T
Ag responds to CBS
H-2A regs will compound labor shortage report on antibiotics
Continued from page 1 “Employers want to pay a fair and immigration policy special- Several agricultural and veteri-
poised to release a rule determin- wage, embodied in what’s known ist. “Requiring them to pay more nary groups have written CBS pres-
ing the minimum amount agri- as the ‘prevailing wage,’ or the than that, as it looks like the ident Sean McManus to express
cultural employers must pay going rate for the area,” ex- department will do, could price their disappointment with the
their H-2A workers. plained Ron Gaskill, AFBF labor them out of the program.” network’s recent coverage of anti-
Stallman emphasized agricul- biotic use in the livestock industry.
tural employers’ commitment to “The story lacked any attempt
State Focus
Newsmakers
Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation
has appointed Jeff Harper as di-
rector of the public affairs division
and Susan Tanner as director of
Montana Farm Bureau first for New York Farm Bureau urges HSUS-backed group files peti-
the commodity division. Harper
foundation Leader Award support for equine bills tion for Ohio ballot measure served as commodities director
for six years prior to becoming
Not even one-quarter of the way through New York Farm Bureau members are en- A group backed by the Humane Society
interim public affairs director in
the new year, Montana Farm Bureau has couraging lawmakers to approve two of the United States has submitted a peti-
December. Tanner has been KFB’s
become the first state in 2010 to qualify equine-related measures. One bill would tion to Ohio’s secretary of state in sup-
director of youth development for
for the American Farm Bureau Founda- remove the sales tax on commercial port of placing a measure on the state-
five years and served two years as
tion for Agriculture’s Leader Award. horse boarding and farriers, while the wide November ballot. The proposed
the organization’s assistant direc-
Created by the foundation to encourage other would limit the liability of farmers measure would spell out farm animal
tor of education and volunteer
donations, state Leader Awards are pre- who make their premises available to care requirements for the Ohio Livestock
development.
sented to state Farm Bureaus when each others for recreational use. The sales tax Care Standards Board, an entity ap-
of the organization’s board members do- legislation (A.9066, S.2985) clarifies a law proved in a ballot initiative in November Brian Peach has been named vice
nates at least $50 to the foundation. “We established in 2000 to provide sales tax 2009. The HSUS-backed group, Ohioans president of organization for the
applaud the great example Montana has relief to farm-related purchases by spe- for Humane Farms, is now seeking to Ohio Farm Bureau Federation.
set,” said Dan Durheim, American Farm cifying that all services provided by com- collect more than 600,000 signatures of Peach joins the OFBF staff after 20
Bureau Foundation for Agriculture coor- mercial horse boarding operations would registered Ohio voters to get the mea- years as secretary/treasurer of the
dinator. “We look forward to all of the be exempt from sales tax. The Equine sure on the ballot. The proposal has been Ohio AgriBusiness Association.
other states following in your footsteps.” Activity Safety Code Act (A.843, S.4567) described as being similar to California’s Washington Farm Bureau Federa-
The foundation also recognizes coun- limits the liability of farmers, u-pick Proposition 2, calling for extreme mea- tion recently announced that Scott
ty Farm Bureaus. County Leader Awards owners and equine facility operators sures that would impact farm families Dahlman, who joined WFB in
are presented to county Farm Bureaus for injuries incurred while a person was who produce veal, pork and eggs in Ohio. September 2009 as a policy analyst,
when each member of the county or- participating in activities offered at the “The enabling legislation hasn’t passed; will also serve as national affairs
ganization’s board of directors donates at operations. For equine facilities, the bill the board hasn’t been appointed and coordinator. In addition, Scott
least $25 to the foundation. The Ameri- specifically provides an exemption from the first discussions on what standards Dilley has returned to the WFB gov-
can Farm Bureau Foundation uses dona- liability of a horse facility operator for an Ohioans find acceptable hasn’t been ernment relations team as a public
tions to build awareness, understanding injury of a horse rider at the facility if the held. And yet, the Humane Society of the policy analyst. Before leaving to
and a positive public perception of injury results from the inherent risks of United States is saying, in effect, Ohio- work for the Evergreen Freedom
agriculture through education. For more equine activities. Facility operators would ans got it wrong,” said Jack Fisher, Ohio Foundation in 2007, Dilley worked
information about the foundation and still be held responsible for their own acts Farm Bureau Federation executive vice for WFB for five years.
the awards, go to www.agfoundation.org. of gross negligence. president.
Corner Post
standing of agriculture using the arship to attend the 2010 Agricul-
foundation’s 2008 Book of the ture in the Classroom conference,
Year, The Man Who Fed the June 24-26, in Baltimore, Md.
World, an authorized biography Alix Bjorklund, a 10th grade
of Nobel Laureate Norman Bor- student at Green Bay East High
School in Wisconsin, received
Occupational
$250 for her 2nd place essay. Her
school was awarded a $500 grant Well-Being
to further agricultural education.
Katie Brandes, a 12th grade stu-
dent at Batesville High School in
Indiana, was presented with $100
for her 3rd place essay. Her
Composite Score
school received a $250 agricultur- Teacher—71.7
al education grant.
“It is encouraging to see young Business owner—71.5
adults developing informed opin-
ions about Dr. Borlaug’s work and
Manager/executive/official—69.3
how growing global food demand Professional worker—69.1
should be met over the next 40
years,” said Curtis Miller, the foun- Farming/fishing/forestry worker—66.5
dation’s director of education. “We
are pleased to feature this book
and provide the curriculum and Source: Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index
the opportunity for students to
apply the knowledge gained from
Bobbie-Jean Tatum, a 10th grade student participation in this program.” Farming ranks fifth-best among job types on the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, a collection of data on
at Union County High School in north- Students at 10 high schools how workers evaluate their lives, access to resources needed to lead a healthy life, emotional health and their
central Florida, won first place for her where the foundation’s teacher’s likelihood of engaging in healthy behaviors. Farming scored among the lowest occupations on access to re-
essay about The Man Who Fed the World, guide for The Man Who Fed the sources (including health care), but it scored highest on healthy behavior and second place on emotional health.
the biography of Dr. Norman Borlaug. World was pilot-tested in 2009