Midwest AGNet - Your Source for Everything AGAg NewsWire for February 1, 2010

Ag NewsWire for February 1, 2010

Madison, WI (WFBF Release) February 1, 2010 -AG DAY AT THE CAPITOL IS WEDNESDAY
Even if you have not registered, you can still attend Ag Day at the Capitol on Wednesday at the Monona Terrace in Madison. It's the largest gathering of farmers from across Wisconsin to learn more about state issues and meet with their state legislators. Hot topics on the legislative plate are expected to be animal welfare, state climate change legislation, use value assessment of farmland and proposed changes to the state's nonpoint regulations known as NR 151. Registration will begin at 11 a.m. A pot roast lunch will be served at 11:45 a.m. Issue briefings and legislative speakers (Reps. Vruwink and Huebsch) will begin at 12:45 p.m.  At 3 p.m. attendees will then walk up the street to the State Capitol to meet with their legislators in the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate. It is important that attendees call the offices of their legislators in advance to schedule an appointment between 3 and 5 p.m. The cost for late registrants is $25.

LAW SCHOOL PUBLICATIONS LOOKS AT HSUS
An article published in the journal of the University of Richmond's School of Law takes a tough look at the Humane Society of the United States. The article, published in Juris Publici, calls into question the organization's advertising and fundraising efforts and contrasts that to how it actually spends the money it is donated. The article was written by Richmond law student John Dillard. "For less than a dollar a day, it seems like a common sense move for a pet lover with disposable income to contribute to the HSUS," Dillard's article states. "Who doesn't like the idea of an organization dedicated to rescuing animals from neglect? There is one minor detail left out of these commercials. The Humane Society of the United States is not a large network of animal shelters, as it would have you to believe. In fact, the HSUS does not own, operate or lease a single animal shelter in our country. Instead, it is primarily a special interest lobby that is clever and shrewd enough to capitalize on the good name of local ‘humane societies' that actually do the good work of taking in strays and finding suitable adoptive homes for unwanted pets." Read the Juris Publici article

AFBF URGES CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS TO TAKE ACTION ON TRADE
American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman is urging members of the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee to take the lead in achieving President Barack Obama's goal outlined in the State of the Union address of doubling U.S. exports over the next five years. In a letter to the chairmen and ranking members of both committees, Stallman urged the committee leaders to help the U.S. achieve the president's goal for increasing trade by expediting congressional passage of the pending Colombia, Panama and Korea free trade agreements. Stallman said passage of these agreements is critical at this time because many other countries are negotiating bilateral and regional trade agreements that are reducing U.S. agriculture's competitiveness and market share around the world. See the AFBF news release

VILSACK CALLS FOR ECONOMIC OVERHAUL IN RURAL AMERICA
A column by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in Sunday's Des Moines Register called for an overhaul of the approach to economic development in rural America. "After a year as the U.S. secretary of agriculture, I've reached two conclusions: Most Americans do not fully appreciate the work and sacrifice of the farmers and ranchers who produce the food and fiber that keeps all of us alive, and an overhaul of our approach to economic development in rural America is long overdue," Vilsack wrote. Prosperity for rural communities depends on looking toward the future and not the "good old days" of the past, according to Vilsack. "Recognizing that successful rural economic development will occur on a regional basis, USDA will help regions prepared to pool their resources and talent with grants to develop comprehensive strategic plans designed to promote real growth. USDA will invest rural development program resources in a coordinated fashion while helping to identify resources in other federal agencies in an integrated effort to advance regional development," Vilsack wrote.

HSUS-BACKED GROUP FILES PETITION FOR OHIO BALLOT MEASURE
A group backed by the Humane Society of the United States has submitted a petition to Ohio's secretary of state in support of placing a measure on the statewide November ballot. The proposed measure would spell out farm animal care requirements for the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, an entity approved in a ballot initiative in November. The HSUS-backed group, Ohioans for Humane Farms, is now seeking to collect more than 600,000 signatures of registered Ohio voters to place the measure on a statewide ballot. The proposal has been described as being similar to California's Proposition 2, calling for extreme measures that would impact farm families who produce veal, pork and eggs in Ohio. See the HSUS news release

SOUTH DAKOTA LIVESTOCK TREATMENT LAWS UNDER REVIEW
South Dakota's laws governing the treatment of livestock will come under review this year, and changes could be made during the 2011 legislative session, according to the Rapid City Journal. "The animal treatment laws in our state are some of the oldest on the books," said Dustin Oedekoven, the state veterinarian and executive director of the Animal Industry Board. An ad hoc group of livestock and farm associations and possibly local humane organizations will work with Oedekoven to review animal care statutes and recommend any necessary changes to legislators in time for the 2011 session. Notably excluded from the process will be animal rights groups. "Those groups are not really interested in humane practices for livestock but probably the elimination of livestock production for food. That really doesn't fit the interest of this group," Oedekoven said of the review team. South Dakota Farm Bureau will be involved and hopes to use the review as a tool to prevent changing rules about livestock in other states from being adopted in South Dakota. For more, see the Rapid City Journal article

STALLMAN RESPONDS TO ‘CONCERNED SCIENTISTS'
A few weeks ago, scientists from the group Union of Concerned Scientists released a statement asking American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman for a meeting regarding AFBF's stand on climate change, and Stallman has written a lengthy response in which he says he stands by skepticism that current climate-change models can predict weather 50 to 100 years out, and more. For more, see the American Farm Bureau website.

IOWA LAWMAKER STRONGLY DEFENDS LIVESTOCK ANTIBIOTICS
Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa) penned a column in The Hill strongly defending the use of antibiotics in livestock production that has attracted notice on Capitol Hill and across the country. "Chances are you may have heard about antibiotic resistance and the ‘threat' it poses to public health. Antibiotic resistance is a serious issue. However, finger pointing and meritless attacks on America's farmers as the culprit for declining human health is misguided at best, and at worst, a travesty," King wrote in Tuesday's issue. "During a recent briefing on Capitol Hill, old misconceptions and half-truths were resurrected about production agriculture and the use of antibiotics used to keep farm animals healthy. Under the guise of protecting human health, the briefing was billed as a discussion about the economics and public health effects of antibiotics in food animal production." King said proponents of H.R. 1549, the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2009, "would lead one to believe that we can save money and reduce resistance in humans by banning uses of antibiotics in animals. Of particular concern is their claim that the use of antibiotics in food animals leads to diseases in humans that cannot be treated." King emphasized "there is no scientific evidence that antibiotics used in food animals have any significant impact on the effectiveness of antibiotics in people. In fact, an Institute of Food Technologists expert panel report revealed that correlating the risk of antibiotic use in animals and antibiotic resistance in humans is not possible."

FREEZE ON DISCRETIONARY SPENDING WON'T HIT FARM PROGRAMS
President Barack Obama's plan for a three-year freeze on discretionary spending would have little impact on commodity subsidies and other major farm programs, according to House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minnesota).  "We expected this," said Peterson. "It only affects discretionary spending. The farm bill is mandatory spending, driven by a formula, not by appropriation. What's put in the law drives what the spending is, and direct payments, for example, are pretty much fixed." In the meantime, Pat Wolff, director of congressional relations for the American Farm Bureau Federation, told the Washington Post that cuts to agriculture subsidies don't pose a worry because most farm program payments are entitlement spending. For more, see the Ag Week article  or Washington Post article

FARM PROPERTY CASE HEADS TO STATE SUPREME COURT
A case scheduled before the Wisconsin Supreme Court Feb. 9 will answer the question of whether an attorney has a fiduciary duty to former clients when entering into a later business transaction with them. For Francis and Karen Groshek of Stevens Point, it will answer the question of whether they will get their family farm back after five years of wrangling with a New London attorney who they say maneuvered it out from under them. Read the complete story on The Country Today's Website.

El Niño COULD MEAN BIG 2010 CORN, SOYBEAN CROPS
Corn and soybean production in 2010 could top last year's records due to an El Niño weather pattern, according to Allen Motew, a meteorologist at QT Weather. Motew said El Niño should mean a dry spring, which should minimize problems at planting time. He forecasts a favorably wet summer growing season. Temperatures in the U.S. Corn Belt are expected to be mostly below normal this summer, while precipitation will be above normal. "We have a double-whammy here—colder and wetter," Motew said. "The odds say we are going to have quite a good year." For more, see the Reuters article

US TRADE TO ASK JAPAN TO LIFT BEEF BAN
The United States will press Japan to lift its ban on U.S. beef from cattle over the age of 20 months at upcoming bilateral talks in Tokyo, a top U.S. trade official said on Thursday. Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis said the beef ban was one of three "irritants" in an otherwise robust and mutually advantageous trade relationship that he plans to raise on his visit next week. "With respect to beef, the issue remains the same. Japan does not abide by sound science in maintaining a ban on US beef from cattle aged 20 months and younger," Marantis said. Marantis said the USTR's office continues to work to resolve a beef issue with Taiwan, which this month reneged on a deal to open its doors to more types of U.S. beef. "We're looking at all of our options, including in the (World Trade Organization)." For more, see the article in Reuters

‘OLD RELIABLE'
A column from the American Farm Bureau says agriculture has held its position as the "old reliable" industry through the recent recession and ongoing economic difficulty.

AMERICA'S DAIRY FARMERS SEND PIZZA TO SOLDIERS IN IRAQ
America's Dairy Farmers are partnering with Pizzas 4 Patriots, DHL, and pizza shops Gino's East of Chicago and Edwardo's Natural Pizza to deliver a taste of home to servicemen and women stationed in Iraq. On Friday, enough pizza and high-protein Athletes Honey Milk to feed 30,000 soldiers left Chicago for Camps Liberty and Victory in Baghdad. The shipments will arrive at the camps this week for upcoming Super Bowl celebrations. Dairy farmers also included 500 footballs for the impromptu football games that take place on the bases. If you know a member of the military stationed at one of the bases that receives the care packages, ask them to share photos enjoying the milk and pizza care packages during their Super Bowl celebrations. America's Dairy Farmers will include them in a photo album on the Dairy Farming Today Facebook page and America's Dairy Farm Families Make it Happen! Facebook page. E-mail the photos to myDairy@rosedmi.com. To learn more about the Pizzas 4 Patriots program or to donate to the program, visit the Pizzas 4 Patriots.

BACON AND EGGS BACK IN VOGUE
Bacon and eggs will be all over the menu in 2010, not just at breakfast according to a look at dining trends (and how dining trends are determined) for the year ahead. Chicago Tribune

PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR NR 151 UNDERWAY
There was another good turnout of farmers (in Eau Claire on Thursday) at the second of seven public hearings being held on proposed changes to the nonpoint source pollution regulations (officially known as NR-151). Our website contains a full recap of the dates, times and locations for the upcoming public hearings and pre-meetings that Farm Bureau is hosting. We also have posted the issue backgrounder and map that Farm Bureau will be distributing at its pre-meetings. The DNR's website is worth checking for background information on the rules. The Wisconsin Farm Bureau is encouraging farmers to attend these hearings. "These proposed rules will have many significant consequences and ramifications to farms of every size, commodity and management style," said Farm Bureau's chief lobbyist, Paul Zimmerman. "Therefore it is very important that farmers attend to testify on how these proposals will work or will not work on actual Wisconsin farms."

Here's a list of where and when the 1 p.m. public hearings will take place.
Other public hearings include:
TOMORROW Feb. 2 – Waukesha, State Office Building, Room 151, 141 NW Barstow Street.
Feb. 10 – Madison, Lyman F. Anderson Agricultural and Conservation Center, Classrooms A & B, 1 Fen Oak Court.
Feb. 11 – Wausau, Rib Mountain Municipal Center, 3700 N. Mountain Road (Hwy. NN).
Feb. 25 – Platteville, UW-Platteville Pioneer Student Center, University North Room, One University Plaza.
Additionally, a March 8^th public hearing has been scheduled at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland. It is located at 29270 County Hwy. G. Unlike the others, it begins at 2 p.m.

Pre-meetings for Waukesha and Madison will take place at the same location from 10:30 to noon. The Wausau pre-meeting will take place from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The Platteville pre-meeting will be held in the same building as the public hearing, but in the University South Room from 10:30 to noon. A pre-meeting is not scheduled for the Ashland public hearing.