Ag Commissioner Stulp Clarifies Budget Cuts

At the meeting of the Colorado Ag Council on Friday, Comissioner of Ag, John Stulp said that for the 09-10 budget year his department would remain fully funded.

Clarifying the Governors budget plan, he said that the proposed $680,000 cut to the department’s Inspection and Consumer Services Division will be backfilled with money from the state’s Ag Management Fund. Money from the fund would normally be used to fund conservation grants and as a contingency fund for the state fair. No full time employees would be let go this year.

The Comissioner also warned ag council members that the department would seek to raise fees on services provided by the Inspection and Consumer Services Division in the upcoming legislative session. The legislation would raise fees that would normally be subsidized by general fund money. Some services provided by the Division would be raised by 25-50%.

Rep Kathleen Curry told those present that she would not immediatly support a fee increase unless it was supported by the ag community as a whole.

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.

Animal Well-being Commission Formed

Leaders from academia and the beef industry are announcing the formation of an independent advisory group to focus on beef cattle health and well-being. The North American Food Animal Well-being Commission for Beef (NAFAWC-Beef)—which includes world-renowned experts in animal well-being—will advocate for increased research funding for animal well-being, facilitate the communication of research results in a more timely manner, advance best management practices in cattle health and welfare, and serve as an unbiased, science- and production- based group to address concerns about animal well-being.

NAFAWC-Beef will help direct research efforts, field studies and assessment tools for the North American beef industry in relation to beef cattle well-being in order to provide science-based recommendations for cattle management practices.

The commission’s public outreach efforts will focus on a number of groups across all levels of the beef chain, including: farming and ranching organizations, consumer groups, beef harvesting companies, veterinary groups, food retail and restaurant groups, and animal welfare groups.

The 21 inaugural members were selected for their expertise in animal care and handling. Members are as follows:

Western Farm Production Expenditures Up 11.1 Percent

Farm production expenditures in the Western Region of the United States totaled $68.7 billion in 2008, up 11.1 percent from the revised $61.8 billion reported for 2007, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. The United States production expenditures were $307 billion, up 8.3 percent from the revised 2007 total of $284 billion.

In 2008, the national average production expenditure per farm increased 8.5 percent, totaling $140,075 compared with $129,062 in 2007. On average, U.S. farm operations spent: $21,398 on Feed, $17,337 on Farm Services, $13,550 on Labor, $12,912 on Livestock and Poultry and Related Expenses, $10,265 on Fertilizer, Lime, and Soil Conditioners, and $10,220 on Rent. Farmers and ranchers in the West Region accounted for 22.4 percent of the nation’s total farm expenditures in 2008.

On August 6, 2009, the Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA released the first estimate of national and State farm sector accounts for 2008 and updates to 2007 and earlier estimates. The updates incorporate revisions by the National Agricultural Statistics Service to several key reports used in the ERS farm income accounts. The revisions stem from a comprehensive review of previously published data in light of information from the 2007 Census of Agriculture.

To reference ERS data sets, check out NASS online.

U.S. Beef Now Entering EU Under New Quota

Containers of U.S. beef began entering the European Union last Friday under the duty-free, high-quality beef quota that was negotiated earlier this year. The quota is part of a compromise agreement intended to address the long-running dispute over the EU’s ban of beef from cattle raised with growth promotants. (Find more details on the agreement in this July 31 USMEF news article.)

The final hurdle for U.S. beef shipments entering the EU under the new quota was cleared when the EU corrected the erroneous address it had published for FSIS in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Vilsack Holds Teleconference with Farm Broadcasters

Sec. of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

Sec. of Agriculture Tom Vilsack this morning held a teleconference with the National Association of Farm Broadcasters about the remifications of Cap and Trade legislation on agriculture. The seceratary began with a short statement discussing the USDA and the Obama administration’s analysis of the legislation on our industry and then went directly to questions from the group.

The talking points from the administration were the same as they have been for several weeks and conversely the skepticism from the broadcasters about the legislation was palpable. Many broadcasters did not seem at all reassured by Vilsack’s statment, “We should not be affraid of this.”

We say be afraid, be very afraid.

You can listen to the call below courtesy of Colorado Farm Broadcaster Brian Allmer of the Brian Allmer Radio Network.

Trent Loos Responds to TIME Hitpiece on Ag

From Feedstuffs, Ag broadcaster and commentator Trent Loos responds to the Time article on modern agriculture.

Time Magazine Attacks Modern Farming

Without even a hint of objectivity, Time magazine is using the cover story of its Aug. 31 print edition to attack modern agriculture. The story is a wide-ranging frontal assault on all aspects of modern food production, and the story is written in a manner that the very few words included to give agriculture a token voice are quickly trampled by an onslaught of anti-modern-agriculture rhetoric. The American Farm Bureau Federation will be responding.

Update: AFBF has responded to the article. Read President Stallman’s letter to the editor.

The first paragraph pretty much sets the tone.

“Somewhere in Iowa, a pig is being raised in a confined pen, packed in so tightly with other swine that their curly tails have been chopped off so they won’t bite one another. To prevent him from getting sick in such close quarters, he is dosed with antibiotics. The waste produced by the pig and his thousands of pen mates on the factory farm where they live goes into manure lagoons that blanket neighboring communities with air pollution and a stomach-churning stench. He’s fed on American corn that was grown with the help of government subsidies and millions of tons of chemical fertilizer. When the pig is slaughtered, at about 5 months of age, he’ll become sausage or bacon that will sell cheap, feeding an American addiction to meat that has contributed to an obesity epidemic currently afflicting more than two-thirds of the population. And when the rains come, the excess fertilizer that coaxed so much corn from the ground will be washed into the Mississippi River and down into the Gulf of Mexico, where it will help kill fish for miles and miles around. That’s the state of your bacon—circa 2009.”

The article quotes numerous entities critical of modern farming, such as the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, several disenfranchised farmers dismayed about how agriculture has changed, organic advocates and others who sell their farm and food products based on criticizing the products and processes of mainstream farming and ranching.

Letters regarding this opinion article, which Time unfortunately cloaked as a news magazine cover story, may be sent using this link: http://bit.ly/19LOXL. You will need to input the headline of the article—America’s Food Crisis and How to Fix It—when you submit your online letter.

2009 CFB Annual Meeting Theme Unveiled

This years theme is “FARM BUREAU PROUD“

Colorado Ranked 3rd in U.S. Winter Wheat Production, Largest Crop in 10 Years

The Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee announced today that Colorado is officially ranked 3^rd in U.S. winter wheat production for 2009, with an estimated production of 93,600,000 bushels, the largest crop in 10 years. This year Colorado trails only Kansas and Washington state.

On a 10-year average, Colorado has been 8^th in U.S. winter wheat production, and was ranked 10^th last year. Darrell Hanavan, executive director for the Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee, said Colorado has never before been ranked so high.

The Colorado yield in 2009 is projected at 39 bushels per acre. Yields of over 100 bushels on dryland fields were reported near Burlington. Yields in the southeastern part of the state were closer to average, with the larger yields coming along the I-70 corridor and north.

Drought and freeze caused crop failures in Texas and Oklahoma, which usually outrank Colorado in winter wheat production.

Cool weather in June during grain filling and more abundant moisture than the last several years is credited with helping produce the large crop.

Baxter Black Wades into Pinon Canyon Fight

Chuck Zimmerman over at AgWired found this story out of the Ag Journal today…

Nearly 400 people packed the Koshare Kiva Saturday to hear Baxter Black, America’s most recognizable cowboy poet and storyteller, perform a benefit for the Not 1 More Acre organization. Not 1 More Acre has filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Denver to stop the U.S. Army from expanding Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site. Briefs have been filed in district court and are being reviewed by Judge Richard Matsch, who hasn’t issued a statement on how he might let the case proceed.

The event Saturday night, though, was to help the threesome who started Not 1 More Acre – rancher Mack Louden, Jim Herrwll from Otero Junior College, and Jean Aguerre from the Trinidad area – offset the tremendous costs in fighting the legal battles in court.

The biggest difference Army officials who have proposed expanding its 238,000-acre maneuver site in Las Animas County is that, “They will look you in the eye and tell you, ‘It’s not personal.”

“Anytime you put up with your land being taken, you tell them, ‘It’s personal,’” Black said.

Its good to see heavy hitters like Baxter coming out to help the cause of family farmers and ranchers. CFB’s own Ken Schweitzer was quoted in the story as saying

“ It doesn’t look like it would directly hurt us, but it would. It would destroy our area.”

Farm Broadcaster vs. HSUS

It seems Andy Vance of ABN Radio in Ohio has gotten into somewhat of an online brawl with Paul Shapiro of HSUS. Its taking place in the comment section of Andy’s blog where a recent column by the broadcaster asks Ohio voters to support the upcoming “Issue 2″ on the November 09 Ohio state ballot.

Andy does a great job taking apart the standard HSUS talking points and highlights some fairly hypocritical statements by Shapiro.

British Ministers: Increase GM Crop Imports

British government ministers are urging the European Commission to speed up approval of GM crop varieties or risk a collapse in the market for home-produced chicken, eggs, pork and milk.

The move could apply to 30 GM crop varieties that have passed the EU’s scientific tests on health and safety but which still await political approval for use within the EU.

The threat to British farming from the restrictions on GM crop varieties in the European Union was underlined in a consultation paper on the nation’s future food security, published yesterday.

As the London Times reports…

it is the potential collapse of Britain’s £6.8 billion a year livestock sector, which relies on imports of GM soya to feed animals, that makes for chilling reading.

Pigs and poultry, and to a lesser extent dairy cattle, need soya, GM and conventional crops to provide the necessary protein in their diet. The climate in Britain and most of the EU is not hot enough to grow soya.

The report also makes note of the possible necessity of a return to “wartime rations and even a vegetarian diet in the event of new food shortages or international events that forced Britain to provide enough food to feed the nation.”

In an unusual move for a European news outlet, The Times also ran an editorial on the importance of GM crops in the face of a global population explosion.

The Week H1N1 Stole the Farm

The author, Chris Chinn, and her family at their farm in Missouri

Call it H1N1, please. The last week of April 2009 will be a week hog farmers will never forget. The week changed our lives and not in a positive way.

The last week of April is when the H1N1 flu outbreak became news. Most media outlets tagged an inappropriate name to the flu virus. The unintended consequence of calling H1N1 the informal name “swine flu,” has been devastating to all farms that raise hogs, including my family farm.

Because of the unfortunate name choice, exports of U.S. pork have dropped, eliminating a key market rally that is typically seen each summer. This summer’s rally was especially crucial; hog farmers have lost money since September 2007. In fact, hog farmers have lost more than half of their accumulated equity since September 2007. Hog farmers desperately needed a summer rally to return profit to our farms. The other name for H1N1 stole this from us.

Call it H1N1, please. There are many important facts about H1N1 that help set the record straight–a matter especially important now that H1N1 is once again rearing its ugly head and the unfortunate moniker is creeping back into the news media.

The H1N1 flu virus is not in pork. H1N1 influenza is not a food-borne illness. The safety of pork and pork products has been affirmed by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health, the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has said that U.S. pork is safe to eat. His statement is supported by recent research conducted by the National Animal Disease Center and international researchers.

Influenza is a respiratory disease and the virus is not found in the blood or meat of healthy pigs or in pigs that have recovered from the illness. Of course, sick pigs are never allowed to enter the food supply. Hog farmers have protocols established for caring for animals that develop illness. Ill pigs are not sent to market. Just like humans, pigs can get ill, but like humans, they recover.

Call it H1N1, please. My family consumes the same food as other Americans. I want to ensure my family has a safe food supply that is raised in the United States. The best way to help ensure the safety and security of our domestic food supply is to support the U.S. hog industry. Buy and enjoy U.S. pork and encourage your lawmakers to support trade agreements to open export markets. U.S. pork is safe and nutritious, and hog farming contributes needed jobs in the United States.

So, do your country and U.S. hog farmers a favor—call it H1N1, please.

Remind the news outlets you rely on for timely and accurate information—it’s H1N1. Together, we will beat this bug, and with your support, U.S. hog farmers will survive until our markets turn around. Eat pork, and call it H1N1, please.

Chris Chinn, a Missouri hog producer, is a member of the American Farm Bureau’s Partners in Agricultural Leadership program. She previously served as chair of AFBF’s national Young Farmer & Rancher Committee.

Hog Producers and Supporters #Oink it Up on Twitter

On Sunday, hog producers and other farmers from around the country, along with ag supporters, used the microblogging site Twitter to urge the media to use the scientifically accurate term “H1N1” rather than swine flu when referring to influenza. Messages about how pork is safe to eat and that human-to-human contact, not pork consumption, spreads H1N1 also were tweeted. Twitter users added #oink—known as a hashtag—to each message (tweet) in support of hog producers.

Over time, the sheer volume of posted tweets led to #oink showing up as a “trending topic” on Twitter, sparking interest and questions from the non-farming public. The twittering hog producers and others responded by providing links to online resources, such as the FBlog with Chris Chinn’s post “The Week H1N1 Stole the Farm.” Chinn’s post was viewed nearly 3,500 times during the #oink-fest and several hundred people took a look at her YouTube video about modern hog production on a family farm.

Warming Bill Would Add Thousands of Bureaucrats

Yet another reason to oppose the Waxman/Markey Cand and Trade scheme…

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.

One provision would almost overnight create the nation’s largest commodity market in which polluters would buy and sell rights to emit carbon dioxide. These rights – called allowances – are at the heart of the measure, which seeks to slash the amount of greenhouse gases by forcing polluters to curb their emissions or pay for the right to pollute.

“It could be a $2 trillion market within five years,” said Bart Chilton, commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

The Environmental Protection Agency, which would oversee pollution regulation, also would balloon in size. The agency regulates 330 million tons of pollution a year but would regulate 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year from 7,400 facilities under the legislation.

The Ag Agenda

By Bob Stallman, AFBF President

A Climate Bill That Won’t Change the Climate

Climate change legislation currently being considered by Congress will have a devastating impact on family farms and agricultural production across the country. The House-passed bill (H.R. 2454), which is being examined by the Senate to serve as the potential basis for its climate change legislation, poses a real economic threat for the U.S. agricultural economy. It also places our nation at a competitive disadvantage with our trading partners and fails to provide viable alternative sources of energy to keep our economy strong and hold down costs. And, after all this, the measure would have little or no impact on the climate.

Climate Bill Will Bring Higher Food Costs, Increased Job Loss

A report released Tuesday by the National Association of Manufacturers points to job loss and slow economic growth in the United States if the Waxman-Markey climate change bill becomes law.

The report was prepared by the Science Applications International Corp. and commissioned by NAM and the American Council for Capital Formation. It found that projected annual adjusted gross domestic product would be reduced by 1.8 percent—equal to $419 billion—by 2030 under a low-cost scenario or by 2.4 percent—equal to $571 billion—under a high-cost scenario.

Like Farm Bureau, NAM is opposed to the bill and opposes a cap-and-trade system for cutting greenhouse gases. Both Farm Bureau and NAM back greater development of nuclear energy, carbon capture and sequestration, and use of domestic oil and natural gas resources.

Top food companies warn that the Waxman-Markey climate change bill could lead to higher food prices, according to an article in today’s Wall Street Journal.

Two months ago the companies formed a coalition which is becoming more active after concluding that member companies did not receive enough concessions in the House climate legislation.

In a letter sent last month to Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the coalition said the House bill “will increase food and feed prices and reduce the international competitiveness of our businesses.” The letter said Congress “must take extreme care to avoid adverse impacts on food security, prices, safety, and accessibility to necessary consumer products.”

Policy Development Guide Now Available

The 2009 Mid-Summer Meeting Report and Policy Development Guide is now available in addition to all the documents required to submit county policy recommendations, here on The Pulse. Click here or on the “09 Policy Development” tab just above this post.

Colorado Wheat up 64%

According to this mornings NASS Colorado Crop Production Report for August, winter wheat production is now forecast at 93.6 million bushels, up 4.8 million bushels from July 1 and up 64 percent from the 57.0 million bushels produced last year. Growers harvested an estimated 2.4 million acres this year with an average yield of 39.0 bushels per acre, 9.0 bushels above the previous year.

Meanwhile, Colorado corn production is forecasted at 140.0 million bushels, down 5% from last year.

Congratulations Colorado wheat growers!

South Korea Lifts H1N1 Ban on Live Hog Imports

The South Korean government has lifted its ban on live hog imports from North America. The ban was imposed in April out of fear surrounding the H1N1 viral outbreak. In a statement issued Tuesday, South Korea’s agricultural ministry said live hog imports from the United States, Canada and Mexico are set to resume with stepped-up quarantine checks.

The tally of live hog shipments from North American countries to South Korea was 1,562 last year and fell to just over 100 this year.

The H1N1 virus was initially and erroneously dubbed “swine flu,” causing global panic and confusion. World health experts agree H1N1 is a distinct human virus that has not been transmitted to humans by swine or by the consumption of pork products.

Isgar’s Vacant Seat Filled

Bruce Whitehead of Hesperus, Colo., will fill the Colorado Senate District 6 seat vacated by Democrat Jim Isgar, not former Montrose County Commissioner Bill Patterson.

After Isgar’s seat became vacant when he accepted a federal position, Patterson applied to the Democratic Vacancy Committee. The committee, which consists of individuals throughout District 6, announced the decision Saturday.

Whitehead worked for 25 years for the Colorado Division of Water Resources and is the executive director of the Southwest and Animas-La Plata water conservation districts. Gov. Bill Ritter appointed him last year to serve on the Colorado Water Conservation Board.

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.

Twitter Users Develop Pro-Ag T-Shirt

Andy Kleinschmidt, an Ohio State University Extension Agriculture Educator and Assistant Professor in Agronomy, and Jim Chen, dean of University of Louisville School of Law, recently collaborated on Twitter to develop a T-shirt that promotes the unmistakable benefits that agricultural production has for the environment. Buy one today!

Andy describes the genisis of the shirt on his blog, Agriculture in Van Wert County, Ohio

The idea for this shirt came from Jim Chen, Dean and Professor of Law at the University of Louisville during a live Twitter discussion.  Dean Chen’s (known as @chenx064 on Twitter) original quote was “I try to describe agriculture as applied environmental protection, just as agricultural economics is now applied economics.”  I’ve known that agricultural economics is described as applied economics and also applied agricultural economics, so that was not new to me. BUT I had never heard agriculture referred to as ‘applied environmental protection.’  Brilliant! I thought the saying should be made in to a shirt, and with Dean Chen’s blessing I made the shirt via Zazzle.

Colorado Farm Bureau is a regular contributor to Twitter and converses regulary with Prof. Kleinschmidt. You can find Mr. Kleinschmidt on Twitter at @akleinschmidt and Dean Chen at @chenx064

More Animal Rights Terrorism in Europe

Animal rights terrorists and extremists in Europe have had a busy couple of weeks. A terrorist group in Switzerland claimed responsibility Thursday for torching the home of Novartis CEO Daniel Vassella.

The group, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, which opposes the actions of the company Huntington Life Sciences, claimed responsibility for the attack. Novartis and other pharmaceutical companies are customers of Huntington Life Sciences.

In a statement posted on a direct action website, the group said they had petrol bombed Vasella’s hunting lodge. “Understand this: this will continue until you sever all ties with Huntingdon Life Sciences. We will attack your private life wherever possible,” the statement said.

For his part, Vassella has rightly called the actions of the group ‘terrorism.’

“When you try to terrorize people and you burn their houses, when you desecrate graves and when you make death threats, to me that is way beyond activism and I would call this clearly terrorism,” Daniel Vasella said in an interview on CNBC television.

Swiss authorities believe the same group is responsible for the desecration of the gravesite of Vasella’s parents. Vandals sprayed a family gravestone with the slogan “Drop HLS Now”, police said. An urn containing the ashes of Vasella’s mother was reportedly stolen.

Other recent incidents include graffiti sprayed in Vasella’s street saying “Vasella is a killer. We are watching you.” Employees’ cars have being damaged and there was a fire at a Novartis sports facility in France in May.

Industry Voices

Cyndi Young of The Brownfield Network puts in her Two-Cents this week by talking about this, the dark side of animal rights.

Rachel the Showpig

Whew. The county fair season has concluded for us. The ribbons are home, the animals are sold and kids are beginning to look ahead to the start of school.

I tend to keep a mighty close eye on the hog show regardless, but this year there was one little girl and her pig I was keeping really close tabs on.

One of Jason’s littlest livestock judging kids is little Mikaela. This year, all of her show pigs were given names beginning with the letter R and her Duroc, the redhead, was named after another redhead in her life…me.

Rachel the Showpig has had my attention for several months because, afterall, it’s not every day you get a pig named after you, especially one that shares your hair color.

Miss Mikaela did a great job showing at the fair and was racking up the awards. When the dust cleared, she won Reserve Champion Goat, Champion Junior Master Showman, Champion Junior Goat Showman, Grand Champion Market Hog and Reserve Champion Market Hog. Did I mention that this is her first year in 4-H?

Rachel the Showpig won Reserve Champion honors and her red hair looks great in pictures. Congratulations to all of the 4-H and FFA showmen around the state
and good luck for a great school year.

Farm Animal Care Bill Passed Michigan

Michigan’ s House Agriculture Committee passed new versions of House Bills 5127 and 5128, bills to make streamlined standards for farm animal care state law. The measures were somewhat different than when they were introduced.

Along with other revisions the Animal Care Advisory Council has been expanded from 10 members to 12 members, two of which now represent the general public. Farm audits will no longer be confidential under a compromise with some legislators.

Unlike the vocal opposition the Humane Society of the United States has expressed, the nation’s oldest humane organization, American Humane Association, supports the legislation and submitted written testimony.

American Humane Certified Director Timothy Amlaw wrote, “We believe that agricultural interests in Michigan are on the right course by being proactive and addressing animal welfare standards with an effective and economically viable plan and within a reasonable time frame.”

Michigan Farm Bureau supports science-based animal care standards and believes this legislation provides a modifiable system for ensuring that livestock farmers are caring for their animals in a manner that supports animal health and food safety.

New Cell Phone Made From Corn

The Samsung 'Reclaim' is made from corn bioplastic.

Sprint and Samsung have teamed up to create the first phone made with corn bio-plastic the ‘Reclaim’

The phone also has a 2 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, can accept microSD cards (we assume) up to 32GB, and has Sprint Navigation onboard. The packaging will be eco-friendly as well, as it’s constructed from 70 percent recycled materials and printed with soy-based ink. The carrier will be selling the Reclaim in “Earth Green” or “Ocean Blue” come August 16th for $50 (after a $30 instant rebate and $50 mail-in rebate) with a two-year contract.

U.S./China Trade Dispute

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has accepted China’s request for a dispute panel to decide whether a U.S. ban on cooked poultry imports from China violates WTO trade rules.  The dispute panel will decide the impact on trade rules of Section 727 of the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, which prohibits the U.S. Department of Agriculture from taking action and expending funds to allow for the importation of cooked poultry products from China

The U.S. first imposed a ban on cooked poultry from China in 2004.  A legislative ban was instituted in December 2007.  The Omnibus Appropriation bill’s ban expires with the legislation on September 30, 2009.  This years agriculture appropriation bills address the issue with the House passed bill continuing the ban on USDA action for another year while the Senate bill lifts the ban if USDA determines that poultry imports from China are safe.

Dispute panel procedures usually take six to nine months.

HSUS Relationship with Bank of America

Farm Bureau recently met with representatives of Bank of America to discuss their affinity card with the Humane Society of the United States. In the wake of the meeting, President Stallman sent the following letter to B of A officials…

Mr. John Collingwood

Director, Federal Government Relations

Bank of America

1455 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 95

Washington, DC  20004

Dear Mr. Collingwood:

Thank you for your time and interest in learning more about the American Farm Bureau Federation and our livestock-producing members.  I want to follow up on a recent meeting regarding the Bank of America affinity card with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

As discussed, Farm Bureau remains concerned with Bank of America’s relationship with HSUS.  Contrary to their name, the Humane Society does not operate local animal rescue shelters.  Rather, HSUS is the largest animal rights group in the country.  While the rhetoric of HSUS may be less inflammatory than some animal rights groups, their goal of eliminating animal agriculture is the same.

Instead of focusing on the much-needed care of abandoned pets, as most people might imagine, HSUS has repeatedly chosen to attack the producers of the world’s safest, most abundant supply of meat, milk and eggs.  The group’s website clearly promotes a vegetarian diet and portrays a negative image of farmers and ranchers as being focused solely on profit at the expense of animal care.  In reality, nothing could be farther from the truth.

As farmers and ranchers, we recognize that superior animal welfare practices lead to the production of high-quality, safe and wholesome meat, milk and eggs, and we’re constantly seeking ways to improve the well-being and comfort of our animals.  Without healthy and content animals, farmers and ranchers would not be in business.

We would appreciate your support of American agriculture by re-evaluating Bank of America’s agreement which contributes funds to HSUS through the use of an affinity card.  Again, thank you for your thoughtful consideration.

Sincerely,

Bob Stallman

President

Bank of America has indicated that they will examine the agreement with HSUS and may reconsider the program, which currently donates 25 cents to HSUS for every $100 in card charges.