Cedar Rapids, IA (November 12, 2001) - Speaking to the 135th annual convention of the National Grange, Kermit W. Richardson, National Master (President), called on Congress to create a new Farm Bill that will "…encourage increased participation in agriculture by the largest number of individuals and families through the broadest possible distribution of agricultural assets possible." Contrary to popular thinking that the United States currently has too many farmers and too much production, Richardson hammered home the point that, "Our nation does not suffer from having too many farmers. Our nation's food security is threatened by having too few farmers!"
Richardson called for legislation that will benefit a broad spectrum of farmers rather than favor the few and to reject legislation that will lead to continued consolidation in American agriculture. He also called for legislation that will allow the current generation of farmers to retire with dignity and to easily pass on farm assets to the next generation without onerous financial burdens.
Technical Assistance vs. Land Retirement
Keeping with his theme of "more, not less farming," Richardson pointed out that 92% of all Federal conservation dollars go to land retirement programs and that nearly every state is woefully under funded in technical assistance programs that "help farmers to produce food and fiber in harmony with the environment." He revealed that the host state, Iowa, had funding to cover only 37% of its technical assistance needs. Richardson strongly pointed out that current House legislation would only exacerbate the shortcomings in technical assistance.
Dairy Compacts Successful
Richardson called the creation of the Northeast Dairy Compact "the most successful agricultural innovation" in the 1996 Farm Bill. Dairy Compacts set prices on fluid milk that assure a fair return to dairy producers. A panel consisting of producers, processors, consumers and state government representatives sets prices. Compacts have no net cost to taxpayers. Richardson noted that retail milk prices in New England have been below the national average since the inception of the Northeast Dairy Compact and that the rate of demise of dairy farms in the Northeast has declined.
Legislation that would have extended and expanded the Northeast Dairy Compact and created a Southern Compact got caught up in disputes over committee jurisdictions in Congress. As a result, the Northeast compact expired on September 30 and new legislation has stalled. Richardson appealed to Congress to resolve the jurisdictional disputes between committees and to pass this legislation that "will pay tremendous dividend to family farmers in the future."
Need for "Check Off" Choice
Noting that U.S. pork producers recently voted to end mandatory assessments for a national research and promotion program, Richardson depicted current "check off" programs as too rigid to meet the needs of today's farmers. He believes that the programs fail to exploit specialized production processes that enable farmers to create value-added products within their commodities. For example, organic producers may want their check off dollars spent on promoting the organic category rather than the entire commodity. He sees a need for more direct input by farmers on how check-off dollars are spent and says that government appointed promotion boards alienate many farmers who have been mandated to make key decisions on what and how they farm under the "Freedom to Farm" concept.
Unrealistic Environmental Goals
Last Spring, the Federal government cut off irrigation to 1,500 farmers in the Northern California/Southern Oregon Klamath Basin in order to preserve endangered sucker fish and salmon. Richardson termed this "the zealous pursuit of unrealistic environmental goals" that is causing severe damage to farms and industries important to our country. "Responsible stewardship recognizes a balance between use and conservation. We will not accept that Americans must sacrifice their prosperity or surrender their constitutional rights in order to preserve our environment," he stated. Richardson told the audience that the Grange has labored for over a decade for amendments to the Environmental Species Act and for fair compensation for those who have been denied use of their land by the Act.