This may be the final call to action you hear for a while. The Senate is scheduled to resume debate on the Farm Bill as soon as they have finished with the economic stimulus package which could be as early as today, Wednesday, February 6! 

PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS IMMEDIATELY! Urge them to protect the gains we have won thus far. The Conservation Security Program needs to be supported as do the funding increases for traditional conservation farm programs. The meat packers will push for reversal of the packer ownership ban and will fight the Wellstone EQIP amendment which would restrict federal subsidizing of factory-farm manure systems. Family farmers, conservationists and food safety advocates are all united against these and your voice needs to be heard. There is also still a threat that any of a number of bad amendments could come up. Please take the time to make one last call to your Senators. The Capitol Switchboard number is 202-224-3121.

For more information on the amendments we are asking Senators to support and oppose, please see: www.familyfarmer.org/sections/02senate.html

For a list of the victories to date in the Senate bill, please see: www.familyfarmer.org/sections/sen-victories.html

For more background on the Conservation Security Program, see: www.sustainableagriculture.net/CSP.htm

2. STATES WEIGH IN ON FARM BILL - ENERGY AND FOOD

Last week, the Council of State Governments sent Congress their recommendations for the Farm Bill. The report emphasized farmers' contributions to national security, both in terms of self-sufficiency in food production and in the potential for on-farm renewable energy generation. The Council's specific recommendations to Congress included: "provide funding to protect the nation's food supply and defend against bioterrorism; invest in research needed to ensure a safe, affordable and abundant food supply; strengthen the income safety net for farmers, including development of renewable energy as an alternative agricultural market; support trade and marketing of farm products; and provide a variety of conservation programs." The Council recommended that specialty crops be covered under crop insurance programs, that state-inspected food be eligible for interstate shipment, and that conservation programs that focus on stewardship of working farm lands should be expanded.

The CoSG's recommendations are available at: http://www.statesnews.org/FarmBill/2002_Farm_Bill.htm

Thomas Dorr, Bush's controversial nominee to be USDA's undersecretary for rural development, has been scheduled to have his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, February 13, 2002 at 9:30 am -- Room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building. Rural advocates are gearing up to ask members of the Senate Agriculture committee to "DUMP DORR." Mr. Dorr's background and position statements indicate that his vision of rural America does not include a diverse system of food production based on family farms and good stewardship. He has expressed the opinion that the ideal farm size for Iowa is 225,000 acres, an idea that has been called a "return to feudalism."

He has also expressed a preference for mega-sized industrial hog operations, ignoring the adverse effects of these on air and water quality, property values and local communities. Please contact members of the Senate Agriculture Committee http://agriculture.senate.gov and ask them to oppose Mr. Dorr's nomination.

Smithfield Foods took out a full page ad in last Sunday's edition of the Sioux Falls "Argus Leader," threatening to close operations in South Dakota if lawmakers act to level the playing field for producers by passing the packer ownership ban. "If the Johnson Amendment becomes law, Smithfield Foods will neither rebuild the Sioux Falls plant, or build a new plant in South Dakota, nor will we make any further investment in South Dakota, or for that matter in any other state whose public officials are hostile to our ongoing operations and our industry,"said Joseph W. Luter III, the chairman and chief executive officer of Virginia-based Smithfield Foods, the parent company of John Morrell & Co., which has a packing plant in Sioux Falls. South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson, along with Paul Wellstone of Minnesota and Charles Grassley of Iowa, sponsored a Farm Bill amendment that would ban packers from owning livestock more than 14 days prior to slaughter as a way to restrict the "captive supplies" family farmers say is smothering free, competitive markets. The amendment, which passed 51-46 last session, has been hailed as a major victory by family farm advocates. Senator Johnson responded to Smithfields threats by saying, "I can understand Smithfield wants more vertical integration, and I respectfully disagree with that."

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