1. FARM BILL HEADS TO CONFERENCE COMMITTEE - CALLS NEEDED!

The Senate passed their version of the Farm Bill last week, but the game isn't over yet. Next, seven Senators and thirteen Representatives will meet in conference committee to iron out the differences between the two bills and prepare a final package to send to the President. Because there are so many differences between the two versions, we still need to keep the pressure on in order to keep from losing all the improvements in the Senate bill. In the words of the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture, "Now the next battle in the farm bill debate has begun. And because you have won so much there is much to lose." Please take a moment and call as many conferees as you can and let them know that you want them to fight for the gains we have realized: conservation and stewardship, rural development, and leveling the economic playing field for family farmers. Washington insiders project completion of the conference committee before the March 22 Easter recess.

2. FARM BUREAU OPPOSES LEGISLATION AIDING FAMILY FARMERS

When an extended drought hit the Klamath Basin in Oregon last year disputes erupted between family farmers, conservationists, fisherman and native Americans. On one side were the farmers, whose water supply was threatened. On the other were conservationists, fisherman and native Americans demanding "in-stream" flows for migratory endangered species and fishing rights.

To deal with this problem Sen. Reid (D-NV) introduced an amendment that passed in the Senate Farm Bill last week creating a water reserve program under the existing Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). This amendment, now referred to as the Western Water Provision allows farmers the income option of leasing water to the government, much like land is leased under the CRP, or WRP. In a strange twist of logic, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), self-proclaimed champion of family farmers, announced they will not support this and another provision limiting farm payments. In a news release (2-12-2002) AFBF president Bob Stallman said, "It is unfortunate that the Senate farm bill is encumbered by these provisions, which jeopardize passage of a farm bill this year." See the news release. 

News leader "The New York Times" published an editorial on February 13 urging an end to the routine antibiotic use in the livestock industry. 

"In recent decades the growth of [antibiotic] resistance has been increased by overuse of antibiotics in agriculture, where companies routinely use the drugs to promote growth on less feed and to prevent disease in healthy animals. As a result, some germs that infect both animals and humans have become resistant to antibiotics, and even germs that do not infect humans are capable of transferring their antibiotic-resistance genes to germs that do." 

Applauding the recent decision of Tyson, Perdue and Foster Farms to steeply curtail the use of antibiotics in healthy animals, the paper called on the rest of the poultry industry, as well as beef and pork producers, to do the same: "It is unacceptable that industry should use medically important antibiotics for the economic purpose of fostering growth."

4. IOWA STUDY RECOMMENDS AIR QUALITY STANDARDS FOR CAFOS

A new report by a team of public health and agriculture scientists from Iowa State University and the University of Iowa recommends that the Department of Natural Resources implement air quality standards for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in the state. Noting that hydrogen sulfide and ammonia are irritants of the lungs  and mucous membranes, the team recommended that levels of these pollutants be measured at the property line and at nearby areas where people could suffer from these emissions, such as residences and public places. The report recommends strategies and technologies to reduce air pollution emissions from feeding operations. Other issues relating to CAFOs identified by the committee include "water quality, worker health, antibiotic resistance, greenhouse gas emissions, socioeconomic impacts on rural communities, and livestock epidemic and disposal issues." Read the report. 

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