According to a poll taken for American Farmland Trust, 78% of Americans are aware of farm subsidy programs, and 78% and 88% percent approve of these subsidies to compensate for low prices and for crop losses due to bad weather, respectively. However, 75% of respondents also believe that "support to the American farmer should come with the requirement that farmers apply one or more conservation practices," such as preventing water pollution, or preserving wetlands and wildlife habitat.

The poll also showed widespread interest and concern about food and agriculture issues -- greater than 60% of respondents expressed concern about each or the following issues: pesticide residues on food, loss of farmland to development, unsafe meat, genetically modified foods, and contaminated drinking water. Furthermore, over half expressed interest in purchasing their foods locally and directly from farmers. Only 10-13 percent of respondents thought that the government was spending too much money on helping farmers develop biofuels, protect their farmland from development, use fewer chemicals, manage their manure, and protect wetlands and wildlife habitats.

Results of the poll are available at: http://www.farmland.org/news_2001/071101_survey_main.htm

Familyfarmer.org proudly announces the latest edition to the website: "Children's Visions of the Perfect Farm." These visions come from a children's art contest sponsored by the California Avenue Area Development Association, a non-profit business association dedicated to preserving the identity and quality of that neighborhood of Palo Alto, CA.

The contest asked children to "Draw Your Ideal Farm" and encouraged children to recognize how food is produced, the importance of producing food in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner, and to understand that they have the ability, through their own food choices to realize their visions of a perfect farm. Prizewinners from Kindergarten through Fourth Grades, plus Seventh Grade, are on display at http://www.familyfarmer.org/sections/art/artcontest.html

Three new proposals for 2002 Farm Bill programs were released this week. Texas Congressmen Larry Combest (R-19th) and Charles Stenholm (D-17th), the ranking members of the Agriculture Committee, included $5.2 billion in fixed, decoupled payments to soybean, cotton and grain producers, and a two-tiered counter-cyclical payment system with comparable loan rates. Representative Collin Peterson (D-7th/MN) has unveiled a Farm Bill proposal of his own, which is backed by the National Farmers Union. Instead of providing direct payments tied to historical production, Peterson's proposal focuses on price guarantees that cover the cost of production. His plan would manage supply by using loan rate incentives to encourage farmers to put a portion of their crops in reserve.  

Meanwhile, Frank Lucas (R-6th/OK) released a conservation title proposal that raises the Conservation Reserve Program acreage cap to 40 million acres; provides $1.2 billion per year for EQIP, allocating 50% to livestock producers; authorizes a 3 million acre Grasslands Reserve Program and a $60 million per year for a Small Watershed Dam program; and funds WHIP and FPP at $50 million per year each.

North Carolina's Pamlico River watershed has been hit with three fish kills in eight days this month. In the worst of these, on July 11, 80,412 menhaden were found along a nine-mile stretch of the Pamlico River that included Goose Creek State Park. While the kill was attributed to high water temperatures and low oxygen levels, 90 percent of the dead fish had lesions. Water sampling revealed 80 cells/ml of "Pfiesteria-like" organisms, but none of the toxic type implicated in direct Pfisteria fish kills. The day before, 7,275 juvenile menhaden were found dead in South Creek, and 13,775 menhaden and other species were found at Crystal Beach on July 3. According to the EPA, toxic Pfiesteria outbreaks are brief in duration and are associated with related to elevated temperatures and nutrient levels in water.  

Pamlico River Fish Kill information is available on the Web at: http://www.esb.enr.state.nc.us/Fishkill/killtar.asp

More information about Pfiesteria is available at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries/pfiesteria/fact.html#10