S P E C I A L
R E P O R T
‘Lame Duck’
Congress’ to-do list for a post-election session is growing | 4 June 11, 2012 Vol. 91
‘Labor’
DOL formally withdraws ag youth labor rule | 3
‘Farm Safety’ Farm Bureau conference highlights safety, health | 8
1940 Census, a step back in time
No. 11 fbnews.org
Senate moves forward on farm bill The Senate on June 7 voted overwhelmingly in favor of proceeding with a debate on the 2012 farm bill. The procedural vote of 90-8 allows the Senate to consider the dozens of amendments that have been offered on the bill and vote, most likely this week, on passage. The American Farm Bureau Federation sent a letter to the Senate ahead of consideration of the farm bill, outlining the organization’s priorities and concerns with the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act (S. 3240). AFBF President Bob Stallman wrote
that with Farm Bureau’s suggested improvements, he believed the bill would move toward the organization’s core principles for rational, acceptable farm policy and AFBF would support it. According to Stallman, Farm Bureau places a priority on several of the committee’s decisions, including using the $23 billion in savings suggested to the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction last fall; protecting and strengthening the federal crop insurance program; developing a commodity title that attempts to encourage producers to follow market
signals rather than make planting decisions in anticipation of government payments; and refraining from basing any program on cost of production. “While the legislation addresses many Farm Bureau policy priorities, it is our sincere hope there will be additional opportunities to make adjustments and refinements to improve this legislation,” Stallman said. Some of the areas Farm Bureau believes would benefit from additional policy work include adFarm bill Continued on Page 6
Senate farm bill is good for young farmers
By Stewart Truelsen Earlier this spring the National Archives released the 1940 Census to the public. If you are wondering what took them so long, there is a 72-year waiting period required by law to respect the privacy of the respondents.
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THE FARM BILL NOW BEING CONSIDERED in the Senate includes programs to help young farmers and ranchers. Michigan fruit grower Ben LaCross said that if the Senate bill was already enacted, “I would have the opportunity to cover more of my crops.” The bill would increase crop insurance assistance for beginning farmers. Ben LaCross, a young fruit grower and Farm Bureau member from Michigan, last week urged Congress to pass the Senate Agriculture Committee-passed farm bill this year. Speaking on behalf of the American Farm Bureau Federation at a press event on Capitol Hill on the eve of a successful vote to proceed to consideration of the farm bill, LaCross said that without the bill crop losses could be catastrophic, especially for beginning and young farmers. A heavy snow storm in early March was followed by unusually warm weather and then a frosty April in Michigan. LaCross said his state has lost an estimated 90 percent of its apple crop, 85 percent of its grapes, 95 percent of its peaches and 85 percent of its cherries.
“If the committee’s farm bill were in existence today, I would have the opportunity to cover more of my crops under crop insurance, using new programs that would provide better coverage at a lower cost,” he said. “It would also provide the ability to use more realistic production numbers by increasing the ‘yield plug’ in years like this one, when my production is going to be almost zero. Importantly, the bill also increases crop insurance assistance to beginning farmers. “In a normal year, my farm would produce 4 million pounds of cherries. This year, we will be lucky to harvest 40,000 pounds— only 1 percent of my normal production,” continued LaCross. “Crop insurance helps keep families like mine in business.”
Before introducing LaCross, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), chair of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, said that the Senate farm bill (S. 3240) saves more than $23 billion in taxpayer money as it strengthens economic growth and job creation. “This bill has garnered widespread praise from hundreds of farm, food and conservation organizations for its common sense reforms, deficit reduction and investments in our economic future,” Stabenow said. Much of the current farm bill will expire at the end of September. The Senate farm bill also continues the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, Farmers Continued on Page 6