AFBF SCRAPBOOK

AFBF Vice President Scott VanderWal (left) pictured with Calumet County Farm Bureau members Gloria and Simon Regan. Calumet County Farm Bureau's 'Meet Your Local Farmer' event was recognized as a winner in the County Activities of Excellence contest.

AFBF Vice President Scott VanderWal, pictured with his wife Michelle, stood in for AFBF President Zippy Duvall at the AFBF Convention. Dodge County Farm Bureau member Andrea Brossard serves on the American Farm Bureau Promotion and Education Committee. She assisted with hosting a session at the AFBF Convention.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, talked with Farm Bureau members about changes to the school lunch program, Market Facilitation Program payments and how new and existing trade agreements will impact agriculture.

WFBF President Joe Bragger joined other state Farm Bureau presidents in displaying their state flags during the convention's opening ceremony.

President Trump attended the AFBF Convention for the third consecutive year. He addressed concerns over trade, tariffs and low commodity prices.

Travis and Krista Klinkner, Vernon County Farm Bureau members, represented Wisconsin in the Achievement Award contest. This contest recognizes young Farm Bureau members who earn a majority of their income from onfarm production.

Green County Farm Bureau member Rachel Leege represented Wisconsin in the Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet. This contest encourages Farm Bureau members to discuss timely and relevant ag topics and create actionable solutions.

The AFBF Annual Convention took a solemn turn when AFBF President Zippy Duvall's wife, Bonnie, lost her battle with cancer. Attendees were given bracelets to wear in support of the couple and their family.

Green County Farm Bureau member Ben Huber represented Wisconsin in the Excellence in Agriculture competition. This contest is for Farm Bureau members who do not earn a majority of their income from on-farm production.

Linardakis Named Finalist in Ag Innovation Challenge

In November, American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, announced 10 semi-finalist teams in the 2020 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. “These hard-working entrepreneurs have demonstrated their commitment to take on some of the biggest challenges in agriculture. Their innovations will help American farmers continue to grow healthy, affordable products for consumers,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “It’s a pleasure to recognize and award these outstanding businesses to help them deliver solutions that will drive U.S. agriculture forward.”

The competition provides an opportunity for individuals to showcase ideas and business innovations in agriculture. This is the sixth year of the challenge, which was the first national business competition focused exclusively on rural entrepreneurs launching food and agriculture businesses. Semi-finalist teams had the opportunity to participate in pitch training provided by Cornell University. They also traveled to the AFBF Annual Convention in January to compete for Farm Bureau Entrepreneur of the Year. SUBMITTED PHOTO

hydroelectric irrigation technologies that provide cost-effective solutions for small to mid-size farms. HydroSide Systems LLC received a total of $30,000 to grow their business. Idaho Farm Bureau member Dana Mohr led the HydroSide Systems team for the Challenge.

Innovative Agriculture Technologies LLC won the People’s Choice Award, which was decided by public vote, and received a total of $25,000 for the business. North Carolina Farm Bureau member Matthew Parker led the Innovative Agriculture Technologies team, which aims to streamline the pine straw harvesting process.

Rantizo, led by Iowa Farm Bureau member Michael Ott, and Hivelend, led by Maryland Farm Bureau member Dawn Musil are the other two finalists who competed in the final round of the challenge.

Farm Bureau would not be able to recognize and support these rural businesses without generous funding provided by sponsors Farm Credit, Bayer Crop Science, John Deere, Country Financial, Farm Bureau Financial Services and Farm Bureau Bank.

To learn more about the Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge, visit fb.org/challenge.

The 10 semi-finalist teams awarded $10,000 each were: • Ag Butler, Lebanon, Missouri. Team lead: Kevin Johansen • Green State Biochar, Barton, Vermont. Team lead: Donna Pion • Hivelend, Baltimore, Maryland. Team lead: Dawn Musil • HydroSide Systems LLC, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Team lead: Dana Mohr • Innovative Agricultural Technologies, LLC, Carthage, North Carolina. Team lead: Matthew Parker • Rantizo, Iowa City, Iowa. Team lead: Michael Ott • Re-Nuble, New York, New York. Team lead: Tinia Pina • SwineSentinel, Ames, Iowa. Team lead: B.J. Brugman • The Bene Baby Company, Inc, Nekoosa, Wisconsin. Team lead: Nikos Linardakis • Tractor Zoom, Waukee, Iowa. Team lead: Kyle McMahon

Sally Turpin Named to AFBF’s YF&R Committee S ally Turpin has been appointed by the American Farm Bureau Federation to its Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee for the 2020-2022 term beginning in March.

The national committee is comprised of 16 positions representing all regions of the U.S. An individual or a couple may hold each committee position.

Turpin is a member of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer and Agriculturist Committee.

“I have had many great experiences through Farm Bureau that have allowed me to learn more about the legislative process, advocate for agriculture and meet new friends while traveling,” said Turpin. “I’m excited to build on my Farm Bureau involvement.”

Turpin grew up on her family’s dairy farm, where they now raise beef cattle. After graduating from UW-Madison, where she double majored in agronomy and animal science, Turpin worked as an agronomist for several years and then as a dairy consultant for the past six years. Now, she is an energy services representative for WPPI Energy. In her spare time, Turpin enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, kayaking and running with Team Beef.

Committee members are responsible for YF&R Program planning, which includes the coordination of YF&R competitive events during AFBF’s Annual Convention each January. They also provide support in planning and implementing AFBF’s bi-annual FUSION Conference for Farm Bureau volunteer leaders involved in YF&R, Women’s Leadership and Promotion and Education. “Sally’s experience as a member of the WFBF Young Farmer and Agriculturist Committee makes her the perfect candidate for this position,” said WFBF Senior Director of Member Relations Wendy Kannel. “She will bring new and creative ideas along with a passion for the agriculture industry.”

Other appointees to the YF&R Committee are: Jocelyn Anderson, California; Ben Cagle, Georgia; Eric and April Castle, Kansas; Jon Iverson, Oregon; Dean and Sara Hutto, South Carolina; and Kenny and Jamila McFarland, Utah. National committee members are nominated by their respective state Farm Bureaus. They study farm and food policy issues, participate in leadership training exercises and hone other professional skills during their tenure as committee members. Derek and Charisse Orth of Grant County Farm Bureau were the last Wisconsin YFA members to serve on the national committee from 2017 to 2019.

AFBF's Young Farmers & Ranchers program includes men and women between the ages of 18 and 35. The objective of the Young Farmers & Ranchers program is to provide leadership in building a more effective Farm Bureau to preserve our individual freedoms and expand our opportunities in agriculture.

JANESVILLE TRI COUNTY DAIRY SUPPLY, INC. 608-757-2697 www.tricountydairysupplyinc.com

Farm Bureau’s Federal Issues Update The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement W isconsin legislators and commodity groups were a leading voice for passage of the United States-MexicoCanada Agreement. Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation advocated for passage of the agreement.

WFBF Vice President and dairy farmer Dave Daniels was a member of a trade panel that spoke in support of passage of the USMCA by the House. In October, when U.S. Vice President Mike Pence visited Wisconsin for a USMCA rally, Daniels was part of another panel that advocated for passage of the USMCA for farmers.

In late December, the House overwhelmingly passed the USMCA with a bipartisan vote of 385 to 41. The Senate referred the USMCA to seven committees for markup with six committees completing the task in early January. The Senate Finance Committee supported the bill earlier on a 25-3 vote. Recently, the Senate approved the USMCA Agreement on an 89-10 vote. President Trump gave final approval in January.

Mexico approved the agreement, but the Canadian Parliament must ratify the USMCA before the agreement will take effect. Ratification of the USMCA is expected to provide U.S. dairy farmers greater access to Canadian markets.

Farm Labor Modernization Act H ouse lawmakers unveiled a bipartisan bill tackling the farm labor shortage, but it faces a rough road. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, introduced by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), would provide a path to legalization for agricultural laborers and possible permanent residence who have worked in the farm and agriculture industry for at least two years and plan to continue in that sector, and would expand the H-2A foreign guest-worker program.

Nationwide, it also would establish a mandatory E-Verify system for farm employers; would simplify the H-2A application process; establish wages for farm workers; and dramatically increases the legal rights of workers and their ability to pursue lawsuits against employers.

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act aims to address the needs of dairy farmers and other producers who need year-round workers by offering 40,000 extra green cards for agricultural labor, half of which would be exclusively available for dairy and creating a capped program to grant three-year visas for workers in certain sectors like dairy.

USDA Hemp Rules W FBF submitted comments on the proposed USDA Hemp Rules. In October, USDA released the text of its interim final rule for regulations establishing a domestic hemp production program. Since this is an interim final rule, it will be in effect immediately upon being published in the Federal Register.

Since the 2018 Farm Bill was signed, farmers and regulators have operated in a state of uncertainty as they waited for the USDA to release additional guidance. As is always the case, the rule doesn’t make everyone happy and there are lingering questions.

WFBF highlighted several issues in the comments including limiting testing to Drug Enforcement Administration certified The bill has garnered the wide-spread support of more than 300 agriculture groups and labor organizations, and if approved, will bring stability to agricultural workers and rural communities.

White House support will be critical to securing passage of the bill. Currently, the bill sits in the Senate after the House passage.

“At a time when the farm worker shortage has reached a crisis in parts of the country, it is deeply disappointing that the House blocked any possibility of improving the legislation designed to address the problem, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. Several amendments addressed our principal concerns, but were blocked from consideration. As a result, we do not support the final bill passed by the House today. We will turn our attention to the Senate where we hope legislation is crafted that provides long-term solutions to the farm labor crisis. Farmers need meaningful reform that addresses the concerns of both workers and growers.”

- AFBF President Zippy Duvall

laboratories, limited harvest period, creating additional exceptions for negligent violations, criminal sanctions and additional flexibility for reconstituting a 'hot' crop or hemp that has delta-9 THC levels exceeding the 0.3 percent threshold set by state and federal law.

WFBF will continue to work with Wisconsin’s federal delegation to create flexibilities for growers and protections against criminal sanctions for unintentional violations. Having these rules in place makes it possible for other agencies and industries, such as financial institutions and crop insurance providers, to start establishing guidelines and procedures for dealing with hemp.

WFBF President Attends U.S.- China Agreement Signing

On January 15, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation President Joe Bragger attended the signing of a Phase 1 trade agreement between the U.S. and China at the White House.

Phase 1 of the U.S.-China Agreement requires structural reforms and other changes to China’s economic and trade regime in the areas of intellectual property, technology transfer, agriculture, financial service and currency and foreign exchange. The agreement includes a commitment by China that it will make substantial additional purchases of U.S. goods and services in the coming years. The agreement also establishes a strong dispute resolution system that ensures prompt and effective implementation and enforcement. “It was a chance of a lifetime to join other Farm Bureau presidents and agriculture leaders for this historic event,” said WFBF President Joe Bragger. “I was proud to see agriculture in the spotlight and slowly working its way back into this critical market.” According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the U.S. exported $19.5 billion of agricultural products to China in 2017. These exports were reduced to $9.1 billion in 2018 as a result of retaliatory tariffs.

“Signing this agreement has been a long-awaited moment for many farmers,” said Bragger. “The agriculture community was hit with a double whammy as we battled low commodity prices that were exacerbated by trade issues with China.” Bragger added, “Wisconsin Farm Bureau hopes this agreement signals progress in ultimately reaching a fair deal with one of our largest trading partners. While it won’t save us from all the hardships facing agriculture, it is a step in the right direction.”

This agreement signifies China’s imports of U.S. agricultural products, such as soybeans, grains, meats, ethanol and the full range of other agricultural products will total at least $80 billion during the next two years. China also will strive to purchase an additional $5 billion of agricultural products annually.

Specifically, China has committed to streamline the timelines and procedures for registering U.S. dairy and infant formula facilities and products and to provide regulatory certainty and market stability for products like fluid milk and dairy permeate powder.

Bragger said, “We look forward to securing other deals with other trading partners. Building these trading relationships can only help our Wisconsin farmers.” WISCONSIN LAND EXPERTS BRADY JENNEMAN 715.933.0329 brady@landguys.net ZACK SISK 309.840.1182 zack@landguys.net LUKE WESSEL 608.295.8395 luke@landguys.net JIM DAHLGREN 715.456.1069 jim@landguys.net JOSH GAWRYSIAK 715.225.0019 josh@landguys.net AARON BERG 920.946.5880 aaron@landguys.net 217.899.1240 www.LandGuys.net 2925 S. Meadowbrook Rd., Suite G, Springfield, IL 62711 LandGuys, LLC of Wisconsin 1705 Detloff St, Bloomer, WI 54724 LANDGUYS, LLC is licensed in IL, IA, IN, WI & TN | 217.899.1240 WFBF President Joe Bragger (left) outside the White House with other Farm Bureau representatives who attended the signing of the U.S.-China Agreement.

Members to Serve on AFBF Issue Advisory Committees

Four Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation members have been named to American Farm Bureau’s Issue Advisory Committees. The 13 committees will meet in Washington, D.C., at the end of February.

AFBF’s Issue Advisory Committees provide an avenue for Farm Bureau’s grassroots leaders to contribute their issue expertise to the organization’s policy deliberations.

Outcomes of the committees’ deliberations include advice and counsel to the AFBF Board of Directors on policy-related actions AFBF might be advised to take, recommendations for state Farm Bureau policy development and policy recommendations to the AFBF Resolutions Committee. Joe Bragger of Independence was selected to serve a two-year term on the water committee. This committee covers Clean Water Act issues, national and regional water storage programs, Army Corps of Engineers water-related efforts and flood control. Bragger is a dairy and poultry farmer and serves as WFBF’s President. Dave Daniels of Union Grove was selected to serve a two-year term on the farm policy committee. This committee discusses risk management, crop insurance, price and income support programs and conservation programs. Daniels is a dairy farmer and WFBF’s Vice President. Don Radtke of Merrill was appointed to a two-year term on the agricultural labor committee. Radtke and his fellow committee members will explore topics like guest worker programs, OSHA regulations, employment taxes and health care. Radtke is a Marathon County Farm Bureau leader and former WFBF board member. Robert Nigh of Viroqua will serve a two-year term on the animal care committee. This committee will examine current animal care and animal health standards, antibiotic use and livestock processing. Nigh is a dairy farmer and serves as the District 3 Director on WFBF’s Board. Bragger Daniels Radtke Nigh

WFBF President Attends 2020 State of the State Address O n January 22, Governor Tony Evers delivered his 2020 State of the State Address and WFBF President Joe Bragger attended.

“I had the honor of attending Gov. Evers’ 2020 State of the State Address on behalf of Wisconsin Farm Bureau,” said Bragger. “Across the state our members are listening intently to our elected officials and we were pleased with the attention drawn to agriculture.”

Gov. Evers highlighted agriculture’s diversity and its importance to the state’s economy. He stated that in 2018, Wisconsin cheesemakers produced more cheese than any other state, producing more than 26 percent of the nation’s cheese and that Wisconsin dairy farmers account for more than 14 percent of the nation’s milk production and dairy production and processing boasts $43.4 billion in economic activity and nearly 79,000 jobs.

Gov. Evers also mentioned that Wisconsin is one of the leading growers and processors of vegetables and that cranberry growers produce 62 percent of the nation’s cranberry crop. In 2018, the state exported more than $3 billion in agricultural products to more than 140 countries.

“Gov. Evers highlighting our agriculture's diversity was important,” said Bragger. “The pride that our farmers have in what they do is admirable, and the support promised to our state’s hard-working farmers was encouraging. Boosting our dairy exports and providing additional resources can only help our stressed farmers.”

In response to challenges facing Wisconsin agriculture, the Governor announced a three-pronged plan starting with a special session of the legislature to take up legislation to invest in farmers, agricultural industries and rural communities.

Bragger added that, “As Farm Bureau members we appreciate Gov. Evers and our lawmakers for understanding the significant importance of agriculture to our state’s economy and together we can build a better future for our rural communities.”

Wisconsin Leopold Conservation Award Seeks Nominees

Do you know a Wisconsin farmer or forester who goes above and beyond in the care and management of natural resources? Nominate them for the 2020 Wisconsin Leopold Conservation Award®.

Sand County Foundation presents the Leopold Conservation Award to private landowners in 20 states for extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. In Wisconsin, the $10,000 award is presented annually with Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association.

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes landowners who inspire others with their dedication to land, water and wildlife habitat management on private, working land. In his influential 1949 book, “A Sand County Almanac,” Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.

Nominations may be submitted on behalf of a landowner, or landowners may nominate themselves. The application can be found at sandcountyfoundation.org/ApplyLCA. The application deadline date is August 1. Applications can be emailed to award@sandcountyfoundation.org. If mailed, applications must be postmarked by August 1, and mailed to: Leopold Conservation Award c/o Sand County Foundation 131 W. Wilson Street, Suite 610 Madison, WI 53703

Applications are reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders.

The Leopold Conservation Award Program in Wisconsin is made possible thanks to the generous support of Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association, Sand County Foundation, Compeer Financial, We Energies Foundation, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board, Wisconsin Corn Growers Association, Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board, Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, Whole Foods Market and McDonald’s.

The Leopold Conservation Award will be presented at the WFBF’s Annual Meeting in December.

The first Wisconsin Leopold Conservation Award recipient was selected in 2006. Lake Family Farms of Boyceville received the award in 2019. The Lake Family

“This award highlights real working farms for the conservation efforts they do on a daily basis. I encourage farmers to apply and be recognized for doing the right things on their land for the future of their families, farms and communities.” - Joe Bragger, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation

“Dairy farmers have a long history of nurturing and protecting the natural resources within their care. The Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and the dairy farm families we represent are proud to again sponsor the Leopold Conservation Award.” - Patrick Geoghegan, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.

“Locally led conservation would not be nearly as effective without the hard work and collaboration with farmers across Wisconsin. Environmental stewardship is an indivisible part of sustainable agriculture and Leopold Conservation Award nominees are models for successfully applying those practices.” - Matt Krueger, Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association

“Leopold Conservation Award recipients are at the forefront of a movement by America’s farmers and ranchers to simultaneously achieve economic and environmental success.” - Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation