Rural Route

Rural Route wisconsin Farm bureau federation’s

april | may 2011 • vol. 17 no. 2 | www.wfbf.com

Growing

It’s what we do best

State Budget in Review ‘Ag Day’ Draws Farmers to Madison Farm Bureau Hosts FFA Farm Forum

Wisconsin’s First

Leopold award

Winner - Joe Bragger Pa g e 6

“WHY DO I USE FS?” “I think of myself as a progressive farmer.

Someone who understands that using business analysis and paying close attention to details is probably more important than it ever has been.

Why do I use FS? FS gives me everything I need.

Brian Hora

Corn and soybean grower

It starts with the seed. It’s a complete system from start to finish with the inputs I buy from FS. From fuel, fertilizer and crop protection, to new technologies and new ways to become more efficient.

Do we think we’re all the way there yet? No. There’s more potential for bigger yields. And with FS, we’re going to find ways to get there.”

T H E LO THE TH L LOCAL O CA A L AN A ANSWER N SW W ER E T TO O YOUR Y OUR YO UR R WORLD W OR O R LD D OF O F NEEDS. N E ED NEED NE D S.

™

©2011 GROWMARK, Inc. A11538E

contents

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29

Features

Every Issue

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News

20

Member Benefits

26

Opinion

Ag Day at the Capitol Draws 450

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Joe Bragger Wins Leopold Award

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State Budget in Review

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Leadership

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Ag Women’s Summit a Success

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Ag in the Classroom

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Foundation

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Rural Mutual

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FFA Flocks to Farm Forum

april | may 2011

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editor’s note from casey langan Reinvention.

It’s a word that gets used a lot in popular culture. A celebrity changes their image or a corporation sets a new trend and it’s said they’ve been ‘reinvented.’ We act as if change is rare because our natural tendency is to wish that the people and things in our lives will never change.

That’s why we think reinvention is such a big deal. But it’s not.

The reality is that reinvention is commonplace.

Look around your own farm this time of year. Dormant pastures give way to green grass. New crops emerge from the soil. Springtime births add to the herd. Each spring our farms go through a reinvention. Sometimes the reinvention of a farm is even more drastic. Old farmhouses, dairy barns and silos are torn down to make way for new homes, machine sheds and grain bins. Such is the case on the farm where I spent my formative years. The only thing that has changed more than its landscape is my old assumption that some things would never change.

Reinvention and our constant need to grow are evident on our cover photo and many of the stories in this issue of Rural Route. The cover title: Growing. It’s what we do best, comes from Bill Bruins’ column that urges growth on our farm fields and to our state’s economy this year.

We’re proud to feature the winner of Wisconsin’s first Leopold Award which recognizes farms that see the value in reinventing their practices to remain profitable. There are also reports from the Wisconsin Ag Women’s Summit and FFA Farm Forum. The successful Women’s Summit is a revived off-shoot of a former event, while the 39th FFA Farm Forum has stayed relevant over the years by offering fresh content for agriculture’s next generation. Then there are stories on Ag Day at the Capitol and the state budget. Do I really need to elaborate on how state government is being reinvented?

Finally, Farm Bureau’s efforts to reinvent its communication efforts took another step forward this month. We’ve launched our new website where you will find a steady stream of fresh news about Farm Bureau and agriculture. You can also listen to podcasts, watch videos and even read the Rural Route and other Farm Bureau publications online. About the only thing we did not change from our old website is its address: www.wfbf.com. We hope you like it.

Many thanks for the nice compliments we’ve received from Farm Bureau members about this magazine. We hope such positive feedback is one thing that doesn’t change.

Casey Langan Rural Route Editor Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation

Rural Route wisconsin Farm bureau federation’s

Editor Casey Langan 608.828.5711 Assistant Editor Sheri Sutton 608.828.5706 Address of Publication Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation 1241 John Q. Hammons Dr. PO Box 5550 Madison, WI 53705-0550 Postmaster: Send address changes to Farm Bureau’s Rural Route PO Box 5550 Madison, WI 53705-0550 Contact Information 608.836.5575 800.261.FARM (3276) www.wfbf.com info.demingway@wfbf.com WFBF Board of Directors Bill Bruins, Waupun, (President) Jerry Bradley, Sun Prairie, (Vice President) Dave Daniels, Union Grove Richard Gorder, Mineral Point Joe Bragger, Independence Lloyd DeRuyter, Cedar Grove Wayne Staidl, Peshtigo Don Radtke, Merrill Jim Holte, Elk Mound Women’s Committee Chair Rosie Lisowe, Chilton Young Farmer & Agriculturist Committee Chair Maria McGinnis, Portage Farm Bureau’s® Rural Route (ISSN 39940) (USPS 10821368), the official publication of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, is published six times per year in February/March, April/May, June/July, August/ September, October/November and December/January.

Subscription of $5 is included in Farm Bureau dues.

Periodical postage is paid at Madison, Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s Rural Route is produced for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation

by Kennedy Communications, LTD., 9 Odana Court, Suite 200, Madison, WI 53711, 608.288.9000. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without written consent.

For advertising rates and information, please contact Annie Mares at 608.443.0956 or amares@kennedyc. com.

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news

Ag Day at the Capitol Draws 450 to Madison

Despite weeks of contentious protest and increased security procedures to enter the Capitol, the 2011 Ag Day at the Capitol successfully brought 450 farmers from across Wisconsin to talk issues with their state lawmakers on March 9.

T

he Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation hosts the annual event with several other farm and commodity organizations at the Monona Terrace Convention Center.

During the briefing on March 9 Paul Zimmerman, Farm Bureau’s Executive Director of Governmental Relations, remarked on the climate that Ag Day attendees would encounter in Madison.

“It’s historic times. We’ve not seen this level of protests displayed by citizens since the Vietnam era,” Zimmerman said in reference to the protests over Governor Scott april | may 2011

Walker’s budget repair bill that removed collective bargaining rights of public employee unions.

“They’re looking forward to meeting with you,” he said of the lawmakers who would be meeting with Ag Day attendees. “You’ll be a breath of fresh air.”

Zimmerman said that agricultural issues traditionally are decided by an urban-rural split rather than a partisan one, but the current fiery political climate is testing even that tradition of bipartisanship.

Zimmerman reviewed a variety of budget items pertinent to agriculture and rural Wisconsin. While there are currently no proposed changes to the use value assessment of farmland law, he asked that its importance be conveyed in conversations with lawmakers.

Governor Walker was the event’s surprise guest. During his remarks he expressed his support for leaving the use value assessment law untouched. He also pledged to get the state working again by encouraging business growth and providing a good transportation

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system for the agricultural sector to thrive.

Gov. Walker said he wants to make it easier to pass a farm on to the next generation.

Tough Choices Await Lawmakers Ag Day’s legislative speakers were State Senator Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls) and Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon). Both touched on the budget process that will take place this spring.

“Wisconsin is in a financial crisis and we won’t get out of it until we have people working and businesses not laying people off,” said Harsdorf, who serves on the Legislature’s powerful Joint Finance Committee.

“Farmers know what it’s like to make tough choices,” said Harsdorf, a dairy farmer who is a past winner of Farm Bureau’s Discussion Meet Contest.

“We are at the end of our rope. It will be difficult, but it’s the right thing to do,” Speaker Fitzgerald. “I don’t think it’s too much to ask everyone to pitch in and get the state back on track.”

He noted that when enacted the budget proposal would slash the state’s deficit from $3.2 billion to $250 million in two years. If enough growth occurs during the two-year budget cycle, he said the State of Wisconsin could be “back in the black for the first time in 17 years.”

“Given the recent turmoil in Madison, this year’s attendance for Ag Day at the Capitol was great,” remarked Bill Bruins, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation President. “As

- Sheila Harsdorf, Wisconsin State Senator That statement drew a round of applause from the Ag Day audience, who also heard legislative updates from Zimmerman, Jordan Lamb and Shawn Pfaff.

“We ran on a platform of solving this budget mess by not increasing taxes,” said Fitzgerald who called last November’s elections a “clear mandate” to rejuvenate Wisconsin’s economy and get the state’s fiscal house in order.

Lamb, an attorney with DeWitt Ross & Stevens, gave a status report on an air emissions administrative rule that could impact agriculture. Pfaff, a Capitol Consultants lobbyist for the Dairy Business Association, discussed the prospects for

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Following the legislative briefing, Ag Day attendees walked to the State Capitol to meet with their legislators between 3 and 5 p.m. Just as many left town, the capitol erupted with protests over the State Senate’s passage of the budget repair bill.

“Wisconsin is in a financial crisis and we won’t get out of it until we have people working and businesses not laying people off.”

“The fact of the matter is, we’re broke. We have no money,” was Speaker Fitzgerald’s blunt assessment of the state’s finances.

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legislation to allow the sale of raw milk directly to consumers.

always, it provided farmers with an excellent opportunity for direct dialogue with their legislators.”

“We felt it was important that farmers weighed in on the issues important to them, early in the state budget process,” Bruins added. “As an organization, Farm Bureau will continue to work with other farm and commodity groups throughout the legislative session.”

wisconsin farm bureau federation

Top right: Farmers on the short hike between the Monona Terrace Convention Center and the State Capitol. Bottom right: State Senator Luther Olsen (right) talks with Columbia County Farm Bureau member Cal Dalton. Bottom left: Wisconsin State Farmer writer and dairy farmer, Jan Shepel (left), talks with Terry and Bailey Quam of Lodi. Top left: Farm Bureau members Brianna Ditzenberger and Rochelle Ripp are all smiles at the Ag Day luncheon.

april | may 2011

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news Meet 2011

Leopold Conservation Award Winner:

Joe Bragger

By Sheri Sutton

E

verything on Joe Bragger’s Buffalo County farm is connected and has a purpose: The cows and the chickens, the trout and the trees, the soil and the stream. He not only loves the land, but clearly sees what it can do for him and what he can do for it.

It’s for his land ethic and outstanding voluntary conservation efforts that Bragger will receive the 2011 Wisconsin Leopold Conservation Award.

Named in honor of famed conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes those who inspire other landowners by example and help the general public understand the vital role that private landowners can and do play in conservation success.

“The Bragger family uses the tools available to all farmers to prevent soil erosion and enhance water quality, developing their farm into a conserving showcase,” said Brent Haglund, Sand County Foundation President. “In nearby terrain during the Great Depression, Aldo Leopold encouraged farmers in Coon Valley to manage their land to beat erosion. The Braggers show that by beating erosion in a number of smart ways, a determined farm family can keep their farm, their community, and their watershed healthier and more profitable.”

Already given in seven other states, last year the Madison-based Sand County Foundation teamed up with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation to bring the award to Wisconsin. For the win, Joe Bragger will receive a $10,000 cash award and an Aldo Leopold crystal at a special recognition event in Buffalo County this summer. The call for nominations for the 2012 award has already begun (see page 9).

“Because of our terrain we have plenty of opportunities to do stewardship, it never stops,” Bragger said of the steep and narrow valleys of west-central Wisconsin’s driftless area.

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wisconsin farm bureau federation

Joe Bragger, a farmer from the scenic terrain of Buffalo County, is Wisconsin’s first winner of the Leopold Conservation Award which salutes good stewardship practices by private landowners.

It was in the late 1960s that Bragger’s parents (Swiss immigrants) founded Bragger Family Dairy near the community of Independence. The terrain reminded them of their scenic homeland. Joe likes to say he wishes they had come from the Ukraine so the farm would be flatter and less challenging to farm.

Yet, with his knack for hard work and creativity, Bragger seems to relish the challenge. The traditional Wisconsin dairy farm has evolved and diversified over time to best utilize its differing landscape.

Joe and his younger brother, Dan, have a partnership that spans 500 acres of crops (a combination of no-till and tilled land), a milking string of 305 dairy cows and a herd of 50 beef cattle.

Joe’s wife, Noel, manages the family’s poultry operation that consists of raising 64,000 pullets annually in a climate-controlled two-story barn for Gold’n Plump. The poultry litter is an economical alternative to spreading liquid dairy manure on the farm’s steep slopes. In addition to the poultry operation, Noel

An original ‘Discovery Farm’ Bragger credits his parents with first instilling his conservation ethic, but his experience with the Discovery Farms Program took things to another level.

He met the program’s director, Dennis Frame, at Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Annual Meeting. As part of the first group of farms enrolled in the onfarm research project, the eight-year experience helped Bragger develop monitoring measures that determine environmental and economical effects of april | may 2011

best management practices. One of them is greater residue management. He said that leaving more residue helps him do a better job of harvesting rainfall for use of their crops. He estimates that 98 percent of the rainfall that hits the farm is now absorbed for crop production and ground water recharge.

The Discovery Farms Program graduate now serves as Pioneer Farms Discovery Farms Joint Steering Committee Chairman. In addition he has been

actively involved with the Wisconsin Soybean Association, Buffalo County Land and Water Resource Planning Committee, Town of Montana Board of Supervisors and Land-Use Committee, Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin, Upper-Mississippi River Hypoxia Committee, and Saints Peter & Paul Parish Education Committee.

Bragger has hosted workers from four other continents to learn and work on his farm through the Communications for Ag and Global Cow programs. www.wfbf.com

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Finding his voice through Farm Bureau Bragger admits he likes a whirlwind of activity on his farm and the many committees and organizations he’s involved with off the farm. He says they collectively aid him in his new role on the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s Board of Directors.

This past December (after he was selected for the Leopold Conservation Award) he was elected to represent the seven counties (Buffalo, Eau Claire, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Pepin and Trempealeau) that make up Farm Bureau’s District 4.

He says he’s committed to his counties and when ag-related issues arise, he feels compelled to call each county president to get their input before Farm Bureau board meetings.

“Joe clearly holds a high standard of commitment to Farm Bureau, to conservation efforts and to his farming operation,” said Bill Bruins, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation President.

Shown here is one of the two streams that run through the Bragger farmstead. Their water quality has increased since the farm was enrolled in Wisconsin’s Discovery Farms research project.

teaches kindergarten through second grade at St. Boniface School in Waumandee.

The Braggers raise 4,000 brown trout annually in a spring-fed pond on their farm in partnership with the local Elk Rod & Gun Club and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The young trout (called fingerlings) are put into the pond each May and removed the following April to be released into area streams. The pond doubles as a stock tank for some of the farm’s cattle.

“Farm Bureau gave me a voice so I could speak but further, Farm Bureau teaches us how to be a voice for ourselves,” said Bragger, who has been active with the Buffalo County Farm Bureau for the past 17 years. “One of the most important things we can do in Farm Bureau is to get information into the hands of the producers so they can speak up and let legislators know how it affects them on their farm personally.”

Bragger credits much of his Farm Bureau knowledge and personal development to the late Gary Steiner who served District 4 on the state board of directors from 1991 until his passing last year.

Adding to the farm’s diversity, Bragger enjoys experimenting with numerous crops like canola, sunflowers and a variety of alfalfa and barley types. He is also passionate about experimenting with 150 acres of woodland areas that he manages for wildlife, recreation and timberpulp production. For the past six years, parts of the forests that are less desirable for timber production are burned off to maintain native grasses, goat-prairie and oak savanna areas. Locals like watching and learning from this natural process annually.

“Gary was a real inspiration. His wisdom and humor will not be easily replicated,” Bragger said.

“We are always looking at if we can make this farm worthwhile for the next generation,” Bragger said, specifically thinking about his four children: Rosli, 16, John, 14, Tessa, 13, and Allison, 11.

Bragger has quickly identified himself as a strong voice for farmers in west-central Wisconsin. With his recent selection as the first winner of the Leopold Conservation Award, something tells us Gary would be proud.

“So we will continue to use every bit of the farm we can, try to do it in a way that makes it sustainable and use things to their potential,” he said.

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Shortly after Gary Steiner passed away, his daughter sent Bragger a letter saying, “He has been working on you for a long time, now go do it.” She also included one of Gary’s ties for him to go get the work done.

wisconsin farm bureau federation

The Leopold Conservation Award recognizes landowners who exemplify the land ethic of Aldo Leopold - translating their love for the land into responsible stewardship and management. The Wisconsin recipient for 2012 receives an Aldo Leopold crystal and $10,000.

2012

Call for Applications

If you, or someone you know, is a Wisconsin farmer engaged in and committed to land management practices that increase conservation, we invite your application for the Leopold Conservation Award.

Nomination deadline: August 12, 2011 To download an Application Form, visit:

www.leopoldconservationaward.org

Presented by Sand County Foundation in partnership with Wisconsin Farm Bureau

Photo Š Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc. april | may 2011

Federation

The Leopold Conservation Award in Wisconsin is sponsored by the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation,

American Transmission Company, Rural Mutual Insurance Company, and Farm Credit www.wfbf.com

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news

What Farmers Should Know About the State Budget Bill Let’s start off with the basics:

1. The state budget bill is a whopping 1,345 pages long.

2. Formally known as Assembly Bill 40

and Senate Bill 27, it outlines state spending over the next biennium (from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2013).

3. It is estimated that Wisconsin currently has a $3.6 billion deficit beginning on July 1.

The State Budget Pie

51% Local Assistance

(shared revenue & schools)

7%

22%

Corrections

Aid to Individuals

7% University of Wisconsin System

(medical assistance)

13%

Rest of the State Budget

“During last year’s elections everyone talked about living within our means. Given Governor Walker’s commitment to not raise taxes and fees while balancing our state’s budget, big ticket items such as local assistance have to be looked at.”

- Paul Zimmerman Executive Director of Governmental Relations Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation 10

Rural Route

4. The Governor’s budget proposes to

spend $59.2 billion over the biennium compared to the current budget of $62.2 billion (about a 5 percent decrease).

“This deficit did not appear overnight,” Governor Walker said as he delivered his budget address to the State Legislature in Madison on March 1. “Wisconsin got here through a reliance on one-time fixes, accounting gimmicks and tax increases.

Previous governors and legislatures from both parties took money from our tobacco settlement. They raided more than a billion dollars from the transportation fund and $200 million from the patients’ compensation fund.”

Walker then pledged, “Gone are the segregated fund raids, illegal transfers, and accounting gimmicks. Gone are the tax or fee increases. Our state cannot grow if our people are weighed down paying for a larger and larger government.”

“The state basically has four funding sources,” explains Paul Zimmerman, Executive Director of Governmental Relations for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau.

“General Purpose Revenue is commonly referred to by its initials ‘GPR’. It comes from sales and income tax collections and accounts for 49 percent of the budget.

Federal revenue accounts for 29 percent, while segregated revenue which is received

wisconsin farm bureau federation

from fees, excise taxes and licenses that fund various state programs accounts for another 12 percent of the budget.

Finally, program revenue is received from user fees that fund specific activities. This accounts for another 10 percent of the state budget.”

“Our state cannot grow if our people are weighed down paying for a larger and larger government.”

- Governor Scott Walker Gov. Walker’s budget proposal includes these significant proposals:

• All GPR-funded programs would be reduced by 10 percent.

• Prohibits an increase in property tax collections by local units of government, except for new construction or by referendum.

• Shared revenue to counties, towns and municipalities

would be reduced by nearly 10 percent (or $96 million).

• Funding for public K-12 schools would be reduced by 7.9% (or $834 million).

• Technical colleges would see a nearly 30 percent

reduction in their funding, from nearly $120 million to approximately $85 million each year of the biennium.

This spring the Legislature’s 16-member Joint Finance Committee will hold public hearings on the budget bill before taking votes on each individual budget item (presumably in May).

The budget debate comes in the wake of controversy over a budget repair bill that Gov. Walker introduced in February to deal with an estimated $136 million deficit for the current budget cycle that ends on June 30. That debate centered around collective bargaining, union participation, public employee wages and benefits. Specifically, the budget repair bill required that public employees contribute 5.8 percent of their salary towards their pension and 12.6 percent of their health insurance premiums. It removed all items from collective bargaining except for wages and removes the requirement that public employees be a member of a union.

In addition, the budget repair bill authorized the Department of Health Services to make changes to the Medical Assistance program, which is a joint federal and state program that provides health services to individuals with limited resources. However, any proposed changes must also be approved by the federal government. april | may 2011

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Budget Calls for

Belt Tightening A

ll GPR-funded programs at the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) are part of the across-the-board 10 percent reduction in spending.

The budget proposal (and separate legislation introduced in both the Senate and Assembly) eliminates the conversion fees and Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement (PACE) program, that were part of the Working Lands Program enacted in the 2009-11 state budget. The conversion fee was required when land is rezoned from a farmland preservation zoning district.

Additional GPR funding to hire five state meat inspectors over the course of two years is included in the proposal. A change in federal law allows formerly state-inspected meat processing businesses to sell their products across state lines. Wisconsin leads the nation in these relatively small processing facilities, so there is a need for inspectors on the ground to help ensure this economic opportunity. A match from the federal government means a total of 10 new inspectors will be hired in Wisconsin over the two-year biennium.

A total of $7 million in new bonding authority would be provided for DATCP to administer to county land conservation departments that provide cost sharing for landowners to comply with nonpoint regulations.

Gov. Walker’s plans to eliminate the Commerce Department and turn economic development functions over to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation have been widely reported. This change means that the Dairy 2020 and the Dairy Manufacturing

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Additional GPR funding to hire five state meat inspectors over the course of two years is included in the proposal. A change in federal law allows formerly state-inspected meat processing businesses to sell their products across state lines.

wisconsin farm bureau federation

Tax Credit programs that were housed within the Commerce Department would now transfer to DATCP. The budget also removes funding for DATCP’s Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin program, however programs that promote the consumption of locally produced foods would still be eligible for DATCP’s Agricultural Development and Diversification (ADD) grants. The maximum amount eligible per ADD grant would be raised from $50,000 to $100,000.

Changes would also be made to the Department of Natural Resources’ Stewardship Program. The cost of land purchases requiring a review by the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee would be reduced from $750,000 to $250,000. Public access would be a high priority for future purchases. Aids in lieu of property taxes on lands purchased after the budget takes effect would be eliminated. However a nonbinding resolution by affected local governments (in support or opposition to the purchase) would be allowed and would have to be considered upon the purchase’s approval.

The DNR’s funding for the management of nuisance black bears would be increased by $113,300 each year, with the money coming from the DNR’s Conservation Fund. april | may 2011

The state budget proposal would eliminate the Office of Energy Independence within the Department of Administration (DOA).

Instead, it would require the DOA to develop and implement a cost-effective, balanced, reliable and environmentally responsible energy strategy to promote economic growth.

Finally, in what could be the most politically-tricky and complex changes called for within the budget package, the University of Wisconsin-Madison would be spun off from the UW System.

As the level of state support has become a smaller percentage of UW-Madison’s overall funding source, Chancellor Biddy Martin has sought greater flexibility from state requirements on the campus when it comes to hiring and building projects.

The change comes in the way of creating an authority called the University of Wisconsin-Madison governed by a 21-member Board of Trustees. The governor would appoint 11 of the trustees. All assets and liabilities of the current UW-Madison, as well as all incumbent employees, would be transferred to the authority. How this fully impacts the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences on the Madison campus and some UW-Extension programming are still being evaluated by the Farm Bureau and other agricultural interests. www.wfbf.com

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Meet Farm Bureau Member:

Amy Bechel Elmwood, Pierce County

Family members: My husband, Dave, and I have six children. Eric, 30, and his wife, Jaci, have a son, Braeden. Eric works full time on the farm with us. Bryan, 29, and his wife, Sarah, have a daughter, Brittany.

They farm down the road from us. Jena, 24, has a business degree and currently works in management for Target. Ashton, 20, has a degree in graphic design and works for MBC Sports as a designer and screen printer. Mariah, 19, is a CNA and moved with her husband, Curt, to North Carolina where Curt is stationed in the Marine Corps. Shelby, 16, is a sophomore in Elmwood.

Farm: 450 cows.

What’s your busiest time of day?

It seems to be busy all day, but I think mornings are the most unforgiving.

Milking starts at 5:45 a.m. and takes about 4.5 hours. Dave and I, along with one employee, treat any sick cows, detect mastitis and sort cows. We have maintained a SCC below 100,000 for the past two years.

Aside from the usual routine we also bed cows on Monday, trim hooves and dry off on Tuesday, do herd checks on Wednesday, bed again on Thursday and breed on Friday.

Dave and I are also the main calf feeders twice a day. My afternoons are filled with babysitting, bill paying, mowing law and data entry for the herd.

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How much time do you spend doing farm work compared to housework?

I would have to say more time goes to the farm work. Because I do all of the bookkeeping, the farm “follows” me to the house. Housework is usually left for evenings and Saturdays.

What do you do in your free time and why? I enjoy traveling, scrapbooking, making candy, riding Harley (Davidson motorcycles) and working in the yard. I decorate for the Miss Elmwood Pageant. I am Secretary for the Pierce County Dairy Promotion Committee and Vice President of Ladies Aid at church. Being involved in the community has allowed me to meet many new friends. Riding gives Dave and I a chance to get away together, but the girls enjoy it also. We set aside travel time for the family. The last few trips have been centered around where Curt is stationed.

What’s the best thing about farming?

The variety. We complain about the long hours but everyday is different. A new calf amazes me every time one is born. Visiting with a supplier that has stopped by is always fun, along with running errands, mowing lawns or working in the yard. I don’t help in the fields but I do cook for the chopping crew. I also keep Dave posted on the milk futures.

When you look back on your life, what do you want to be remembered for? I would like to be remembered as a positive spokesperson for the dairy industry. I don’t aspire to do great things but great things come one person at a time. If I can change one person’s perception of dairy farms it was a good day. We work hard, make sacrifices and often are stereotyped. We are business owners. The public is often misinformed about our profit percentages because of “what we have.” I would like to change that. But even with all of that, being remembered as a good wife and mom is at the top of my list.

Do you have any ideas that could make farming easier for you and all farming women? I think we would all benefit from a more consistent milk price. Most of us are conservative in our spending so getting paid for what we do only seems fair. Maybe we can achieve this by educating one person at a time.

This profile on Pierce County Farm Bureau member, Amy Bechel, originally appeared as part of the Dairy Star newspaper’s ‘Women in Jeans’ series. It is reprinted with permission of Dairy Star, which features dairy news from Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

wisconsin farm bureau federation

Karen Gefvert Joins Team Gorder onFarm HSUS: ‘NotBureau a fad’ Institute graduate is now a lobbyist

K

aren Gefvert has been hired by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation as its Director of Governmental Relations.

Then

As a registered lobbyist for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, Gefvert will assist grassroots Farm Bureau members in working with local, state and federal lawmakers to advance the policy directives for Wisconsin’s largest general farm organization.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation team. I look forward to serving the needs of my fellow Wisconsin Farm Bureau members through effective legislative representation,” Gefvert said on her February 14 start date.

“My short time with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau has already given me great insight to the political process.

I have been part of a very successful Ag Day at the Capitol at a time when reaching out to legislators has been key in the political arena,” she said recently.

Farm Bureau’s Executive Director of Governmental Relations.

Gefvert (formerly Smiley) came to the Farm Bureau from Daybreak Foods, Inc. of Lake Mills where she was employed in the Quality Assurance Department. She also previously worked as an agribusiness instructor

Gefvert is a member of the Columbia County Farm Bureau who graduated from

Then and Now: Little did Karen know how her life would change. Above: She testifies during a mock hearing at the State Capitol last summer as a member of the Farm Bureau Institute. Below: Today she’s a Farm Bureau lobbyist back at the State Capitol helping Farm Bureau members to their legislative visits during Ag Day at the Capitol.

Now

the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Institute leadership training course last year.

“Karen’s background as an agricultural instructor and her experience in private industry make her an outstanding asset to our team. She is well versed in agriculture and will be dynamic at advocating our position to legislators, state agency officials, other farm commodity groups and our members,” said Paul Zimmerman, Wisconsin

april | may 2011

at Janesville Parker High School.

The Burlington native has degrees in poultry science/general business and agriculture education from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Her husband, Brad Gefvert, is an agricultural instructor at Portage High School. The couple lives in Pardeeville.

www.wfbf.com

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Save the date! We hope you can join us for the...

Save the date! We hope you can join us for the

14th Annual Golf Outing Fundraiser

14thMonday, Annual Golf Outing Fundraiser September 12, 2011 – New location!!

Monday, September 12, 2011

at

4740 Pierceville Rd, Cottage Grove, Wisconsin 53527

4740 Pierceville Rd, Cottage Grove, Wisconsin 53527

www.golftheoaks.com www.GolfTheOaks.com Darlene Arneson, DirectorDirector Darlene Arneson, darneson.fbcenter@wfbf.com darneson.fbcenter@wfbf.com 608-828-5719

608-828-5719

For registration and sponsorship information, please visit: Watch www.wfbf.com/wfbfoundation for registration and sponsorship information!

www.wfbf.com/wfbfoundation

news

Food Prices Up 5 Percent in Wisconsin

Weather, energy costs and global demand impact your grocery bill etail food prices grew 5 percent over the first three months of 2011 according to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Marketbasket survey. The Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s informal survey shows the total cost of 16 food items that can be used to prepare one or more meals was $48. It marked an increase of $2.39, or 5.2 percent, from December’s $45.61 Marketbasket price.

Last year’s Consumer Price Index for food was up just eight-tenths of 1 percent, the lowest annual increase since 1962, according to the USDA Economic Research Service.

“Food prices are on the climb for a variety of reasons including bad weather, rising energy costs and strong global demand for U.S. products,” said Casey Langan, Wisconsin Farm Bureau spokesman. “While this jump in the survey’s overall grocery bill doesn’t come as a surprise, it’s important to also note that we are coming off a year that saw modest changes in food prices.”

Apples, milk, flour, ground chuck and bagged salad were the items that saw the largest percentage increases in price compared to the end of 2010.

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Of the 16 food items surveyed by Farm Bureau members, 14 increased and two decreased in price compared to the fourth quarter of 2010.

• Apples increased 24 cents (18 percent) to $1.52 per pound.

• A gallon of whole milk increased

50 cents (17 percent) to $3.41 per gallon.

• One pound of bagged salad

increased 33 cents (15 percent) to $2.48.

• A five-pound bag of flour increased 25 cents (12 percent) to $2.34.

• One pound of ground chuck

climbed 32 cents (10 percent) to $3.41.

Weather Woes A streak of cold weather across the southern United States and Mexico destroyed much of the winter vegetable supply, sending their prices skyward in February. This explains the survey’s higher prices for a bag of salad. Growers in Arizona, who grow much of the nation’s winter lettuce, saw two straight days of temperatures below 20 degrees.

www.wfbf.com

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news The overall result was the biggest onemonth increase in American food prices at the wholesale level since 1974. Food prices over the course of 2011 are expected to rise 3 to 4 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service.

While produce prices are expected to come down again, the same cannot be said for the price of many meat products.

resulting tighter supplies of beef and pork have driven up their costs. This is coupled with strong demand for meat from the emerging middle classes in nations like China, India and Brazil.

Over the last three decades retail grocery prices have gradually increased, while the share of the average dollar spent on food that farm families receive has dropped.

The prices for meats, poultry and fish combined at grocery stores rose 7.2 percent from February 2010 to February 2011, according to the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Retail price increases for some foods are likely to continue throughout the year, as it takes time for farmers to increase the size of their herds to accommodate increased demand,” said John Anderson, an economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Higher meat prices can be linked to the rise in global prices for corn, soybeans, wheat and other commodities over the past year. Higher corn and soybean prices mean greater input costs for farmers who raise cattle and hogs. Higher feed and energy costs have resulted in relatively fewer cattle and hogs on U.S. farms as farmers cannot justify increasing their herd sizes. The

Eggs and boneless chicken breast were the two items that saw reductions in price since the fourth quarter of 2010. The average price for boneless chicken breast fell by 21 cents (5 percent) to $3.67 per pound. One dozen large, Grade A eggs decreased by 24 cents (15 percent) to $1.30. The decrease marks a return to normalcy after eggs saw a big run-up in price in late 2010.

Market is Hungry for Meat

Wisconsin Prices Lower Than National Average Wisconsin’s $48 Marketbasket is more than $1 less than the American Farm Bureau Federation’s national survey of the same 16 food items. AFBF’s survey rang in at $49.07.

Despite the lower overall price, six of the sixteen items recently surveyed in Wisconsin were higher than the national average: apples, ground chuck, sirloin tip roast, bacon, boneless chicken breast and vegetable oil.

Compared to a year ago, the total price of the national survey was up $3.53 (about 8 percent). Last summer the Wisconsin Farm Bureau 18

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altered its food items surveyed to mirror the nation survey. Of the 12 items on Wisconsin’s current and previous surveys, their overall price jumped from $31.60 in early 2010 to $34.51 in early 2011.

Over the last three decades retail grocery prices have gradually increased, while the share of the average dollar spent on food that farm families receive has dropped. In the mid-1970s, farmers received about onethird of consumer retail food expenditures in grocery stores and restaurants. Since then, that figure has decreased steadily and is now about 16 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s revised Food Dollar Series.

That information may be found online at http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/ FoodDollar/app/.

Using that percentage across-the-board, the farmer’s share of this quarter’s $48 Marketbasket would be $7.68.

Despite expected higher prices, Americans will still spend approximately 10 percent of their disposable annual income on food, while many other nations spend between 25 and 50 percent, according to the USDA. The Marketbasket is a quarterly look at the trends in food prices in Wisconsin in relation to changing farm prices, weather and wholesale and retail food marketing.

Members of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau collect price samples of 16 basic food items in 26 communities across Wisconsin.

The mix of food items in the survey was changed in mid-2010 to match the national survey taken by the American Farm Bureau Federation.

The Marketbasket survey is an informal measure of prices at grocery stores in Wisconsin. The prices reported reflect variations in communities and retailers. The prices reported are not validated by any outside source.

wisconsin farm bureau federation

MEMBERS OF WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU SAVE 20% ON AAA MEMBERSHIP

Join AAA at a special group rate!

As a qualified group member, you’re eligible to take advantage of AAA’s legendary roadside assistance, travel deals and services, plus a wide range of exclusive discounts – all for a special group rate.

Join today and save!

CALL Call 1-888-203-2606 1-877-731-3315 TO ENROLL TODAY

Wisconsin

Farm Bureau

member benefit guide F E D E R A T I O N

AAA

Budget Truck Rental

Farm Bureau members save 20% on AAA membership and the enrollment fee to join AAA is waived. Farm Bureau members who already belong to AAA can receive the discount on their next renewal. In both instances, call 877.731.3315 and be prepared to give them the group code “WI07.”

Farm Bureau members receive a 15% discount on Budget Truck rentals.

To use the discount call 800.566.8422 or visit www.budgettruck.com/wfbf.

Use the Wisconsin Farm Bureau account number 56000133165 to get your 15% discount.

Accidental Death Policy Members receive $1,500 in accidental death insurance for themselves and their spouse, and $500 for minors. The policy increases in value for consecutive years of membership up to $3,500. The policy covers any accident, except those on a public road or highway occurring or arising out of occupancy or use of a vehicle required to be licensed under state laws.

Choice Hotels Members save an average of 20% at participating Choice Brand Hotels.

Call 800.258.2847 to make the required advance reservation. Request Wisconsin Farm Bureau member rate using ID# 0058419.

AgriPlan Medical Reimbursement Program The Wisconsin Farm Bureau has teamed up with TASC (Total Administrative Services Corporation) to bring you the AgriPlan Medical Reimbursement Program. TASC is located in Wisconsin. The AgriPlan is based on Section 105 of the IRS code written in 1954, and can allow farmers and other self-employed individuals to deduct 100% of their family’s medical expenses through their farm or business. AgriPlan clients save an average of $3000 in taxes per year. Deductible expenses include health, dental, and vision insurance premiums, qualified long term care insurance premiums, as well as any non-insured medical expenses. Farm Bureau members will receive a $10 discount off of the already low cost of the plan.

To learn more about the AgriPlan and/or sign up, simply click on the AgriPlan image or call one of TASC’s friendly AgriPlan specialists at 888.595.2261. www.tasconline.com

AVIS-Budget Car Rental With 4,800 locations in over 140 countries, there’s always an Avis nearby to help you with your car rental needs.

And whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, your membership in the Wisconsin Farm Bureau® entitles you to special discounts. For instance, you can save 5%-25% on Avis’ daily and weekly rates. To receive these discounted rates, all you need to do is use your Avis Worldwide Discount number (WISCONSIN A298849), phone number 800.331.1212 or Budget discount number (Y775749), phone number 800.527.0700.

Farm Bureau Bank Take advantage of Farm Bureau Bank’s FDICinsured checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, credit cards and vehicle and home loans. To get started, call 800.492.FARM (3276), or look online at www.farmbureaubank.com.

FB Apparel FB Apparel offers you more than 700 apparel items to choose from, including products from your favorite brands like Cutter & Buck, Columbia, GEAR for Sports, and Dickies, to name a few. Looking for an Award or Special Gift?

With the Gift and Awards Research Tool, you are able to access thousands of gift and award ideas quickly. Check out “Agriculture Friendly” products by clicking on “Products Made from Renewable Resources.” Need that personal touch? Contact your FBApparel representative at 866.859.7005.

FS-Growmark Patronage Farm Bureau members who are patrons of their local FS cooperative are eligible to receive patronage dividends when patronage is paid.

www.avis.com, www.budget.com

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wisconsin farm bureau federation

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Fa Grainger Grainger Industrial Supply is the nation’s leading maintenance, repair and operational supplies distributor. Receive a 10% discount on all Grainger catalog items. For a free catalog call 608.221.3861. When ordering use the Farm Bureau account # 855922019 and a credit card.

Members with an existing account who would like to take advantage of the 10% discount can call 1.800.261.3276 to have their account coded to receive the discount. Provide name, membership number, the company name, billing address, phone number, and the Grainger account number.

Grainger now has a toll free order number for Farm Bureau members only.

LANDS END BUSINESS OUTFITTERS Save 10% on product and logo fees when using the preferred Farm Bureau phone number and website to place orders. To purchase items call 800.916.2255 or online at http://ces.landsend.com/WIFB. This discount does not apply to general Lands End merchandise only products purchased through Business Outfitters division.

Rural Insurance Insurance coverage available exclusively to members includes: auto, crop/ hail, farm liability and health. Rural also provides a wide array of insurance and financial products for businesses and families including business auto, farm / commercial / and business insurance. Refer to the Yellow Pages or go online at www.ruralins.com to find your nearest Rural agent.

data). The ScriptSave card is accepted at thousands of independent and chain pharmacies nationwide. The card also offers savings on vision care, hearing care, and diabetes care and supplies.

You can sign-up by calling ScriptSave directly at 800.700.3957. Mention Group # 703A to identify yourself as a Wisconsin Farm Bureau member.

DISCOUNT ONLY - NOT INSURANCE. This program is not an insurance policy and does not provide insurance coverage. Discounts are available exclusively through participating pharmacies.

The Country Today Newspaper Here’s a way to save money, get informed on ag issues, AND help support a popular Farm Bureau program. Members of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau now receive $7.50 off a yearly subscription (and $15 off a two-year subscription) to The Country Today newspaper. The folks at The Country Today will then give a $5 donation to the Ag in the Classroom program, which helps educate Wisconsin youth about farming and food production. To start a new subscription or extend a renewal, call 888.833.9268, and prepare to give your Farm Bureau membership number. If you would like a free copy of the newspaper to check out first, just visit www.thecountrytoday.com and request a free sample. Farm Bureau members can now save up to 28 percent by reading the newspaper that has cared about rural life in the Midwest since 1977, and support the Ag in the Classroom program in the process.

Wyndham Hotel Group ScriptSave® Prescription Drug Savings Card ScriptSave® is a prescription drug savings card available to all Wisconsin Farm Bureau members. The card is available to you at NO COST as an added feature of your membership. Your entire household can use the card for instant savings that average over 22% with potential savings up to 50% on brand name and generic medications (based on national program savings

april | may 2011

Members save 20% off the best available rate at more than 5,000 participating locations throughout North America. Mention Farm Bureau ID# 62775 when making your reservations. Call 877.670.7088 to make a reservation with these hotel chains: Days Inn®, Howard Johnson®, Baymont Inn and Suites®, Microtel®, Knights Inn®, Ramada®, Travelodge®, Hawthorn Suites®, Wyndham Hotels®, Wingate Inns® and Super 8 Motels®.

www.wfbf.com

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news

Nearly 400 Attend Wisconsin Ag Women’s Summit “Our vision is to reach rural lives and communities one relationship at a time.”

- Krista Kasten

PR Coordinator - Badgerland Financial and Farm Bureau Member

Christine Lindner, Wisconsin’s 63rd Alice in Dairyland (second from right), was joined by three others who wore the crown before her as presenters at the Wisconsin Ag Women’s Summit.

Shown with Lindner (from left) are Courtney Booth, Sheri Hicken and Liz Henry.

Over 350 women attended the Wisconsin Ag Women’s Summit on March 18-19 at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells.

“Our vision is to enrich rural lives and communities one relationship at a time,” said Krista Kasten, Public Relations Coordinator for Badgerland Financial. “This summit was an opportunity to do just that by providing educational and leadership development for every attendee; guidance to living a healthy, balanced lifestyle and how to implement it in their every day lives; and finally, to create an opportunity to network with other women in agriculture and build lasting and meaningful relationships.”

With the theme of “Reach the Unreached: Awaken the You You’re Meant to Be,” the summit had a full agenda of workshops and sessions on topics like health and wellness, farm employee management, effectively working and volunteering with people from different generations, personal marketing, effective communication, estate and tax law discussion and balancing farm,

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family and personal priorities.

Former Olympic runner and Wisconsin native Suzy Favor Hamilton was the summit’s keynote speaker. Her unique story and the lessons she’s learned on and off the track served as motivation for women of all ages and backgrounds.

“When representatives of Badgerland Financial, Wisconsin Farm Bureau, and UW-Extension met to discuss this joint effort we established a number of goals,” said Dale Beaty, Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Director of Training and Leadership Development. “We were committed to organizing the premiere event for any woman involved in Wisconsin agriculture. Our three areas of emphasis for the Summit were: providing networking opportunities and content to improve ag awareness, wellness, family and living and life balance. We accomplished all those goals and more.”

wisconsin farm bureau federation

What They Said...

“I was very impressed. It had great speakers and was reasonably-priced. It was very refreshing to see so many young people. I’d definitely go again.”

Becky Levzow Columbia County Farm Bureau “Excellent facilities, entertainment and guest speakers. The whole program kept moving and all the breakout sessions were informative and timely.

I would highly recommend everyone to consider attending next year.”

Doris Anderson Trempealeau County Farm Bureau “The Ag Women’s Summit was an excellent combination of education, inspiration and quality time with friends, both new and old. The keynote speaker really attracted me to the event. (Suzy Favor Hamilton’s poster hung on my bedroom wall through high school…) Suzy was a fabulous finale to the event, and the other sessions and ample time to meet and chat with other women in agriculture really made this a fun, educational conference!”

Susan Orth Dane County Farm Bureau “I definitely enjoyed my first experience at the Ag Women’s summit. It was a great opportunity to meet other women who share my interests as well as an excellent networking opportunity. The sessions were great, and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to go.”

Hannah Gerbitz UW-Madison Collegiate Farm Bureau A good time was had by all. Members of the Farm Bureau’s state Women’s Committee were recognized (top photo), and Melanie Peterson and Rosie Lisowe shared a laugh (directly above).

“This year’s Ag Women’s Summit was an enjoyable experience. The two day format was nice and the workshops were really engaging. It was nice to network with women of all ages who have a shared interest in agriculture.”

Melanie Peterson St. Croix County Farm Bureau

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www.wfbf.com

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news

The Wisconsin Ag Women’s Summit drew participants of all ages and from all corners of the state to learn, network and socialize.

At left: Ambitious attendees took part in an early-morning ‘boot camp’ that stressed a healthy, active lifestyle.

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wisconsin farm bureau federation

Ag remains a stable force and contributor to Wisconsin jobs

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griculture remains a vital part of the economy in nearly every Wisconsin county, whether urban or rural, contributing both jobs and income. The economic impact varies from county to county. In Milwaukee County, agriculture contributes $6 billion to the county’s economy; while in Iron and Forest counties, agriculture contributes $7 million to each county’s economy. Statewide, agriculture is a $59.16 billion industry and provides 353,991 jobs.

A new University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Wisconsin-Extension study examined the economic impacts of agriculture at the county level. Researchers found that since 2006, there has been relative stability in overall employment connected to agriculture. In general, Wisconsin agricultural employment patterns have been somewhat buffered from the larger macro economy, and for the recent recession, agriculture actually provided a modest statewide cushion against employment problems.

“This study clearly demonstrates the importance agriculture has on the economy of each county in the state and the state as a whole,” said Ben Brancel, Secretary of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Researchers used data from several sources including USDA and a state-of-the-art economic analysis model to measure how dollars earned from the sales of agricultural products ripple through local economies. Their findings include:

• In 35 Wisconsin counties, agriculture impacts 3,561 or more jobs

• In 34 Wisconsin counties, agriculture supports more than 14.2

contributed by agriculture exceeds 11.6%

• In 16 Wisconsin counties, agriculture generates more than $25.1 million in state and local government revenue (not including taxes paid for K-12 education)

Two broad conclusions are reached in the study:

• The counties with the largest impacts of agriculture in raw

number of jobs, income and business sales generated tend to be dominated by the state’s urban counties. These are counties with larger populations and city centers with larger food processing firms including Milwaukee, Brown (Green Bay), Dane (Madison) and Outagamie (Appleton) counties.

• The picture is different when looking at the relative

contributions of agriculture to each county’s economy measured in terms of percent of total for that county (e.g. total jobs generated by agriculture as a percent of the county’s total employment). For many of Wisconsin’s rural counties, agriculture’s impacts are more modest in terms of total number of jobs, income or business sales, but as a percentage of the local county economy, agriculture is much larger. In general, these counties are not heavily populated; do not have large city centers; and, are more distant from population centers and interstate transportation infrastructure. Counties where agriculture accounts for a very large share of total economic activity within the economy relative to other sectors include Lafayette, Clark, Richland, Vernon, Buffalo, Marquette, Taylor, Pepin, Oconto, Green and Trempealeau.

• In 35 Wisconsin counties, agriculture contributes more than

About one out of every 10 state citizens (10 percent) works in a job related to agriculture. These occupations include: farmers, farm employees, veterinarians, crop and livestock consultants, feed, fuel and crop input suppliers, machinery and equipment manufacturers and dealers, barn builders and agricultural lenders. It also includes employees in food processing businesses and all of the businesses needed to support the processing of products produced on the farm. Every job in agriculture supports an additional 0.89 jobs elsewhere in Wisconsin.

• In 35 Wisconsin counties, the share of total county income

You can read the study “The Economic Impacts of Agriculture in Wisconsin Counties” online at http://www.uwex.edu/ces/ag/wisag/.

percent of all the jobs in the county

• In 35 Wisconsin counties, agriculture stimulates more than $615 million in industry sales

• In 34 Wisconsin counties, the share of total industry sales stimulated by agriculture exceeds 18.4 percent $177.5 million in total income

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www.wfbf.com

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opinion

’Growing: It's What We Do Best A message from WFBF President Bill Bruins and South Korea receive, but if enacted it would be a boon for U.S. ag exports.

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he book of Ecclesiastes says to every thing there is a season. The season for growing is definitely upon us here in Wisconsin, in more ways than one.

As our soils awaken from winter’s slumber, the first way we are growing is quite obvious. From the time the Robins appear until the last song birds leave in the fall, most farmers are focused on successfully planting and harvesting their bounty of crops.

Huge harvests are anticipated in 2011 as global stocks for everything from corn to coffee are in short supply. The tight supplies have sparked talk of global food shortages. This comes at a time when world demand is surging thanks largely to demand for food by the emerging middle classes in nations like China, India and Brazil.

In response to the market, American farmers are expected to turn things up a notch in 2011 by trying to seed nine million more acres than a year ago. All of the major commodities will be fighting for more acres this growing season. Demand will decide what actually gets planted as farmers will turn to those crops most likely to yield the highest profit. That’s how our economy works.

Which brings us to the second thing we need to focus on growing: the economy.

To put it mildly, our state and federal

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In order to supply the needs of a hungry world and our anemic economy, we need to get growing. governments are flat broke. At a time when drastic corrections in government spending are being considered, the only thing that’s certain is if we are going to continue to benefit from current government services without raising taxes, we need to grow our tax base. We help accomplish this greater goal when we grow our farms and rural businesses.

One sign of hope for our local farm businesses comes from the other side of the globe. I recently visited with trade officials from Australia and New Zealand about the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership between nine nations circling the Pacific Ocean. This free-trade pact doesn’t get the same attention that the long-stalled pacts with Colombia, Panama

For some time U.S. dairy farmers have feared what a head-to-head matchup with low-cost dairy producers like Australia and New Zealand would do to our domestic industry. However, the growing Asian middle class relieves some of those concerns. Not only do the folks at Fonterra (the mammoth milk marketer in Australia and New Zealand) see an incredibly expansive market for dairy products in Asia, but they admit they are limited in meeting those demands. Simply put, those two island nations can only grow so many crops and milk so many cows. President Obama reportedly wants the Trans-Pacific Partnership yet this year.

Let’s hope that happens, as it opens new markets for Wisconsin agriculture.

One other thing on the Trans-Pacific Partnership: Japan, which imports 60 percent of its food supply, is also considering joining the pact. Japan is already Wisconsin’s third largest ag export market. Last year we sold $97 million worth of dairy, egg, honey and meat products to the Japanese. If trade rules are eased, Wisconsin exporters would eclipse that number.

There’s certainly no shortage of growing that needs to take place this season. In order to supply the needs of a hungry world and our anemic economy, we need to get growing. After all, it’s what we farmers do best.

wisconsin farm bureau federation

Fighting H$U$

A guest column from Keith Olsen

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he Humane Society of the United States – HSUS – recently hired a full-time state director/ lobbyist for the state of Nebraska. This action signals HSUS’ plan to step up activity here. We in agriculture who are familiar with HSUS also need to step up our efforts to educate our fellow Nebraskans about HSUS and its agenda.

“Humane” in the HSUS name makes many people think it is connected to local animal shelters which provide direct care to cats and dogs. But it is not any kind of national, umbrella group for shelters although it is based in Washington, D.C. Less than onehalf of 1 percent of the millions it brings in through fundraising actually goes for direct animal care. According to its tax return, of the $100 million it raised in 2008, just over $450,000 went to local shelters. Five times as much went to its executives’ pension plans and nearly $20 million went for “campaigns, legislation and litigation.”

HSUS spends about one-fourth of what it raises each year, $20 to $25 million, to raise more money.

H$U$ Some people have suggested HSUS should be written as “H$U$” because it uses every opportunity to raise money. It raised $34 million after Hurricane Katrina to reunite pets and their owners, but only $7 million of that can be accounted for, according to WSB-TV in Atlanta which investigated HSUS. Similarly, it solicited funds to help animals following the Haiti earthquake, despite a report from Humane Society International (an HSUS affiliate) that there were no animal issues there and nothing to be done. Following the Gulf oil spill, HSUS raised money based on what it said it planned to do, and actually did very little to help animals.

Local humane societies say because of HSUS’s aggressive fundraising, it’s harder for them to raise money – people think they’ve already helped their local shelter because they’ve given to HSUS. In fact, local humane societies in several states have taken new names that don’t include “humane” to distinguish and distance themselves from HSUS and its agenda.

HSUS is the United States’ largest animal rights group. Since 1980, its goal has been, and I’m quoting, to: “pursue on all fronts the clear

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Humane Society of U.S. is Animal Rights Group

articulation and establishment of the rights of all animals within the full range of American life and culture.”

HSUS works to assert these “rights” on numerous fronts, from opposition to circuses, zoos, rodeos, hunting and fishing, to support for a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle, to encouraging children to contact policymakers in support of its agenda. And it opposes modern food animal production, calling it “factory farming.”

Farmers Give Good Care As we educate about HSUS, we need to also emphasize the good care farmers and ranchers give to their animals. We provide for our animals’ needs and welfare because it’s the right thing to do.

As the people who care for the animals day in and day out – and sometimes at 2 a.m. – we know best how to keep them safe and content. We support animal welfare, not animal rights.

But, since 2002, HSUS has worked through ballot initiatives and legislatures in several states to implement its views of how animals should be cared for, based on its belief in animal rights. Farmers in Florida, Arizona, California and other states have been prevented from using veterinarian-approved care practices. No surprise, what HSUS advocates is always more costly to the farmer and ultimately the consumer – one of HSUS’ strategies to limit meat-eating is to make meat more expensive.

Personally, I do not like the idea of my food choices being limited.

And I firmly believe family farmers and ranchers are in the best position to determine what their animals need. But if we do not act to share the truth about HSUS, we could very well find ourselves dictated to by a group whose expertise is in raising money, not animals.

Keith Olsen, a dryland wheat and corn grower, is the president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation.

www.wfbf.com

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HUMANEWATCH.ORG Keeping a watchful eye on the Humane Society of the United States

leadership Farm Bureau Hosts

FFA Farm Forum Nearly 175 high school juniors attended the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s FFA Farm Forum in Wisconsin Rapids, February 18-19.

“The Farm Bureau is proud to host this special event with the FFA to help grow the next crop of agricultural leaders in Wisconsin,” said Casey Langan, spokesman for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation.

During the two-day event at Hotel Mead in Wisconsin Rapids, FFA members attended workshops that covered topics including addressing misconceptions about agriculture, advocating for agriculture on social media and preparation for college and agricultural careers. Ben Brancel, Wisconsin’s Secretary of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Christine Lindner, Wisconsin’s Alice in Dairyland, and Don Radtke, WFBF District 8 Board Director all addressed forum attendees.

The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation sponsors the FFA Farm Forum in cooperation with the Wisconsin Association of FFA. This year’s FFA Farm Forum marks the 39th year the Farm Bureau family of affiliates has sponsored the event for Wisconsin youth.

FFA Twister

FFA Members from around the state enjoyed a variety of ag-centered workshops and activities at the FFA Farm Form, February 18-19 in Wisconsin Rapids. (From left) Wisconsin Heights FFA members Dylan Kahl and Brad Fancsali along with Delavan-Darien member Abigail Jensen played a game of “Ag Career” Twister during the Ag in the Classroom workshop. april | may 2011

Put Your Hands Together

During a mixer, Marshfield FFA members Steve Salzmann, Eric Heeg, Clay Blanchard and Calob Feit put their hands together to participate and meet the nearly 175 FFA members who attended the Wisconsin FFA Farm Forum in Wisconsin Rapids. The 39th annual event is hosted by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau.

www.wfbf.com

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Sheboygan County Farm Bureau members celebrated Food Check-Out Week by giving $10 grocery coupons to shoppers seen purchasing healthy foods. At left: Michaele Potrykus of Plymouth is awarded a coupon from Marlene Kammann. Above: Mark Miller and his daughter, Ava, also of Plymouth, were excited to receive their coupon from Courtney Booth.

Farm Bureau in Action:

Food Check-Out Week M embers of 27 local Farm Bureaus connected with

consumers in their communities during Food Check-Out Week, February 20-26, by going in grocery stores to pass out coupons, offer information on cost saving tips on putting food on the table, and award gift certificates.

“Stretching Your Grocery Dollar with Healthy, Nutritious Food,” was the theme of this year’s Farm Bureau’s Food Check-Out Week. According to a recent public opinion survey conducted by the American Dietetic Association, 52 percent of consumers are looking for practical tips – just what Food Check-Out Week provides – to help them eat right.

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They are also interested in the amount of money they spend on food. Based on Agriculture Department statistics for 2009, it takes just five weeks for the average American to earn enough disposable income to pay for his or her family’s food supply for the entire year, which means U.S. consumers spend just under 10 percent of their disposable annual income on food. Consumers in other countries spend much more: France - 14 percent; South Africa - 20 percent; China - 33 percent; Philippines - 37 percent; Indonesia - 43 percent.

Food Check-Out week aims to celebrate how we enjoy a food supply that is among the safest, most abundant and most affordable in the world.

wisconsin farm bureau federation

Viesselmann Wins

Commercial Plant Breeders Award Ozaukee County Farm Bureau member Leah Viesselmann was awarded the 2010 National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders Graduate Student Award in December.

The award is given to two outstanding graduate students in the field of basic, applied, or developmental research in genetics and plant breeding each year. Viesselmann is a PhD candidate with Dr. Bill Tracy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison completing a degree in plant breeding and plant genetics. Her research is examining the underlying genetic mechanisms controlling the novel production of starch in a sweet corn population.

The principle selection criteria for the award include the significance and originality of basic or applied plant breeding thesis research, a strong scholastic achievement in graduate level plant breeding and related course work, and evidence of integrity, professionalism, and effective leadership skills. Viesselmann received a MS degree also at UW-Madison and BS degree at University of Wisconsin-River Falls; she graduated from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Institute in December. She is pursuing employment in the seed industry as a plant breeder upon graduation this summer.

Member Benefit Changes As Farm Bureau strives to save you money through its member benefits, there are recent changes to make you aware of.

The Farm Bureau Roadside Assistance Program is no longer a Farm Bureau benefit.

Please note this change if you receive a renewal form from Roadside Assistance. In its place is the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s new alliance with AAA. Wisconsin Farm Bureau members are now eligible to save 20 percent on membership in AAA. Members also do not have to pay an enrollment fee when joining. Wisconsin Farm Bureau members who are already members of AAA can receive the 20 percent discount on their next renewal. In either instance, be prepared to give the group code of “WI07” when placing the call to 877.731.3315.

It takes a special roof to hold up the sky.

We’ve built 67,000 so far.

We’ll make your hard-earned buck last a long, long time.

Finally, Farm Bureau’s Dodge Rebate Program officially came to an end on March 31. See the next issue of Rural Route for a possible announcement of the Farm Bureau’s new vehicle rebate program. april | may 2011

www.wfbf.com

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A Wagon Winner Marquette County Farm Bureau members Zeb and Melanie Zuehls were the lucky winners of a toy wagon. Yet it looks like their daughter Olivia, 4, is the most excited about their name being drawn from all of those who signed up at the Wisconsin Farm Bureau and Rural Mutual Insurance Company’s booths at the Corn/Soy Expo, February 3-4, in Wisconsin Dells. Little Olivia will soon have to share her wagon with new sibling Tenley (shown here in her mother’s arms) who was born on February 10.

Another Farm Bureau Member Benefit Fond du Lac County Farm Bureau President Richard Julka (right) presents Eugene Lammers with a $500 check as part of Farm Bureau’s Reward Program. All Farm Bureau members are eligible for the $500 reward for providing information that leads to the arrest and conviction of persons for arson, theft or criminal damage on a Farm Bureau member’s property when the special $500 reward sign is posted on the property.

Lammers, who farms near Brandon, reported information about a theft on his property that led to an arrest. To receive a reward sign for your property, contact your county Farm Bureau office.

Wisconsin Jaycees Select Outstanding Young Farmers Two Farm Bureau couples came out on top of the Outstanding Young Farmer Awards recently hosted by the JCI Wisconsin Jaycees. Brian and Renee Schaal (right) were selected as the winners, with Ryan and Sarah Radecki as the first runners-up. Both couples are dairy farmers. The Schaals farm near Burlington in Racine County and the Radeckis’ farm is near Pulaski in Shawano County. The annual statewide event was held in Eau Claire, January 28-29.

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Institute Growing a New Crop of Farm Bureau Leaders T he fifth installment of the Farm Bureau’s Institute is well underway. The yearlong, premiere leadership training program’s mission is to develop strong and effective county Farm Bureau leaders.

The group of 15 emerging leaders first met in January at the Farm Bureau Center in Madison, where they received training in public speaking, etiquette, and identifying personality and leadership skills. Their March session in Manitowoc featured running effective meetings and media training. Subsequent sessions will focus on local and state government, Farm Bureau structure and function, and national and international ag issues. The class will also participate in the Farm Bureau Leader Fly-in to Washington, D.C. in 2012.

Members of the 2011 Farm Bureau Institute class include: Stephanie Hofmann, Hartford; John Gerbitz, Milton; Jillian Beaty, Milton; Keith Engel, Madison; Bryant Gill, Platteville; Jennifer Digman, Cuba City; Annegret Stolz, Cochrane; Trisha Wagner, Black River Falls; Timothy Clark, Lomira; Linda Pomplun, Pine River; Heather Cotterill, Markesan; Monica Streff-Buechel, Chilton; Charles Rabitz, Manitowoc; Kristi Fiedler, Cecil; and Geri Wolfe, Colfax.

The Farm Bureau Institute is sponsored by Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation, Rural Mutual Insurance Company and GROWMARK, Inc. Farm Bureau members interested in applying for the 2012 Farm Bureau Institute can contact Dale Beaty at 608.828.5714, or email him at dbeaty@wfbf.com.

april | may 2011

www.wfbf.com

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leadership

2011 AFBF YF&R Leadership Conference Inform! Engage! Motivate!

Those were the goals of the 2011 American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmer & Rancher Leadership Conference held in Orlando, Florida, February 4-8.

A group of Wisconsin Farm Bureau members took part in the national conference geared towards beginning farmers and ranchers. Wisconsin participants included Maria McGinnis, Allen and Nancy Dornacker, Ryan and Krista Dolan, Joe and Christy Wollinger, Teresa Hanson, BJ Chrisler, and Dale Beaty.

They took in workshops on current agricultural issues and leadership development. Featured speakers included Apollo 13 Astronaut Jim Lovell, AFBF President Bob Stallman, and veteran journalist and political commentator Tucker Carlson.

Grab a Gator

A tour of an alligator farm in Florida turned into a hands-on experience for Joe Wollinger of Markesan. The February 7 tour was part of the Young Farmers & Ranchers National Leadership Conference in Orlando.

Simply Super!

Just moments after the Green Bay Packers clinched their fourth Super Bowl win in February, members of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau celebrated at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmer & Rancher National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida. The Super Bowl party was held at Disney World’s Coronado Springs Resort. The cheering cheeseheads include: Teresa Hanson (District 1 YFA Committee Chair), Maria McGinnis (District 2 YFA Committee Chair and State YFA Chair), Curtis Miller (Director of Education for the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture and native Wisconsinite), Nancy and Allen Dornacker (District 1 YFA Chair) and their daughter, Kate, Krista Dolan (District 3 YFA Chair), Joe Wollinger (District 5 YFA Chair), and Ryan Dolan (District 3 YFA Chair).

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UW-Madison Farm Bureau Member Takes National Stage The first Wisconsin collegiate Farm Bureau has made itself known nationally. a UW-Madison collegiate Farm Bureau member made BtheJ Chrisler, Final 4 in the national Collegiate Discussion Meet. The event was held February 6, at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmer & Rancher Leadership Conference at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida.

“It is an incredible accomplishment for BJ and UW-Madison Collegiate Farm Bureau for him to have made it to the finals of a national competition as our first-ever contestant,” said Dale Beaty, Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Director of Training and Leadership Development. “All of us at Wisconsin Farm Bureau are incredibly proud of BJ’s speaking and problem solving abilities.”

BJ won the Wisconsin Collegiate Discussion Meet on the UWMadison campus last fall. That qualified him to compete nationally where the public roundtable format tested his ability to express his ideas and opinions on the hottest issues driving agriculture. One of 47 contestants, BJ advanced onto the ‘Sweet 16’ round where he won his group and advanced on to the final four.

The topic of the final discussion was, “How will food movements such as ‘foodie’ and ‘locavore,’ which are primarily focused in urban centers, influence national agricultural production and federal programs?”

Emily Krueger from Ohio won the Discussion Meet. The other finalists were Keiko Osumi of California and Caitlin Kasper of Minnesota. Each finalist was awarded $1,000 from the CHS Foundation.

“We came to some great conclusions after each round and my love for agriculture grew stronger during the conference,” said Chrisler.

“I cannot thank Wisconsin Farm Bureau enough for allowing me to take part in this contest. I am honored to be a part of an organization that believes in the future of agriculture and supports the young farmers. At the same time, Farm Bureau is critical in keeping our national and state policies in check and ensuring that American agriculture can continue to grow.”

“The demand for articulate spokespeople to tell the story of agriculture will continue to grow, which is why valuable training programs such as the Collegiate Discussion meet are so important,” said American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman. april | may 2011

Chrisler, a junior at UW-Madison majoring in life sciences communication, plans to pursue a career in agricultural communications. The Prairie du Sac native served as Wisconsin’s State FFA President in 2009-10. He is currently interning in State Representative Lee Nerison’s office.

www.wfbf.com

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ag in the classroom

Ag Literacy Mini-Grants Benefit Local Communities The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, along with the AFB Women’s Leadership Committee, recently awarded 28 mini-grants of $500 each. The Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom program as well as three county Farm Bureau programs were among the recipients.

Summer Teacher Training

The grants are awarded through the Foundation’s White-Reinhardt Fund for Education program. Distributed through county and state Farm Bureaus, the grants are used to fund new projects or extend existing agricultural literacy efforts.

Wisconsin’s recipients included:

• Brown County Farm Bureau’s Red Barn Learning Center kits for elementary students.

• Jackson County Farm Bureau’s ag activity kits on apples, bees, cranberries, corn, soybeans, dairy, sunflowers, forestry and nutrition.

• Manitowoc County Farm Bureau’s traveling agriculture presentation and materials kit.

• Wisconsin Farm Bureau-Ag in the Classroom’s ‘Bringing Music to our Lives’ project which takes ag-related songs and incorporates them into lesson plans for elementary students.

Criteria for selecting the winners included: the effectiveness of demonstrating a strong connection between agriculture and education; how effectively the programs encouraged students to learn more about agriculture and the food and fiber industry; and the procedures and timelines expected for accomplishing project goals.

The White-Reinhardt Fund for Education is a project of the AFB Foundation for Agriculture in cooperation with the AFB Women’s Leadership Committee. The fund honors two former committee chairwomen, Berta White and Linda Reinhardt, who were leaders in early national efforts to expand the outreach of agricultural education and improve agricultural literacy.

Wisconsin teachers, pre-service students, and others involved in agricultural literacy have many options for teacher training.

This year participants will be able to take the training for undergraduate or graduate credits through the University of Wisconsin- River Falls Agriculture Education Department. The training can also be taken for in-service or enrichment purposes and not for credit.

The training will include the following options:

• Farm and agribusiness tours in the Green Bay, Madison and River Falls areas.

• Classroom days featuring

lesson plans and commodity group resources in Madison and River Falls.

• Sessions at Farm Technology

Days in Marathon County and the Wisconsin State Fair in West Allis.

Watch for the registration information, credit option procedures, and training day agendas as they are posted on www. wisagclassroom.org. Registration deadline is June 8.

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Wisconsin Teacher Honored Nationally for Promoting Ag Literacy

A middle school teacher from Green Bay is one of seven teachers from across the country recognized by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture for their outstanding efforts to promote agricultural literacy.

Betty Krcma, who teaches at Lombardi and Washington Middle School in Green Bay, will receive a $1,500 scholarship to attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this June.

“Betty has been actively involved in many agricultural literacy efforts including hands-on activities for small children at the Wisconsin State Fair,” said Darlene Arneson, Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom Coordinator.

“She gets her students involved in a variety of projects and is always seeking out new and innovative ways to reach the non-farm public.”

“She’ll be an excellent representative of Wisconsin agriculture and education at our national conference,” Arneson added.

Krcma also serves as an FFA Advisor for Green Bay Area Public Schools.

Wisconsin Teachers Receive Mini Grants Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom has awarded a total of 16 mini-grants in the amount of $100 to teachers (ranging from pre-school through high school) to fund projects that promote agricultural literacy in the classroom. This funding supports innovative lessons, activities, presentations, school fairs and other projects that integrate agriculture into a variety of curriculum areas.

This year’s recipients include:

Candance Olson Badger High School, Delevan

Keven Busse Omro School District

Ione Hausler Stevens Point Area Senior High School

Jan Soyk Campbellsport Elementary School

Melinda Goplin Whitehall High School

Rhona Scheubel Clayton Schools

Teri Eberhardy Merrill Public Schools

Andrea Waski Brodhead High School

Rick Sime Seneca School District

Laura Fern St. Croix Middle School

Danielle Raether Flambeau School District

Michelle Meier Lodi Middle School

Elaine Huebner St. Peter Lutheran School, Schofield

Glen Schraufnagel Thorp School District

Kirstin Thompson Viking Middle School, Woodville

Isaac Littke New Testament Christian Academy, Merrill

april | may 2011

www.wfbf.com

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foundation Dear Ms. Arneson,

Have you benefited from the Foundation?

Whether it be 4-H and FFA members, grant recipients, Institute graduates or organizations that have received sponsorships; Support from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation has reached many people, groups and organizations over the years.

We would now like to hear YOUR story about how the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation has positively impacted your life in some way.

Please share your experience by contacting the Foundation Director, Darlene Arneson, at darneson@ wfbf.com or 608.828.5719. Some of the information collected will be used in future Foundation materials and promotional campaigns.

Learn and Lead Champion Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation Growth Campaign

Name _______________________________________ Address ______________________________________ City _________________________________________ State ____________ Zip __________________________ Amount of 1st Payment* $ __________________________ (Checks to: Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation) Date ___________

Return to: Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation PO Box 5550, Madison, WI 53705

Code: 991061

*Participants pledge a minimum of $250 per year for a five-year period and are recognized in several ways.

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My name is Theresa Madland and I am a member of the Wisconsin Dells FFA Chapter.

I would like to thank you and the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation for sponsoring the FFA Farm Forum.

I truly enjoyed my experience at this conference.

Sincerely,

Theresa Madland Wisconsin Dells FFA

nda tion, Dear Wisconsin Farm Bureau Fou uni ty to thank I would like to take this opport sin FFA. You are you for your donati on to Wiscon ortuni ties for helping to expand and grow opp visors throughout FFA chapters, members and ad given positively the sta te. The support you have together impacts today’s young people so strengthen we can develop opportuni ties to career skills. their lea dershi p, aca demic and ght future Agricultural education has a bri tha t we have with the students and teachers na tion. involved across this sta te and Cheryl Zimmerman Wisconsin FFA Executive Director Dear Wisconsin Farm Burea

u Foundation,

My name is Tyler Bode, a reci pient of the Grant County 4-H Key Award. I wou ld like to thank you for sponsoring this award. I have always wished to receive this achievement for my brother had also received this six years ago. Tha nks to my 11-year journey through 4-H, I have dynamically broadened my horizons to find new int erests, new skills, and new friends. I can only hope that this unique program continues to grow and offer its members the successful skills that I fou nd as a member.

Thanks, Tyler Bode Grant County

wisconsin farm bureau federation

Spruce Up for Spring...

...Purchase a Farm Bureau sign!

Purchase your personalized Farm Bureau member sign and support the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation. With each sign purchased, $5 is contributed to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation to support agricultural education and agricultural leadership programs in Wisconsin.

This single-sided 18” x 24” heavy aluminum all-weather sign is ideal for indoor/outdoor use and can be personalized with up to 14 characters per line.

Order two signs if a double-sided sign is needed.

Cost: $45 per sign

Orders received will be processed by group at the end of each month. Signs should be printed by the middle of the next month. If needed sooner, contact Darlene Arneson at darneson@wfbf.com or 608.828.5719.

YFA Holds Three Contests for Members he Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation T is again holding contests for members of

its Young Farmer & Agriculturist Program.

Farm Bureau members between the ages of 18 and 35 are eligible for the Discussion Meet Contest, Excellence in Agriculture Award, and Achievement Award.

Farm Bureau co-sponsors these contests with GROWMARK Inc. and Rural Mutual Insurance Company. Information and applications for the contests can be downloaded from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s website, www.wfbf.com, or members can call Dale Beaty, Director of Training and Leadership Development at 608.828.5714.

The winners of these contests on the state level will compete at the American Farm Bureau annual meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, January 7-11, 2012. They will also be guests at the GROWMARK, Inc. Annual Meeting and the Wisconsin Farm Bureau 2012 Young Farmer & Agriculturist Conference/Annual Meeting, November 30 through December 3. They will also

april | may 2011

have the opportunity to take part in the WFBF Young Farmer & Agriculturist trip to Washington D.C. on April 16-20, 2012.

The Achievement Award judges participants on their involvement in agriculture, leadership ability, involvement and participation in Farm Bureau and other civic and service organizations. Applicants must have derived a majority of their income from on farm production for the past three years. Rural Mutual Insurance Company will provide a free financial plan for the state winner. The top ten applicants will receive a $50 FAST STOP gift card.

FABCO Equipment Inc. will provide the WFBF state winner with 40 hours use of a FABCO 226 skid-steer loader.

The Excellence in Agriculture Award judges participants on their involvement in agriculture, leadership ability, involvement and participation in Farm Bureau and other civic and service organizations.

Applicants must have derived a majority of their income from a non-production agribusiness enterprise for the past three

years. Examples would be an agriculture teacher, fertilizer salesperson, veterinarian, farm employee, agricultural writer or marketer. All applicants receive a $50 FAST STOP gift card from GROWMARK Inc. The statewide winner receives a $250 FAST STOP gift card from GROWMARK, Inc. towards FS products.

Applications for the 2011 Achievement Award Short Form and the Excellence in Agriculture Award are due postmarked by July 1, 2011.

Finally, the Discussion Meet contest gives young members a chance to demonstrate their speaking skills on agricultural-related topics. Contestants are judged on their problem-solving skills as they discuss timely topics with their colleagues. Each of WFBF’s nine districts will hold a district meet competition this fall. The three finalists in each district will receive a $50 FAST STOP gift card from GROWMARK Inc. The statewide winner will also receive a chain saw from Midwest Stihl, Inc. www.wfbf.com

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OSHA on the Farm

I

n the past, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has not concentrated its efforts on the agricultural industry. Most of the farming operations did not fall under OSHA supervision because of the number of employees involved. This has changed with the merger and growth of farm operations within the state. Today it is not uncommon to have more than 10 employees working a farm with over 700 milking cows.

OSHA was originally established to help ensure safe work environments for the large manufacturing operations. While farms were never excluded from OSHA review specifically, most were not considered as major areas of concern when the small family farm made up the bulk of this industry.

Each of the OSHA offices in the state has been contacted for their position in dealing with farms. Currently, three of the four offices had no change from previous years while the Eau Claire office has taken a much more active interest in farm safety.

This is a result of a fatality on a farm in that area.

It has been suggested that the Eau Claire office will develop a program that could then be transferred to the other state offices. Since the farm offers different exposures than a manufacturing operation, the General Duty Clause may be used

as the tool for establishing deficiencies and assigning the corresponding fines if there is no specific OSHA guide already established. This clause basically indicates that an employer has a general duty to provide a safe work environment for the employees.

Rural Mutual is also interested in farm safety. We have consistently emphasized way to help prevent losses that could involve the family members as well as employees. While we can not predict every possible loss scenario, we are able to highlight some areas that would have a potential for review from an OSHA inspector.

The Eau Claire OSHA office offered the following areas of interest:

• Vehicle barrier guarding around fuel sources

• Fencing around manure pits • Proper electrical maintenance • Skid steer operation and training • Tractor operation and training • Unguarded PTO units • Confined space entry • Chemical hazard communications (MSDS available)

• Lock Out/Tag Out programs • Unguarded chains/pulleys • Rollover protection Having a safe farming operation is good business and will keep experienced staff able to provide the services necessary to generate the highest efficiency. It also has the potential to avoid costly fines.

Rural Mutual is developing additional information that can be used as a checklist for safety. This should be available in the near future. Our customers are also able to use materials from our video library to assist in safety training on the farm. Contact your agent for assistance in this area.

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Enjoy Retirement On your Terms As you plan for your future years,

it’s wise to consider your options, outline your goals and fine-tune your expectations. Your Rural Mutual Insurance agent can help make it simple to: v Continue your standard of living. v Remain in control of your finances. v Maintain your independence.

Make the most of your future years by staying in control. Contact your Rural Mutual Insurance agent today.

Visit www.fbfs.com to sign up for our free e-newsletter. It’s filled with useful tips to help you protect your family and save time and money.

Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company/West Des Moines, IA. © 2011 FBL Financial Group, Inc. A131-WI (2-11)

Rural Mutual Insurance Company

pRemIums paId heRe, stay heRe

...to keep wIsconsIn stRong Rural Mutual Insurance, a Farm Bureau Service, does business in only one state…

Wisconsin. Because of that focus we are the number one insurer of farms in our state. But our recognition goes beyond farms. Due to our strong financial position Rural Mutual has been recognized for the second consecutive year as one of the Top 50 Property and Casualty Insurers in America.

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