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NEWS IN BRIEF
News Bites
groups intend to regulate under the CWA. Through draft guidance and from a document leaked to the press, the agency implies that nearly all water is connected and EPA has authority to regulate it as the agency would “navigable” waters, according to Dierschke, a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s board of directors.
—Compiled by Kathleen M. Dutro Public Relations Team
Farm Bureau comments on ‘Big Data’—“Proprietary data
collected from individual farms is valuable and should remain the property of the farmer,” noted AFBF President Bob Stallman in a statement released Jan. 31. Further, as innovation and technology using this data expands to provide farmers new management tools, protecting the privacy of this data is paramount, he noted. Farm Bureau will continue to work to ensure that a farmer’s data, whether related to seed or other crop inputs, the production system used, and both business and personal information, is extended the highest degree of protection. Farmer and rancher delegates attending AFBF’s annual convention this year felt so strongly about these matters that they gave clear direction and approved strong policy resolutions on the so-called ‘big-data’ issue as it relates to data privacy, ownership and use in agricultural production. Some of that policy language came from Indiana Farm Bureau, whose delegates also felt strongly about data protection. “We will continue to advocate for farmers whenever this issue is raised, and we will provide thought leadership on production-related data privacy issues,” said Stallman. (AFBF 2/3/14)
(AFBF 2/5/14)
Million Women Mentors partners with National 4-H Club Council—The Katrina Hall (left), IFB’s state government relations director, and Amy Cornell, state government relations policy advisor and counsel, were interviewed on the the topics of livestock farms, criminal trespass and related issues on Jan. 23 by WIBC’s Abdul-Hakim Shabazz. Photo by Andy Dietrick
has benefitted consumers in the United States and around the world,” said Pamela G. Bailey, president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association. “And with global population expected to grow from seven to nine billion by 2050, we will need 70% more food production to keep pace. A federal GMO labeling solution will provide a framework for the safe and continued use of technology that is essential to the future of our planet.” (CFSAF 2/5/14)
National 4-H Council has announced a partnership with the Million Women Mentors initiative. The initiative will support the engagement of one million science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) mentors – male and female – to increase the interest and confidence of girls and young women to pursue and succeed in STEM degrees and careers. Million Women Mentors is a collective effort of more than 40 non-profit, media, education and government industry partners and nine corporate sponsors. To become involved with 4-H or Million Women Mentors, visit www.4-H.org and www. MillionWomenMentors.org.
farmers and representatives from a diverse group of almost 30 industry and nongovernmental organizations announced the formation of
the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food (www.CFSAF.org) and urged Congress to quickly seek a federal solution that would establish standards for the safety and labeling of food and beverage products made with genetically modified ingredients. American Farm Bureau Federation is among the farm groups that are part of the new coalition. “A federal solution on GMO labeling will bolster consumer confidence in the safety of American food by reaffirming the U.S. Food & Drug Administration role as the nation’s foremost authority on the use and labeling of foods containing genetically modified ingredients,” said Martin Barbre, president of the National Corn Growers. A federal GMO labeling solution is needed that will protect consumers and ensure the safety of food ingredients made through the use of modern agricultural biotechnology, eliminating the confusion and uncertainty of a 50 state patchwork of GMO safety and labeling laws and affirm the FDA as the nation’s authority for the use and labeling of genetically modified food ingredients. “GMO technology has fostered a revolution in American agriculture that
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President...................................... Don Villwock Vice President.................................Randy Kron Second Vice President................. Isabella Chism Chief Operating Officer/Treasurer....Mark Sigler Receptionist...................................... Kim Duke General Fund Accountant.............. Tiffanie Ellis Office Manager & Meeting Planner.Kay Keown Controller.......................................Elaine Rueff Administrative Assistant....................Jill Shanley Executive Secretary..................... Beverly Thorpe
Director & General Counsel ...Mark Thornburg Associate Counsel for Corporate Compliance & Nonprofit Affairs ............Sara MacLaughlin Legal Assistant........................... Maria Spellman Legal Extern................................... Colin Poling
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Wayne Belden (1 & 3) Greg Bohlander (6) Andrew Cleveland (4 & 6) Janice Deno (3) Jennifer Chandler Gish (9) Seth Harden (7 & 9) Allison Hines (10) Amy Hutson (5) Susan Lawrence (2) John Newsom (1 & 2) Kermit Paris (8) Keegan Poe (5 & 8) Brad Ponsler (10) E.B. Rawles (7) Allie Rieth (4)
Broad-Based coalition launched to advocate for congressional action on a federal GMO labeling solution—American
District Directors Larry Jernas (1) Kevin Ousley (2) Kevin Underwood (3) Steve Maple (4) Dave Wyeth (5)
Scott Trennepohl (6) Jeff Gormong (7) Mark Bacon (8) Philip Springstun (9) Robert Schickel (10)
Indiana Agricultural Law Foundation Director..................... John Shoup
February 18, 2014
Public Policy Team Director........................................ Megan Ritter Policy Development & Industry Relations.........................Bob Cherry National Government Relations Policy Advisor................. Kyle Cline State GR Policy Advisor & Counsel.......................................Amy Cornell Administrative Assistant .................... B.J. Fields State Government Relations Director...................................... Katrina Hall Administrative Assistant .............Wanda Hunter State GR Senior Policy Advisor & Counsel..................................Justin Schneider Livestock Development Specialist... Greg Slipher Direct Retail Business Specialist........Bob White Policy Intern................................. Zach Schmidt
(National 4-H Council 1/8/14)
Texas Farm Bureau president testifies on EPA overreach—A po-
tential rule that significantly expands Clean Water Act jurisdiction could require farmers to obtain permits necessary to continue to operate. Texas Farm Bureau President Kenneth Dierschke expressed concern at a Feb. 5 hearing of the House Science, Space & Technology Committee that the Environmental Protection Agency is overreaching its authority and negatively affecting America’s farmers. The EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are likely to propose a rule that significantly expands the definition of waters the
Organizational Development Team Director............................................... Kim Vail Program Assistant........................ Ashley Beasley Field Services Program Director.....Chris Fenner Young Farmer & Women’s Program Coordinator................ Meggie Foster Collegiate Farm Bureau Coordinator................................ Seth Harden Program Assistant.......................Kathryn Rogers Education Coordinator.................... Julie Taylor Member Services Coordinator...........Anna Todd Program Assistant............................ Tracie Trent
President Obama hits key ag issues in State of the Union—
In his State of the Union address on Jan. 28, President Barack Obama hit on some key issues important to agriculture, including taxes, immigration reform and trade. “Any tax reform proposal or legislative effort that does not consider the individual tax code has a chance to hurt farmers and ranchers,” said Dale Moore, American Farm Bureau Federation’s executive director of public policy, in Newsline (AFBF’s podcast). “We want to protect the farmer and rancher business tax deductions, but at the same time, we need
Indiana Farm Bureau Inc./ Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance Director of Affiliate Relations.................. Julie Klarich
to make sure that those individual tax reforms are part of that package as well.” The president also called on Congress to pass Trade Promotion Authority, which Moore says is important to agricultural exports and the rural economy. And he also called for passage of immigration reform. The key component in this reform for AFBF is ag labor reform.
Midwest Mint Growers to meet Feb. 27, 28 in Indiana—
Midwest mint growers will gather Feb. 27-28 in Plymouth to learn about a variety of production and use topics related to this specialty oil crop. The Midwest Mint Growers Meeting is sponsored by the Office of Agricultural Research at Purdue, Purdue Extension and the Indiana Mint Market Development and Research Council. It will be at Swan Lake Resort, 5203 Plymouth-LaPorte Trail. Indiana ranks third in the nation in spearmint production and fourth in peppermint production. The two-day program will start with a welcome from Dan Gumz, president of the Indiana Mint Market Development and Research Council. A banquet will be held that evening with an address by Mike Hoffman, chief meteorologist for WNDU-TV in South Bend. The workshops will wrap up with midday state grower meetings Feb. 28. Educational talks will be offered both days. Among the topics are the use of new herbicides and insecticides in mint, proper sprayer tank use and maintenance and a marketing update from an oil buyer’s perspective. Registration forms and program details were mailed to council members. Early registration is $40 per person and due by Feb. 21. After that date, the fee is $45. For more information, contact Fankhauser, 765-4948368, fankhaus@purdue. edu. (Purdue 2/6/14) Address Letters & Questions To: Indiana Farm Bureau Inc. Box 1290, Indianapolis, IN 46206-1290. Phone: 1-800-327-6287 or (317) 692-7776 E-Mail Address: askus@infarmbureau.org Duplicate Magazines If you are receiving more than one copy of The Hoosier Farmer®, please cut out both labels and return them to the address above. Magazine Design and Layout Davis Graphic Design www.davisgraphics.com The Hoosier Farmer® is published 14 times per year by Indiana Farm Bureau Inc., P.O. Box 1290, Indianapolis, IN 46206, and is furnished as a service to voting members and others. Controlled circulation. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Hoosier Farmer® P.O. Box 1290 Indianapolis, IN 46206-1290. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.
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