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Harkin gets blizzard of farm bill infoBy Larry Dreiling Senate Agriculture Committee chairman Tom Harkin had heard second-hand stories of how badly High Plains farmers and ranchers need disaster assistance. But he learned the depth and breadth of the agricultural disaster facing the area during the first field hearing on the 2007 farm bill, held March 12 in Brighton, Colo.  FARM BILL HEARING--Gov. Bill Ritter, D-CO (center), welcomes Senate Agriculture Committee chairman Tom Harkin of Iowa (right) to Brighton, Colo., for the first in a series of field hearings on the 2007 farm bill. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-CO (left), invited Harkin to listen to testimony from 11 invited witnesses, nine of whom are producer leaders of major farm groups. Each producer witness told Harkin about either seven years of drought affecting crop operations or a December blizzard that killed thousands of head of livestock. (Journal photos by Larry Dreiling.) Organized by Sen. Ken Salazar, D-CO, the Iowa Democrat heard from 11 invited witnesses, with almost every one of them asking for immediate help following last December's blizzards, seeking long-term solutions to seven years of drought, or a combination of both. "I was just really surprised by how disasters have touched so many different people here," Harkin said following the hearing. "You think sometimes it might be just one person or one segment of the ag economy, but between the blizzard and the drought, the emotion on this is just amazing." It's one thing to hear bad news from someone in Washington, but perhaps the hearing would be something for Harkin to take back to Capitol Hill and use in forming disaster legislation and a new farm bill, according to Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture John Stulp. "If Senator Harkin learned something new then it's good for everyone who's had either drought or the blizzard affect them," Stulp said. "Sometimes people in Washington hear things from other people in Washington and it might not get through. In this case he heard things directly from people who've had these problems and hopefully he'll go back and do what needs to be done."
"Opportunity for input" In a press conference preceding the hearing, Harkin and Salazar were joined by Gov. Bill Ritter, D-CO, to discuss the importance of the farm bill and the area's opportunity for input. "The farm bill is the single most important piece of legislation for spurring rural development, economic growth and jobs, and improving the quality of life in rural communities," Harkin said. "All Americans have a stake in this legislation, which is why views and recommendations from around the country are so critical. I thank Senator Salazar for inviting me to hold this hearing in Colorado and I look forward to taking the information learned here back to Congress." "Agriculture and rural communities are the backbone of Colorado and the nation. The reauthorization of the farm bill will affect tens of thousands of Coloradoans, and this hearing is an important opportunity for them to have their voices directly heard," Salazar said. "I thank Chairman Harkin for giving Colorado such a high-profile opportunity to help shape America's food and energy security for the next five years." Ritter, meanwhile, thanked the two senators for holding the field hearing in Colorado. Agriculture is the state's third largest economic sector, generating more than $16 billion a year and providing more than 100,000 jobs. Ritter said the farm bill and energy title would go a long way toward advancing Colorado's new energy economy. Ritter also urged lawmakers to include a permanent disaster relief title in the farm bill to aid southeast Colorado farmers and ranchers still reeling from this winter's blizzards. "Despite the best efforts of Senator Salazar and others in the Colorado delegation, we cannot find a disaster relief program that is on the books and funded," Ritter said. "Congress can help creating and funding a permanent, standing disaster title in the farm bill." 
TESTIMONY TAKEN--Testifying before the Senate Agriculture Committee on the 2007 farm bill at a recent Brighton, Colo., hearing were (left to right): Kathy White, incoming president of the Colorado Anti-Hunger Network; Doug Zalesky, Hesperus producer and president of the Colorado Independent CattleGrowers Association; Terry Fankhauser, executive director of the Colorado Cattlemen's Association; Randy Loutzenhiser, Flagler producer and past President of the Colorado Association of Conservation Districts; and Roger Mix, Center producer and representative of the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee. An ag "Who's Who" Testifying at the hearing at the Adams County Regional Park Fairgrounds were a "Who's Who" of Colorado and in some cases national ag policy. Besides Stulp, testifying were: --Kent Peppler, Mead producer and president of the Rocky Mountain Farmer's Union; --Alan Welp, Yuma County producer and state director of the Colorado Sugar Beet Growers; --Dusty Tallman, Brandon producer and former president of the National Association of wheat Growers and president of the Colorado Association of wheat Growers; --Gary Peterson, professor and head of the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Colorado State University; --Alan Foutz, Akron producer and president of the Colorado Farm Bureau; --Roger Mix, Center producer and representative of the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee; --Randy Loutzenhiser, Flagler producer and past President of the Colorado Association of Conservation Districts; --Terry Fankhauser, executive director of the Colorado Cattlemen's Association; and --Doug Zalesky, Hesperus producer and president of the Colorado Independent CattleGrowers Association. Testifying on hunger and nutrition issues was Kathy White, incoming president of the Colorado Anti-Hunger Network. General groups testify Some highlights include Foutz's testimony that CFB believes the U.S. Department of Agriculture's farm bill proposal is a good one, but it's not entirely the answer. "One major problem with the proposal is the lack of proper funding," Foutz said. "The proposal would spend approximately $10 billion less than the cost of the 2002 farm bill. The cost of farming has increased and if the goal of the next farm bill is to provide a safety net then more funding will be needed." Peppler outlined RMFU's top priorities as a solid safety net to help producers survive when commodity prices are low; permanent disaster assistance; funding for conservation programs; and, investment in renewable energy development. "Our members have sent a strong message that these are their top priorities," said Peppler. "It will be vital for Congress to approve the budget dollars for these programs which are a lifeline for family agriculture." Pepper also said current conservation programs are good programs, but have been under-funded. He also urged Congress to enact a permanent disaster program that will not require disaster-by-disaster congressional action. Commodity groups testify Tallman renewed CAWG's call for more equity for wheat by increasing the direct payment from 52 cents to $1.19 per bushel and the target price from $3.92 to $5.29 per bushel. "The continuous drought has dramatically affected federal crop insurance and caused yields to fall, premiums to increase drastically and dollar per acre guarantees to drop," Tallman said. "In some cases, yields have decreased by two-thirds while premiums doubled. A larger direct payment would fill some of the void of the 30 percent of crop loss that cannot affordably be covered by crop insurance." Tallman urged full funding for the conservation title of the 2007 farm bill, cautioned "against attempting to write a new farm bill which complies with all demands from the WTO negotiations" and requested that payment limitations "not be used as a political tool" since the last proposal would negatively impact 30 percent of Colorado farmers. Fankhauser said CCA supports policies that break down trade barriers and tariffs, giving a net benefit for producers. "CCA supports policies like mandatory country-of-origin labeling, but believes that cattle marketing programs like labeling are best implemented outside of the farm bill," Fankhauser said. Zaleski said the farm bill ought to focus on transparent competition in the domestic livestock market, animal health and safety, consumer information, trade and initiatives like reform of interstate shipment of state-inspected meat. "The 2007 farm bill should contain a separate cattle chapter encompassing many of these issues to ensure they get the attention they deserve and are addressed comprehensively," Zalesky said. Harkin said he sees field hearings on the farm bill continuing through spring and early summer, with final debate and passage before the Congress enters into August recess. Larry Dreiling can be reached by phone at 785-628-1117 or by e-mail at ldreiling@aol.com. B 1 3/26/07 4 Star NE Date: 3/22/07
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