By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Streamlining state government has long been a push for Michigan Farm Bureau members, and delegates took another step during the farm organization’s annual meeting Nov. 30-Dec. 3.
Policymakers passed a resolution to streamline Michigan government, which showed their pride over this year’s election influence and reminded newly-elected officials that they expect results. The policy states, “In 2010, Michigan Farm Bureau successfully supported the election of Friends of Agriculture with a clear expectation of statesmanship on the very difficult, important issue of reforming and streamlining Michigan government.
“While agriculture is not the expert on all the issues outlined in this policy, we will work with coalitions to engage in broad discussions to advance policy solutions that will create a better and more efficient Michigan government. We will hold elected officials accountable for their ability to operate as statespersons acting in the interest of citizens to address these core issues.”
Many of those officials visited with Farm Bureau members Dec. 2, when about 40 newly-elected legislators joined farmers at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and DeVos Place in Grand Rapids to witness MFB’s grassroots policymaking process and sample some of Michigan’s finest food and drink during the ninth Taste of Michigan reception.
“It was very important for our members to meet with the people they helped elect, and the event gave them a chance to reemphasize the importance agriculture and farmers have to the state of Michigan,” said Sarah Black, director of the MFB Public Policy and Commodity Division.
“Farm Bureau members worked harder than ever before to elect lawmakers who understand that agriculture has a leading role in the economic fortunes of Michigan, so it was a tribute to them that so many first-time politicians listened to what they had to say and witnessed the policymaking process.”
For the first time in recent history, Farm Bureau members also were visited at length by an incoming governor. Gov.-elect Rick Snyder personally greeted many and briefly addressed 850 farmers and their guests during a dinner on Nov. 30. Snyder complimented MFB members on their policy process and assured them his agriculture policies are agreeable to Farm Bureau policies.
Also during the meeting, 486 members serving as voting delegates for the state’s 67 county Farm Bureaus worked together to discuss and debate policies that set forth guidelines for food safety, controls for feral swine and other wildlife management concerns, anticipated rewrites of national dairy policy and the federal farm bill, health care and more. The delegates approved 153 state and national resolutions consolidated from nearly 900 resolutions first approved by county farm bureaus.
First on the agenda Dec. 1 was a proposal that demanded a quarantine on swine hunting operations in the state. The issue took top priority because of the increasing problem of feral swine in many areas of the state.
Headlining national issues, delegates waded through policy on the national dairy program and passed a resolution that, among other things, supports a safety net for producers “such as a margin protection program or counter-cyclical payment, removal of the current dairy price support program” and “exempting milk from EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) requirements.” The policy also opposes a mandatory quota program on dairy production.
Among new national policies passed was one on antibiotics, which opposed recent political efforts to restrict their use in farm animals.
The policy stated: “The limitation or elimination of animal antibiotic use from the livestock industry will have negative economic and animal health consequences. The use of antibiotics is approved by FDA (Food and Drug Administration) only after a complete scientific review and testing process has been completed. ...
“The animal agriculture industry relies on the veterinarian community to assist with and oversee animal health. ... We believe that veterinary oversight is defined as a working relationship with a licensed veterinarian.”
In national policy, delegates debated at length about farm bill legislation which will be discussed in Congress next year. Delegates supported federal programs that may include direct payments but focused on improving the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program to encourage farmer participation, and a broader definition of specialty crops. Delegates also added new language to the policy that would compensate equine owners for losses because of government-imposed regulations that prevent the sale of horses for meat processing.
Delegates passed a new food safety resolution, but cautioned that “in making decisions regarding regulations for food safety, we must keep in mind a balance between risk and over-regulation that hinders entrepreneurial opportunities.” The adopted policy also recommended that “consideration should be given to an additional permanent institutional licensing category to provide relief to churches and civic facilities that currently go through constant re-application and re-inspection processes for temporary licenses.”
Visit www.michfb.com/annual/index/94/1550 for more information on these and other measures delegates considered during the meeting. |
