SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Thousands of farmers from across the United States gathered last week to discuss policy, trade, estate planning and farmer-veteran issues at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) 96th Annual Convention Jan. 11-14, 2015, in San Diego.

“Our delegates are the men and women growing the food and fiber for our nation and much of the rest of the world every day,” Bob Stallman, AFBF president, told farmers and ranchers, whose voting delegates later approved resolutions to soon head to Congress. “They have made great strides over the last decades in improving their environmental performance, in adopting cutting-edge technologies and taking actions to make sure they can pass their farms and ranches on to the next generation.”

Stallman said, however, producers have faced many challenges because of federal government overreach in its regulation of land use. “This is particularly true with respect to improper application of federal water rules,” he said.

“Our members also want us to continue our effort to secure a stable and reliable supply of agricultural labor.”

Mike Taylor, Food and Drug Administration deputy commissioner, said the agency is focusing on three broad themes regarding implementing a series of Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules: the farm-to-table approach, practical common standards and holding imports to the same standards as domestically-produced foods.

“It’s our job to be clear about expectations – practical expectations – and to work with the (regulated) community to achieve them,” he said.

Moreover, the “Dedicated, Disciplined and Determined” workshop offered ways to create effective mentorship relations for farmer-veterans. “The AFBF is proud to partner with the Farmer Veteran Coalition to create opportunities on America’s farms and ranches for the brave men and women of our military,” Stallman said.

He added the AFBF is working to develop a mentorship network to pair returning veterans with Farm Bureau members. “Our veterans still have much to offer their country, and we are honored to have them join us in producing our nation’s food, fiber and energy.”

With 70 percent of U.S. farmland expected to change hands in the next 20 years, Kevin Bearley, principal of Kennedy and Coe LLC in Fort Collins, Colo., said it’s important for farmers to build into the next generation and create a greater sense of land and business ownership. “The main reason people lose the family farm at the next generation is because they don’t have a plan in place or they haven’t communicated their plan properly,” he explained.

Since estate tax law is not permanent and can’t be predicted, Bearley emphasized it’s key to take advantage of planning tools that give owners flexibility for the future. He added that investment vehicles, such as intentionally defective irrevocable trusts (IDITs) and limited liability companies (LLCs), let small business owners retain control of their assets during their lifetime.

Among other policies approved at the convention, the 355 voting delegates:

•Reaffirmed farmers’ proprietary data should remain strictly the property of the farmer or rancher when submitted to third parties for analysis and processing

•Agreed farmers and ranchers must have the right to remove their data permanently from the systems of agricultural technology providers; Stallman said members felt especially strongly about this point, given the exponential growth of agricultural data systems and the double-digit productivity gains they have generated in just a few short growing seasons

•Opposed state efforts to dictate out-of-state farm-level production practices

•Reaffirmed support for producer-led and -approved checkoff programs

•Reaffirmed support for country-of-origin labeling provisions consistent with World Trade Organization rules

•Called for a state-led voluntary pollinator stewardship program to address concerns over recent declines in the populations of honeybees and butterflies

•Supported the production, processing, commercialization and use of industrial hemp

•Called for an end to the EPA’s attempts to require permits for farmers to repair erosion damage on their property

•Opposed the cap on agricultural labor visas under the H-2B program

The 97th American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show is slated for Jan. 10-13, 2016, in Orlando, Fla.