By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent

LANSING, Mich. — The first official 2012 farm bill hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry will be May 31 in East Lansing.
Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) will hold the field hearing from 9 a.m.-noon at the Kellogg Center on Michigan State University’s East Lansing campus.

The hearing, “Opportunities for Growth: Michigan and the 2012 Farm Bill,” will focus on the upcoming reauthorization of the bill, which expires on Sept. 30, 2012, and on agriculture, energy, conservation, rural development, research, forestry and nutrition policies that affect Michigan. Sen. Pat Roberts from Kansas, the Ranking Republican on the Agriculture Committee, will join Stabenow at the hearing.

Originally scheduled for April 9, the hearing was postponed because Congress was working around the clock to negotiate a final budget agreement.
“I don’t want to underestimate how challenging this is going to be for us writing this farm bill, but I do know this: If we all work together and we’re very clear on what we need and what we can do to do things better – streamline, be more efficient – I believe we have a real opportunity to have a farm bill that makes sense for us,” Stabenow told Farm Bureau members in March, during its national legislative seminar in Washington, D.C.

Committee members will hear testimony from a limited number of witnesses representing a variety of agricultural groups. Julia Baehre Rothwell, chair of the board of directors of the U.S. Apple Assoc. (USAA), will testify during the hearing.

She testified at a House hearing five years ago – the last time the farm bill was considered. She said at the time “the programs that were ultimately included in the Specialty Crop title of the farm bill were just concepts. Today, they are fully implemented and yielding significant results for the apple industry and other specialty crop producers.”

Rothwell said with skyrocketing fuel costs, ever-increasing regulations and the constant threat of labor shortages, apple industry leaders believe “federal ag policy should encourage competitiveness through private investment opportunities to increase profitability in the marketplace, and incentives for growers who are committed to better serving consumer needs.”

The USAA supports full funding of specialty crop programs such as the Market Access Program (MAP) and Technical Assistance for Specialty Crop (TASC) program. Both are aimed at leveling the playing field in the export market, where the apple industry competes with lower-cost producers.

Anyone may participate in the hearing by submitting written comments, which will be included in the official record of the hearing. Farmers may also submit questions for possible consideration during a limited question-and-answer period at the hearing.

“Senator Stabenow has stressed the importance of keeping open and direct communication with farmers and this field hearing in her home state is a testament to that pledge,” said Ryan Findlay, Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) national legislative counsel.

In drafting a new farm bill, Farm Bureau believes Congress should preserve the “safety net” concepts of the current bill with a focus on risk management tools and conservation programs.

“For Michigan, this means a focus on improved risk management tools that build on traditional crop insurance products for corn, soybeans and wheat and expanded crop insurance options for specialty crops such as fruit and vegetables,” Findlay said.

“It might also mean a gross margin protection plan for dairy farms.”
Questions for the Q&A portion of the hearing must be submitted in advance, by May 26. For written testimony, three copies are needed and can be submitted at the hearing or sent to the committee no later than June 7. Individuals who previously submitted testimony or questions do not need to resubmit the material.

Comments and questions should be e-mailed to aghearing@ag.senate.gov or via regular mail to: U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, 328A Russell Senate Office Bldg, Washington, D.C., 20510.
Individuals interested in attending the hearing should RSVP with the Agriculture Committee office by calling 202-224-2035 or e-mailing aghearing@ag.senate.gov

For up-to-date information on the hearing and farm bill process, visit the Senate Agriculture Committee website at http://ag.senate.gov