SAC/SIG Conference Call 6.27.07

present on call: Tracy Lerman OFRF, Bill Milton MT, Aimee Wittman SAC, Jill Davies Wsawg, Kim Leval CFRA/ Wsawg, Nancy Taylor Wsawg, Trudy Bialic PCC
Agenda:
- we have invited Aimee from SAC to tell us about resources available from SAC.
- review where the House & Senate are with the farm bill
- review where Colo and Mt. are re/ making plans to meet with legislators
Aimee: full cmte House markup to happen week of July 9, talking week of July 23 for floor action, this may all be postponed even further to after the Aug recess. SAC working on getting some amendments introduced:
Beginning Farmer Initiative, Organic Transition & Cost Share, FMPP, Value Added PP, Rural Development programs - trying to get mandatory funding for these. CSP progress looking good, will have an amendment to add money to it.
Senate - working to get all above into their proposal also, expect week of July 16, will be new stewardship program like CSP, Harkin is committed to CSP programs.
Baucus - push him to support cons. programs, mandatory funding for rural develop programs, beg. fmr initiative, and big need w/ Baucus on payment limits because he has not supported it in the past. Note: all of these other programs need some of the commodity payment funds, which need to be limited (capped). re/ price of corn and soybeans there might be $'s saved anyway - meaning payments not needed - but a record amount of corn being grown now, so prices will likely go down, and then payments will be back in play.
Payment Limitations: Peterson goes back and forth - says must be limits on cons. programs also, but there is too big a limit on EQIP payments, which can go to CAFO's - should be capped at $150,000....is now at $400,000. Is a good program, can help small and midsize fmrs, should be capped so CAFO's don't suck up all the $'s. Dorgan/Grassley bill got introduced in the senate to limit payments - is the best so far. Harkin supports limits on direct payments, talking about moving more to a revenue based system (??), may reveal something new. Kind/Leuger introduced the Farm 21 program - calls for farmer tax savings accounts to completely replace commodity program - SAC is critical of this program. the June 18-22 Weekly Update discusses this in some detail:
Idaho Senators - ask Crapo to sign the D/G bill for payment limitations, urge to support CSP, Beg. Fmr Init, Rural Devel
Colo - Sen Salazar - urge to cap EQIP, prohibit use of $'s for CAFOs, support payment limits (D/G bill) . Rep Salazar - urge re/ competition title. urge both re/ Organic provisions - transition, cost share
? CSP ? - - we have changes in funding rules, what are we asking for re/ CSP? Ansr: should be funded as a nationwide program - full funding means 3 billion $'s, which restores cut funds, and increases funds, so it would be available to anyone eligible, and not based on a watershed.
? Grassland reserve program ? (not same as CRP) - protects native grasslands. Aimee will find out what has happened to this program.
SAC as resource: Bill Action Center) has updated action alerts, introduced bills, etc. has special page w/ info re/ CSP, with facts on each state, weekly updates, which are also sent out via email, page that compares bills with our priorities., organizations can join SAC.
Washington State: no one on house or senate ag cmtes, no one on ag. appropriations. Trudy from King Co., on the Food Policy Council there, knows Jay Insley (sp?) on the Organic caucus. Have talking points re/ organic provisions on the SAC website. Blumenaur from Oregon introduced a local foods act. Trudy: we don't have fair markets, we have captive markets. Ansr: Competition Title is complex but is very important, is a bridge between urban and rural communities. Consumers can understand the down side of consolidation - reduces choice. John Edwards speaks on it.
Montana and Colorado: hearing with Baucus in Great Falls, Mt, on July 2, Bob Boetcher will attend and speak on our issues; Bob B also working on getting a meeting with Baucus in Montana during the Aug recess. Bill helping with this.
Fly-In: NCSA doing farmer fly-in to D.C. (July 10,11) - getting farmer from Colo - Andy Grant - will talk w/ Musgrave and the 2 Salazars. Looking for another Colo farmer to go to D.C. Kim asked why Montana was not on the NCSA list.
Julie Hudak should be working on getting an Aug meeting with Sen Salazar in Colo. Julie's cell phone: 206-437-2564. Jim Dyer in contact with her. Tracy will help give them some encouragement., will call Julie and Jim: Kim's cell: work: 402-870-0658, and weekends: 541-556-3167 , leaving today, will be home on Friday, 6/29. Kim getting married !!! wedding to be 7/14.
re/ Idaho: Nancy's cell phone: 509-334-0159 she is working with the Policy Info. Center in grocery stores (first one in Moscow Food Coop) in Idaho.
notes submitted by Jill Davies, Director Wsawg, 6.27.07