January 7, 2000

• Launched the new Farm Bureau Bank.

• Established a member discount program with Grainger Industrial Supply.

• Successfully piloted a "member appreciation telephone calling program."

• Supported the U.S. Meat Export Federation in a suit to correct the tarriffs set by Mexico on meat imported from the U.S.

• Worked with cattlemen in Central Texas around Fort Hood to delist an endangered species bird by developing a grassroots-driven activity involving the removal of a nest parasite (the Brown-headed Cowbird) from large areas of livestock grazing land.

• Worked to develop a conservation management plan aimed at avoiding the federal listing, as threatened or endangered, of the Lesser Prairie Chicken and the Black-tailed Prairie Dog.

• Sponsored a conference designed to present in-depth information on the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) and its potential effects on agriculture. The FQPA requires the evaluation of risk for all agriculture chemicals. Improper implementation of this procedure could needlessly remove many important crop protection products from use. Also, financially supported a study by Texas A&M to show the impact of FQPA on production agriculture.

• Conducted a survey over Texas counties to verify the severity of problems with the Loan Deficiency Payments (LDP) program which revealed that some counties lost as much as 23 cents average in corn and 39 cents average in grain sorghum of their LDP payment. TFB sent letters to the USDA, and the House and Senate Agriculture Committees and held meetings with their staff to discuss the problems with the payments under this program. TFB’s efforts have been to correct the calculations for the 2000 crop year and possibly cause adjustments to the 1999 payments.

• Conducted two meetings for each of TFB’s 17 commodity advisory committees.

• The congressional passage of an $8.7 billion financial assistance package for agricultural producers.

• A county leader/state board member trip to Cuba was successful in highlighting the need for exempting food and medicine from unilateral sanctions.

• A successful D.C. National Affairs Awards Trip and state board and fieldstaff trip to Washington, D.C.

• The state budget allocated over $200 million for the next two years for agriculture. This is the largest amount allocated in recent history and includes:

—$75 for Boll Weevil Eradication Program, creating cost-share for producers.

—$9 million for brush control cost-share program.

—$1 million for "Go Texan" commodity promotion program.

• Expanded the current tax code to include forestry in the agricultural tax classification. This creates sales tax exemptions for forestry input products and creates ad valorem tax incentives for landowners during the first 10 years after replanting.

• Producers can now legally borrow or loan a registered farm trailer for farm use.

• HB 2 establishes goals of a statewide agriculture policy with 16 areas of emphasis to preserve and protect the agricultural industry.

• Cooperated with and financially supported the Texas A&M Congressional Intern Program.

• Agriculture-in-the-Classroom: Texas Farm Bureau’s AITC program received two Excellence in Agricultural Awareness Efforts Awards at the National Unity in Agricultural Awareness Conference.

• All the AITC resource guides are being rewritten to conform to the format contained in the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills test (TAAS) and the new Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

• This year we exhibited for the first time at the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST).

Agricultural lessons and ideas were well received by teachers attending the conference. There were approximately 5,000 science teachers in attendance—representing all grade levels.

• Summer Agricultural Institute: A total of 29 teachers, representing 10 County Farm Bureaus, attended the 1999 Summer Agricultural Institute.

This was the fifth year to hold the Institute at Tarleton State University in Stephenville. This brings the total number of teachers who have attended the institute to 187.

• Assisted some 50 County Farm Bureaus to conduct an Agriculture Field Day as part of AITC.

• TFB Ag Notes Newsletter: Now available on the TFB website. The mailing list is increasing, and teachers can now receive their copy by e-mail. County Farm Bureaus, Summer Ag Institute graduates, and other teachers receive Ag Notes.

• 21 agricultural by-product units were distributed to field personnel within their respective areas. The units were utilized on over 150 occasions during such functions as Ag Fairs, classrooms, supermarkets, malls, County Farm Bureau offices, CFB annual meetings, and Agriculture-in-the-Classroom activities.

• The Planet Agriculture exhibit was conducted during the Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo (4,300 square feet). Various displays from Planet Agriculture were also utilized during the San Antonio Stock Show, Houston Livestock Show, Austin/Travis County Stock Show and the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show. County leaders from these areas were instrumental in providing the manpower for these exhibits.

• The Urban Relations Program received national recognition at the National Unity in Agriculture Awareness Conference.

• Conducted 10 YF&R sponsored county educational and informational meetings attended by approximately 300 people, including an Austin meeting with emphasis on state legislative items.

• Initiated the YF&R Scholarship Awards Progam.

• Conducted a fall YF&R Tour to the Valley/Mexico.

• Worked extensively with TDA to make substantial changes to Texas Agricultural Finance Authority.

• Successfully completed year one of the AgLead IV Program with meetings in Austin, Rio Grande Valley/Mexico, California, and Lubbock.

• Administered more than $58,000 in college scholarships to youth contest participants, youth organization leaders, and conducted all youth contests.

• As the first activity implemented from Project 2000, the futures hedging workshops offer basic and intermediate education on futures market hedging, options, and other risk management techniques.

Since April, we have held 89 hedging workshops with over 800 producer members attending.

• Texas Farm Bureau contributed financially as a major sponsor of Texas A&M’s Master Marketer Program and encouraged member participation.

• Implemented "Project: Stronger County Farm Bureaus" Phase IV.

• Began implementation of Project 2000 by hiring and training six new County Agriculture Program Coordinators.

Information and Public Relations Division

• Important strides in developing the TFB website, with total "hits" increasing to about 75,000 per month in October and November.

• Farm Bureau Roundup celebrated 45 years on the air.

• Farm Bureau in Action video newsletter is now viewed by 170 County Farm Bureau boards (approximately 75 percent of all organized Farm Bureau counties).

• Workshops presented to 2,732 people this year through 45 sessions.

• Participated in three collegiate job fairs.

• TFB, AFBF, and two Texas ranchers successfully obtained an injunction against USDA’s release of names of ranchers licensed to use the livestock protection collar. (On-going).

• TFB financially supported the Oregon Legal Foundation, which was successful in supporting the so-called Camp Creek Case that went to the U.S. Supreme Court and will be used to prevent EPA from regulating non-point sources of pollution under the TMDL program.

• TFB filed a Friend of Court Brief and helped to successfully defend states’ "rights of capture" statute before the Texas Supreme Court in the so-called Ozarka Case.