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Texas Agriculture Archive

January 3, 2003

2002 Year in Review

Below is just a "snapshot" of our year in Texas Farm Bureau. Your board and management are taking steps to improve service to members and increase the organization's effectiveness. Implementing policy, acting on behalf of members, is "job one" for your staff and volunteer leaders. As always, success depends on the efforts of folks like you—members and leaders in the 207 County Farm Bureaus across the Lone Star State. You have the keys to the future of Texas Farm Bureau.

Legislation

On the national front, TFB has many positive things to report. First is a farm bill that was a clear victory for farmers and ranchers. Farm Bureau owes a debt of gratitude to a courageous Congress for passing it. The political heat was incredible. Despite the charges that Congress "caved in" to "powerful farm interests," the opposite was closer to the truth.

Congressional farm state leaders like Texas' own Larry Combest, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, and Charlie Stenholm, the ranking minority member on the committee, developed the farm bill over a very difficult two-year period. President Bush signed it despite a lot of objections in his own party. Despite what's being said about it, the farm bill is a giant step forward in mending the badly ripped safety net for U.S. agricultural producers. It is the "greenest" farm bill in history—with major provisions for conservation, habitat preservation and other environmental concerns. And with all the irresponsible talk about the farm bill, the European Union will still outspend the U.S. four to one on farm supports. It is a good bill—a responsible bill. It has a chance to actually improve the agricultural situation.

Farm Bureau fought hard for passage of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and saw it signed into law this year. Also known as "fast track," this important authority allows the president to negotiate trade agreements needed to break down foreign trade barriers and create markets and jobs through government-to-government negotiations. Congress may then approve or reject the agreements, but not amend them.

Congress passed the Homeland Security Agency legislation, which left the major domestic portion of APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) with USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture), and moved only border and international activity to the new agency—a Farm Bureau victory.

The state legislature was not in session this year, but there was still plenty to do on the state policy front. AGFUND (Texas Friends of Agriculture Fund) was very active, endorsing candidates in the primary elections. AGFUND had a success rate of almost 80 percent in the primaries and 89 percent in the general election resulting in the election of two new congressmen, a new U.S. Senator, four new state senators and six new state representatives.

A successful lawsuit brought by the American Farm Bureau Federation and Texas Farm Bureau against animal rights groups trying to win access to personal and sensitive information about farmers and ranchers and their agricultural operations will ensure that the information remain confidential. Judge Walter S. Smith, Jr. of the U.S. District Court in Waco in late September ruled in the case "John Doe, et al vs. USDA" that the Agriculture Department does not have the right to release personal and confidential information about farmers and ranchers who cooperate in a USDA predator control program. The ruling also protects farm and ranch families from any personal retribution resulting from the release of this type of confidential information.

The Texas Farm Bureau also filed a "Friend of the Court" brief last fall in the Third District Court of Appeals in Austin in support of South Texas landowners who are resisting Central Power and Light's plans to construct a 52-mile power grid across their properties from Coleto Creek, in Goliad County, to a substation at Pawnee, in Karnes County. In the brief, TFB urged the appellate court to reverse a district court decision affirming the Public Utility Commission's final order allowing CP&L to enter cultivated farmland. TFB's position is that PUC should require that utilities to place transmission lines along existing rights-of-way and seek alternatives before resorting to eminent domain to take cultivated land.

Field Operations

With a Field Staff that now numbers 25, more good people were in the field, closer to the County Farm Bureaus, in 2002 to work with County leaders on the entire Farm Bureau program.

The six County Agricultural Program Coordinators focused on the unique challenges of Farm Bureau in urban settings. Through out the year, they worked with staff in Waco and with County Farm Bureau leaders on programs, issues, public relations and purpose activities.

Together with Area Coordinators, who serve slightly larger areas surrounding smaller urban centers, and the more traditional Field Staff working in rural areas, the County Ag Program coordinators participated in: 232 legislative meetings, 121 field days, 68 mini-booth exhibits (in addition to field days), 60 Food Check-Out Day events, and 34 AITC functions.

YF&R Program & AgLead

Future leaders of Texas Farm Bureau continue to be active in expanding programs aimed at young farmers and ranchers.

2002 was the completion year for AgLead Class V and participants for Class VI were selected.

Over $50,000 in college scholarships were awarded to youth contest participants and youth organization leaders this year.

Eleven Young Farmer & Rancher meetings promoting YF&R activities and contests were held in 2002.

The 2002 Outstanding Young Farmer & Rancher Contest, State Discussion Meet Contest, and Excellence in Agriculture Contest drew a field of highly qualified candidates with opportunities to compete for the national title and more prizes at the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in Orlando, Fla. this month.

Commodity and Regulatory

TFB's Commodity and Regulatory Activities Division reported the following accomplishments in 2002:

•Initiated a project in the Bosque River Watershed that will use advanced methods for handling livestock wastes on a permitted dairy.

•Initiated a project on Lakes Waco and Belton to use DNA typing of E-coli to determine the sources.

•Initiated efforts to inform membership of the use of conservation easements and the sale of development rights as a method of dealing with urban sprawl and the loss of farm and ranchlands.

•Developed two Endangered Species Recovery Teams which were structured to include private landowners.

•Worked with other groups to initiate a "landowner friendly" rewrite of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Endangered Species Landowner Guidelines and NRCS guideline.

•TB working group formed a TB Working Group within the cattle industry to form guidelines for exporting cattle from Texas.

•TFB hosted the beef industry to discuss the Beef Check-off and established criteria for possible legislative activities.

•TFB Forestry Advisory Committee organized a Forestry Landowners Conference in Lufkin.

•Hosted a meeting between the American Boer Goat Association and the Texas Animal Health Commission at the TFB state office to discuss Scrapie issues.

•Hosted a meeting between the dairy industry and the Texas Animal Health Commission to discuss the effects of TB rule changes on dairy producers.

•Participated in several TB program reviews of Mexican states that export cattle to the U.S.

Agriculture in the Classroom

Teacher Training Workshops—A greater emphasis was placed on teacher training in 2002. Teacher workshops were held in Arlington, Port Lavaca, Thrall, Amarillo, Angleton, Edinburg, Dickinson, and Wharton. A total of 180 teachers attended the workshops.

Summer Agriculture Institute—The 8^th annual Summer Agriculture Institute was held at Tarleton State University in Stephenville. Fifteen teachers from 11 counties attended the week-long, graduate level course. County Farm Bureaus provided scholarships in the amount of $4,500 for teachers to attend the Institute.

Training For Prospective Teachers—Texas A&M University invited us to hold two, two-hour workshops for future teachers in the College of Education. A total of 77 prospective elementary teachers attended. They received ideas for integrating agriculture into their lessons, along with several sample lesson plans and information about Farm Bureau.

Corporate Donations—Two major donations were received on behalf of Agriculture in the Classroom in 2002. Farm Credit Associations of Texas made a $3,500 donation that helped provide AITC resource material to teachers attending one of the workshops. Texas Cotton Producers, Inc. donated 200 educational kits called "Cotton's Journey: A Field Trip in a Box." The value of the cotton kits was $7,000.

County Farm Bureau Activities—TFB returned nearly $5,000 to county Farm Bureaus in 2002. This was in the form of reimbursement grants for expenses incurred in carrying out a planned AITC program in the county. County Farm Bureaus spent more than $15,000 on AITC resource material and tuition to the SAI in 2002. Seventy-seven county FBs purchased AITC resources for donation to teachers. More than 100 county FBs sponsored or participated in an Agriculture Day (Ag Fair or Day at the Farm) for students in their county.

Citizenship Seminar—The 39^th annual Citizenship Seminar was held in San Angelo at Angelo State University. Two hundred ninety-seven students, representing 141 county Farm Bureaus, attended the week-long Seminar. County FBs spent a total of $58,500 for tuition and transportation for students to the Seminar.

Urban Relations

During 2002, over 2.4 million people were exposed to the "Planet Agriculture" exhibit at stock shows across the Lone Star State. This includes over two million people coming through the Texas Department of Agriculture's Food and Fiber Pavilion at the State Fair of Texas which shared space with the exhibit.

"Planet Agriculture," an interactive educational exhibit with displays of the major commodities produced in Texas, provides consumer information relevant to agriculture and agriculture's role in daily life.

The complete exhibit, ranging between 3,500 to over 5,000 square feet, also appeared at the Fort Worth Stock Show, Star of Texas Fair & Rodeo in Austin, Children's Discovery Museum in Victoria, North Texas State Fair & Rodeo in Denton, West Texas Fair and Rodeo, and the Heart of Texas Fair & Rodeo in Waco.

Portions of the exhibit also made appearances during 2002 at the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo, Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show, Montgomery County Fair, Red River Valley Fair in Paris, Texas Farm and Dairy Show, Stephenville, Angelina County Forest Festival and the East Texas State Fair in Tyler. Numerous AgFairs across the state also hosted displays from "Planet Agriculture."

County Farm Bureau leaders played an important role in manning the various displays within "Planet Agriculture." Having agricultural producers on hand is a very important part of the educational process offered by the displays.

A Texas Farm Bureau Board of Directors Committee was established to review the Urban Relations Program and Planet Agriculture. The committee is undertaking an in-depth examination and will report their recommendations during the next Board of Directors meeting. Preliminary indications show complete support with growth objectives.

Policy Development

District Policy Development Meetings—The Research, Education and Policy Development division coordinated 13 District Policy Development meetings around the state in 2002. Counties were encouraged to involve their members in the Policy Development process. County Farm Bureaus responded positively when asked to review current policies with emphasis on updating the state policy book by deleting or changing outdated policies.

Marketing Education

TFB's agricultural marketing education program has had a successful year. In addition to county marketing programs, four regional workshops featuring industry leaders explaining market options and commodities price outlook were held in 2002.

Risk Management Agency awarded TFB with a grant to develop a video on cattle grid marketing and cattle alliances. Texas Farm Bureau cattle producers put cattle in selected feedyards as part of a cattle feeding program in 2002. Trade and agriculture exports continue to be part of marketing decisions. Efforts were made this year to broaden TFB producers' understanding of global markets. January 2003 marks the first regional workshop for sheep and goat producers.