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Texas Farm Bureau District 8 Director Dan Dierschke has been appointed, effective
Dec.1, to the Executive Committee of the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
USMEF Chairman Alan Smith tapped Dierschke, who is also chairman of the Texas Beef Council.
The executive committee includes representatives from the beef, pork, lamb, soybeans, feed-grains and oilseed industries.
The trade association works to create new opportunities and develop existing international markets for U.S. beef, pork, lamb, veal, corn, soybeans and related products.
Dierschke's task is to represent beef checkoff interests and those of beef producers.
"I am very pleased that Chairman Smith has asked me, as a Texas beef producer, to serve in this capacity," said Dierschke. "I look forward to representing the interests of beef producers in the important work of the Federation."
The committee includes Smith, Cargill Meat Solutions, Wichita, KS; John Bellinger, Agri-West International, Inc., San Antonio; Dennis Erpelding, Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN; R.H. "Moe" Mohesky, National Pork Board, Rocky Mount, NC; Richard Swartz, Nebraska Soybean Board, Minden, NB; Dan Spurling, Hormel Foods International, Austin, MN; Rick Harbaugh, American Sheep Association, Hawarden, IA; Mark L. Jagels, Nebraska Corn Development Utilization & Marketing Board, Davenport, NE; Glen Keppy, National Pork Board, Davenport, IA; and Al Pedigo, Kentucky Farm Bureau, Fountain Run, KY.
Also serving on the committee are: Jim Peterson, NCBA, Buffalo, MT; Kimberly Magin Sutter, Monsanto Company, Ankeny, IA; Knud Aagaard-Svendsen, Meta Foods, LLC, Atlanta, GA; Jamie Willrett, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Malta, IL; Jon Caspers, National Pork Producers Council, Swaledale, IA; Kurt Holdmeyer, AJC International, Inc., Atlanta, GA; and Mike Stone, American Foods Group, Green Bay, WI.
The American Farm Bureau Federation will hold a donation drive for the USO's "Operation Beef Up Our Troops" program during the 2005 AFBF annual convention, Jan. 9-12, in Charlotte, NC. The program supplies high-quality beef jerky—one of the most requested items by troops in the field—to American servicemen overseas.
"Farm Bureau members can join with other members of the U.S. ag community by helping to support the purchase of beef jerky for USO care packages through monetary donations," said AFBF President Bob Stallman. "Making a donation during our annual convention is an excellent opportunity for America's farm and ranch families to say thank you to our men and women in uniform."
Beef jerky funded through the program will feature a label with the message, "Donated by America's farming and ranching families. We thank you for your service to our country. Our thoughts and prayers are with you."
Farm Bureau will collect cash, check and credit card donations for Beef Up Our Troops in Charlotte. In addition, Farm Bureau members and others may mail in donations at any time, noting "beef jerky" on the check memo line, to: "Beef Up Our Troops," Operation USO Care Package, P.O. Box 8069, Topeka, KS 66608.
Oral arguments that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is overreaching its authority in regulating livestock operations were presented recently on behalf of the American Farm Bureau Federation. The arguments were made before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Court.
The court case filed by AFBF appeals new EPA rules governing water runoff related to Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations.
"The latest interpretation by EPA officials for enforcement of the Clean Water Act has the potential to affect far more farmers and ranchers than just those who own large-scale animal feeding operations," said AFBF President Bob Stallman.
"It was the duty of the Farm Bureau to argue on behalf of our livestock producers that the EPA is overstepping its bounds in requiring many confined livestock operations to obtain a Clean Water Act permit and to do an inordinate amount of recordkeeping," Stallman said.
The arguments presented in New York City centered on the specific power given the federal government in the Clean Water Act as well as those reserved for the states.
AFBF presented its case in conjunction with the National Chicken Council and the National Pork Producers Council.
"In their expanded regulations, the EPA is presuming that all large CAFOs are discharging pollutants, and the EPA can impose its oversight arbitrarily," said Julie Anna Potts, AFBF general counsel.
"We argued that the EPA cannot regulate discharges to surface waters because the Clean Water Act only regulates discharges to navigable waters," Potts said. "We also noted it has been clear in congressional legislation that the states and local governments have control over non-point sources of pollution."
Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), speaking at the annual meeting of the Agricultural Council of Arkansas.
