S P E C I A L R E P O R T

‘Energy’
A look at measures to diver-
sify and increase our energy
supply | 4

April 19, 2010 Vol. 89 No. 8 fbnews.org

‘Immigration’ Crucial herbicide atrazine at risk in EPA review

Senate Majority
The availability of one of the
Leader prom- most effective, widely used and of-
ises immigra- ten studied herbicides on the mar-
ket may be threatened by a new
tion reform | 3 Environmental Protection Agency
review of its safety. Farmers have
used atrazine for the last 50 years
Atrazine also is an important
“Plan B,” Kiefner said, in case
weeds develop resistance to other
herbicides, and farmers need to
have that option.
Without herbicides, the soil
has to be tilled to uproot weeds.
hensive evaluation of atrazine’s
effects on humans, which will
culminate in a decision on
whether to revise the pesticide’s
risk assessment and impose new
restrictions on its use.
The review comes on the heels

‘Oil spill regs’ to fight weeds in corn, sorghum,

sugar cane and other crops.
Now is the time to find out “A little atrazine added to other
herbicides goes a long way in
if your farm or weed control,” said Manhattan,
ranch needs an Ill., corn farmer John Kiefner.
“We can use half amounts of two
SPCC plan different herbicides and get bet-
|6 ter weed control than you would
with the full amount of just one.”
Using atrazine enables Kiefner to
practice a type of farming called
no-till, which retains carbon in
the soil and minimizes erosion.
He has created grassed buffers
and filter strips to help keep
nutrients and chemicals like at-
razine out of a nearby stream.
However, EPA last October
launched what it calls a compre-
of news media stories about claims
by two environmental groups,
the Land Stewardship Project and
Pesticide Action Network North
America, that atrazine is found at
excessive levels in waterways and
may have negative effects on frogs’
hormonal balance.
Atrazine Continued on Page 7

Sign up now for

farm programs Ag groups call for estate tax reform
The deadline to sign
up for farm pro-
grams—Direct and
Countercyclical
Programs (DCP) and
the Average Crop
Revenue Election (ACRE) program is just
around the corner! Farmers must sign
up at their local Farm Service Agency
office by June 1, 2010, in order to be
eligible for program payments. Unlike
in past years, participants may not en-
roll a farm in DCP after June 1 of the
applicable contract period. There are no
late-filed provisions for contract years
2009-2012, and USDA does not antici-
pate any extension of this deadline.

©istockphoto.com/monkeybusinessimages
ESTATE TAXES can take a severe toll on surviving family members by forcing them to sell portions of their farms or ranches to pay the
federal government, American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman wrote in a letter to Senate leaders.

The American Farm Bureau
Federation has joined with other
agricultural groups in a unified
call for permanent and meaning-
ful estate tax relief for America’s
farm and ranch families.
In a letter to Senate leaders,
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-
Nev.) and Senate Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), AFBF
and 27 other organizations said
that inaction on fixing the loom-
ing estate tax challenge would
be disastrous for agriculture.
“American agriculture is tradi-
tionally a family-owned enter-
prise, and estate taxes can take a
severe toll on family members
who wish to carry on the farm
and ranch tradition,” said AFBF
President Bob Stallman. “Por-
tions of farm and ranch resources
frequently have to be sold to pay
for the resulting estate tax, and if
something is not done soon, the
bite of those taxes in 2011 will be
even more severe.”
If Congress does not act, begin-
ning next year, the law will call
for a $1 million exemption and
top rate of 55 percent. The nega-
Reform Continued on Page 3

‘Put Death Taxes to Rest’

n e w s p a p e r

The urgent need for estate tax
relief has spurred the American Farm
Bureau Federation to launch the “Put
Death Taxes to Rest” campaign.
“One of the key elements of our
effort is to make sure lawmakers know
exactly why reform is so important to
family farmers and ranchers,” said Cody
Lyon, AFBF director of grassroots/politi-
cal advocacy. “To do that we need Farm
Bureau members to tell us how they’ve
been impacted by estate taxes, whether
it’s because of the loss of a family partner,
considerable money and time spent on
estate planning, or other ways.”
To submit your story, please go to
www.fbactinsider.org and click on
the “Put Death Taxes to Rest” icon.
If you have any questions about
the campaign, please contact Lyon at
202-406-3736 or codyl@fb.org.
 fbnews.org April 19, 2010
Viewpoint 2|

Image of farmers honors agriculture’s past

By Stewart Truelsen
When Chicago lost to Brazil in its bid to
host the 2016 Summer Olympics, many
residents were disappointed. Now, the city
has suffered another disappointment with
the removal of a 25-foot tall sculpture of
two farmers from a small plaza along the
city’s Magnificent Mile.
“I hate that it is gone,” said one person to
the Chicago Tribune. The three-dimensional
sculpture by J. Seward Johnson Jr. spent a
year on loan to the city and attracted many
passers-by. It was named “God Bless Amer-
ica,” but almost everyone recognized it as a
version of Grant Wood’s famed painting,
“American Gothic,” which coincidentally
hangs in Chicago’s Art Institute.
What is it about “American Gothic” that
has so captivated people over the years?
Could it be the couple’s stoic expression,
which seems reassuring in hard times?
Maybe it is their obvious self-reliance that
we envy.
Wood did not intend to paint a classic
portrait of an American farm couple; cer-
tainly not one that would have such last-
ing effect. His sister posed as the woman in
the 1930 painting and a local dentist was
handed a hayfork and enlisted to be her
father or husband or brother (depending on
the story you hear). Farmers weren’t quite
sure what to make of the painting. Some
thought Wood was mocking small town These feelings are understandable, but they
life, as Sinclair Lewis had done earlier when provide fertile ground for critics of produc-
he wrote the novel Main Street. tion agriculture.
Like it or not, the picture is one of the most Yet, some things haven’t changed. The
recognized paintings in the world. Sure, it vast majority of farms today are still fam-
would have been nice if Wood had painted ily-owned and operated, and the traits
the man and woman with smiles on their we’ve admired in farmers and ranchers—
faces, but there wasn’t much to smile about on canvas or in real life—are still evident;
then. Crop and livestock prices were plung- the values they hold dear are the same. In
ing as Wood finished his work and the Great this way, American agriculture is drawing
Depression gripped the nation. Besides, on the best of the past to meet the chal-
Mona Lisa’s famous smile had already been lenges of the future.
painted.
“American Gothic” along with the red barn,
moldboard plow, milking stool and tractors
like International Harvester’s Farmall series,
are icons of American agriculture. Like Wood’s
painting, the red Farmall tractors also date
back to 1930. In some ways, the American
public’s appreciation for and understanding
of farming never really left that era.
The American Farm Bureau Federation and
other agricultural organizations have worked
hard to update the image of the American
farmer and paint a portrait of modern agri-
culture, its importance to our economy and
the environmental benefits we derive from
it. But it is difficult to overcome nostalgia. Stewart Truelsen is a regular contributor to
No doubt there were people who missed the
the Focus on Agriculture series and is author
plow horse as mechanization transformed
farming a century ago, and there are similar of a new book marking the American Farm
feelings today as agriculture is transformed Bureau Federation’s 90th anniversary, For-
by science, technology and global markets. ward Farm Bureau.

Brazil’s case against U.S. over cotton is settled—for now

By David Salmonsen
The news that the U.S. and Bra-
zil settled the long-running cot-
ton dispute was welcome, espe-
cially since the settlement came
just one day before $560 million
in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. prod-
uct exports were to begin. Brazil
also has authority to impose an
additional $260 million in retal-
iatory tariffs on U.S. services.
The threat of retaliation is
more postponed than eliminated.
Brazil maintains the right to re-
taliate if the U.S. does not meet
its commitments under the settle-
ment agreement.
A little background: Brazil initi-
ated a case in the World Trade Or-
ganization in 2003 challenging the
operation of the U.S. cotton pro-
gram and export credit programs.
Brazil claimed that the programs
violated the WTO Agreement on
Subsidies and Countervailing Mea-
sures. Brazil won its case, and in
August of last year after a compli-
ance panel found that the U.S. had
not done enough to comply with
WTO rulings, Brazil was autho-
rized to impose retaliatory tariffs.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Rep-
resentative and Agriculture Depart-
ment announced the preliminary
settlement of the dispute on April
6. The settlement proposal in-
cludes actions to resolve the issues
in the cotton case, as well as mea-
sures involving livestock trade.
What happens now
Under the agreement, the U.S.
and Brazil will establish a fund
to provide technical assistance
and capacity building on behalf
of Brazilian cotton production.
The U.S. will participate in estab-
lishing and setting goals for the
fund, but Brazil will decide how
the money will be disbursed.
So, how much are we talking?
The fund will receive $147.3 mil-
lion a year, paid by USDA’s Com-
modity Credit Corp. That is the
amount of tariffs, based upon an
evaluation of harm to the Brazil-
ian cotton industry from the op-
eration of the U.S. cotton pro-
gram, that the World Trade Orga-
nization authorized for Brazil from
the cotton portion of the case.
The United States on April 6
addressed the export credit por-
tion of the case by cancelling the
availability of the unsubscribed
portion of credit guarantee allo-
cations under the GSM-102 pro-
gram for fiscal 2010. The can-
celled allocations will be made
available after a new fee structure
is put in place.
USDA has made $2.7 billion
available in export credit guaran-
tees this fiscal year. Approximate-
ly $750 million of the $2.7 bil-
lion is unsubscribed.
USDA by April 16 will issue an
already completed and ready-to-
go proposed rule to recognize
that the Brazilian state of Santa
Catarina is free of certain live-
stock diseases—foot and mouth
disease, rinderpest, classical
swine fever, African swine fever
and swine vesicular disease. This
recognition is based on World
Organization for Animal Health
(OIE) guidelines.
Future activities
From April 22 to June 22, the
U.S. and Brazil are to discuss a
process to further negotiate a
final settlement of the dispute
that will bring the cotton pro-
gram and the GSM-102 program
into compliance with WTO rules.
Substantive changes to the cot-
ton program would require con-
gressional action and could be
pursued in the next farm bill.
The GSM-102 program could be
modified by USDA or Congress.
In addition, USDA agreed to con-
duct an investigation and risk
evaluation for all of Brazil to deter-
mine whether regions other than
Santa Catarina could be designat-
ed as free of foot and mouth dis-
ease. The investigation will follow
OIE guidelines. Santa Catarina is
primarily a pork producing region.
No time frame has been an-
nounced for the livestock inves-
tigation. Any proposed rule re-
sulting from the investigation
will have to go through the usual
public notice and comment pro-
cess before a final rule is issued.
Brazil retains the authority to
impose retaliatory tariffs, and
changes in U.S. farm policy that
must be approved by Congress
are Brazil’s ultimate goal. Further
negotiation is what will determine
the final shape of the end of this
dispute. However, the preliminary
settlement agreement forestalls
retaliation and outlines a plan
for putting this issue behind us.
David Salmonsen is senior direc-
tor of congressional relations,
dealing with multilateral trade
issues, for the American Farm Bu-
reau Federation.

FBNews
Don Lipton, Director, Public Relations
Lynne Finnerty, Editor
Erin Anthony, Assistant Editor
Phyllis Brown, Assistant Editor
April 19, 2010 Vol. 89 No. 8
Published semimonthly, except monthly in August and December, by the
American Farm B ­ ureau Federation, 600 Maryland Ave., SW, Suite 1000W, Washington, DC 20024.
Phone: 202-406-3600. E-mail: fbnews@fb.org. Web site: http://www.fb.org.
Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. Subscription rate for officers
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Postmaster: Send address changes to FBNews,
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April 19, 2010
Reid promises immigration reform despite hurdles
Speaking to thousands of pro-
immigration reform rally-goers
in his home state on April 10, in
Las Vegas, Senate Majority Lead-
er Harry Reid said that Congress
needed to change federal immi-
gration law this year.
“We are going to pass compre-
hensive immigration reform,”
Reid promised. “We need to do
this, this year. We can’t let ex-
cuses like a Supreme Court nom-
ination get in the way.”
Supreme Court Justice John
Paul Stevens on April 9 an-
nounced that he would retire
at the end of the current court
session in late June or early July,
adding to the Senate’s schedule
the possibly lengthy process of
confirming a replacement.
With several recesses or “state
work periods” coming up, in-
cluding the month-long August
recess, there are only about 100
workdays remaining between
now and Election Day. That isn’t
much time considering how long
it usually takes for Congress to
act, and considering that the
closer it is to Election Day, the
harder it becomes for members of
Congress facing tough elections
to get off the proverbial fence.
Another hurdle is the polarized
political climate, according to
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
He and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-
N.Y.) are working to introduce a
comprehensive immigration re-
form bill. In the days leading up
to the eventual passage of health
care reform, Graham said that
immigration reform would be
dead if the contentious health
care bill passed.
None of this, however, stopped
Reid, who is up for re-election
Application period open for Eisenhower Fellowships
Eisenhower Fellowships is ac-
cepting applications from experi-
enced farmers and ranchers for
its 2011 Agricultural Fellowship
program.
The successful applicant will be
chosen to participate in a custom-
designed, expenses-paid program
overseas for up to five weeks. The
Fellow will focus on agricultural
issues in one or two countries. In
addition, the 2011 Agricultural
Fellows will receive orientation
fbnews.org
this year, from telling the crowd
of mostly Latinos and presuma-
bly his own constituents that
2010 would be the year when
Congress finally enacts an immi-
gration bill.
“We’re going to do immigra-
tion reform just like we did
health care reform,” he declared.
Ron Gaskill, American Farm
Bureau Federation immigration
and labor specialist, recognizes
that the road to immigration re-
form may be longer than sup-
porters would like, but he says
farmers and ranchers must still
make the case that reform, of the
right kind, is important to them.
“There could be opportunities
to move forward on immigration
if other legislative priorities slip,”
he explained. “Also, even after
there is a Supreme Court nomi-
nation, it is going to take time
for the nominee to be vetted
with individual senators and for
the Judiciary Committee to hold
hearings. In the meantime, some-
thing like a climate bill or an
immigration bill could move
ahead. There could be competi-
tion for any open slots in the
agenda. We need to make sure
members of Congress know that
immigration reform is a top
priority.”
Even with the economic down-
turn, Gaskill says, farmers and
ranchers still struggle to find
American citizens who are will-
ing to do farm work. In addi-
tion, the current seasonal agri-
cultural labor program that farm-
ers use to get visas for workers
from other countries, called
H-2A, has become very expensive
and complicated.
THe H-2A rule is meant to en-
and post-travel debriefing in Phil-
adelphia, Pa., along with a select
group of Eisenhower Fellows from
around the world.
The application deadline is July
1, 2010. Applicant interviews will
be held in mid- to late-July.
Applicants must be active farm-
ers or ranchers aged 32-45 with
excellent networking avenues,
demonstrated leadership experi-
ence, U.S. citizenship or perma-
nent residency and a commitment
to at least 15-20 years of further
active leadership in agriculture.
Possible destination countries
and regions include:
•  Africa: South Africa
•  Asia: China, Taiwan, India,
Malaysia, Philippines, Singa-
pore, Thailand, Indonesia
•  Europe: European Commission
(Brussels), Germany, Ireland,
Northern Ireland, Russia,
Spain, Sweden
•  Latin America: Argentina,
Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru,
Uruguay
•  Middle East: Egypt, Jordan,
Turkey, Saudi Arabia
•  Oceania: Australia, New Zealand
Upon completing the program,
Fellows become part of an alum-
ni network of 1,700 Fellows
around the globe. Previous par-
ticipants of the Eisenhower Fel-
lowship program have risen to
|3 Capitol View
sure that farmers exhaust all that usually don’t have the food
means of finding domestic work- safety and environmental protec-
ers before hiring foreign workers, tions we have here.”
but it often takes too long for “In this time when we’re look-
them to get the help they need. ing for ways to stimulate our econ-
Throw in increased exposure to omy and reduce our trade deficit,
worker law- it would be
suits and little a real missed
to no flexibility opportunity if
to share work- Congress did
ers with other not tackle im-
farms, and migration re-
photo courtesy of california farm bureau
many farmers form and help
and ranchers to keep that ag-
say the H-2A ricultural pro-
program just duction here
doesn’t work at home,” Gas-
for them. kill added.
AFBF is call- The Obama
ing for a com- administration
prehensive im- put out new
migration re- H-2A rules last
form bill that year that re-
improves the versed changes
H-2A program made late in
with new tem- the Bush ad-
porary worker ministration
provisions as that made the
part of a package that would program less costly and more
beef up border protections and farmer-friendly. The new, more
provide a path to citizenship for onerous rules took effect on
currently illegal immigrants. March 15. AFBF sued the Labor
If Congress does not act, Farm Department in March to delay
Bureau says, American consumers the new H-2A rules. A hearing
and the U.S. economy would be was held on the case on April 9,
the losers. and the judge ruled in the gov-
“Our economists have studied ernment’s favor, allowing the
this issue and concluded that Obama administration rules to
about $9 billion in U.S. agricul- stand.
tural production will move to Gaskill said AFBF was disap-
other countries if access to labor pointed with the outcome of the
isn’t improved,” Gaskill ex- lawsuit, but that it only reinforced
plained. “If the cost of labor the need for Congress to act.
combined with other production “The H-2A program is only one
inputs exceeds what a farmer part of the equation, anyway.
can earn, that production will be Only Congress can achieve com-
replaced by more imports from prehensive immigration reform,”
cheap-labor countries, countries he said. “The ball is in their court.”
positions of influence and have www.eisenhowerfellowships.org
used the international connec- online, or contact Julia Ransom,
tions gained through the pro- by e-mail at jransom@eisenhower
gram to bring new ideas and fellowships.org or by telephone at
technologies to their communi- 215-546-1738.
ties. Eisenhower Fellowships Eisenhower Fellowships is a
challenges Fellows to identify private, non-profit organization
specific projects they will un- founded in 1953 to pay tribute to
dertake upon completion of trav- Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower and
el, often in collaboration with to foster greater cross-cultural un-
other Eisenhower Fellows, and to derstanding. The program typi-
remain engaged with Eisenhower cally sends eight to 10 American
Fellowships for their lifetimes. Fellows, including the Agricul-
For more information, visit tural Fellow, abroad each year.
Estate tax reform
Continued from page 1 are a land-based capital-intensive
tive impact on farm and ranch industry with few options for
families will be significant. paying estate taxes when they
“We support permanently rais- come due. The current state of
ing the exemption to no less than our economy, coupled with the
$5 million per person and reduc- uncertain nature of estate tax li-
ing the top rate to no more than abilities make it difficult for fam-
35 percent,” the organizations ily-owned farms and ranches to
stated. “It is also imperative that make sound business decisions.”
the exemption be indexed to infla- The groups urged Congress to
tion, provide for spousal transfers immediately pass permanent
and include the stepped-up basis. estate tax reform, which they
“Family farmers and ranchers stated “provides the greatest re-
are not only the caretakers of lief and certainty for agriculture”
our nation’s rural lands but they and helps “strengthen the busi-
are small businesses, too,” the ness climate for family farmers,
groups stated. “The 2011 change ranchers and growers while en-
to the estate tax law does a dis- suring agricultural businesses are
service to agriculture because we passed to future generations.”
 Energy
Farmers, ranchers energized by drilling proposal
Pinched by high fertilizer Analysts tie the current rise
and energy costs, farmers and in prices to speculative money
ranchers welcomed President being put into the oil markets.
Barack Obama’s proposal to ex- Investors are expecting the
pand oil and natural gas drill- U.S. and international econo-
ing off the U.S. coast. Obama’s mies to again start growing,
plan, announced at the end of driving oil demand.
March, would open 167 mil- “It’s really about oil being an
lion acres of U.S. ocean to drill- attractive investment for
ing, including large swaths of investors right now,” said
©istockphoto.com/alex-mit

the Atlantic coastline, the east- Troy Green, AAA spokesman.

ern Gulf of Mexico and the “You’ve seen quite a bit of
north coast of Alaska. money flooding into the oil
Obama said his plan is de- markets because of that.”
signed to generate revenue Michael Fitzpatrick, vice
from the sale of offshore president-energy for MF Glob-
leases, boost support on Cap- al, said he expects oil prices in
itol Hill for an energy and cli- the coming months will settle
mate change bill and reduce in the vicinity of last summer
U.S. dependence on foreign and fall’s $62-to-$72 per barrel.
oil—a long-time goal of farm- MF Global is a financial firm
ers and ranchers. “With more oil and natural of natural gas. However, that’s that brokers the sale of con-
“Farming and ranching is so gas available, in theory, energy based on data that is, in some tracts for future delivery of oil.
energy-intensive,” explained prices will go down and agricul- cases, more than three decades On July 31, 2009, oil traded
Elizabeth Jones, energy policy ture input costs will follow.” old. Because the information is at $67.50 per barrel. On April
specialist at the American Farm The first oil and natural gas so dated and these areas are 1, oil came in at $84.87 on the
Bureau Federation. “In addi- lease sales are at least two years largely unexplored, it will likely New York Mercantile Exchange.
tion to diesel needed to run out, although drilling could be- take years for companies to find “Oil and natural gas prices
tractors and combines, many of gin as early as next year in a 50- pockets of oil and gas, to build are not simply the difference
the inputs farmers use, such as mile parcel off the coast of Vir- deepwater drilling platforms and between supply and demand,”
fertilizers and crop protection ginia that’s already been slated start pumping crude to offshore Jones said. “That’s why farmers
chemicals, are manufactured for lease sales. refineries. and ranchers, though pleased
using oil and natural gas.” It’s unclear just how much oil In the meantime, growers are with efforts to expand domes-
When energy prices go up, and natural gas there is to tap keeping a wary eye on oil prices tic production, are adamant
growers pay more for fertilizer into in the areas included in climbing toward $90 a barrel, de- that the U.S. establish a robust
and other farm inputs, but Obama’s proposal. The Interior spite a reduction in oil consump- portfolio of home-grown fuel
they don’t recoup those costs Department estimates there could tion, decreased demand from U.S. sources to tap into, including
when they sell their crops or be up to three years’ worth of oil motorists and refiners operating ethanol, biodiesel, biomass
livestock, Jones pointed out. and more than a two-year supply below capacity. and other renewable fuels.”

Levin sets Memorial Day end-goal for biodiesel tax credit extension
Raising the hopes of a sputter- roactive extension of the credit to The tax credit helps make the
ing biodiesel industry, House be included in a larger package price of biodiesel competitive
Ways and Means Committee of other expired tax incentives. with conventional diesel fuel.
Chairman Sander Levin (D-Mich.) “Let’s work on it and try to get Without the incentive, refiners
said last week that he will push it done before Memorial Day,” and distributers are opting for
his colleagues to extend a lapsed Levin said at an April 14 Ways the lower-cost conventional die-
$1-a-gallon biodiesel tax credit. and Means Committee hearing sel, putting about 23,000 jobs at
Levin is calling for a one-year ret- addressing energy policy. risk, according to the National
Biodiesel Board.
“This has a ripple effect on rural
America, where many of the plants
are located and where much of
the typical biodiesel feedstock of
soybean oil comes from,” said Pat
Wolff, American Farm Bureau Fed-
eration tax specialist.
In a letter sent last week to
House and Senate Democratic
and Republican leadership, AFBF
and other groups urged lawmak-
ers to act quickly to retroactively
extend the biodiesel tax incentive.
The lapse of the biodiesel tax
incentive and the drop in demand
that followed is undermining the
ability of fuel retailers and mar-
keters to offer advanced biofuels
to the public, the groups wrote.
“This uncertainty makes it ex-
ceedingly difficult for fuel retailers
and marketers to invest in the vi-
tal infrastructure that is necessary
to widely distribute biodiesel in
the marketplace,” the letter said.
The 1.9 billion gallons of bio-
diesel produced in the U.S. since
the tax incentive was enacted in
2004 has displaced an equivalent
amount of diesel fuel with a clean-
burning, efficient fuel that reduces
greenhouse gas emissions by as
much as 86 percent compared to
petroleum diesel, according to
AFBF and the other organizations.
An extension of the biodiesel
tax credit through the end of
the year—along with additional
key biofuel and other tax incen-
tives and farm disaster aid—is
included in a bill, the American
Workers, State, and Business
Relief Act of 2010 (H.R. 4213),
passed by the Senate in March.
The House late last year passed
its own legislation extending a
slew of expiring tax provisions,
including the biodiesel credit.
The most challenging differ-
ence between the bills is how the
tax extenders would be paid for,
but House and Senate lawmakers
have said they are working to
overcome them to meet the end-
of-May goal.

USDA proposes rules for U.S. Navy is sailing on biofuel
biomass crop payments program toward energy security
USDA in February issued a pro-
posed rule to change a program
that was created in the 2008
farm bill to promote the produc-
tion of biomass crops—things
like switchgrass and fast-growing
poplar trees that can be turned
into energy.
The American Farm Bureau
Federation recently commented
on the department’s proposal,
saying that Farm Bureau supports
renewable energy incentives but
has concerns about a scheme to
tie program payments to carbon
emissions.
The Biomass Crop Assistance
Program (BCAP) was added to the
farm bill’s energy title in 2008.
Under the program, farmers par-
ticipating in a BCAP project can
enter into a five-year agreement
with USDA to plant annual and
perennial non-food biomass
crops, or a 15-year agreement to
grow woody biomass.
The program will provide
annual incentive payments for
producing the crops and cost-
share payments of up to 75 per-
cent of the cost of establishing
biomass crops. It also provides
matching payments to assist
with collection, harvest, storage
and transportation (CHST) of
the crops to a qualified biomass
conversion facility that turns
them into heat, power or bio-
fuels. The CHST payment rate
is $1 for each $1 per dry ton
paid by the conversion facility,
up to a maximum of $45 per
ton.
USDA last June started up the
CHST matching payments as the
first phase of the program. That
part of BCAP has already paid
over $165 million on 4,605 agree-
ments for the delivery of more
than 4.18 million tons of bio-
mass, according to USDA. The
department suspended that por-
tion of the program when it is-
sued guidelines in February that
would make changes to the CHST
payments as well as lay the foun-
dation for implementing the rest
of BCAP.
USDA proposes various op-
tions for structuring different
levels or tiers of matching pay-
ment rates, with one option be-
ing to base the rates on the value
of lowering carbon emissions.
The more a particular biofuel
would lower greenhouse gas
emissions, the higher the pay-
ment rate for the associated feed-
stock would be. The minimum
matching payment would be $16
per dry ton.
“We oppose basing BCAP pay-
ments on carbon emissions,”
Farm Bureau wrote USDA. “Such
a payment scheme could lead to
unintended consequences, which
could include additional regula-
S P E C I A L R E P O R T
tory burdens on farmers and
ranchers.”
Elizabeth Jones, AFBF energy
specialist, explains: “The concern
is that if the federal government
measures the carbon footprint of
producing biofuels and biomass
crops, then that could lay the
groundwork for an effort to regu-
late agriculture’s carbon emis-
sions. Farmers and ranchers al-
ready face increasing regulations
at the federal and state levels.
We can’t
support a
proposal
that might
contribute
to that and
make it
more ex-
pensive to
farm. That
was not
the intent
when this
program
was cre-
ated. The
intent was
to increase
production
of biomass
energy and
biomass
crops.”
The
proposal
also states
that USDA
intends
to apply existing conservation
plan requirements as a condi-
tion of eligibility for BCAP pay-
ments and requests comments
on additional conservation and
stewardship measures that could
be included in the matching
payment requirement. Farm Bu-
reau said farmers and ranchers
already are subject to multiple
conservation and environmental
requirements and the depart-
ment should not add to them.
A proposal that Farm Bureau
supports is including non-native
biomass crops in the list of eli-
gible crops, and including crops
that aren’t eligible for CHST
matching payments in the oth-
er parts of the program—the
annual and cost-share payments
aimed at fostering the planting
and production of biomass
crops.
In its fiscal 2011 budget, the
Obama administration proposed
$479 million for the program,
much more than the $70 million
over five years that the Congres-
sional Budget Office originally
estimated it would cost. Congress
has yet to pass the agriculture
appropriations bill that will de-
termine the amount of funding.
USDA says it will issue a final
rule this year.
By Ray Mabus
The United States Navy and Ma-
rine Corps rely too much on fos-
sil fuel, a source of power for our
ships, aircraft and tactical vehicles
that often comes from parts of
the world susceptible to price and
supply shocks outside our control.
Overreliance on the global oil in-
frastructure in turn creates strate-
gic and operational vulnerabilities
that could degrade our ability to
ensure the
security of
the United
States.
What we
need are
American
solutions to
our energy
needs that
will provide
for a more
secure na-
tion and
world, solu-
tions that
reduce our
reliance on
foreign
sources of
power, and
solutions
that will
make Amer-
ica stronger
economi-
cally by
creating
more opportunities for American
workers, businesses and farmers.
So the Navy has turned inward—
to the oceans of the plains—to bio-
fuels produced in the fields, farms
and ponds of our country. It is
through our agricultural base that
the economic and security chal-
lenges of the future will be met
and overcome.
On April 22 we will launch our
very own F/A-18 “Green Hornet”
into the skies over Southern
Maryland for the first supersonic
flight on a biofuel blend. The
fuel is an equal mix of standard
jet fuel and biofuel made from
camelina, a grain that farm-
ers can grow throughout the
United States in crop rotation
with grains like wheat in fields
that would otherwise lie fallow.
Our biofuel demand may be
only one aircraft today. But by
2020, the Navy and Marine Corps
have resolved to power half of all
our energy requirements on our
bases and in our fleet through
biofuels and other alternative
sources. The Green Hornet is only
the first tangible step toward a
new energy economy and new
economic opportunities in agri-
culture and green technology.
The energy revolution is not
the Navy’s alone. As the presi-
April 19, 2010
dent stated last month, the gov-
ernment must “lead by example
and practice what we preach:
cutting waste, saving energy and
reducing our reliance on foreign
oil.” Federal agencies, states, busi-
nesses and universities natiowide
are working toward this goal.
In January, Agriculture Secre-
tary Tom Vilsack and I cemented
one such partnership. We com-
mitted our departments to work
together to advance biofuel re-
search and development across
the United States. Through
USDA’s support of farmers and
its expertise in innovative agri-
cultural financing and research,
and the Navy’s resources, we
resolved to find and develop ef-
forts to make the future a reality.
We began our collaboration this
month in Hawaii, which imports
over 90 percent of its energy. In
conjunction with the State of Ha-
waii, the Energy Department and
the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency, we are working
toward biofuel solutions there
that have the potential to radi-
cally alter the Hawaiian energy
market and Hawaiian agriculture.
The energy independence our
nation requires will be made pos-
sible in part through biofuels
grown or produced across Amer-
ica. Farmers and entrepreneurs
continue to expand feedstocks to
include grains like camelina, suc-
culents like jatropha that can be
intercropped with fruit or vege-
tables, new algaes being developed
in Hawaii and California, and
cellulose fibers produced from
grasses and woody plants. These
advanced biofuels do not compete
with food production and can
be grown on marginal lands and
derived from agricultural waste.
To take a line from the movie
“Field of Dreams,” if American
farmers grow these new fuel
crops, the Navy and Marine
Corps will come.
There is a new energy economy
on the horizon and this admin-
istration is committed to that
vision. To maintain our place
in the world, provide for our
defense and secure our common
economic well being, America
must and will continue to lead.
The Honorable Ray Mabus is
the secretary of the Navy.

Capitol View
Farmers need to learn about oil spill regulations
The deadline for farmers and
ranchers to comply with new
federal oil spill prevention
regulations, Nov. 10, 2010,
may be postponed, Environ-
mental Protection Agency of-
ficials have told the American
Farm Bureau Federation. They
would not say what the new
compliance deadline would be,
but they have submitted a
proposal to the Office of Man-
agement and Budget. Farm Bu-
reau has urged EPA to give
farmers and ranchers more
time to become familiar with
the regulations.
Regardless of when the dead-
line is, the Spill Prevention,
Control and Countermeasure
(SPCC) rule is something that
farmers and ranchers need to
pay attention to.
“We have to get ready for this
new regulation to be enforced,”
said Paul Schlegel, AFBF regula-
tory specialist. “Now is the time
to learn about it and how or
whether it applies to your own
operation.”
Farm Bureau has told EPA
officials that they need to do
more outreach to agriculture,
and the agency has stepped
up its efforts by providing
information on its Web site.
In addition to a general SPCC
Web page, the agency has
posted a fact sheet for farmers
at www.epa.gov/emergencies/
docs/oil/spcc/spccfarms.pdf.
Survey indicates meat, dairy price recovery
Retail food prices went up in
the first quarter of this year, ac-
cording to the American Farm
Bureau Federation’s quarterly
Marketbasket Survey. The lat-
est survey shows the first food
price increase in over a year.
The survey also indicates that
the market has improved for
some meats and dairy products,
whose producers suffered a se-
vere downturn in late 2008
through 2009. Shredded cheddar
cheese, deli ham, bacon, boneless
chicken breasts and eggs were
among the items that increased
the most in price from the last
quarter of 2009.
“Improved demand for milk
fbnews.org
6|
Farms with total above-ground
fuel storage capacity of more
than 1,320 gallons or buried stor-
age capacity of over 42,000 gal-
lons will have to have an SPCC
plan in place and maintain re-
cords to show that they are fol-
lowing the plan.
EPA has had SPCC rules in
place for decades, but it changed
them in 2002 to clarify which
facilities had to comply. There is
virtually no history of such spills
within agriculture, and Farm
Bureau argued that Congress
never intended the law to apply
to farms. The agency, however,
pointed out that there is no spe-
cific exclusion for agriculture,
but in response to comments by
Farm Bureau and others in the
agriculture community, it at-
tempted to make the regulations
and dairy products here at home
and from export markets was the
driving factor behind higher re-
tail prices found by our volunteer
shoppers during the first quarter
of the year,” said John Anderson,
AFBF economist. “Higher retail
prices for some meats were due to
reduced supplies.”
USDA’s World Agricultural
Supply and Demand Estimates
(WASDE) report of April 9 says
that cattle, hog and poultry price
forecasts are raised for 2010 as
cattle and hog supplies are ex-
pected to be tight and as broiler
prices react to tight red meat
supplies and improved demand.
Dairy herd reductions in 2009
easier for farmers and ranchers.
Now the federal government is
getting ready to enforce the rules,
and Farm Bureau is pushing EPA
to ensure that farmers have the
information they need.
“Many farmers and ranchers
may not have heard much about
this until now,” Schlegel ex-
plained. “We are trying to get
the word out, so that no one is
caught off guard.”
EPA will implement the new
regulations under a tiered ap-
proach, with facilities with total
above-ground fuel storage of
10,000 gallons or less, no single
container of more than 5,000
gallons and no history of oil
spills into navigable waters fall-
ing under Tier I, the least burden-
some set of requirements. Tier I
operations will be allowed to use
have helped turn around a severe
drop in milk prices; however, the
WASDE report forecasts higher
milk production and weak ex-
ports in 2010, resulting in a low-
er dairy product price forecast
going forward. Still, the all milk
price for 2010 is forecast at
$15.45 to $15.95 per hundred
pounds of milk, a marked im-
provement over the $10 to $11
per hundred pounds that dairy
producers were seeing a year
ago.
AFBF’s Marketbasket Survey is
done by a team of volunteer
shoppers around the country,
who go to grocery stores and
record the prices charged for spe-
cific food items. In the first quar-
ter survey, done in early March,
the volunteers found the price of
shredded cheddar cheese at $4.26
per pound, up 62 cents from the
previous quarter; sliced deli ham
at $4.83 per pound, up 48 cents;
bacon at $3.22 per pound, up 22
cents; boneless chicken breasts at
$2.93 per pound, up 22 cents;
and eggs at $1.74 per dozen, up
19 cents.
Non-meat and dairy items that
also were among the large gain-
ers were apples, at $1.50 per
pound, up 25 cents; and vegeta-
ble oil, at $2.74 for a 32-ounce
bottle, up 23 cents.
Other items that increased in
price quarter-to-quarter were
flour, up 16 cents to $2.26 for a
5-pound bag; whole milk, up 11
cents to $3.15 per gallon; bagged
salad, up 10 cents to $2.67 for a
April 19, 2010
an SPCC plan template and
self-certify their plans rather
than having to hire a profes-
sional engineer (PE) to certify
them.
The Tier I plan template
with instructions can be found
at www.epa.gov/emergencies/
content/spcc/tier1temp.htm.
Oil, gasoline and diesel
stored on the farm will count
toward a farm’s regulated stor-
age capacity. However, the
rules will apply to more than
oil tanks. Pesticides that are
oil based or mixed with oil
and stored on the farm also
will count toward the farm’s
storage threshold, as will con-
tainers that are not perma-
nently capped.
“If you can’t say for certain
that your farm or ranch is not
covered by SPCC, you need to
log onto EPA’s informational
Web pages to find out for
sure,” Schlegel advised, “be-
cause one thing that is certain
is that EPA will start enforcing
these rules. You don’t want to
wait and find out, too late,
that you should have put one
of these spill prevention plans
in place. Do it now and you
could save yourself a lot of
trouble later on.”
www.epa.gov/
emergencies/content/spcc/
1-pound bag; sirloin tip roast,
up 9 cents to $3.69 per pound;
Russet potatoes, up 8 cents to
$2.26 for a 5-pound bag; orange
juice, up 5 cents to $2.98 per
half-gallon; and toasted oat cer-
eal, up 2 cents to $2.97 for a 9-
ounce box.
The total for the marketbasket
of 16 food items was $45.54, up
$2.64 or 6 percent compared to
the fourth quarter of 2009. That’s
still $1.87 or about 4 percent be-
low the cost of the same items
one year ago, due to the previous
five consecutive quarters of price
declines.
Two foods decreased slightly in
price in the latest survey: white
bread, down 11 cents to $1.71 for
a 20-ounce loaf; and ground
chuck, down 6 cents to $2.63 per
pound.
Although the Marketbasket Sur-
vey tracks retail food prices, it
usually mirrors market prices and
trends that farmers and ranchers
have been seeing for weeks or
months.
“The survey shows how sup-
ply and demand trends we’ve
been dealing with in agriculture
eventually show up in the prices
that the volunteer shoppers see
at the grocery store,” said Ander-
son. “We’re definitely seeing the
tighter supply and higher price
impacts resulting from some
herd reductions that occurred in
2009 due to the downturn. It’s
always interesting to see these
things play out at the retail
level.”
April 19, 2010
AFBF launches ‘legal affairs’ Web site
The American Farm Bureau Fed-
eration’s legal department has
launched a new “Legal Affairs”
section of AFBF’s Voice of Agricul-
ture Web site. The purpose of the
new section is to give Farm Bureau
members a better sense of the le-
gal involvement of AFBF through
its legal advocacy program.
The legal advocacy program
supports beneficial changes in
the law for agriculture through
coordination among member
state Farm Bureaus. The combi-
nation of increased coordination
with the legal advocacy program
and AFBF’s extensive experience
in public policy advocacy gives
Farm Bureau a greater effect in
the legal arena.
While AFBF attorneys cannot
provide legal advice, they do of-
fer legal information on issues
important to Farm Bureau mem-
State Focus
Indiana: Purdue takes steps to
address nationwide vet shortage
Purdue University is considering in-
creasing the number of students it will
accept into its School of Veterinary
Medicine by 20 percent over the next
two years in a bid to meet the grow-
ing need for veterinarians across the
country. Willie Reed, dean of Purdue’s
veterinary medicine school, said some
predictions indicate the demand for
veterinary services will increase about
35 percent by 2016. “There’s a critical
need of veterinarians practicing large
animal medicine, specifically food
animal medicine. This really is becom-
ing a national security issue. Our food
veterinarians are on the front lines and
they will be the ones to detect foreign
animal diseases that could really threat-
en our livestock and poultry popula-
tions,” said Reed. Although up to half of
Purdue veterinary graduates focus on
small animals, over the past five years
students are increasingly focused on
other options, such as livestock produc-
tion, according to Kathy Salisbury, the
school’s assistant dean.
Crucial herbicide atrazine at risk in EPA review
Continued from page 1
EPA has reviewed such claims
before and found, in 2003, 2006
and again in 2007, that atrazine
posed no harm. The environmen-
tal groups, however, claim that
the prior reviews were biased.
Likewise, the American Farm
Bureau Federation is concerned
that the re-evaluation is based
on EPA’s desire to bow to envi-
ronmental special interests.
“All interested parties had
ample opportunity to register
their views on atrazine when it
fbnews.org
bers. The legal advocacy section
of AFBF’s Web site makes it easy
to find the information on active
and closed cases impacting farm-
ers and ranchers. In addition, the
section is a great resource for any-
one interested in learning more
about AFBF’s impact in court-
rooms across the United States.
Provided for all the cases are a
case summary; description of the
importance of the case to the ag-
ricultural community; descrip-
tion of AFBF’s role in the case;
PDF links to AFBF’s key docu-
ments and relevant opinions; and
a search feature by category or
keyword.
There is also a pop-up “Legal
Terms” definition section to help
non-lawyer users understand ter-
minology as they read through
case summaries. In addition to
demonstrating AFBF’s commit-
Maryland Farm Bureau backs
‘locally grown’ bill
The Maryland House and Senate earlier
this month approved a Maryland Farm
Bureau-supported bill (House Bill 421)
to give the Maryland secretary of agri-
culture the authority to define the
terms “locally grown” and “local.” Citing
surveys showing that nearly 80 percent
of Marylanders prefer local products,
Maryland Agriculture Secretary Buddy
Hance said consumers have “great
confidence in local products.” However,
Hance pointed out, the definition of the
term “local” varies by person. In addi-
tion, for some retail outlets, local simply
means grown in the United States. “We
don’t believe consumers think produce
grown in California, Florida or other
states is local,” Hance said. Along with
Maryland Farm Bureau, the Maryland
Christmas Tree Association and the
Maryland Wineries Association backed
the bill. “It’s the retailing, the marketing,
the promotion that will keep our indus-
try sustainable,” said Kevin Atticks, ex-
ecutive director of the wineries group.
“The word ‘local’ means something.”
was up for re-registration,” AFBF
President Bob Stallman wrote to
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson
in February. “The process fol-
lowed was above-board and fully
in keeping with the requirements
of [federal pesticide law]. There is
absolutely no reason, at this stage
of the process, to attempt to re-
write history to restrict or ban
this chemical’s use.”
“We are concerned about the
direction EPA has decided to take
in launching another compre-
hensive reevaluation of atrazine,”
|7
ment to legal advocacy, this pub-
lic Web site aids in coalition-
building and sharing information
Missouri Farm Bureau applauds
Arrow Rock decision
The Missouri Farm Bureau welcomed
a decision by a Missouri appeals court
earlier this month overturning a ruling
that set up a buffer around the historic
village of Arrow Rock to “protect” it from
a proposed farming operation. The case
generated national attention when
Cole County Circuit Court Judge Patricia
Joyce ruled in 2008 that there should be
at least a 2-mile buffer around Arrow
Rock. She initially ruled the buffer
should be 15 miles but later amended
that ruling. Charlie Kruse, Missouri Farm
Bureau president, applauded the deci-
sion and said Farm Bureau had strongly
opposed allowing a judge to set buffers.
“It would be a dangerous precedent to
bypass a well-defined process of regu-
lating production agriculture that is
based on sound science and the use of
best management practices,” Kruse said.
He also emphasized the importance
of “communicating to the public the
commitment of farmers and ranchers
to raise their livestock in a humane and
environmentally sound manner.”
he added.
Reps. Leonard Boswell (D-
Iowa) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.)
are circulating a letter for other
members of Congress to sign
to Jackson expressing concerns
about the re-evaluation and call-
ing for a science-based process.
Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.),
House Agriculture Committee
chairman, and about a dozen
other members of Congress
have written similar letters.
Kiefner says that if atrazine is
banned, the cost of farming and
State FB Links
with interested organizations.
The new legal affairs section can
be accessed at http://legal.fb.org.
Montana Farm Bureau first to
achieve Navigator Award
Montana Farm Bureau is the first state
Farm Bureau in the nation to win the
Navigator Award, which is presented to
states that achieve exceptional member-
ship growth. For the award, state Farm
Bureaus are categorized by size in six
groups. Montana is in group size two,
which includes states with 10,000 to
24,999 member families. The Navigator
membership growth goal in group size
two is 3.5 percent growth over the previ-
ous year. Montana earned quota when it
reported 14,001 members and qualified
for the Navigator award when it reported
14,491 members. This is the third con-
secutive year Montana Farm Bureau has
been the first to receive the Navigator
Award. “The Navigator Award shows that
state Farm Bureaus attract and keep their
members. States that earn the Navigator
award have engaged volunteer leaders,
strong legislative and leadership devel-
opment programs, money saving mem-
ber services and more,” said Brad Eckart,
director of the organization department
at the American Farm Bureau Federation.
food will go up.
“Atrazine is inexpensive for
us to use,” he explained, “so
anything that is going to cost us
more money increases our cost
of production, and just like in
any other business anything that
increases my cost will eventually
get passed on to the consumer.”
www.epa.gov/pesticides/
reregistration/atrazine

Grassroots
Know about farming? The Peace Corps wants you
The Peace Corps is looking for a
few good men and women with
experience in agriculture. Peace
Corps volunteers serve overseas
for 27 months. Agricultural vol-
unteers work closely with farm-
ers to introduce effective tech-
niques and develop small busi-
ness projects to increase market
opportunities. FBNews recently
interviewed two Peace Corps
recruitment specialists, Frank
Higdon and Jim Bays, a hay,
grain and timber producer in
Chenango County, N.Y., about
the Peace Corps’ agriculture sec-
tor program.
How important is agricul-
ture in underdeveloped
countries?
Higdon: Agriculture is incredibly
important to developing countries
and forms their economic base.
About 75 percent of the world’s
people live in rural areas, and
most of them are involved in
farming. Since 1961, Peace Corps
has represented an American leg-
acy of global service and Peace
Corps volunteers have worked on
locally-based projects that increase
crop yields, expand the diversity
of crops that farmers grow and
improve farmers’ processing and
marketing techniques. Peace
Corps volunteers are working to
address food shortages and im-
prove food security in the 76 na-
tions and local communities in
which they serve. Peace Corps ag-
ricultural sector projects that ad-
dress food security have ranged
from fish farming and the intro-
duction of small-scale irrigation
systems to improved food proc-
essing and marketing of food. Vol-
unteers have also helped address
food availability and nutrition
through a variety of projects, in-
cluding building school gardens,
growing agricultural microenter-
prises and educating community
members about good nutrition.
Aren’t Peace Corps volun-
teers all young hippies?
Higdon: Peace Corps volunteers
don’t fall into one category; they
come from all across the country,
represent different age groups and
have diverse backgrounds. Their
common link, however, is that
they are committed to creating sus-
tainable change at a grassroots lev-
el while living and working along-
side other cultures around the
world. Peace Corps greatly values
and relies upon the experience
that farmers and ranchers bring
to agricultural and environmen-
tal service abroad and encourages
those interested in representing the
American legacy of public service
to apply their skills to Peace Corps.
Are older people welcome?
fbnews.org
8|
Vita and Anthony Trujillo, Peace Corps volunteers in Mongolia, admire a sunflower
plant with Vita’s counterpart. Vita worked with a seed cooperative to help her com-
munity grow and sell unique crops.
Higdon: Absolutely. Peace Corps
actively recruits older Americans
because life experience is an im-
portant factor for the long-term
success of Peace Corps volunteers
in the field. While many Peace
Corps volunteers are recent col-
lege graduates, more than 15
percent of volunteers are over 30.
Older adults are often afforded
greater respect in traditional ru-
ral societies, so age can be an ally
for Peace Corps volunteers. Life
experience helps prepare volun-
teers to adjust to their new cul-
tural surroundings and form re-
lationships at their project sites.
What would you tell a
farmer or rancher who may
be wondering if he or she
has enough knowledge or experi-
ence to be a Peace Corps volunteer?
Bays: Given the depth of knowl-
edge of America’s farmers and
their commitment to sustainable
practices, there are many oppor-
tunities for American farmers
and ranchers to engage in Peace
Corps projects. Peace Corps host
countries often seek assistance
to stabilize and grow their agri-
culture sectors through the use
of contemporary best production
practices. American farmers have
used soil management and pro-
duction best practices for over a
century and are some of the most
efficient and attentive stewards
of the land. The American agri-
cultural success story was built
upon a farming industry that
has become highly competitive
and specialized. The land-grant
colleges’ Cooperative Extension
Service is a great example of how
state-of-the-art knowledge, infor-
mation and applied academic re-
search have helped the farming
community. American farmers
are a talented, independent-
minded and tenacious group
committed to the long-term via-
bility of their farming operations.
Peace Corps is proud to engage
FBNews is launching this regular series of question-
and-answer articles with people who have interesting
perspectives or information to share about agriculture.
Look for “The Inteview”in upcoming issues of FBNews.
American farmers and ranchers
in our international efforts to
build sustainable agricultural sec-
tors across the globe.
What’s an example of
knowledge that a farmer
might take for granted but
could be of great benefit to com-
munities in underdeveloped
countries?
Bays: An often overlooked, yet
significant, characteristic of Amer-
ican farmers and ranchers is their
keen organizational skills. The sea-
sons, the climate and the weather
all play a role in limiting flexibil-
ity. Peace Corps volunteers help
local farmers anticipate these chal-
lenges and increase productivity
and efficiency. The American
farmer is also meticulous about
protecting his or her soil. Many
become experts on the soil’s needs,
its enhancement potential and its
Corner Post
Tax Freedom Day
Number of days spent working to pay taxes
Source: Tax Foundation
April 19, 2010
limitations. This “student of the
soil” understands the soil’s chem-
istry, its pH sensitivity and when
to let it lie fallow for a season. This
tremendous focus on the soil is an
important skill set to apply to
Peace Corps’ agricultural sector
work. Finally, American farmers
are sensitive to proper waste treat-
ment. This is a critically impor-
tant public health issue that Peace
Corps volunteers help implement
worldwide.
What do volunteers take
away from their Peace
Corps experience?
Bays: Peace Corps service is a
life-defining leadership experi-
ence. Volunteers live with their
host communities and serve with
local governments, communities,
schools and entrepreneurs to cre-
ate sustainable projects in local
communities. They learn a new
language, experience new cul-
tures and return to the United
States as global citizens. Peace
Corps also provides tangible
benefits for those who serve. Vol-
unteers receive health and den-
tal care, a living stipend, travel
expenses and a readjustment al-
lowance when they return home.
From graduate school opportuni-
ties to career services to advan-
tages in federal employment to
a network of more than 200,000
returned Peace Corps volunteers,
volunteers also receive incredible
career-related support when
they return home.
To learn more about volun-
teer opportunities in agricul-
ture, visit www.peacecorps.
gov or e-mail Frank Higdon
(fhigdon@peacecorps.gov).
Number of Days
April 24 — 114
April 16 — 106
April 8 — 98
April 9 — 99