wfu june 2011 news

wisconsinfarmersunion.com

June 2011 Volume 68 | no. 6The reasoned voice for family farmers since 1930

WFU NEWSWISCONSIN Farmers Union

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Fall Fly-In ScholarshipsPage 5

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By Darin Von RudenWFU President

I just got back from the annual Von

Ruden Men’s Fish-ing Weekend, and the fishing was good

- lots of good-sized sunfish and a few crappies. It was a little rainy on Marsh-miller Lake, but that usually makes for good fishing and means a little less stress from leaving my farm.

It was a great weekend on a great lake in Northwestern Wisconsin. I had some time to clear my head and think about family - and also about what’s coming up for WFU and Wisconsin farmers.

With WFU, I get to travel through-out Wisconsin, and I am continually reminded how exceptional our state is with its history of combining agricul-tural production with sound land and water stewardship. There is always a need to balance profitability with re-sponsibility in farming, or any busi-ness, but our history of preserving nat-ural resources while also providing for economic opportunity has proven that this balance can be achieved.

I do, sadly, think that some current policy proposals at the state level are taking us away from this traditional perspective and vision.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the proposed state policies for meet-ing our future energy needs. With fuel and virtually all other input costs up significantly, farmers remain trapped on a familiar cost/price treadmill - sending our local dollars to support oil company profits, and then hoping that the prices we receive for our products will be high enough to cover our costs.

We can get off this treadmill, of course, and begin planning a future for our farms that is based on sustainable and locally controlled energy sources. Most people I talk to agree with this vi-sion of the future, yet we continue to accept our short-sighted dependence on oil and coal. Perhaps, in part, this

is because those who have a stake in our current energy policy (providers and politicians who receive donations from providers) have an interest in the enormous profits that come from keep-ing things the way they are.

Our current state leadership has shown too little interest in developing future technologies or promoting local ownership of energy resources. One provision in the Budget Repair Bill, for example, allows for selling state owned heating/cooling/power plants to private contractors without the need for any bidding process and without any real definition of whether the sale is in the public interest.

Another example is Governor Walk-er’s decision to stop the conversion of Madison’s Charter Street Power Plant from coal to biomass, and instead to use only natural gas. This decision may save money up front, but it undercut the work of numerous private and public partners to develop a biomass produc-tion and distribution system that would have kept energy profits and jobs in ru-ral Wisconsin.

In last month’s WFU newsletter, Daryl Ray (University of Tennessee) looked at the potential for our farms to regain their traditional role as both food and energy producers. Doing this will require mixing new and old tech-nologies, and a commitment to broad participation and investment by farm-ers. It will also require the political will to push for new public policies.

That’s why we are busy getting ready for the Renewable Energy Road Show

on July 1. This event is going to be a great opportunity to learn about farm-based renewable energy technologies. The tour will feature local farms and businesses that are active in developing renewables, and discussions with Ger-man farmers about how these ideas are being implemented in Europe.

There are exciting things happening in Spain and Germany with community and cooperatively owned wind farms and the development of biogas produc-tion. Germany has been able to bring biogas production to a smaller, fam-ily farm/cooperative scale, and is now the world leader in biogas production with almost 4,000 plants operating and 1,000 more set to open within a year.

If I’m still here in 50 years, I want to be able to tell future Von Ruden’s, at the annual fishing weekend, that this old man and Wisconsin Farmers Union had the vision to invest in local, sus-tainable and profitable energy for our still healthy family farms and lakes.

EventsPage 8

Looking to the Future

Chippewa County June Dairy Days

Farmers appreciation chicken Dinner

Wed. June 15th from 5-9pm at the northern WI State

faIrgroundS. Wfu haS a lImIted number of

tIcketS avaIlable. tIcketS muSt be pIcked up In the

State offIce by June 14. call uS today at 715-723-5561

to reServe yourS!

Farmers union news WFU News | Fall 20102Page wisconsinfarmersunion.com WFU News | June 20112Page

Capitol Roundup

By John AikmanHome Grown Cow CEO

At the end of the summer

last year, I met with Wisconsin Farmers Union to

introduce a new virtual farmer’s mar-ket for meat, poultry and cheese called Home Grown Cow. With the support of WFU, Home Grown Cow and NFU have developed an alliance to alert Farmers Union producers about a great opportunity to participate in e-Commerce, and to share with Home Grown Cow producers the benefits of Farmers Union membership.

Homegrowncow.com is a Wiscon-sin-based web site that provides meat, poultry and cheese producers with a full-service e-commerce sales channel nationwide. It costs nothing for farm-ers to participate, is available to farm-ers without Internet access, and opens a national marketplace for farmers and consumers anywhere in the U.S. to come together.

Home Grown Cow offers meat, poultry and cheese producers the op-portunity to list their farms, include a brief profile on their operation, list their products, and set their own price for direct purchase by consumers. It’s free for farmers to sign-up and farmers can choose how much of the modest service fee that is built into the retail price is paid by the farmer and how much is paid by the consumer.

With consumers paying as much as $28.00/lb for beef in retail stores, and a predicted $4.2 billion dollars to have been spent on food, beverages and pet food online in 2010* there is growing demand from consumers everywhere for food that comes directly from the farm. Studies also show that more than eight in ten consumers say they trust smaller scale farms to produce safe nu-tritious food**. Home Grown Cow is here to help family farms prevent their share of the retail dollar from shrink-ing even more than it has over recent decades and revive the once-common

concept of knowing where the food on one’s table comes from.

Consumers can browse farms by product, farm practices, farm size, and location, thus being afforded transpar-ency and choice when it comes to the meat and cheese on their table. How-ever, despite the growing demand for farm-direct meat from family farms, many consumers are unsure of how to find and purchase directly from them. Farms on the other hand are often too busy, on too tight a budget or lacking information about how to attract these customers or engage in Internet Mar-keting.

Home Grown Cow’s features for farmers include marketing, credit card processing, order conveyance and shipping facilitation. Both “Farmer” and “Eater” are protected by Home Grown Cow’s payment “safety net” which keeps consumers’ billing in-formation safe and protects farmers by ensuring customer commitment. Farmers can also list pre-order items well ahead of time to help manage in-ventory.

Home Grown Cow is live and ac-tively recruiting farms to support – hence the new relationship with Na-tional Farmers Union. The demand is there and we need as many farm-ers as possible looking to add to their revenue stream and sell their products through Home Grown Cow, so we can begin marketing to consumers in earnest and successfully support the whole group. Once we get going the number of farms and cheese produc-ers that we welcome and support can be limitless.

Find Home Grown Cow at NFU’s Al-liances page (www.nfu.org/about-nfu/al-liances) * Global market review of online grocery

retailing –forecasts to 2014: Chap-ter 4, Consumer dynamics, Jonathan Thomas. Just -Food. Bromsgrove

** Food and Farming 2004 Roper Public Affairs/NOP World

Home Grown Cow teams up with NFU to provide farmers with E-Commerce opportunities

By Kara SlaughterGovernment Relations

Here are some of the

current topics that Wisconsin Farmers Union is following

at the Capitol:Tell the Governor to Support

PACE and Buy Local, Buy Wiscon-sin!

Farmers spoke, and the legislature listened! On Wednesday, May 18, 2011, the Legislative Joint Finance Commit-tee voted to preserve two important programs for Wisconsin agriculture: the Purchase of Agricultural Conserva-tion Easements (PACE) program in the Working Lands Initiative, and the Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin program.

The Joint Finance Committee voted 15-1 to restore the Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin Program, and to fund it at 90% of the funding level for the 2009-2010 biennium. The committee also voted 16-0 to preserve the PACE pro-gram and to fund the first round of 16 PACE contracts from 2010 with up to $5.2 million from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund. The PACE program will remain on the books for the future, but the budget does not allocate any funding for PACE contracts in 2011 or 2012 due to the current budget short-fall.

The next step: making sure that the governor signs these provisions of the budget proposal into law. Give the governor’s office a call today – (608) 266-1212 – and ask that the governor support the Joint Finance Committee’s bipartisan recommendation to restore the PACE program and the Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin program.

Assembly Bill 146: Devaluing the Renewable Energy Portfolio Stan-dard

A bill has been introduced in the Wisconsin Assembly that would seri-ously diminish the existing state Re-newable Energy Portfolio Standard. The practical effect of the bill would be that renewable energy markets would become more volatile, and very few new renewable energy projects would be constructed in Wisconsin.

Background on Renewable Energy Purchasing Requirements for Utilities

Under current law, each electric util-ity has to purchase a certain percentage of its power from renewable sources each year. Even though this “Renew-able Portfolio Standard” (RPS) is cal-culated on an annual basis, utilities are allowed to “bank” renewable energy credits for up to four years. Rather than having to buy exactly 10 percent renew-ables each year, utilities can choose to purchase extra renewable credits in one year, and then redeem those credits up to four years later in order to meet their renewable energy requirements.

The current policy strikes a balance between giving utilities some flexibil-ity in when they purchase renewable credits, and also encouraging new re-newable energy development by lim-iting the banking of large numbers of credits for use in future years. Nearly all states with an RPS have a limit on renewable credit banking through an expiration date or some other mecha-nism.

Proposed Measure would Diminish Utilities’ Annual Renewable Require-ment

Alas, Assembly Bill 146 would al-low utilities to bank renewable energy credits without any time limit whatso-ever. This means that a utility could meet its annual renewable requirement by using credits for renewable energy that was generated years, or even de-cades, earlier. This defeats one of the major purposes of having a renewable portfolio standard, which is to ensure that there will be a reasonably steady market for renewable energy over the course of time. If there is one thing we don’t need, it is energy markets that are even more volatile than they are now!

This bill will be scheduled for a hearing very soon. If you are interested in testifying at the hearing, please con-tact me at [email protected] or 608-514-4541 and I will let you know as soon as the hearing is scheduled. All WFU members are encouraged to call or email Assembly representatives and ask them to oppose Assembly Bill 146. The key message: This bill will make renewable energy markets less stable, and will discour-age the development of new renewable energy sources in the state.

Farmers union newsWFU News | Fall 2010 3Page wisconsinfarmersunion.com

Last week the Joint Finance Committee passed a measure that would make it easier to convert a

credit union directly to a bank. There were no public hearings on this proposal, nor were any credit unions or credit union members given an opportunity to comment on the proposal.

“This is a major law change that will undermine the stability of credit unions,” said Wisconsin Farmers Union President Darin Von Ruden. “That’s why we’re asking lawmakers to remove this proposed change from the biennial budget, and take time to consider whether the measure is in the best interest of the state.”

There are over 220 credit unions in the state of Wisconsin, many of which are headquartered or have branches in rural areas and farming communities. These communities are often under-served by investor-owned banks. “Credit unions are an important part of a diverse and competitive financial industry in rural Wisconsin,” said Von Ruden. “We should not be making it easier for investor-owned banks to gobble up locally-owned credit unions.”

In cases where conversion from a credit union to a bank is appropriate, the existing methods under current law are workable and have been successfully used by state credit unions in the past. Current state law contains safeguards to ensure that credit union

members know that a vote on conversion is taking place, and that they have the information they need to cast an informed vote.

The new provision only requires a simple majority of those present at any given meeting to vote in favor of conversion. It would allow for a very rapid conversion from a credit union to a bank, without allowing time for members of the credit union to understand the implications of conversion, or even know that the conversion is taking place. In short, it would facilitate the process of investor-owned banks taking over the state’s profitable credit unions.

“Credit unions have always been an excellent source of loans, financial education, and general support for Wisconsin’s farmers and rural residents,” said Von Ruden. “For these reasons, Wisconsin Farmers Union calls upon members of the legislature to safeguard the future of the state’s credit unions by removing the credit union conversion language from the omnibus budget package. Creating a new method to disassemble Wisconsin’s credit unions is unnecessary and unwise.”

WFU News | June 2011

Wisconsin Farmers Union asks legislature to reconsider budget provision that undermines Credit Unions

Printed by: Leader Printing • Eau Claire, WI

Janet Nelson District 1715-455-1755

Dennis RosenSecretary District 2715-265-4519

Wayne DanielsonTreasurerDistrict 3715-289-3660

Craig MyhreVice President District 4715-983-2167

Darin Von RudenPresidentDistrict 5608-634-4695

Patty EdelburgDistrict 6715-445-2003

Richard KellerDistrict 7608-437-5122

W. Michael SlatteryDistrict 8920-863-2996

Mark LiebaertAt-Large715-398-5234

WFU BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Wisconsin Farmers Union neWs

A publication of theWisconsin Farmers Union 117 W. Spring StreetChippewa Falls WI 54729715-723-5561

www.wisconsinfarmersunion.com

Newsletter edited by Amanda Kollwitz & Cathy StatzDirect all comments and questions to the WFU state office.

Layout and design by John Balgaard

Bulk Rate postage paid at Eau Claire, WI

PO Box 821122 W. Jefferson StreetViroqua, WI 54665

608-637-2526Fax: 608-637-7032Email: [email protected]

Providing high quality organic certification and grassfed verification services to producers and processors

Farmers union news WFU News | Fall 20104Page wisconsinfarmersunion.com

Farmers Union Membership

Saves Money on

Hotel Stays

There is now another way that your membership in Farmers Union benefits you

– a special savings of 20% at more than 6,000 hotels across the country.

Farmers Union has partnered with Wyndham Hotel Group to provide this discount to our members, a

discount that is not available to the general

public. Farmers Union members will receive a 20

percent discount off the lowest regularly

available public rate. This means a savings even

compared to services like Hotels.com and Expedia. And the discount extends well beyond Wyndham

branded hotels to all of the chains in the WHG system – including: Ramada Worldwide, Days Inn,

Wingate Inn, Howard Johnson, Travelodge, Super 8, Baymont Inn, Microtel Inns and Suites, Hawthorn

Suites and Knights Inn locations.

There are two easy ways to access this Farmers Union discount:

Online

Visit the National Farmers Union website at

www.NFU.org and look for the link under “Why

should I join” – or go directly to

www.NFU.org/hotels

The discount code is provided when booking

online

Toll Free

877-670-7088

Each hotel chain will be available from the menu.

Please call the State Office for the discount code at

800-272-5531

Advance reservations are required to guarantee the discounted rate.

For more information contact the Wisconsin Farmers Union Office at 715-723-5561 or 800-272-5531.

WFU News | June 20114Page

By Nick MahrMembership Coordinator

Grassroots. Member-driven. Local. It seems every organi-

zation and movement claims these values recently. But to Farmers Union they are far more than the most recent buzz words. They rep-resent the structure of the organi-zation, and have since its inception in 1902.

Rather than a top-down approach to activism, Farmers Union’s poli-cies start with the members and gather strength and voice as they grow through the local, county, state, and national level. The Live Oak Tree, the emblem of the Farm-ers Union, is an excellent symbol

of this struc-ture, and is ap-propriate em-blem for many other reasons. This tree is predominantly found in the South, espe-cially in Texas, where Farmers

Union originated. Live Oak trees do not lose all their leaves in the winter and their leaves stay green. This emblem also demonstrates how the organization gathers en-ergy from the individual members, represented by the leaves, and channels that into a strong national organization.

At Farmers Union summer camps, a popular way of teaching this structure is to have the campers play the parts of the tree. Starting with one child standing tall with her hands at her sides, we explain how the trunk of the tree represents

the National Farmers Union. Next, another camper stands behind with her arms wide. These branches represent the state and local units. Then another camper joins the tree with her hands out and waving. Those waving hands represent the leaves. The leaves on the tree rep-resent Farmers Union members, as there are always young and new members to regenerate the orga-nization. Finally, we add a camper sitting down in front of our tree to represent how Farmers Union policy is deeply rooted in rural America.

While it may not be practical to pantomime an oak tree when asked to explain how Farmers Union works, the analogy is useful. Espe-cially important is the idea of ener-gy traveling in through the leaves, like ideas flow in from members. Another helpful metaphor is that strength is drawn from the trunk, much like how National Farmers Union provides a unified political force that positively affects nation-al and international agricultural policy.

A great example of our com-bined strength is the recent change allowing approved state-inspected plants to sell meat across state lines. Individual members of a local unit noticed a problem and proposed solutions. Their proposal gained support from the state and national organization. By work-ing in cooperation with our state and national organization, those individual members were able to accomplish change. Like the Live Oak Tree, Farmers Union is alive and growing, just as the organi-zation’s founders hoped it always would be.

Did You Know?The Live Oak Tree-Farmers Union’s Organizational Structure

Farmer-owned for over 100 Years. Converting rBST-free* and certified-Organic**

milk from our member-owners into value-added dairy food products.

Hard CheesesCottage CheesesSour CreamsDairy DipsYogurts and more.

*No significant difference has been shown between milk from rBST-treated or non rBST-treated cows. **Certified Organic by Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA).

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National Farmers Union is organizing a Fall Legislative Fly-In on Septem-ber 12-14, 2011 in Washington, D.C. Fly-ins allow our members to gather

in the nation’s capital and help acquaint members of Congress with the chal-lenges family farmers and ranchers currently face across rural America.

These visits provide an excellent opportunity for producers to tell lawmak-ers firsthand how current government policy has an impact on them and others in their area. Fly-in participants can share a personal story and put a human face on how decisions in Washington, D.C. affect both producers and consum-ers across the United States.

To apply for a Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU) Fly-In scholarship, appli-cants must be a WFU member and a first-time fly-in participant. Those inter-ested should send a 200-250 word essay on why they would like to attend the NFU fly-in and email the essay, along with your name, address, and telephone number to [email protected] with a subject of “2011 Fall Fly-in Scholarship” or mail to the WFU State Office, c/o Fly-In Scholarship, 117 West Spring Street, Chippewa Falls, WI 54701.

The winner(s) of the WFU Fly-In Scholarship will be expected to report on their experience at the WFU State Convention in Wausau, Wis., on January 27-29, 2012.

NFU Fall Fly-in Scholarship Opportunity


By Cathy StatzEducation Director

School is getting out and summer is coming in,

so sign up for camp fun at WFU Kamp Kenwood! We’ll continue to register

campers throughout the summer, but space is limited, so send in your forms today.

Are you ready to introduce the Farmers Union camp experience to younger kids in the fam-ily, or want to enjoy a little time away with the grandkids? Sign up for Family Camp! Join us August 12-13, immediately following the Ju-nior 2 Camp. This casual overnight experience is a great way to introduce younger children and grandchildren to the tradition of summer camp. Cost for Family Camp is $65 for one adult and up to two elementary-aged children; addition-al adults $25 each; additional youth $15 each. Printable camp registration forms can be found in the newsletter, online at www.wisconsinfarm-ersunion.com or can be requested from the WFU office.

We are happy to welcome back some of last year’s summer camp staff, as well as to introduce some new counselors.

Returning as Assistant Camp Director is Nick Mahr of Stanley. Nick has also been working for WFU as membership coordinator. He is a former camper and Senior Youth Advisory Council member, and has served on staff at the NFU All-States Leadership Camp in Bailey, Colorado.

Joining him are fellow Assistant Camp Directors Krist Kvalheim and Mitch Salzwedel, both of Sun Prairie. Krist is finishing a term of student teaching in ag educa-tion, and Mitch is joining us after a late May paddling trip to Ontario related to his geology/hydrology/environmental studies work. Both are students at UW River Falls and members of the Collegiate Farmers Union there. Also returning to staff is Allison Krosnoski of Glenwood City. Allison is a business adminis-

tration and information systems student at UW Eau Claire, and was a key staff person for dairy breakfasts last year.

Char Meier of Cross Plains is back as our Camp Nurse, and Noel Capra of Chippewa Falls and Joan Stuart of Colfax are returning as Camp Cooks. We’re also pleased to have a number of Senior Campers assisting as Counselors-In-Training during the younger camps and out-reach events; Kaia Rubin of Madison and Sarah Henderson of Eau Claire will be helping out at various points during the season.

We are welcoming a number of new staff this year. After having spent many years as a camper, Louie Fisher of Stockholm will be serving as a counselor. Jesse Davis and Kristen Yeager both learned about Farmers Union Camp while vol-unteering at Kamp Kenwood with the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity of at UW Eau Claire. Jesse is from Green Bay and is studying science and Spanish. Kristen, who will serve as our camp lifeguard, is an education major from Wausau focusing on science and history. UW River Falls student Tim Emahiser from Plymouth, Minne-sota will bring his experience with Cub Scouts

and Big Brothers Big Sisters to our program this summer. Maddie Gehrig, a psychology and Spanish major at the University of Minnesota Morris, is looking forward to returning to her native Chippewa Falls to join us as well.

We have a great camp staff with varied skills and talents this summer! Look for us at dairy breakfasts and other outreach events around the state, and we hope to see many of you at Kamp Kenwood!

WFU Welcomes Summer Camp Staff

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Farmers union news WFU News | Fall 20108Page wisconsinfarmersunion.com

June 4Jackson county Dairy Breakfasteric anD Lori PruDLick famiLy farmW16657 us HWy 10, osseo

June 4Vernon county Dairy BreakfaststeVe anD Joann HumfeLD farm (Wfu memBers)e4798 stafsLien Lane, cHaseBurg

June 4Barron county Dairy BreakfastBrent/tara young & DarryL/ BarBara young farm552 9½ -10½ street, DaLLas

June 5 maratHon county Dairy Breakfastsam anD Jen Zimmermann farme2259 county rD Q, ringLe

June 5stratforD ffa aLumni June Dairy Breakfastcountry aire BaLLroomcorner of HWy P anD HWy 97, stratforD

June 10Breakfast in tHe VaLLeyec exPo center5530 fairVieW DriVe, eau cLaire

June 11Dane county Breakfast on tHe farmHaag famiLy farm6868 BuetHin roaD, Dane

June 11PoLk-Burnett eLectric co-oP 73rD annuaL meetingunity scHooL1908 HWy 46, BaLsam Lake

June 11sauk county Dairy Breakfastkinnamon riDge Dairy s3175 WHite rD, reeDsBurg

June 12 stanLey-BoyD tHorP ffa Dairy Breakfast JoHn anD Laurie Jo LeWanDoWski farm n 14085 tieman aVe (cty rD n), tHorP

June 12 st. croix farmers union famiLy Picnic J-c croes farm 2264 200tH st., Deer Park noon PotLuck, kiDs’ actiVities & sWimming

June 15 farmers aPPreciation cHicken DinnernortHern Wi state fairgrounDs5-9Pm

June 15 Vernon eLectric co-oP memBer aPPreciation Picnic3-7Pm

June 17-19 miDWest reneWaBLe energy fair custer (east of steVens Point)June 18 Portage county June Dairy BruncH skinner Dairy farm 4909 cLoVer rD, Junction city

June 18 La crosse county Dairy Breakfast LasH LanD Dairy W1968 DaVis creek rD, minDoro

June 19 LoyaL ffa aLumni Dairy Breakfast PauL Bugar trucking W2944 state HWy 98, LoyaL

June 19 marsHfieLD ffa aLumni Dairy Breakfast seeHafer acres m243 HWy 97, marsHfieLD

June 25 oZaukee county Breakfast on tHe farm Jim anD sHerri meLicHar farm 3990 WiLLoW Ln, Port WasHington

July 11 tayLor county Day camP meDforD

July 15 maratHon county Day camP maratHon Park, Wausau

July 13-17 nortHern Wisconsin state fair cHiPPeWa faLLs

July 29 Dane county farmers union Day camP 11am-3Pm, manLey farm Barn 2144 cty t, sun Prairie

July 30 kickaPoo country fair organic VaLLey HeaDQuarters one organic Way, La farge

August 14 Wfu summer HaPPening kamP kenWooD

August 15 Dane county farmers union Day on tHe farm – noon-6Pm annuaL Picnic – 6Pm HincHLey farm 2844 HWy 73, camBriDge

August 15 cHiPPeWa faLLs cHamBer of commerce Business after Hours kamP kenWooD

JAnuAry 27-29, 2012 Wfu state conVention Wausau, Wi

WFU News | June 20118Page

Wisconsin Farmers Union, in con-junction with National Farmers

Union and Minnesota and South Da-kota Farmers Union, will be hosting a “Renewable Energy Road Show” on July 1, 2011. Tour participants will have the chance to visit farms and businesses in Wisconsin that are producing and using biodiesel and other bio-based transportation fuels. The event will be a great chance for farmers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and public officials to exchange ideas on how to move the bio-based econ-omy forward. It will also be a lot of FUN! There is no cost to participate in the tour, and lunch and snacks are included.

The tour will feature visits to Or-ganic Valley in La Farge, Derr Farms

in Sun Prairie, Virent Energy Systems in Madison, and more. Whether you have a biofuels business idea your-self or are just curious what biofuels are all about, this tour is for you! The tour will start and end in Madison, but there will also be the option to hop on the bus at Richland Center.

Interested? Contact Kara Slaughter for more information or to sign up: [email protected]; 608-514-4541.

Get on the (Biodiesel) Bus!

would like to invite you to “A Summer Happening”

Sunday, August 14

11:00 am to 4:00 pm

WFU Kamp Kenwood

19161 79th Ave. - Chippewa Falls

WFU’s mission of enhancing the quality of life for family farmers, rural communities and all people through educational opportunities will be visible through the increased awareness of sustainable agriculture and by exploring energy options and practical solutions to our everyday challenges. “A Summer Happening” will provide a day of family fun activities, education and clean living options for residents across the state at WFU’s Kamp Kenwood, located next to Lake Wissota in Chippewa County.

*** If you are interested in being a vendor/exhibitor, please contact the State Office @ 800-272-5531

Renewable Energy Road Show: Date: July 1, 2011 Time: 8 AM to 3:30 PM

(end time is approximate) Cost: FREE, due to generous

support from sponsors.

Farmers union newsWFU News | Fall 2010 9Page wisconsinfarmersunion.comWFU News | June 2011

Dunn Energy CooperativeEnergy thru Excellence

Barron Electric Cooperative Serving the rural area for 75 years

Medford CooperativeCelebrating 100 years of service!

Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative Your Partner for energy solutions, www.Polkburnett.com

Lakeland Cooperative Services Proudly Serving Northwest Wisconsin

Central Wisconsin Cooperative Stratford, Marshfield, Auburndale, Chile

Taylor Credit Union Where your money works as hard as you do

Viroqua Food Cooperative Your community connection for local food

Oconto Electric Cooperative Co-ops are better www.ocontoelectric.com

Hixton-Fairchild Farmers Co-op Fairchild-Hixton-Humbird

Greenville Cooperative 920-757-6556

Citizens Telephone Cooperative, Inc. Your Pathway to the World

Eau Claire Energy Cooperative www.ecec.com

Consumers Co-op Oil Sauk City - 608-643-3301

Barron Mutual Insurance 715-537-5141

Jump River Electric Co-op Ladysmith ~ Hayward Your Touchstone Energy® Partner

Oakdale Credit Union We treat you like a member of the family

Organic ValleyFarmer-Owned

Cochrane Cooperative Telephone Serving Buffalo City, Cochrane, and Waumandee

Barron Farmers Union Co-op Propane, Fuel, Oil, Truck stop 715-537-3181

AgStar Financial Services 866-577-1831

St. Croix Electric Cooperative A Touchestone® Cooperative

Vernon Electric Co-opYour Touchstone Energy® Partner - www.vernonelectric.org

Vernon Telephone CooperativeWestby – 608-634-3136

WCCU Credit UnionWestby, Viroqua, Richland Center, Reedsburg, Cashton

Thanks to our farmers for all of the cooperative work they do!

Farmer’s Share of Retail Food DollarDid you know that farmers and ranchers receive only 15.8* cents of every food dollar that

consumers spend on food at home and away from home?

According to USDA, off farm costs including marketing, processing, wholesaling, distribution and retailing account for more than 80 cents of every food dollar spent in the United States.

May 31, 2011

Bacon1 Pound

Retail: $5.49Farmer: $0.92

Top Sirloin Steak1 Pound

Retail: $8.49 Farmer: $1.85

Bread1 Pound


Fresh Carrots3 Pounds


Beer6-Pack Cans


Cereal18 Ounce Box


Cheddar Cheese1 Pound

Retail: $5.49Farmer: N/A

Eggs1 Dozen


Flour5 Pounds


Boneless HamPrice per Pound


Lettuce1 Head (2 Pounds)


Milk1 Gallon, Fat Free


Potato ChipsLays Classic, 11oz

Retail: $3.49Farmer: $0.22**

Fresh PotatoesRusset, 10 Pounds

Retail: $5.49Farmer: $0.78**

SodaTwo Liter Bottle


Farmer’s share derived from USDA, NASS “Agricultural Prices,” 2011.Retail based on Safeway (SE) brand except where noted.*Figure according to U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service**Reflects April 2011 prices.


Small businessperson and farmer Ron Meyer knows that success is all in the details. There is a bank two miles from his house. Yet he chooses to drive the extra miles to do business with the staff at WESTconsin Credit Union. View Ron’s full story—Member Stories at westconsincu.org.

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(800) 924-0022 | westconsincu.org Amery | Baldwin | Barron | Hudson | Menomonie

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June Dairy Month Quiz (answers located on page 15)

Compiled by Diane Tiry with the help of www.moomilk.com/moo-milk-quiz and the University of Illinois Extension Website.

1. How many pounds of milk does a cow produce in one month? A) 1,800 pounds B) 3,000 pounds C) 2,100 pounds

2. How many glasses of milk does a cow produce each day? A) 45 B) 90 C) 180

3. Which cow breed weighs the most? A) Jersey B) Brown Swiss C) Holstein

4. Calcium is widely available in milk and milk products like cheese and yogurt as well as in dark green leafy vegetables like kale. How many servings of kale would you have to eat to get about the same calcium from a glass of milk? A) 3 B) 1 C) 5

5. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk and milk products every day. On average, how many servings of milk products do Americans eat daily? A) 2 B) 1.5 C) 1

6. How many gallons of milk does the average American drink each year? A) 5 B) 19 C) 31

7. How many girls, ages 9-13, do NOT get enough calcium every day? A) 1 out of 10 B) 5 out of 10 C) 9 out of 10

8. Which cheese is the most widely purchased and consumed in the world? A) Mozzarella B) Swiss C) Cheddar

9. Super Bowl Sunday rates as the number one day for consumption of: A) Cheese curds B) Pizza C) Ham and cheese sandwiches

10. More than __________ new dairy products are introduced every year. A) 1000 B) 10 C) 100

11. America’s favorite ice cream flavor is: A) Butterscotch Revel B) Chocolate C) Vanilla

12. Plastic milk bottles were first introduced in the United States in: A) 1965 B) 1967 C) 1969

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By: Daryll Ray & Harwood Schaffer

The issue of high and volatile agricultural commodity prices and its causes and im-

pacts has been the subject of numerous publi-cations and meetings over the last three years including Dakar Agricole 2011, a meeting that we spoke of in last week’s column. Before continuing with our discussion of that meet-ing, we would like to establish a foundation for that discussion by reviewing a paper writ-ten for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, The pa-per, “Protecting the Food Insecure in Volatile International Markets,” was authored by Ian McCreary, an economist and former director of the Canadian Wheat Board. By way of dis-closure, Daryll received and commented on an earlier draft of the paper.

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a coali-tion of all of the major Canadian churches. The paper was commissioned because the churches were “alarmed at the realization that sudden food price spikes had the potential to cast mil-lions of people into chronic food insecurity.” They believed that “such price induced food crises quickly overwhelm any of the gains made by the recent decades of effort to reduce hunger in developing countries.”

Specifically, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank “saw the need to research the issue of reserves, in particular, the history of cereal stock lev-els since the Second World War. Early in this sixty year period there were deliberate food re-serve policies in place, initial-ly as part of the International Wheat Agreement, and later as part of the domestic policies of the US and the European Com-munity. In addition, many devel-oping countries also maintained food reserves. All of these poli-cies were changed in the 1980s and it had been widely accepted that such policies are no longer appropriate. Without prejudg-ing the case, [the Foodgrains Bank has] sought to re-examine

the issue in the light of the 2007-8 price spike and the subsequent developments leading up to a second price spike in early 2011.”

The paper makes it clear that the world has buffer stocks one way or the other. In the pe-riod before 1996—China is another story—governments in developed countries held re-serve stocks of storable grains which became available to the market at times when the price exceeded some pre-determined level. This re-lease of grain met the demand needs of the consumers and calmed jittery markets, head-ing off a spike like those seen in 2007-8 and early 2011.

With the elimination of these policies and an increase in international agricultural trade, Mc-Creary writes, “as production and consumption increases, poor and vulnerable people become the buffer for an ever larger pool of cereal pro-duction and consumption.”

The buffer stock that once was a storable grain has now become a buffer stock of peo-ple who are moved out of the demand market whenever the price is beyond their reach. The buffer stock now has a human face. And that face is hundreds of millions of people who are marginally food-secure and can become food insecure any time the price rises out of their reach. Demand is reduced and the major

reduction comes not from cattle feeding and ethanol production, but from reducing the ef-fective demand of people who are living on the margin of food insecurity. These numbers do not include the 800 plus million food insecure who are consistently excluded from purchas-ing grain because they lack the funds to do so or the resources necessary to produce their own food.

As McCreary says, “The dynamic is [mor-ally] unacceptable.”

After going through a systematic analysis of the reasons why crop markets are vulnerable to volatility, especially as trade increases, Mc-Creary argues for different stock policies for different grains:

■ “Maize/Corn - a biofuel set aside program is suggested. Either through variable mandates or by bidding production off the market, assur-ances must be provided to the global economy that biofuel production will be adjusted when food supplies become critically tight.

■ “Wheat - a coordinated fixed quantity multilateral reserve representing 1-2% of glob-al use is recommended.

■ “Rice - small regional reserves are recom-mended. Rice is thinly traded and there would not be confidence that a reserve centrally held by exporters would be available to all in the

Replacing the “buffer” created by world’s starving and hungry with a grain buffer

Planting the Seeds of Cooperation...Half a World Away Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer

Program at NFU/NCBA

NFU is working with the NCBA Farmer-to-Farmer Program to send American farmers and agribusiness professionals to do 2-3 week agri-cultural development projects in Senegal and Niger. The Program is sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development. Volun-teers work with farmers, producer groups, rural businesses, and service providers to develop local capacity necessary to enhance food secu-rity, increase incomes and economic growth, and address environmental and natural re-source management challenges.

The Program pays all assignment-related expenses. Volunteers should not have to pay any of their own money in order to participate. What you take home may be worth more than what you bring. Interested? E-mail NFU at [email protected].

Africa’s Calling,Will You Answer?

NFU is working with the NCBA Farmer-to-Farmer Program to send American farmers & agribusiness professionals to do 2-3 week agricultural development projects in Senegal and Niger. The Program is sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Program pays all assignment-related expenses.

Volunteers should not have to pay any of their own money in order to participate. Interested? E-mail NFU at [email protected].

Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer Program at

NFU/NCBA


event of tight supplies.”He concludes the Executive Summary: “Re-

serve policy, improved information and trans-parency, and fair trade rules are only a subset of the planks required to improve global food security. A new Food Assistance Convention will still be required to guarantee a minimum amount of food for emergencies and other set-tings where food assistance is appropriate.

“Donors should continue to accept the price risk of commitments under a new Food Assis-tance Convention and support stockholding to cover their risks.

“Public sector investment in productivity for smallholder agriculture is also required to in-crease the resilience of agriculture globally.

“However, none of these food security pro-grams can be expected to be successful if ce-real prices continue the erratic volatility of the past four years.”

In the end, he also identifies the need to ad-dress the core issue of price volatility.

We agree. Where we differ from McCreary is in the size of the reserves and the use of price bands and release prices. While in the short-run

cutting off ethanol production may be the logi-cal first step, we think over the longer term it makes sense to have a corn reserve sufficient to stabilize corn markets without shutting off the production of biofuels. If corn production in the years ahead turns out to respond to the cur-rent high price signals with increases as large as it appears they could be, that would be an ideal time to set aside a reserve stock of corn. The same holds true for the other grains and the filling of a reserve in a year of high production would have a stabilizing impact on prices that farmers receive.

The best insurance against excessive volatil-ity is to reinstitute a buffer-stock program suf-ficient to assure all grain users of a stable flow of the products they need. Farmers can be pro-tected by instituting a price band that is wide enough to give the market plenty of room to respond to normal changes in supply and de-mand while enabling farmers around the world the opportunity to earn a livelihood from their work.

To us, previous shortcomings of buffer re-serves were due more to political sabotage than

lack of effectiveness of a properly implement-ed buffer-stock instrument. While it would be difficult to eliminate all political influence, an independent federal-reserve-like board would be in a better position to head-off the gradual dilution of purpose that plagued US attempts in the past, especially the Farmer Owned Grain Reserve.

Daryll E. Ray holds the Blasingame Chair of Excellence in Agricultural Policy, Institute of Agriculture, University of Tennessee, and is the Director of UT’s Agricultural Policy Analysis Center (APAC). Harwood D. Schaffer is a Re-search Assistant Professor at APAC. (865) 974-7407; Fax: (865) 974-7298; [email protected] and [email protected]; http://www.agpolicy.org.

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By Amy Czerniak

Farmers markets are places consum-ers can purchase directly from the

producer with no middleman to com-plicate matters. The two original goals of farmers markets, to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to consumers and to support small family farms, still re-main the base behind current markets. Recent years have shown an increase in the amount of people selling and shop-ping at Wisconsin’s farmers markets. Why?

On average, food travels 1500 miles from field to kitchen. Buying locally reduces energy emissions that other-wise occur in the transportation of that food. Some people think more consum-ers have become aware of the benefits of purchasing locally grown food due to the recent attention the media has been giving to local and organic pro-duce. The idea of eating healthier is certainly being promoted and markets make it easier to put that idea into prac-tice. Farmers markets give consumers not only the opportunity to get to know producers on a personal level, they also give assurance of food quality and pre-serve the local food heritage.

Reducing the amount of processed food in the diet has been found to im-prove health. Food is more nutritious and tastes better when it is fresh. The existence of farmers markets means the general public has better access to healthful, quality foods. Markets also promote sustainability, which is de-fined by Madison’s Research, Educa-tion, Action, and Policy on Food Group (REAP) as the methods of growing and distribution “that protect the environ-ment and support a high quality of life in the communities in which food is produced, processed, and distributed.”

Selling goods at farmers markets provides a supplemental income for vendors. Large, commercial farms have overshadowed family farms for years, but buying produce directly from ven-dors at the market supports their liveli-hood. Studies have found that money spent in the community tends to stay in the community, stimulating the local economy. Some studies even estimate that when buying local, 85 to 90 cents of each dollar will likely remain in the state.

Wisconsin has a strong background in farmers markets. The Dane County Farmers Market is the largest in the na-tion and has been rated as a top market by both Good Housekeeping and Food and Wine. There is a waiting list of nearly five years to become a vendor at the Dane County market, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get involved or begin your own local farmers market in your local area. Because the number of people wishing to sell goods is grow-ing, waiting lists are fairly common, but may make it easier to find vendors if you’re interested in starting your own market. In the past ten years, the num-ber of farmers markets in the U.S. has increased from 2,863 to 6,132.

Increasing interest has been fueled by technology that makes it easier to find, start, and promote farmers mar-kets. Go to www.ams.usda.gov/FMPP to learn more about the Farmers Mar-ket Promotion Program, which was created to promote sales directly from producers to consumers in agricultural markets. FMPP awarded over $4.5 mil-lion in grants in 2009. Additional sup-port and information can be found at www.farmersmarketcoalition.org.

Other websites to check out:www.homegrowncow.comwww.farmfreshatlas.orgwww.localharvest.orgwww.localdirt.orgwww.anythingwisconsin.com/farmers markets.htmwww.wisconline.com/attractions/ farmersmarkets.htmlwww.reapfoodgroup.org

*Amy Czerniak is a Collegiate Farmers Union member attending UW La Crosse with a major in communications. She grew up in the Taylor County Farmers Union Juniors, received the Farmers Union Torchbearer Award and was elected to both the WFU and National Farm-ers Union Youth Advisory Councils. A former WFU camp staff member, Amy was selected as one of two individuals nationwide to serve as a 2011 summer intern with the National Farmers Union office in Washington, DC.

Fresh from Farm to Table Buyer’s advantage with Dakota Pride CooperativePrice, quality and quantity key factors in success

Less than 12 years ago, a brand new cooperative was created

to market specialty spring wheats through the North Dakota Mill and Elevator. Within the first five years, the co-op experienced steady growth and started working on building an international sales market. Two years ago, Dakota Pride had their first soy-bean sale to Japan. This year, Dakota Pride Cooperative will export 10,000 bushels of soybeans and has attract-ed over 200 member-producers with over 100,000 acres available for pro-duction.

Executive Director Leland “Judge” Barth explained, “Dakota Pride Co-operative is a cooperative of farmers growing the highest quality, identity-preserved grains in the world. Right now, we have non-GMO soybeans, hard spring wheat and hard white spring wheat. We’re focusing on dif-ferent things and will provide market specialty crops grown by co-op mem-bers based on buyer specifications.”

He went on to say that the coop-erative is attempting to build a suc-cessful track record with Japan first, which will help to open up potential markets in other countries like Korea and Taiwan.

Currently, members are able to grow a wide variety of crops includ-ing: wheat, soybeans, barley, oats, peas, flax, canola and durum. Dakota Pride will work with buyers to select the ingredient characteristics needed to produce a profitable end product. The co-op will identify varieties of grains and/or oilseeds that buyers want. The buyer will then be guar-anteed the highest level of identity preservation. Producers will grow to buyer specifications and guarantee quality from planting through deliv-ery. The cooperative will clean, store and ship all crops using either the Identity Ag Processing plant in Cass-leton, N.D. or Bloomer, WI.

The 2010 crop production from Dakota Pride included hard white spring wheat and non-GMO soy-beans. “One of the most unique ser-vices we offer is identity preservation and traceability,” said Barth. “Each product’s identity is protected from the producer to the end user. Assign-ment of lot number by product origin allows for detailed production, stor-age and processing information to accompany each shipment. This de-tailed history of product production offers consumers the ultimate assur-ance of food safety. It allows the con-sumer to track their food.”

The Identity Ag processing facility in Bloomer opened on Sept. 1, 2010 and is uniquely designed to handle the Dakota Pride Coop business with specialized sorting and handling equipment. The Bloomer location specializes in soybeans and gluten free. Most important, Identity Ag Processing is dedicated to processing non-genetically modified commodi-ties.

Barth concluded, “There’s defi-nitely a future need and a strong mar-ket for growers to be successful using Dakota Pride. We’re hoping to offer production contracts as our interna-tional relationships are strengthened. It’s an exciting time looking at our projected growth. ”

Are you interested in joining Da-kota Pride Cooperative? We are look-ing for farmers who currently raise soybeans that may be interested in raising about 50 acres of non-GMO food grade soybeans in 2012 for de-livery to Identity Ag Processing in Bloomer, WI. We want to help these producers with raising the proper va-riety, applying the proper agronomic practices for their area, and walking them thru the entire process of har-vesting, storage and delivery. If this is something that you would like more information on, please contact Judge Barth at 701-220-9418.


TRANSITIONS

Transitions Submissions should be 200 words or less — with exceptions as subject demands and space allows. Photographs forwarded to the same email are encouraged so long as files are saved at a minimum 200 dpi, required for quality print reproduction. Ground mail submissions will be accepted with prior ap-proval, and in that case return of photographs is not guaranteed.

Standalone photographs also are encouraged so long as everyone featured is identified by name and the event or moment is briefly explained.

All notices will run, and we will do our best to accommodate each in the nearest upcoming newsletter. Those held over because of print deadlines or space limitations will appear as soon as possible.

Please forward notices to [email protected] is a special address set up only for Transitions; if you seek to get in touch with staff for another reason please use individual emails or call the office.

When emailing, please include your name and telephone number for any necessary follow-up. We look forward to hearing from you.

—Wisconsin Farmers Union staff


My name is Katy Phillips and I’ve just been hired on to be

your Communications Director.I am very honored and excited

to have been chosen for this posi-tion with such a fantastic organiza-tion and I thought you may want to know a little bit about me.

Here’s the technical stuff:I have a strong communications

background and diverse skills to bring to the position. I have a degree in Journalism from the University of Minnesota.

I’m an experienced writer, having written press releases, campaign lit-erature, copy for campaign websites, radio and TV copy, promotional materials and advertising. I under-stand writing to my audience. I am also very experienced with messag-ing and coordinating message cam-paigns through new and traditional media; earned media, email, Face-book, Twitter and YouTube.

I have established friendly re-lationships with local media and know how to stay on message. I also bring design skills, having designed newsletters, campaign materials and advertising.

I believe deeply in promoting

progressive issues and I have ex-tensive experience in grassroots or-ganizing; serving for two years as the Eau Claire County Democratic Party Chair, as a Regional Field Director for the DPW in 2010, as a Regional Coordinator for Assembly Democrats in ‘08, and as Campaign Manager for Assembly Representa-tive Jeff Smith in ‘06.

Although part of my background has been in partisan politics, I un-derstand that WFU is non-partisan – as it should be. The issues and ex-periences of our farming and rural communities transcend political and ideological boundaries. WFU’s ad-vocacy is for all of us.

I believe in strong unions and know that WFU is an excellent or-ganization and critical for family farmers, our rural communities and everyone. I will be proud to pro-mote the values of WFU’s mem-bers; sustainable, supported family farms, renewable energy, access to affordable healthcare, promoting local food and food safety, to name a few.

Best, Katy Phillips

Hello Wisconsin Farmers Union! Here’s a little more about who

I am:• IliveinEauClairewithmytwin14-yearolddaughtersandhave

been here for 12 years.

• Iliketogarden,whichinmyneighborhoodisreallyjustacon-tinuousfightwithrabbitsandmoles.

• Ilovelivemusic;especiallyclassicrock,southernrock,blue-grass, and funk..

• I’mapoliticaljunkieandhavebeensinceIcanremember.

• Ithinklaughingandenjoyingwhatyoudoiscrucial.

• Ibelieveinputtingmytimewheremymouthis.

• Ilikecoffee,anycarbohydrate,andTJMaxx.And,yeah,beer.

I can’t wait to get to know everyone in Wisconsin Farmers Union, learn from you and get started!

1 - a 2 - b 3 - c 4 - a 5 - b 6 - b 7 - c 8 - c 9 - b 10 - a 11 - c 12 - b

All Correct = very dairy knowledgeable you deserve to buy yourself a dairy treat 1 wrong = dairy knowledgeable 2 wrong = somewhat dairy knowledgeable 3 wrong = just okay at dairy knowledge 4 or more wrong = keep studying your dairy facts and trivia and try again next year.

JuneDairy

MonthQuiz

Answers


Let’s feed ourselves

Alan Guebert

Squeeze almost any official of

almost any agbiz or farm group and the words “Feed the world” will cross

their lips. The phrase is this century’s “Manifest Destiny,” a near-impera-tive, a cornerstone of our export-di-rected ag policy.

But this ambition, according to the number-crunching crew in Daryll Ray’s ag shop at the University of Tennessee, has been more of a mis-sion statement than a mission accom-plished.

Writing in an early April “Policy Pennings” column, Ray notes that the combined 2010/11 U.S. exports for barley, corn, oats, rice and wheat “at 88.0 million tonnes (is) 82.4 percent of the 106.8 million tonnes of grain exports in the 1980/81 crop year.”

That’s right; we’re exporting 18 percent less of the Big Five grains to-day than 30 years ago.

When soybeans are added to the export numbers, Ray notes, 1980/81 sales of the six rise to “126.5 million tonnes (while) 2010-11 projected ex-ports are 131.3 million tonnes.”

So, U.S. exports of the Big Five and soy did increase over 30 years but only by “3.8 percent from the beginning to the end of the 30-year period,” says Ray.

That small achievement pales when compared to the rapid growth of the global market for the Big Five over the same 30 years—from “196.6 mil-lion tonnes to 261.3 million tonnes, an in-crease of 37.6 percent,” Ray reports.

V i e w e d another way that means “the U.S. [share of this

market] dropped from its 1980/81 peak of 54.3 percent to 33.7 percent,” he writes.

Again, if U.S. soy exports are add-ed, then “the U.S. share of world ex-ports of soybeans and the five grains declined from 58.1 percent in 1980/81 to 36.5 percent in 2010/11.”

Wow. Thirty years and five ex-port-directed Farm Bills and still the “numbers indicate,” writes Ray, that American farmers serve the world in the “much more modest role of resid-ual supplier” than global grocer.

This worldly focus, however, has food and nutrition consequences at home, suggests Angie Tagtow, an Iowa-based registered dietician and public health researcher.

For example, she notes, the 1978 U.S. Ag Census showed 50 percent of all Iowa farms grew hogs, 60 percent grew cattle, 56 percent grew hay and 34 percent grew oats. The 2002 Cen-sus showed these segments, respect-fully, at 12, 33, 36 and 8 percent.

Taken across the nation, Tagtow explains, the 30-year shift to com-modities means “We’re not growing enough ‘healthy’ food to meet mini-mum federal guidelines for a healthy diet.”

She’s right. According to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service in 2007, if every American followed USDA’s dietary guide-lines every day, the U.S. would need 7.6 million acres more fruit produc-tion, 6.5 million acres more vegeta-ble production and 11 billion pounds more milk than produced domesti-cally.

We have enough, however, only—ironically—because of soaring im-ports.

According to USDA, the value of vegetable imports to the U.S. doubled from $3.4 billion in 1998 to $7 billion in 2007. Simultaneously, the value of fruit and nut imports nearly tripled, from $5.5 billion to $14 billion.

“We’re so focused on commodi-ties,” says Tagtow, “that we’re in-creasingly relying on other countries to provide us with food.”

Searching for a balance, Tagtow and fellow dietician Susan Rob-erts examined what this food policy means for Iowa, a state of agricultur-al bounty but not agricultural diver-sity. Their discoveries are detailed in “Cultivating Resilience,” a 56-page, Feb. 2011 report outlining the state’s food strengths and weaknesses.

For example, while only 0.04 per-cent of all Iowa farmland grows fruits and vegetables, 85 percent of the nearly $9 billion spent annually on food in Iowa leaves the state. (Links to “Cultivating Resilience” and Daryll Ray’s “Policy Pennings” are posted at www.farmandfoodfile.com.)

Facts like that suggest there might be a better future feeding America rather than feeding the world. Right now, we’re doing neither.

© 2011 ag comm The Farm and Food File is pub-

lished weekly in more than 70 news-papers in North America. Contact Alan Guebert at http://www.farmand-foodfile.com.

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