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Iowa dairy producers will delve into policy Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Agri News staff writer
DYERSVILLE, Iowa -- Iowa State Dairy Association President David Kunde holds up the policy book for the Iowa Cattlemen's Association in one hand. To show the published policy for Iowa's dairy farmers, he holds up his other hand. It's empty.
"There is no policy,'' Kunde said.
But the Delaware County dairy farmer expects that to change Feb. 20-21 when the dairy organization holds its annual meeting in Marshalltown where dairy producer delegates will establish policy.
During a recent producer forum in Dyersville, Kunde and ISDA industry relations manager Stacey Noe asked the 15 dairy farmers for issues they thought should be part of that policy. The meeting was one of five held around the state in late August and September.
The ISDA was chartered in 1876 and performed a variety of functions for dairy producers before going dormant when the mandatory dairy checkoff took effect in the 1970s, Kunde said.
When Kunde was elected head of the organization five years ago, he decided to bring the group to life because no organization was speaking for dairy producers on public policy.
"There are a lot of legislative issues we need to work on,'' Kunde said.
There is no shortage of people who will be happy to speak for them, but dairy producers probably won't like what those groups are saying, Kunde said. He's heard them call for more corporate investment, more vertical integration and to allow foreign ownership of farmland.
"I was at a meeting on ways to promote value-added agriculture,'' Kunde said. "When I said the biggest restriction was that the federal farm program is biased against livestock agriculture, I was told the state's ag department has no authority to change that. Instead, they're looking for ways to allow more vertical integration and to change the 9H law, which prohibits foreign ownership of farmland. They've given up on the family farm.''
The past several years have been spent bringing the organization back to life. Stacey Noe of Huxley was hired as the group's industry relations manager in January. The ISDA policy committee will meet in November, and divide into subcommittees to develop policy statements that will be taken to delegates at the annual meeting, Noe said. If delegates disagree, they can say so at the annual meeting.
Dairy farmers at Dyersville said they want policy to encourage young people to start farming and to make it easier to pass farms from one generation to the next. Tax laws for sale of agricultural property need to be changed so that people aren't penalized for selling land to the next generation.
Encourage state organizations to work with young farmers, urged Jennifer Kunde, a Delaware County dairy producer. She said she didn't like Iowa State University Extension and other businesses working to bring dairy farmers from Holland when young farmers here need assistance.
"I've worked with 40 young producers in the four years I've been here,'' said Robert Tigner, ISU Extension farm management specialist. "Extension does a lot for young farmers, and we plan to do more.''
Joel Kurtenbach, a Wyoming dairy producer, said more emphasis should be put on low-cost facilities.
"Young farmers don't need a new free-stall barn to start dairying,'' he said. "They could start with a portable pasture parlor, a rented farm and be in business for $200,000. Let the cows do the work.''
Kurtenbach said he wants the Dairy Center at Calmar to move forward with its grass-based dairy.
"I think we need to place more emphasis on developing low-cost options and increasing profitability,'' said Larry Shover, Delhi dairy farmer. "We also need to develop systems that allow more information sharing among dairy producers.''
Jay Hansen, a Hudson dairy farmer, said the country needs better livestock identification programs, and he'd also like to see a Johne's program in Iowa.
Kurtenbach said something needs to be done to eliminate cattle jockeying at sale barns. Cows sold as culls are being bought, resold at other sale barns and brought back into dairy herds. In some cases, those cows have brought Johne's into the new herd.
"We've got to shut down the jockeying,'' Kurtenbach said.
Dairy farmers at the meeting said they want research dollars for a new Johne's vaccine, testing and education.
"Everyone said we'd never eradicate pseudorabies in hogs,'' said Shover. "They developed a differentiated vaccine, and now the disease is gone.''
Information about the Iowa State Dairy Association is available at www.iowadairy.org. |
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