Wisconsin Farm Bureau picks top stories for 2011
Before the first seed is planted or first cow is milked; it is already a safe bet that 2012 will be a big year for Wisconsin agriculture.
High-stake elections, creation of a new U.S. farm bill and a debt-ridden global economy will set the stage for a volatile marketplace.
That's the prediction of Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation President Bill Bruins, who made his annual year-end 'Farm Bureau Picks.'
In no particular order, these are the five stories that he thinks will make headlines for agriculture in 2012.
U.S. farm bill
"Nothing officially came out of the farm bill discussion that occurred as part of the deficit reduction effort in 2011, but a few things seem certain in 2012," Bruins, a dairy farmer from Fond du Lac County, said.
"A strong farm economy coupled with a federal government awash in red ink will mean a drastically different looking U.S. farm bill in 2012. Yet, a cutback in subsidies and income supports does not have to be viewed as negative," he said.
"A movement towards a more market-and-trade-oriented farm economy would benefit many of Wisconsin's farm families," Bruins added.
In 2012, the Wisconsin Farm Bureau will be lobbying the federal government to equip farmers with tools to better manage their financial risks rather than just policies that weaken our hand in trade negotiations with foreign governments."
"We also are hoping that federal dairy policy reform will remain at the forefront of discussion," Bruins added. "The legislation authored by Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson remains the best opportunity we've had in my lifetime for true dairy policy reform."
"While the process of creating the next farm bill will likely revert from the Super Committee's secretive style back to a normal series of public hearings and votes following, the end product is not going to look like farm bills of old."
Never-ending
election season
"Here in Wisconsin it seems that recall mania has taken over the election process and should keep us in perpetual election mode in 2012," Bruins said.
The New Year promises more all-things-political. Not only will there be a presidential election in November, but Governor Scott Walker and Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch will likely face a recall election sometime this year as well.
A handful of state senators could also face recall elections.
Finally, the redistricting process that takes place once a decade has also redrawn the political boundaries for seats in both the Wisconsin State Legislature and U.S. Congress.
"This never-ending series of recalls is stifling the work that needs to be done to keep our state's economy moving forward," Bruins said. "It is the 800-pound gorilla in the room that has transformed the political landscape in Wisconsin."
Federal regulatory 'creep'
"We saw a number of examples of the federal government's long arm creeping onto our farms in 2011," Bruins said. "The Environmental Protection Agency wanted to regulate everything from dust to spilled milk."
"Over the past year the Internal Revenue Service wanted farmers to get or issue a form 1099 every time they made a purchase over $600. The Department of Transportation wanted owners and operators of farm equipment to get a commercial drivers license and the Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration took a more active role in the operation of Wisconsin dairy farms," Bruins said.
"In addition, the Department of Labor wants to drastically limit the role of youth labor on farms. Along with thousands of parents and farmers, the Wisconsin Farm Bureau issued comments in opposition to this rule change in November," Bruins said.
"Sometime in the first half of 2012 we expect to hear if the Department of Labor has taken the mountain of common sense suggestions they received into consideration," Bruins continued.
"When it comes to the invasion of unrealistic regulatory proposals we've seen lately, I don't expect much different out of Washington in 2012," Bruins said.
Trade
"Agricultural exports have strengthened Wisconsin's economy as the burgeoning middle classes of China, India and South Korea have provided strong demand for the food that Wisconsin's grain, cranberry, dairy and livestock farmers produce," Bruins said.
Bruins continued, "Some of this foreign demand has been fostered by a weak U.S. dollar which makes our products more affordable in the global marketplace."
One of the things Bruins said to watch in 2012 is the impact on the ag export market if the U.S. dollar sees a run-up of its value compared to other currencies.
"What goes up usually comes down, and 2012 might see market prices for farm commodities and net farm incomes soften after the records set in 2011," he said.
Bruins stated, "The rising costs for crop inputs and Europe's economic instability will likely be felt on Wisconsin farms as well."
Food Security
"Research tells us that the issue of global food security does not register with the average U.S. consumer, but it should," Bruins said.
He notes "In making the case for greater attention to food security issues, I often cite a statistic that uses the numbers 50, 100 and 70," he said. "In the next 50 years our world will need to produce 100 percent more food than we do today. As much as 70 percent of that growth will need to come from technological advances."
"As our world population soared past seven billion people this year, there's definitely a role for Wisconsin to play in this global dilemma. We must provide financial support for agricultural research at our state's world-class universities and extension system. We must also place an emphasis on funding agricultural education in our high schools in order to build up the next generation of farmers, agriculturists, agronomists and researchers," Bruins maintains.
"Food security is also a matter of global security, so while some will say it's an oft-ignored issue by many Americans, food security desperately needs to be a bigger portion of the national dialogue," Bruins said.
