By Joyce Morrison

 

Joyce Morrison's grand-niece, Brittany Phillips. Brittany is President of the Jerseyville, Illinois chapter of Future Farmers of America (FFA).

OPINION - Blue jackets with gold inscriptions proudly worn by the Future Farmers of America (FFA) were highly visible at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield on “Ag Day.” Nationwide these young men and women represent tomorrow’s leaders in the production of our food.

FFA kids still hold lofty goals in spite of the comment that was made by former Vice President Al Gore. Gore supposedly made a statement to an FFA group in Colorado a few years back discouraging them from pursuing a career in agriculture saying, “we would be getting our food from third world countries.”

We attended our local FFA banquet this week where our special grand-niece, Brittany Phillips, conducted one of her last duties as President of the Jerseyville FFA Chapter. She has received numerous awards in her FFA and 4-H years and ended her high school FFA career by receiving the DeKalb and State awards.

With the help of any scholarships she may receive, she will head to college in the fall to pursue a career in the agricultural field.

She plans to continue to perform in livestock judging competition. Since she was a tiny tot, she has loved cows and has raised her own sheep. We hope she continues to be part of this great group who will insist on raising food for the people of the United States and not letting us become dependent on 3rd world countries for our food as we have our oil.

FFA students learn leadership and discipline. They understand hard work. They learn about the earth’s soils, plants, forests, grain and livestock . They learn wood working and how to repair equipment. I’m certain they have their “times” as teen-agers but for the most part, I’ll pick an FFA kid anytime.

As these polite young FFA members delivered lunches and large baskets of farm commodities to the legislators, I was hoping they understood the legislation that will determine their futures in the career of agriculture. Legislation dealing with land use and water keep infringing more and more on agricultural production.

I had the great privilege of being with the Agri-Women of Illinois on Ag Day. This is a fantastic national organization with state chapters made up with the most informed group of women I have ever met. President Heather Hampton Knodle and Legislative Director Eleanor Zimmerlein are two women who see the “whole picture” and they let me tag along with them as they spoke with legislators.

Legislation that will harm the future in the world of agriculture is of great concern. We must maintain the promise for the next generation that they will have the same opportunity to feed the world as we have done in the past.

A sampling of important legislation pending in Springfield:

DRAINAGE DISTRICTS: Oppose first amendment to SB1910. It is important to retain the drainage code in its present state and IAW opposes any bill that would diminish the authority of drainage districts. .

EDUCATION: Oppose HB750. Unfunded mandates must be removed. The state must pick up its share of costs. If property taxes are reduced, there must be some method involved that would not allow them not to go back up. If the income tax is expanded, it must be dedicated to education and not be so punitive that it drives business out of the state.

WETLANDS: Oppose HB3876 (and similar legislation) IAW believes the federal guidelines for wetlands are sufficient, and states and counties should not be required or permitted to make harsher requirements.

SCENIC RIVERS: Oppose HB0634. Scenic Rivers and Scenic Byways carry serious regulatory controls to the owners of the adjoining property.

RECREATION USE ACT: Support legislation to relieve liability to the landowner. A supreme court decision makes a landowner liable for injuries occurred by persons enjoying recreation on their property unless the property is “opened to the public.”

BROADBAND INTERNET ACCESS: Supports comprehensive access to reliable, affordable and increasingly higher speed Internet service throughout Illinois is a pre-requisite to building stronger businesses and communities. IAW supports a full range of ownership of telecommunications infrastructure including entrepreneurs, large corporations and municipalities and other unites of local government.

ENDANGERED SPECIES: Supports amending and revising. This Act should require a plan to help a species recover before it is listed. Classification should require the use of sound, verifiable, independent scientific review throughout the process. Landowners who lose property rights under the ESA should be properly compensated.

ENERGY: Supports and commends the development and use of renewable fuels derived from agricultural products.

RIVER ISSUES: Supports the updating of the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway System. Encourages the updating of the obsolete locks and dams. Illinois is a leader in the world of agriculture but will fall behind without river transportation as we cannot compete in the global market. Without updates, we cannot benefit from lower transportation costs on upbound products that support our public utilities and construction industries.

PESTICIDES: Supports peer-reviewed scientific evidence of need for further reduction. IAW believes that pesticide reduction goals should be voluntary, commodity and region specific.

One part of Ag day that jumped out was the centerpieces on the breakfast tables. They were cardboard pictures of a beautiful farm scene provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service which is part of USDA. At first glance, it was a serene, green picture of a farmstead. Fresh hay rolled in perfect round bales was in one field. Farmers were working in row crop fields while Canadian Geese flew high above a waterway which may have been a drainage ditch dividing the fields.

Not until you looked closely and saw the cattle fenced away from the stream of water and pond did this picture take on significant relevance. All the quartered off parcels divided by fences would indicate forced rotational pastures. In the center of the quarters was a water tank but there was no way to easily put water into this tank.

While this may not seem like a big deal to people who are not familiar with raising cattle, a set up like this will put the small producer out of business. He’ll not be able to afford to jump through all the hoops. Try building a fence sometime.

Large buffer strips appeared between the fields and along the drainage ditch. There did not appear to be any way to drain these fields. Over time will they be declared wetlands?

Sadly, there will probably be no such thing as the “young farmer” in the United States in the future as he cannot afford to start farming. Very few families can help the younger generation get a start as they are struggling to pay off their own indebtedness.

With the high costs of fuel, fertilizer, equipment, land and taxes as well as health care, there is little left over to give the starter a break. The average age of a farmer in the United States is around 55 plus years old and climbing.

Will Al Gore’s comment be truth after all?

© 2005 IllinoisLeader.com -- all rights reserved

 

---

Joyce Morrison lives in southern Illinois. She is a chapter leader for Concerned Women for America and she and her husband, Gary, represent the local Citizens for Private Property Rights. Joyce is Secretary to the Board of Directors of Rural Restoration/ADOPT Mission, a national farm ministry located in Sikeston. She has become a nationally-recognized advocate for property rights.