A large crowd showed up for Farm Bureau's annual meeting and dinner.Donnie Cox presenting the Farmer's Friend of the Year award to John Campbell.

Farm Bureau holds annual Meeting

by Cindy Fickess

Caldwell County Farm Bureau held their annual meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 30. Members and guests sat down to a delicious barbeque dinner with side dishes and desserts. Along with their regular business, the group heard from various speakers, gave out awards, and at the end of the meeting, a great number of door prizes were drawn which left almost no one empty handed.

New board members were announced as follows: President – Mike Pollard; Vice-President, Tom Silvey; and board members Donnie Cox, Darren Farmer and Nancy Snyder were re-elected.

Darren Farmer reported on the Youth Leadership Day. This year there were five students in Caldwell County that went to Jeff City to visit with the Legislative Branch. Those students were: Morgan Dotson, Elizabeth Dunnington, Jacob Graham, Austin Van Oster and Billie Thompson. It was a good experience for the students and they enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity given to them.

Justin and Sue Ellen Pollard attended the Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference in February. Sue Ellen reported that the group learned and shared their experiences in the different types of agriculture from the 48 states that were represented this year. The conference hosted in Missouri is the largest of its kind held and attendance is usually around 500 people.

Donnie Cox presented the Farmer’s Friend of the Year Award, which is given to someone that actively represents and promotes agriculture. This year’s award went to John Campbell, owner of Stony Lane Farms.

The Friend of Ag Award was announced by Mike Pollard. This year’s award went to Representative Jim Neely who was not present. Neely has supported many of the issues that Farm Bureau has taken a stand on, such as the fight for property rights against Grain Belt Express.

Farm Bureau Director of Regulatory Affairs, Leslie Holloway, was this year’s speaker. Holloway announced endorsements by Farm Bureau to the following political candidates: Denny Hoskins for Senate, re-elections of Senator Roy Blunt and Representative Sam Graves, Chris Koster for Governor, and Josh Hawley who is running for Attorney General for the state of Missouri.

On the ballot measures, Holloway said that Farm Bureau is in support of Constitutional Amendment 1 to renew the 1/10 cent sales tax on soils and state parks. Other ballot measures that Farm Bureau does not have an official position on are a couple of cigarette proposals, one to provide funding for education and another for funding of transportation; a ballot measure pertaining to voter ID that the legislature put on the ballot; a measure pertaining to campaign contribution limits; and a measure to prohibit a sales tax on services.

Holloway said that Farm Bureau is against the regulatory issue “Waters of the United States” which declares any place where there had been, where there is, or could be any drop of water could be considered a water of the US by the EPA. Litigation was filed by Farm Bureau as well as many of the other agricultural organizations and many states filed litigation as did Attorney General Koster to get this issue stopped. The decision is currently in the courts. The first court decision was favorable to the opposition, but it will probably end up in the Missouri Supreme Court.

On the subject of Atrazine, Holloway said that public comment is open until October. Comment cards will be submitted to the EPA pertaining to the science behind the anti-Atrazine proposal that EPA has come up with. Farmers have been using Atrazine as an effective weed control for years. Now science says that Atrazine is no longer as safe as they had thought it had been previously, but the justification for changing their decision isn’t very clear.

Water quality is something that the Dept. of Natural Resources is trying to work on in a voluntary manner. There are a couple of water shed projects; one is in this area on the upper Grand. Holloway said, “What DNR is intending to do is to show that there are proactive things going on to protect water quality at the water shed level, so if EPA wants to come in and do something like the Waters of the US, we have something to show to EPA that we are already addressing these issues and we don’t need them to come in with more regulations.”

Holloway said that the Dept. of Conservation is trying to improve communications with Farm Bureau and other agricultural organizations. They just held their fourth AG Summit meeting, and spoke to agriculture groups asking for their comments on issues that concern them and spoke of various things the department is working on. One of those things is their initiative to improve Monarch butterfly habitat. The I-35 corridor is being targeted by the national experts because it’s the pathway between where the butterflies go to the north and where they end up in Mexico in the winter. DOC is providing cost share money for those who are willing to have plots of milk week on their property, which is critical to the butterfly’s life cycle. Holloway also mentioned a survey taken by the DOC that indicated that landowners did not think that we had too many deer. When Farm Bureau asked for their report and data, and were shown the questions, DOC had surveyed people who had at least 100 acres and were making at least $1,000 in annual sales. She said if they surveyed Farm Bureau membership, there would probably be a different response. They are currently awaiting results of a new survey taken from a group of Farm Bureau members.

Holloway discussed the current status of Grain Belt Express. The company has come back with another application to the Missouri Public Service Commission to build their transmission line through Missouri. Holloway said that landowner groups have done an incredible job getting the grass roots support that has really made an impression on the PSC. She said that the fact a group of private investors coming into the state of Missouri wanting to get the power of eminent domain just to run their line through the state is not right. The policy FB has adopted says they oppose eminent domain for the purpose of this project or any other like it, and they will continue working to get it stopped.

In conclusion of her speech, Holloway said that agri tourism is drawing more interest. Farm tours are a growing part of Farm Bureau programs along with ag in the classroom, scholarships and promoting agriculture more in the urban areas.

It was reported that approximately 50 tractors participated in the third annual tractor cruise this year and the anticipated income is estimated to be around $10,000. The money raised from this event is used for education purposes.

The Caldwell County News

101 South Davis
P.O. Box 218
Hamilton, MO 64644
Phone: 816-583-2116
news@mycaldwellcounty.com

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