Get Involved [Opinion]
April 1, 2007 When I was putting this column together, one sentence kept popping into my head that summed up what I wanted to say: “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.” I remember this particular line from 11th grade typing class, which, by the way, was taught (at least at my high school anyway) by Miss School. I’m serious, that was her name. Every morning for about a half hour we would plug away at our typewriters, and this sentence, which takes up a 70-character line, was often part of what we typed.
Moving from the typewriter to modern day technology, I did an Internet search to find out if some famous person is the author of this sentence only to find out that it actually is just an exercise someone created for typing classes. Although I was disappointed these words didn’t come out of the mouth of any 20th century leader, they still make a valid point: get involved.
Take Some Action
Most of us get involved to a point, but with the current state of the industry, all growers need to step it up and make their opinions known on several pertinent topics: labor reform, the Farm Bill debate, the budget crunch for IR-4, and the funding cuts for ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas).
These are all important. The immigration/guest worker issue isn’t going away. The AgJOBS immigration legislation has been introduced in both the House and the Senate, and now action needs to be taken. Harvest season will be here before you know it. Will you have enough workers?
With the Farm Bill, we are moving forward. Specialty crops are included in the USDA Farm Bill proposal. In February, potato growers visited with members of Congress, and in addition to encouraging them to support AgJOBS, they also told Congress that increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables and increasing the domestic and international competitiveness of specialty crop producers are way up their list of things that need to be included in the Farm Bill.
Hot on the heels of the Farm Bill and immigration are the budget crisis for IR-4 and the funding cuts to ATTRA. IR-4 has helped facilitate the registration process for the products growers need to control major insects, diseases, and weeds. I’m willing to say that this group’s work has saved many crops, perhaps even saved many farms. What is currently at stake for IR-4? A budget hit as large as $2 million.
Last but not least on the list is ATTRA. In February, Congress announced plans to cut the program. ATTRA has been a source of information for sustainable growers and others in the ag industry for 20 years. According to Teresa Maurer, ATTRA project manager, funding negotiations are currently taking place. Right now, however, the program is operating at a severely reduced level, and staff reductions are in place.
Now that I’ve laid it all out, it’s time to do something, and what you do doesn’t have to be big or take a lot of time. Simply let your voice be heard. Contact your congressman or senator. The Congressional switchboard phone number is 202-224-3121.
What have you got to lose?
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