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Buggy, I replied to your e-mail on May 25th the day I received it, however I got passionate in my response and copied some information that had photos and it came back. I'm trying this again. I caution that we be careful about our exuberance in eliminating government from our agricultural programs. Admittedly, I am biased as a former government employee but the federal as well as state governments serve a very vital function. In general they both do a lot of the dirty work that others do not want to do either because of the size and complexity of the work or because of its initial lack of profitability. I reflect back on the 1930's (I was not on earth at the time) but history tells of the time in this country when farmers were fairly profitable and planted from fence row to fence row in many cases and the result was the "dust bowl era." This was not a football play off game either. It was a national disaster of major proportions. Out of this era came the Cooperative Extension Service, The Soil Conservation Service, Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, Agricultural Experiment Stations and and others that I will not list. We have been very blessed that our forefathers and foremothers saw the need and organized these great government organizations that have made the United States the great nation that it is. Lest we forget, we need to be careful that we pass this history on and not repeat it. I am copying a piece that I googled: Morse Brown > It is my belief that we would all be better off if the government got > out of farming altogether. Level the playing field. Let the free > market prevail! > I am an organic grower/cattle producer and will not take a penny from > the Federal or State Government. It is time we all become more self > sufficient and quit relying on government programs and bail outs. They > only lead to more taxes and special interests. > We have more environmental problems than ever. Soil erosion and water > quality issu > > > U.S. Government response > > During President </wiki/President_of_the_United_States> Franklin D. > Roosevelt </wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt>'s first 100 days in 1933, > governmental programs designed to conserve soil > </wiki/Soil_conservation> and restore the ecological balance of the > nation were implemented. Interior Secretary Harold L. Ickes > </wiki/Harold_L._Ickes> established the Soil Erosion Service in August > 1933 under Hugh Hammond Bennett </wiki/Hugh_Hammond_Bennett>. In 1935 > it was transferred and reorganized under the Department of Agriculture > </wiki/United_States_Department_of_Agriculture> and renamed the Soil > Conservation Service. More recently it has been renamed the Natural > Resources Conservation Service > </wiki/Natural_Resources_Conservation_Service> (NRCS).^[17] > <#cite_note-16> > > Additionally, the Federal Surplus Relief Corporation (FSRC) was > created after more than six million pigs were slaughtered to stabilize > prices. The pigs went to waste. The FSRC diverted agricultural > commodities to relief organizations. Apples, beans, canned beef, flour > and pork products were distributed through local relief channels. > Cotton goods were later included, to clothe the needy.^[18] > <#cite_note-17> > > In 1935, the federal government formed a Drought Relief Service (DRS) > to coordinate relief activities. The DRS bought cattle in counties > which were designated emergency areas, for $14 to $20 a head. Animals > unfit for human consumption – more than 50 percent at the beginning of > the program – were killed. The remaining cattle were given to the > Federal Surplus Relief Corporation (FSRC) to be used in food > distribution to families nationwide. Although it was difficult for > farmers to give up their herds, the cattle slaughter program helped > many of them avoid bankruptcy. "The government cattle buying program > was a God-send to many farmers, as they could not afford to keep their > cattle, and the government paid a better price than they could obtain > in local markets."^[19] <#cite_note-18> > > President Roosevelt ordered the Civilian Conservation Corps > </wiki/Civilian_Conservation_Corps> to plant a huge belt of more than > 200 million trees from Canada to Abilene, Texas </wiki/Abilene,_Texas> > to break the wind, hold water in the soil, and hold the soil itself in > place. The administration also began to educate farmers on soil > conservation </wiki/Soil_conservation> and anti-erosion techniques, > including crop rotation, strip farming </wiki/Strip_farming>, contour > plowing </wiki/Contour_plowing>, terracing, and other improved farming > practices.^[20] <#cite_note-19> ^[21] <#cite_note-20> In 1937, the > federal government began an aggressive campaign to encourage Dust > Bowlers to adopt planting and plowing methods that conserved the soil. > The government paid the reluctant farmers a dollar an acre to practice > one of the new methods. By 1938, the massive conservation effort had > reduced the amount of blowing soil by 65 percent. Nevertheless, the > land failed to yield a decent living. In the fall of 1939, after > nearly a decade of dirt and dust, the nearly decade long drought ended > as regular rainfall finally returned to the region > > > *From:* [log in to unmask] > *Sent:* Thursday, May 26, 2011 12:49 PM > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* Act Now: Call Sen. Stabenow About the Ag Budget > > > Help Protect Organic Farming and Conservation Funding > > > Call Senator Stabenow Today! > > *_Please call Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown today_* and tell him to > protect funding for organic agriculture programs in the 2012 > budget. Senators only have until Friday, May 27^th so it’s > important that you *call today*! > > Congress is working on its budget negotiations for 2012. The House > 2012 Appropriations Bill currently being debated would cut > research, conservation, and organic programs, which provide > crucial resources for organic and sustainable farmers. > > The Senate is developing their budget right now, and it needs to > offer a clear alternative to the current House bill. > > *Here's Why:* > > *- Under the House Appropriations Bill, the Agricultural Marketing > Service (AMS)* would be cut by 10 percent relative to FY 2011. > *The _National Organic Program_* (NOP) will share in these cuts. > > * * > > *- The _National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service > (ATTRA)_ would be* funded at $2 million, down from the FY 2010 > level of $2.8, and up from the zeroing out it received for FY 2011. > > *- Farm bill conservation funding* would be cut by nearly $1 > billion. The bill would even force the U.S. Department of > Agriculture (USDA) to break contracts it has already signed with > farmers enrolled in the _Conservation Stewardship Program_! > > * * > > *_- Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program > (SARE)_* funding would be cut by $3 million. *The _Agriculture and > Food Research Initiative (AFRI)_* would be cut by $40 million. > > * * > > *- The _Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG)_* program would be cut > by $6.4 million. The *_Rural Micro-Lending_** program* would be > completely eliminated. > > * * > > - Doing the bidding of multinational meat and poultry > conglomerates, the bill forbids the USDA from using any funds to > write or publish the *_Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards > Administration (GIPSA)_** rule* to make livestock and poultry > markets fairer and more competitive, a rule Congress directed USDA > to write as part of the 2008 Farm Bill. > > * * > > *_Senator Stabenow heads on the subcommittee that decides > agricultural funding levels. _* > > *_Your quick call to Senator Stabenow today is crucial to ensure > organic and conservation program funding in 2012._* > > Senator Stabenow can be reached at 202-224-4822. > > *The Points to Make are Simple:* > - As a constituent of Senator Stabenow, I’m asking that she please > support funding for critical research, organic, and conservation > programs in 2012 that are important to organic agriculture. > > *- Please fund the _National Organic Program_ at $9.89 million. > Organics is the fastest growing agricultural sector in the U.S., > and organics need full funding to respond to growing consumer > demand. * > > - Please fund the Organic Transitions Integrated Research Program > <http://ofrf.org/policy/factsheet_organic-transitions_0411.pdf> > (ORG) at $5 million, and the National Sustainable Agriculture > Information Service <http://attra.ncat.org/> (also known as ATTRA) > at $3 million, both of which help meet farmers’ research and > information needs. > > - The Environmental Quality Incentives Program > <http://ofrf.org/policy/federal_legislation/farm_bill_implementation/eqip_oi_resource_page.html> > (EQIP), the Conservation Stewardship Program > <http://ofrf.org/policy/federal_legislation/farm_bill_implementation/csp_resource_page.html> > (CSP), and other conservation programs must retain maximum funding > to support rural economies and protect soil and water quality. > > - The cuts proposed are unjust, threatening economic recovery in > rural communities struggling to create jobs, find new markets, and > renew economic life. > > * * > > > *To learn more about how the Ho*use 2012 Appropriations Bill would > slash conservation, organic, rural development, and research > programs, go to > http://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/houe-ag-fy12-approps-bill/. > > *Your calls make a difference—THANK YOU!* > > -- > > *Vicki Morrone* > > *C. S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems* > > *Outreach Specialist for Organic Vegetable and Field Crops* > > *303 Natural Resources* > > *East Lansing, MI 48824* > > *517-353-3542/517-282-3557 (cell)* > > *517-353-3834 (Fax)* > > *www.MichiganOrganic.msu.edu <http://www.michiganorganic.msu.edu/> * > > If you would like to access a searchable archive of the all the > previous Mich-Organic listserv postings copy this URL and paste in > your browser address field http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html -- ********************************** Morse L. Brown, Program Manager Michigan Food and Farming Systems Multicultural Farmers Program 15565 Stonehouse Circle Livonia, Michigan 48154-1531 Phone: 269.208.1443 Fax: 734.432.9763 ************************************ Mission Statement: To help small and medium-sized farms operate profitably, produce healthy food for all people and protect the environment for future generations. If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html