Allen Andrews, speaking at the annual Worth County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, said that while times were good for the farming industry, there were many different challenges ahead. There were 20 Worth County FFA members present as well as members of the Farm Bureau. Andrews said that his wool shop was an outgrowth of an FFA sheep project and that he owed a debt of gratitude towards both 4-H and FFA for where he is today. He said that he had felt a calling since his children were little to run for office and that his goal was to pass legislation to better peoples' lives.
Quoting Abraham Lincoln, he said that agriculture is a "great calling;" Lincoln said that even back in 1852, that American agriculture was seen as a breadbasket for the world. This was when the world population was considerably less than it is today. Andrews said that we were blessed to live in a country with abundant soil and the best food supply in the world. He noted that food costs around 10% of peoples' budgets in this country, while it was as high as 25-30% in other developed countries. "The world is still depending on the US to feed them," he said.
Turning to Missouri, he said that agriculture was an $8.3 billion business which created hundreds of thousands of jobs and that times had been good for farming in the last 4-5 years. But he said that there were a lot of concerns on the horizon. "I've listened to a lot of your concerns on the campaign trail," he said.
Among concerns that Andrews said he heard:
--Most people are three generations removed from agriculture and only two percent of all Americans reside on a farm. "I've been told by some people that meat comes from a freezer," he said. That, he said, was why it was important that Amendment 1 passed to safeguard Missouri's right to farm.
--The average farmer is 58 years old and having to farm more and more acres. There are fewer young people going into agriculture.
--Infrastructure, especially lettered roads. He said that he had talked to commissioners who were concerned about how to move equipment with deteriorating roads and no shoulders.
--Record crop yields this year, which means that there is a concern about how to move it out given that many parts of the district are far away from a main highway. He said that the DOT was dragging its feet on a weight limit waiver that would allow people to haul more crops during harvest.
--Pest control; Andrews said that there were pests coming into the country that authorities have been unable to stop.
--Beef cattle production; Andrews said that Missouri had its lowest beef cattle production since 1952.
--More regulations coming down from DNR and EPA. "Regulations are a good thing, but overregulation has to stop," said Andrews.
Specifically, the Farm Bureau distributed a flyer with information about a proposed rule that they say would allow the EPA to make an end run around Congress and the Supreme Court by allowing it to have veto power over basic farming practices. The Farm Bureau said that the exemptions that EPA and USDA claim will protect farms are actually designed to shut new farming operations out. Another example that Andrews gave was a proposed DNR rule which would have required farmers to sterilize everything before entering their land to perform basic farming practices. "As a potential legislator, I see it as imperative to push legislation that safeguards the long-term sustainability of agriculture," said Andrews. "We have an obligation to preserve, protect, and expand small and mid-sized farms so that they can produce goods and provide employment for our area."
Board members named for two year terms were Ted Foland (Legislative Committee Chair), Don Null, Lois Null, Jack Cottrell, Craig Hunt, and Paul Tracy (Young Farmer & Commodity Committee Chair). Officers named were Pat Hardy (President), Paul Tracy (Vice-President), and David Seat (Secretary/Treasurer).
Among activities and accomplishments were participating in Amendment 1 and "Ditch the Rule," discount tickets for the Missouri State Fair, getting two members (Cody & Tonya Mullock) honored as Extension Farm Family of the Year, supporting the Farm Bureau Tractor Cruise, met membership quota for the fourth straight year, and received a Gold Star Award from the Missouri Farm Bureau for activities completed.
The Farm Bureau recognizes area youth who contribute to agriculture. Kristen Andrews won the annual $200 scholarship while Jennnifer Runde and Clayton Ross received $200 awards for their contributions to agriculture. Farm Bureau also helps with the annual FFA Barnyard that is held at the school in May.
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