The National Grange

While the United States represents only five percent of the world’s population, American farmers and ranchers produce twenty–five percent of the world’s food supply. These American farmers and ranchers are the foundation of this abundant, safe and efficient food source. The Grange continues to pledge its support for rural America and family owned and operated farms and ranches.

Farmers and ranchers have depended on increasing production year after year in order to make a decent living. As a result, we often must deal with overproduction. We feel that the farmer must consider alternative products and markets. There has never been a more crucial time in agriculture to have a unified voice. We must work together with others in a cooperative effort to advocate for agriculture. We have the responsibility to educate and convince all people in this country that they are receiving something of value in return for their support of agriculture.

Free trade agreements are not always fair when some segments of the economy are sacrificed. Free trade agreements have been negotiated on a bi-lateral and regional basis, which have the potential to be harmful to farmers and the economy. We need to be aware of and educate ourselves on this major issue. We encourage the National Grange to advocate for the creation of trade agreements that will be beneficial and flexible while protecting not only agriculture but also the American dream. The movement of agricultural products across our country as well as exports to foreign countries is vital to the economy of the nation.

The National Grange must continue to articulate our farm policy goals and then to communicate those goals to our elected leaders in Congress. It behooves America to maintain the family farm system as the cornerstone of agriculture. We must promote policies which allow our current generation of family farmers to retire with dignity, and draw on their past experiences to attract new generations of family farmers.

We must be aware of the significance to U.S. agriculture of the advancements being made in other countries in their agriculture production and export technology. We must advocate for the education of our members and the general public on agriculture issues.

With the rapid population growth in our country, it is important that our rural areas are prepared for the influx of new residents. Progressive policies will be needed that will allow people to maintain the lifestyle that they desire, while preserving the character of rural America. Growth will place added pressure on the availability of public services, and we must ensure that these needed services are available to rural citizens. Having said that, we must also ensure that we have land available for farming in the future.

The National Grange supports a federal policy to allow the use of biotechnology in agriculture. We recognize that genetic engineering of plants and animals has already had a positive impact by increasing the availability of food, preservation qualities, and decreasing the environmental impact of agriculture.

The National Grange insists that the Environmental Protection Agency rely only on up-to-date scientific methodology and real world data in making accurate assessments of the risk to human health posed by the use of pesticides. We favor expanded approval of generic pesticides and herbicides for use in agricultural production.

The National Grange should continue our efforts to convince Congress to extend the benefits of regional dairy programs to all dairy farmers and consumers across the nation. We realize that there is a disparity in the support price of liquid milk and manufacturing milk and will look to find ways to close this gap.

The National Grange urges Congress and the Office of Management and Budget to consider the administrative costs in implementing government programs affecting the agricultural producer. The funds appropriated for these programs should be used to benefit the producer and not to support the administration. We need to continue to support the producer-approved commodity check-off program.

The National Grange encourages increased participation with youth organizations such as 4H and FFA from the local to the national level, to draw on and develop the wonderful leadership abilities of these people. We as Grange members must enlist our farm, rural and urban neighbors to join us as Grange members and increase our voice in the legislature.

The National Grange supports Country of Origin Labeling and strongly urges the implementation of the program on all food products by the USDA as provided in the 2002 farm bill. Further delays of this program are not beneficial to the United States producer or consumer. The National Grange encourages educating the consumer on the benefits of this program. The traceability and point of origin need to be a coordinated effort by the USDA and the Department of Homeland Security in order to reduce the administrative burden.

The National Grange is well positioned to address the constantly changing challenges that arise with agricultural and rural issues. By adopting innovative policies, the Grange can play a pivotal leadership role in providing support and guidance to farmers and rural citizens, and enhance our efforts to maintain the viability of agriculture as a significant economic force in our country.

1. National Grange believes that policies promoting a viable family farm structure in America’s agricultural sector are in the best interests of all citizens. We reaffirm our support for farm commodity programs that serve the best interests of producers and consumers. The purpose of the Federal Farm Program is to ensure Americans an adequate supply of safe and wholesome food, provide some income protection to the food producers, and protect our environment by providing incentives for soil and water conservation. The National Grange supports programs that will stimulate interest and appreciation for an expanding agriculture industry that provides an abundant supply of reasonably priced food and fiber to meet our domestic needs and still export the products into the world markets.

2. The National Grange continues to strongly support family farms as an integral and important contributor to a stable agricultural production and rural communities. We call upon the President and Congress to support programs and policies that will help sustain and enhance family farms - by increasing the net farm income, providing economic and tax incentives, and credit and/or tax credits for soil and water conservation - without escalating the advantages to non-farm investors.

3. The National Grange believes that a family farm is a business or enterprise involved in the production of food, fiber and related products or services that is owned and operated by the members of a family who make the management and financial decisions and supply at least part of the labor.

4. The National Grange will continue to support the use of lands for the production of food and fiber as long as the enterprises are operated under best management practices as established by the Farm Program Division and the Natural Resource Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

5. Federal, state, and local agencies should work for efficient economic development policies that treat the agriculture industry on equal terms with other businesses and industries such as small business loans, tax incentives, marketing practices, and other programs that would help small farmers. The National Grange supports government rural development programs that provide local off-farm employment for rural people and that provide an improved income for small-and medium-sized farms.

6. The National Grange supports public relation programs that disseminate accurate information on the efficiency and productivity of American agriculture as well as the contributions it has made in providing an adequate supply of food and fiber, and the important role the food and agricultural industry plays in the nation’s economy. A coalition of farm and commodity organizations working together on common problems is in the best interest of agriculture and rural communities. Such a coalition will strengthen and preserve the economic well being of the family farm. The National Grange will continue to support and take an active role in maintaining an effective national farm coalition. We support efforts to organize farm-city meetings, farm-city visits, as well as efforts to enlist the cooperation of the news media in presenting agricultural news. We endorse the efforts of the Agriculture Council of America, Livestock and Meat Board, Animal Industry Foundation, National Milk Producers Federation, national and state commodity research, education and promotion boards and other agricultural organizations in a united program to tell agriculture’s story to the American public. We will cooperate with and support the efforts of other agricultural organizations in their educational programs pertaining to false, unproven, and misleading statements about the production and safety of agricultural commodities in order to present a true picture of environmentally safe farm and ranch best management practices.

7. The State Granges and the National Grange urge state governments and the federal government to strengthen, expand, and enforce farmland protection programs to save our farmland for food and fiber production by designing tax laws to enable farm families to pass their land on to future generations. The National Grange supports a reduction in capital gains for retiring farmers who are willing to sell to beginning farmers.The National Grange will also work with Congress to find additional ways to contain urban sprawl through the use of purchasing development rights and conservation easements on agricultural land. Financial institutions, however, should not be allowed to develop agricultural land trusts. In addition land purchase or lease programs should not involve the federal government as the purchaser of private land or development rights.

8. The National Grange urges the USDA to strictly enforce the Agriculture Foreign Investment Disclosure Act. We further oppose the use of public funds and/or the services of government agencies in the development of U.S. based, foreign-owned agricultural enterprises.

9. The National Grange urges the appointment of a high-level staff person with appropriate resources as part of the Department of Homeland Security, to target the prevention and minimization of agro-terrorism. We further encourage federal, state and local governments to protect agriculture against bio-terrorism.

11. The National Grange urges the promotion of Agri-Tourism throughout the nation.

12. The National Grange believes that there is place for all in agriculture and advocates for: 1.) small-scale farming and 2.) the organic farming movement as an alternative option to current large-scale farming methods.

13. The National Grange will work with other agricultural organizations to reform the cumbersome new regulations of the Federal Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program to make it equitable for all regions of the country.

1.The National Grange supports legislative and administrative actions that will obtain an economic return for farmers on theirinvestment of capital, labor, and management that is equal to that of the other segments of the economy. We support permanent programs for cotton, peanuts, rice, corn silage, wool and mohair. Farm programs should be based on units of production, not acreage, and provide the individual farmer with maximum flexibility in their planting and production decisions. Production yields should be based on the proven yield of the land on that farm. We support allowing farmers to re-establish their proven yields by allowing use of federal crop insurance records. However, we support allowing a farmer to exclude any farm yield or county average yield history when crop insurance records show a yield is less than 50% of the normal yield for a given crop and is caused by any God given weather related disaster (drought-heat, flood, wind, hail, etc.) that is out of a farmer's control. We further support requiring all crop production bases to be established using a soil suitability criteria rating rather than relying only on past crop history and changing farm programs so that a farmer will not lose their farm base from under-planting.

1a. Target prices for major commodities should be set in relationship to the national average cost of production; and set at a level that will not encourage over production. Marketing loan programs for major commodities, including soybeans and minor oilseeds, wheat, feed grains, cotton, rice, and other government-supported commodities should provide for a loan rate that is set at the national average cost of production and that redeems the loan at the lesser of the original loan or the state’s monthly, weekly, or daily average market price as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture. The farmer should retain the difference between the regular loan rate and the marketing loan, provided the loan differential is subject to the $50,000 payment limit. In the absence of a marketing loan, the traditional loan rate should be set at or near the cost of production. The National Grange supports efforts to have Loan Deficiency Payments (LDP) figured on average yields for a particular farm using the average production history (APH) according to the Federal Crop Insurance Records rather than the actual production for the current year. However, the producer should retain the right to choose the day when the LDP price would be established.

2. The National Grange supports voluntary production control programs as a way of balancing supply with demand. Production control programs should be based on control of the number of bushels (amount of product) allowed to qualify for price supports and by requirements to set aside a specific percentage of a farm’s crop production. We support eliminating any offsetting compliance requirements between farms related to production control programs, but support maintaining cross compliance requirements for crops grown on the same farm. We support the option of paid production diversion, with payments made in cash or in-kind, if farmers first comply with set-aside and other non-paid production control programs. We further recommend that any land diverted from agricultural production under farm programs remain eligible for conservation cost-share practices. Program benefits, i.e., loans, deficiency payments, etc. should be set at a level that is sufficient to accomplish the program’s objectives and should be made available only to producers who comply with the program’s requirements.

3. The National Grange supports the Farm Storage Facility Loans Program and a farmer-owned reserve program that will place limits on the total amount of a specific commodity that is to be held in reserve as well as place limits on the amount of a commodity that any one farmer can place in the reserve. Storage rates should be commensurate with the cost of on-farm storage enabling farmers to take advantage of storage payments. The Secretary of Agriculture should have discretionary authority to waive the interest charges on reserve loans. We further urge that there be a strict monitoring of grain stored under loan contracts by county, state and national USDA officers, and State Departments of Agriculture.

4. The National Grange supports port terminals and storage facilities for feed grains.

5. The National Grange encourages Congress to develop new farm programs that take into consideration the cross sector effects of such programs. We urge that competitive sectors be consulted in an effort to lessen the cross sector impacts. We will continue to study the concept of the “Revenue Assurance Plan” as an alternative to present farm programs as a means of assisting family farmers.

6. The National Grange supports immediate reinstitution of the “Constructive Receipt” income exemption that will exempt advance farm program payments from taxable income for the year they are received and, instead, treat those payments as potentially taxable income for the year they were intended to cover.

7. The National Grange supports allowing small farmers to have more than 1 plot of less than five acres per farm enrolled in set-aside programs.

8. Surplus food purchased by the Government should not be sold at reduced prices to be in competition with ongoing farm prices. Instead, we encourage surplus foods to be given to charitable organizations.

9. The National Grange supports efforts to have Loan Deficiency Payments (LDP) figured on average yields for a particular farm using the average production history (APH) according to the Federal Crop Insurance Records rather than the actual production for the current year. The producer should retain the right to choose the day when the LDP price would be established.

10. The National Grange favors increasing the wheat target price to $5.29 per bushel, and direct payments to $1.19 per bushel in the 2007 farm bill.

11. The National Grange supports changes to the proposed Farm Bill that support and rely on conservation payment programs and explore other types of payments of block grants for states in the proposed 2007 Farm Bill.

12. The National Grange supports a national farm program that contains the following provisions:

Import and export policies be adopted and administered to ensure a level playing field for all producers (i.e. export enhancement program).
That the term of CCC (Commodity Credit Corporation) commodity loans be 12 months.
Price support payments must be paid out on a counter cyclical basis that will increase the per unit payment to the producers suffering the largest loss below the normal yield, and reduce the per unit payment for producers whose production is over a normal yield.
Continuation and expansion of the CSP (Conservation Security Program) on a national basis.
A one-year extension of the 2002 Farm Bill.
Farm disaster payments be available only if federal crop revenue coverage insurance is not available.
A new farm savings account be established that would allow the deposit of pre taxed dollars for future use to off set farm expenses.

1. The National Grange supports the continuation of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in the 2007 farm bill to provide long-term solutions to natural resource concerns on our nation’s farms. We believe that CRP programs should be integrated with other environmental protection programs and should have a high environmental benefit to the cost ratio by accepting only highly erodible land for 10 years at a rental rate that is in relationship to its productive value. We believe that the commodity base acres in CRP land should remain as a production reserve and only be transferred to other production acres to meet increased export demand. However, we favor eliminating the offsetting and cross compliance provisions as they relate to the Conservation Reserve Program .

2. The National Grange recommends that the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) enforce the inspection of CRP land for noxious weed control. CRP payments should be withheld from the owners of the CRP tracts that are infested with noxious weeds until the FCA or NRCS certifies that the noxious weed control program is being carried out by the landowner. To assist landowners in their responsibility to control noxious weeds, we further urge the USDA to change the date when moving to control noxious weeds is allowed on CRP lands from July 15 to at least as early as June 1. The National Grange urges NRCS to only enroll class 3 or higher erodible land into the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).

3. The National Grange supports federal funding for soil conservation, including sufficient funding to retain technical assistance for conservation. Conservation program appropriations should be maintained at a level that will significantly help meet the conservation needs of America’s farmland. Federal guidelines should provide authority to the local committees so they can best meet conservation needs. Conservation contracts should follow land ownership with penalties assessed for destruction of said practices before the final contract date. In the event any federal conservation cost-share funds are granted to states, all such funds should be made available to farmers for cost-share payments. Conservation funds should be used for the cost-sharing program for which they have been appropriated and none of these funds should be diverted for administrative costs of the states’ delivery systems. The Farm Service Agency should update its state conservation funds distribution formulas to help address the most serious long-term conservation needs.

4. The National Grange supports the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) adhering to the law that only highly erodible soils – class 3 or higher soils – are enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).

5. The National Grange supports the continuation of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) program in the 2007 Farm Bill because of the positive benefits to wildlife and as it relates to the successful recovery of certain federally listed endangered species

1. The National Grange supports a milk supply management program that recognizes regional differences based upon the cost and amount of production, availability of markets, percentage of production that is allocated to CCC stocks, and the percentage of Class I use. The National Grange supports regional compacts that may be advantageous to producers and ultimately, the consumers. In the alternative, the National Grange supports federal legislation to establish regional dairy marketing areas stabilizing the price of milk as an optional alternative to individual dairy farmers participating in the national market loss payment program established under the 2002 Farm Bill. We support creating five regional dairy marketing areas: (1) Northeast Dairy Marketing Area (CT, DE, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI,VT); (2) Southern Dairy Marketing Area (AL, AR, FL, GA, KS, KY, LA, MS, MO, NE, NC, OK, SC, TX, TN, VA, WV); (3) Upper Midwest Dairy Marketing Area (IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, ND, SD, WI); (4) Intermountain Dairy Marketing Area (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT,WY) and (5) Pacific Dairy Marketing Area (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA). However, we support allowing states to “opt out” of participating in their regional dairy marketing area program, if they choose. We further support creating Regional Dairy Boards to administer these regional dairy marketing area programs that have authority to establish: (1) over-order price (a price higher than the marketing order or non-marketing area price) for Class I milk; (2) equalization pools to equalize over-order prices to producers throughout a regulated area; and (3) processor administrative fees. We further support requiring producer referendum to approve any proposed over-order price establishment, amendment, or termination. We further support allowing dairy producers in any State participating a regional dairy marketing program 60 days to decide whether to continue to participate in the current national dairy market loss payment program or to participate in their regional dairy marketing program, provided that the national dairy market loss payment program is extended until at least 2007. We believe that funding for the regional dairy marketing program and the regional dairy boards should come from a National Dairy Producers Fund established with the U.S. Treasury from which the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture shall distribute available funds to the regional dairy boards which, in turn, shall make payments to eligible producers of all milk classes under the regulations established for that region’s dairy marketing equalization pools. We further support requiring each covered processor that purchases Class I milk during a month that will be sold in the regulated area of a region to pay into the National Dairy Producers Fund an amount equal to the region’s over-order premium multiplied by the quantity of purchased Class I milk for that region. The National Grange supports the use of Basic Formula Price (BFP) in determining the base price for dairy products as well as multiple component pricing for all classes of milk. The National Grange urges Congress to require that USDA raise the support price of milk for the benefit of both the producer and the consumer rather than reduce the effective support price of milk. We also continue to support government direct purchases of dairy products for domestic programs.

2. The National Grange supports the use of Basic Formula Price (BFP) in determining the base price for dairy products as well as multiple component pricing for all classes of milk. The National Grange urges Congress to pressure the USDA to raise the support price of milk for the benefit of both the producer and the consumer rather than reducing the effective support price of milk by “tilting” the prices that the government pays for the various components of milk to over emphasize those components that sell at or above current market prices. We also continue to support government direct purchases of dairy products for domestic programs.

3. We support the continued payment of Class I differentials and oppose any effort to form a national pool of Class I milk differentials. We further support maintaining the current classification of reconstituted milk and oppose the de-pooling of Class III milk.

4. The National Grange requests of all appropriate agencies, associations, and boards that milk prices received by dairy farmers be quoted in terms to which consumers can relate, such as price per gallon rather than price per hundredweight.

5. The National Grange supports the implementation of a forward contracting pilot program for all classes of milk other than Class I. We support close monitoring of this program to assure that forward contracting does not adversely affect dairy farmer profitability. However, any monitoring or review of the forward contracting policy program must be sensitive to and protect the privacy of individual dairy farmers participating in the pilot program.

6. The Grange continues to seek an increase in exports of milk and milk products. We support funding of the Dairy Export Incentive program (DEIP) to the full limit permitted by WTO agreements. We urge milk cooperatives and other associations to become actively involved in the development of export markets for dairy products. We support additional funding for USDA to provide technical assistance to private sector dairy export trading entities.

7. The National Grange opposes the importation of caseinates and urges the adoption of tariff rate quotes on Milk Protein Concentrates entering the country. Also the National Grange urges the adoption of standards on how MPC is used and inspected to insure compliance.

8. The National Grange continues to support the National Dairy Product Promotion Program as a means to promote and increase the consumption of dairy products. We urge the USDA to periodically account to the public for any monies that have been collected from dairy farmers under any assessment programs.

9. The Extension Service, nutrition educators, farm organizations, processors, and vendors should promote the nutritional value of “Real” dairy products and should promote use of the “Real Seal” merchandising program.

10. National Grange supports maintaining legal differentiation between real dairy products and ‘imitation” or “substitute” products on food labels even if the nutritional equivalency of these products is the same. We suggest that any “imitation” or “substitute” product that resembles a dairy product may not in any manner be allowed to bear the name of the dairy product that it is purported to resemble.

11. The National Grange opposes legislation that requires the labeling of milk/milk products as it relates to BST.

12. The National Grange supports legislation that would extend the present pay and trust provision of the Packers and Stockyards Act to the dairy industry. We further support a national security fund, funded by processors or secured by bonding, to protect against processor bankruptcy if the fund does not preempt a stronger state program.

13. We recognize the need for dairy farm and dairy plant inspections to help ensure the highest quality of dairy products, but insist that duplication of inspections by the several government entities (city, county, state and federal) be discontinued, where possible. All levels of government should agree to accept uniform and reciprocal dairy farm and dairy plant inspections.

14. The federal government should extend the MILC program with the intent of supporting dairy farmers during these times of low prices without encouraging increased production.

15. The National Grange at all levels encourages the Dairy Co-ops to voluntarily initiate a program that allows membership of the Co-op to vote on any program that takes money out of the farmer's pocket with a yes vote for approval.

16. The National Grange urges the Food and Drug Administration to keep dairy as a separate food group, and assure a place on the Food Pyramid for dairy and meat products. We support the 3-A-Day Dairy Marketing Program which promotes the consumption of 3 servings of dairy foods per day and the 3-A-Day logos on fluid milk, cheese and yogurt. We also urge the Food and Drug Administration to raise the minimum standards level for solids-not-fat (SNF) in milk to no less than 8.60%, the current national average of SNF in milk produced.

17. The National Grange supports the 3-A-Day Dairy Marketing Program, which promotes the consumption of 3 servings of dairy foods per day and the 3-A-Day logos on fluid milk, cheese and yogurt.

18. The National Grange urges the Food and Drug Administration to raise the minimum standards level for solids-not-fat (SNF) in milk to no less than 8.60%, the current national average of SNF in milk produced.

19. The National Grange discourages the promotion of rBST-free milk as being safer or more wholesome. Also, the National Grange urges dairy education and promotion groups to better educate consumers that antibiotics are not allowed in milk and dairy products that are sold to the public.

20. The National Granges urges a reform of multiple component pricing in the federal milk marketing order dairy system to follow the California state milk marketing order model by having a mandatory survey of all dairy manufacturing plants including all types of cheeses in order to determine the value of milk components for dairy pricing and to establish a yearly survey of these plants to better determine their operating costs so that the ‘make allowance’ is set at a level that is most beneficial to both the plant operator and the dairy producer to ensure a healthy dairy industry. The National Grange also will advocate that any further increase in the ‘make allowance’ for manufacturing plants must come from the marketplace and not from the dairy producers proceeds.

21. National Grange requests a serious look into the method for pricing of milk produced by dairy farmers to reflect a reasonable margin of return on farmers’ investment and to provide for a reasonable living standard.

22. The National Grange opposes any proposal, which calls for a milk tax or cuts called for in the commodity payments.

1. The National Grange supports requiring cigarette manufacturers to report only the total use of domestically-grown and imported tobacco by class or kind of tobacco, thus leaving manufacturers the flexibility to adjust blends for their various brands of cigarettes to meet their customer demand. However, we support negotiations, regulations, or legislation to control the importation of low grade, inferior quality tobacco.

2. The National Grange supports programs at the federal level to help tobacco farmers diversify their farming operation by raising and marketing of alternative crops and will support new research programs to discover new uses for tobacco, such as a new source of protein.

3. The National Grange supports steps to make U.S. tobacco more competitive in the world market. We urge that all tobacco that is exported as U.S. tobacco must be certified as 100% U.S. tobacco.

1. The National Grange recommends continuing research to improve the development of more freeze resistant nursery stock and methods of frost control.

2. The National Grange recommends that a realistic tariff be placed on imported honey to protect the financial position of the U.S. bee industry that is necessary for the pollination of U.S. agricultural crops. We support the enactment of federal laws that will provide for the inspection of honeybees and honeybee hives that are transported across state lines in an effort to better control the spread of honeybee diseases and parasites. We urge Congress to set up a “bee zone” and appropriate the necessary funds to stop or at least slow down the northward invasion of the killer bees. We further recommend that the USDA promote a program to educate the general public on the importance of bees, and on the destructive Africanized bees now invading the southern United States.

3. The National Grange supports increased research through the states in growing mushroom spawn

4. The National Grange supports expansion of Federal Crop Insurance and Multi-Peril Insurance Programs to include horticultural crops.

5. The National Grange calls upon the Department of Agriculture, Land Grant universities, and industry to continue research efforts to determine expanded uses for surplus fruits and vegetables.

1. The National Grange supports continuing the peanut program with no further reductions in price supports. We recommend closer communication between the USDA and the peanut growers associations. We urge the President of the United States to allow foreign grown peanuts and peanut by-products to enter this country only if severe growing conditions in the United States have depleted the peanut supply such that the system cannot supply the peanut and processed peanut market over a six month time frame and that the imported peanuts and peanut by-products meet the same quality standards as U.S. peanuts.

2. The Grange will support a cotton program that provides for a marketing loan at a level that will encourage the continued exportation of cotton as well as research into the eradication of detrimental insects.

1. National Grange continues to support the beef promotion programs. We urge State Beef Councils to join in cooperative efforts to target Beef Check-off funds to larger consumer audiences. However, the National Grange recommends that the National Beef Promotion Board consider eliminating the $1.00 “Beef Check-off” on any animal that sells for $20.00 or less.

2. The National Grange seeks a federal indemnification standby program for all livestock and poultry diseases that require condemnation and slaughter to eradicate or control the given diseases. We further support federal indemnity programs to indemnify farmers against loss through no fault of theirs in cases such as radioactive fallout, chemical contamination, and bio-terrorism.

3. The National Grange supports exotic animal farming provided it does not create a health hazard for the domestic livestock industry.

4. The National Grange continues to support the beef promotion programs. We urge State Beef Councils to join in cooperative efforts to target Beef Check-off Funds to larger consumer audiences. However, the National Grange recommends that the National Beef Promotion Board consider eliminating the $1.00 “Beef Check-off” on any animal that, when sold, the farmer would receive $20.00 or less.

5. The National Grange strongly supports the livestock, poultry and dairy industries as suppliers of food and fiber that are so necessary for today’s standard of living. We will continue to inform the public of the economics and importance of the livestock industry and their contributions to a balanced nutritional diet. We will continue to cooperate with the Animal Welfare Coalition to combat misleading statements made by animal rights organizations regarding animal agriculture.

6.The National Grange supports using animals in animal agricultural research in order to advance the science of animal husbandry in the most humane and economic fashion. The National Grange supports efforts to clarify that animals should not be declared “sentient beings” that are entitled to the same legal protections as humans. We support the development of educational programs that demonstrate the advantages and humanness of modern animal husbandry. We oppose any legislation and/or regulations that would hinder good animal husbandry practices. Instead, we support developing a code of “best management practices” for the care and maintenance of agricultural animals and other animals that are under human control. We also support efforts to severely punish any individuals and organizations that commit illegal actions against animal agricultural producers and animal agricultural and biomedical researchers and facilities. We support the voluntary efforts of farmers in reducing the number of injured or downer animals. We encourage livestock auction markets to continue their programs of not accepting animals that are injured or are too weak to stand.

7. The National Grange strongly supports the veal industry’s continued use of confinement stalls and crates as part of comprehensive humane animal treatment practices employed by the industry. However, the Grange will work with the National Veal Association to correct or remove the veal production practices that are not within the guidelines of best veal management. We further recommend that a USDA grader be assigned to all veal calf slaughtering plants so that a farmer or seller receives a fair price from the packing plant for their veal based on the grade that was determined by the inspector and not the plant manager.

8. The National Grange supports rodeos, the use of animals in rodeos, and the great heritage rodeos represent.

9. The National Grange supports pro-active efforts to address legitimate concerns raised regarding concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and the compliance of CAFOs with Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, hazardous substance release laws and other environmental laws that directly protect the health and safety of the general public. We support direct input by the agricultural industry, scientifically based regulations, transparent research regarding actual conditions on farms,sensible control and enforcement, the development of nutrient management plans, developing cost efficient odor reduction technology, and the zoning of agricultural districts as effective means of addressing CAFO management issues. We recommend the development and use of “the best management practices” for the handling of animal and poultry wastes. We support liability protection for farmers who follow the appropriate regulations and “best management practices”. We also support strict laws that regulate large livestock enterprises so that they store, process and apply nutrients according to an approved nutrient management plan to assure that excess nutrients will not contaminate the air or waters of the United States. We also recommend strict construction standards to new earthen manure lagoons and set a phase-in period after which existing lagoons would have to meet appropriate standards. We support prohibiting indefinite storage of animal waste by requiring treatment according to federal wastewater standards if the waste is not applied to land or used in another environmentally sound matter. We further support regulations or other provisions to prevent animal owners from using contracts or similar arrangements to avoid responsibilities for animal waste management. We support imposing tough new penalties on the worst polluters. However, we believe that the implementation of any rules and regulations forcing compliance with the Clean Water Act for CAFOs should not become mandatory until all technical expertise and funding is secured and available for the timely compliance with these directives. Any information pertaining to Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) Nutrient Management plans should be kept confidential, or should not be subject to public disclosure laws since it could be detrimental to the farm operation.

10. The National Grange encourages Congress to restore the original cost-share funding of three million dollars for manure pits.

11. The National Grange supports implementation of a national identification program for livestock and poultry and should lobby for adequate funding for a national animal identification program to be administered through USDA. One of the strong tenets of the program must be that strict privacy protection be included in the national identification program at all levels of Government. We further recommend that the method of identification could be breed specific as approved by each breeds’ national association (Examples of these are ear tags, microchips, and or lots for small animals).

12. To help ensure open international trade, the National Grange believes there should be an animal trace-back framework developed and administered by the USDA in case of a health emergency. The procedure should have the following elements once implemented:

13. We support adequate funding and USDA inspection for the processing of all animals, which are legally allowed for human consumption.

14. Any information pertaining to Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) Nutrient Management plans should be kept confidential, or should not be subject to public disclosure laws since it could be detrimental to the farm operation.

15. The National Grange supports legislation that clarifies that animal manure is not a hazardous or toxic substance.

16. The National Grange continues its support of humane, generally accepted good husbandry practices when dealing with animal welfare issues and oppose any attempts to legislate a ban on these practices on the local, state, or federal level.

1. The National Grange supports continued efforts to eradicate Brucellosis, Johne’s disease, Hoof and Mouth disease, Bovine Leukemia virus, tuberculosis, and screw worms, as well as the continued monitoring of our nation’s borders against reinfestation of these and other infectious livestock diseases.

2. The National Grange supports funding of increased research to control and eradicate poultry diseases and parasites.

3. The National Grange supports blood testing for Johne’s disease in cattle. We further support the development of a test that can isolate the causal organism of Johne’s disease in a shorter time frame.

4. The National Grange requests that health charts show freedom from TB and Brucellosis when dairy cattle are either sold or shown.

5. The National Grange opposes any ban on the use of antibiotics in livestock and poultry feed unless the Food and Drug Administration or other agencies have scientifically established and determined that the use of these antibiotics are detrimental to human health. We oppose any proposals to reclassify over-the-counter animal drugs as prescription-only drugs unless scientifically based information suggests drugs should be reclassified on a drug-by-drug basis. We strongly recommend that all producers who use antibiotics, growth stimulants and other feed additives abide by the directions for the use of and withdrawal provisions for such products

6. The National Grange supports the establishment of firm guidelines for the management of bison and elk in the National Parks to control the spread of Brucellosis and the high risk of undulant fever in humans.

7. The National Grange supports state and national regulatory efforts to closely monitor and test animals on game farms in order to prevent the spread of potentially devastating communicable diseases to surrounding domestic and wild animals.

8. In the event of a suspected finding of contaminated livestock on a farm, the National Grange supports on-farm feed source inspections conducted by state departments of agriculture as opposed to the proposed FDA inspections.

1. The National Grange urges an increase in inspection regulations on all livestock, feed, meats, dairy products and all by-products being imported from foreign countries to the United States for the protection of our animal industry. We support extending mandatory inspection regulations to seafood. We support legislation to implement pathogen detection and reduction strategies based on sound science that targets micro bio-contamination by pathogens that may be harmful to consumers. We request the USDA to strengthen the inspection process for meat and poultry that is being imported into the United States. However, we will oppose adopting “user fees” to pay for inspection services and or any changes in the system that will result in less than continuous inspection during processing of meat and poultry for human consumption.

2. The National Grange supports legislation to eliminate the unfair prohibition against the interstate shipment of state inspected meat and poultry products if the state meat and poultry inspection service is equal to or better than the federal meat and poultry inspection service system.

3. The National Grange urges Congress to fund, and the USDA to develop and disseminate, educational programs relative to safe handling of foods.

4. The National Grange will seek legislation to have the uniform expiration date stamped, not coded, on all processed food.

5. The National Grange supports legislation requiring more open notice to the consumer on products containing M.R.M (machine removed meat).

1. One of the functions of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) should be a lender of last resort for farmers who are unable to acquire needed capital from conventional lending sources. Caution must be exercised to avoid granting undue advantage to large operations at the expense of family-sized farming units. The Grange urges the FSA to strengthen farm loan programs and assist borrowers in “graduating” to conventional credit sources. Loan programs should provide needed short and long-term low interest credit for soil and water conservation. We believe that the local committees should have the legal authority to act upon all farmer loans. We support providing emergency loans and management assistance during times of natural disasters, commodity embargoes, or economic setbacks to expedite the application, review and granting process for these loans. During situations of economic stress facing FSA farm borrowers, we support maintaining the right of mediation on farm loan foreclosures. We further believe that the present owner/operator or beginning farmer should be given the first consideration of sale or lease in disposing of foreclosed farms.

2. The National Grange supports the separation of the truly agricultural production and farm ownership lending programs from lending programs generally associated with rural development such as the Business and Industry Loan Program, water and sewer loans, and non-farm family homes, to free Farm Service Agency county office staff to better supervise agricultural production loans. Business and Industrial Loan Guarantee Programs should be administered so they do not interfere with providing credit to family farmers.

3. The National Grange supports Farm Credit System programs that will service the needs of farmers who are actively and directly engaged in the production of agricultural commodities. T he National Grange opposes the acquisition of Farm Credit institutions by any bank outside the Farm Credit System. We support retaining the present tax exemptions that apply to the Farm Credit System. We specifically recommend that the Farm Credit System creating policies and programs that will assist young and beginning farmers. We support legislation to prohibit the Farm Credit System from increasing its activities regarding insurance coverage for its farm borrowers.

4. The National Grange recommends that the lending authority of the Farm Credit System be expanded to address the total needs of rural communities, including rural economic development. We support the financing of on-farm and off-farm facilities that add value to agricultural commodities or provide services to agricultural production and marketing as well as financing for agricultural exports to all foreign markets. We further support FCS financing directed toward the development of rural enterprises engaged in the development of alternative uses for agricultural commodities and the development of rural infrastructures, such as water and sewer systems and the creation of state of the art telecommunication systems for rural areas.

5. The National Grange supports requiring all agricultural lending institutions, including those under the Federal Reserve System, to consider the security and payment histo ry of the applicant rather than relying entirely upon his/her cash flow .

1. The National Grange continues to support legislation, trade agreements and other measures that will lead to the freeing of world trade between nations on a mutually beneficial basis. We support “fast track” trade legislation to provide the President with sufficient legal authority to negotiate effectively for a reduction in trade barriers, both tariff and non-tariff. The Grange must continue to work for sound trade agreements for agriculture by encouraging the Administration and the Congress to aggressively ensure that American farmers achieve access to all markets covered by trade agreements. To that end, we support negotiations to eliminate all tariff and non-tariff trade restrictions against United States’ agricultural exports. We continue to favor the principles set forth in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and will support amendments to the WTO that will call for swifter remedies to trade disputes. However, in any new trade negotiations, the National Grange will strongly support the inclusion of provisions to protect the sanctity of existing State Laws, including vigorous defense of challenges to such laws by federal authorities in any multi-national trade court or dispute resolution panel.

2. The National Grange supports the permanent appointment of a chief agricultural negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. We support the strong representation of U.S. agricultural interests in all negotiations regarding U.S. trade relations.In addition, we insist that representatives of USDA and the Department of Homeland Security also be represented at all trade negotiations. We urge Congress to diligently scrutinize all future trade agreements to protect the interests of farmers and consumers before approving those trade agreements .

3. The National Grange continues to work for an adequate food supply for the entire world. We encourage increased food production in developing countries. To that end, we support an international food program that provides for the support of all nations in a cooperative endeavor to meet current and projected food needs in deficient areas and ensures that food will be available and efficiently distributed. All nations should give more support for research, education and development of programs designed to improve the capability of farmers in food deficient areas to meet more of the food needs of their people.

4. The National Grange supports the development of a consistent policy on the use of sanctions by the U.S. government. The National Grange strongly believes that food and food producers should never be used as political pawns for homeland security and politics. The Grange opposes trade embargoes as a first choice of action, but should all choices fail, short of military action, and a trade embargo becomes the only alternative, the Grange urges the federal government to embargo all products- agricultural, industrial and technical- instead of specific agricultural commodities. If sanctions become necessary as a tool of foreign policy, then sanctions should be used only as a consequence of multilateral sanctions.

1. The National Grange supports strict enforcement of laws regulating the importation of harmful species of plants and animals. We further support measures which will require tighter oversight and control at port of entry and market outlets in an effort to control the importation of exotic fowl, pet birds, and the establishment of procedures for the treatment of imported cargoes to prevent the importation of plant or animal insects or diseases. The National Grange urges USDA to allow imports of animal dietary supplements, feed, and animal byproducts from countries with known infestations of FMD, BSE, AI, or other contagious diseases only after such products are shown to be safe by virtue of tests done with methods based on sound science.

2. The National Grange supports legislation that would require the USDA to certify that food products coming into the USA for human consumption have not been grown or treated with products that are not currently registered for use on food products in the United States.

3. The National Grange does not approve of using inspections, grading, health, and sanitary or labeling standards as non-tariff barriers to trade. We do support placing import quotas and/or import tariffs on agricultural commodities as a means of protecting domestic markets from seasonal and over trend market penetration surges. We urge Congress and the President to investigate dumping of food products from other countries on to the U.S. market that affect our domestic agriculture industry. We insist that all imported agricultural products, including value-added commodities, meet the same strict inspection, unapproved pesticide residues, grading, and labeling standards as domestically-produced products and that these standards be strictly enforced, and the country of origin supply certification that the imported product is free of harmful diseases and pests. We specifically recommend that all imported products be labeled with the name of the country of origin until the consumer purchases it. We further support the elimination of all export subsidies on agricultural products imported into the United States or the imposition of countervailing duties to offset the subsidy value.

4. The National Grange supports strict enforcement of existing countervailing duties to offset the subsidy value on certain agricultural and timber products being imported from Canada to protect the agriculture and timber industries in states along the Canadian border.

5. The National Grange supports opening the U.S. border to Canadian live beef under thirty months of age for immediate slaughter.

6. The National Grange urges the USDA to allow imports of animal dietary supplements, feed, and animal byproducts from countries with known infestations of FMD, BSE, AI, or other contagious diseases only after such products are shown to be safe by virtue of tests done with methods based on sound science.

1 . The National Grange encourages its members to work through their commodity export promotion organizations on increasing the producers’ participation in export market development. We strongly supports retaining the present system of private enterprise and cooperatives in export sales. We continue to support government export credit programs, including blended credit, and propose the establishment of a revolving export credit fund. We further support the formation of a national marketing federation of regional marketing cooperatives to cover all agricultural export commodities and better serve the world’s markets. We encourage all segments of the agricultural community to increase their private investment in export market development for American agricultural commodities.

2. The National Grange supports legislation or administrative action that will continue to maintain and increase the exporting of agricultural commodities. The Grange will oppose restrictions being placed on imports into the United States that could result in retaliatory action being taken against U.S. agricultural exports by the exporting country. We support increasing market development programs conducted through the USDA and AID with emphasis on financing and development of the infrastructure of recipient countries to facilitate the receiving and distribution of U.S. agricultural products. We further recommend new emphasis on cash sales for agricultural products along with aggressive exportation of high value-added products. We strongly support keeping the authority to determine national agricultural export policy in the USDA and believe that additional consideration should be given to greater participation by the USDA in the administration and distribution of United States’ food aid programs.

3.The National Grange urges the Grain Inspection Service of the USDA to take all necessary steps to ensure that only grain of the quality specified in the purchase be moved into the export market. We support a thorough investigation of the practice by grain buyers of adulterating the grain their purchase from farmers with foreign matter and additional moisture prior to resale by the USDA and by state departments of agriculture.

4. The National Grange supports integrating and coordinating existing state and federal governments’ export marketing programs, such as the Market Access Program, the Market Promotion Program, and other similar programs that are designed to develop and expand foreign markets for U.S. farm products. We believe that these programs should be limited to domestic firms and targeted to new exporting companies, small businesses and individual farmers who sell directly into export markets. We urge Congress and the USDA to reinstate the Export Enhancement Program in order to meet the price competition in world markets New efforts should be made in the development of marketing programs to expand agricultural exports that encourages the participation of new export marketing groups, such as farm cooperatives and export trading companies. Farmers selling commodities directly into the export market should be subject to all of the protections and restrictions that apply to corporations and other commercial ventures that are selling into the export market. We support all efforts to maintain the sanctity of export contracts. We support monitoring and full public disclosure of information concerning sales to foreign countries.

5. The National Grange will oppose any attempt to embargo, restrict or otherwise burden the export of logs or any other privately grown agricultural commodity by a complete or partial ban, quota, or tax of any nature.

6. The National Grange supports swift implementation of the Taft-Hartley Act’s provisions against workers who refuse to load agricultural commodities for export.

7.The National Grange supports developing agricultural trade with Cuba. We seek means whereby Cuba might be extended loans and/or credit to purchase U.S. agricultural products.

1. The National Grange strongly supports agricultural cooperatives and the special legal status granted to agricultural cooperatives under the Capper-Volstead Act which authorizes farmers and producers to form associations for the purpose of collectively processing, handling, and marketing agricultural products in interstate and foreign commerce. Agricultural cooperatives should be owned and controlled by farmers. We support tax law changes that would allow cooperatives to raise additional equity capital to expand cooperative operations as long as such equity does not undermine farmer ownership and control of their cooperative. We support allowing grain-marketing cooperatives to receive commodity loans.

2. The National Grange supports purchasing, processing, marketing, rural electric, rural cable and satellite television, rural broadbandand telephone cooperatives that are providing high quality products and services to their members.

3. The National Grange urges the USDA and other appropriate agencies to continue their educational programs for farmers on the use of the futures market through hedging and other marketing options to increase farm profitability

4. The National Grange continues to support the efforts of commodity organizations to improve the promotional activities for their products. The National Grange supports uniform, clear, and visible labeling of food products to differentiate between imitations vs. real or natural food products. Consumer product label claims must be truthful, not misleading.

5. The National Grange endorses federal and state legislation to protect the bargaining status of cooperatives. Purchasers should be required to recognize and negotiate in good faith with the designated representatives of their producers. The right of producers to control by democratic means the selection of bargaining cooperatives to represent them should be guaranteed by law. Processors of agricultural products should be prohibited from intimidating growers or withholding growers’ contracts because of membership in a bargaining association.

6. The National Grange supports extending the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1937 to include all agricultural commodities. Following the marketing order approval by a referendum of respective producers, regulations covering allocating aggregate market supply among markets in time, space, and form; trading practices; grading standards; container and other terms of sale should be issued under the order. The USDA should have the administrative responsibility to implement Federal Marketing Orders.

7. The National Grange urges the USDA to cooperate fully with the states in developing direct farmer to consumer marketing programs.

8. The National Grange recommends that the provisions of any check-off be approved by a majority of the producers of that commodity in a national referendum. Following producer approval, the programs shall be mandatory, without refunds, and that no more than 5% of the check-off funds can be used for administrative costs. The funds shall be under the control of the promotion board with final decisions and ultimate responsibility for administering check-off programs residing with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

9. The National Grange supports a study to determine the feasibility of a check-off program for wheat to fund a research, educational and promotional program on the nutritional benefits of wheat flour products.

10. The National Grange supports increased research by government and industry to discover and develop new uses and markets for agricultural commodities, including the development of value-added products with the aid of non-farm groups. We further support a national agricultural marketing policy which would encourage farmers to retain important production and marketing decisions in their own hands and that would encourage domestic regional marketing cooperatives to develop a cooperative marketing federation that is capable of entering into the international market for selling farm commodities.

11. The National Grange supports retaining present state standards for Maple Syrup, and opposes any mandatory federal regulations that would be less stringent than present state regulations.

12. The National Grange urges the United Soybean Board to continue to focus check-off monies toward research to combat the aphids and rust situations.

13. The National Grange supports retaining the Capper-Volstead Act of 1922, which authorizes farmers and producers to form associations for the purpose of collectively processing, handling, and marketing agricultural products in interstate and foreign commerce.

14. The National Grange supports uniform, clear, and visible labeling of food products to differentiate between imitations vs. real or natural food products. Consumer product label claims must be truthful, not misleading.

1. The National Grange urges the EPA to consult with state, industry, and user groups when developing policy and regulations that relates to pesticide industries. The National Grange also urges the EPA to use a reasonable approach in carrying out the provisions and requirements of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. We recommend relying on impartial scientific research data that is based on the normal human consumption patterns of a product before suspending or canceling the use of a particular chemical. We urge more review and study of a chemical before the public is advised that an agricultural chemical may be harmful to their health. We support increased research and education being done by the USDA and EPA to improve integrated pest management. To that end, we support the reinstatement and full funding of the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program.We further recommend that Congress provide additional funds for Land Grant Colleges and Universities to be more actively involved with biological pest control research.

2. The National Grange supports efforts to provide information to growers and farmers on actions that can be taken when adverse public statements are made questioning their use of agricultural chemicals that are legally registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We support legislation, which would allow producers and handlers to seek criminal and punitive damage from people or organizations that disseminate false or unsubstantiated information, which causes punitive harm to a grower or handler of an agricultural product, including seeking equal media time. We further seek legislation that would protect a farmer from criminal or civil liability regarding that farmer’s use or disposal of an EPA-registered and approved herbicide or pesticide in accordance with the manufacturer’s printed instructions.

3. The National Grange supports the reasonable and practical use of agricultural chemicals as well as reasonable and practical standards for reentry to fields or areas treated with agricultural chemicals. We urge the USDA to establish a certification program for applicators that encourages herbicide best management practices to prevent adjacent property damage. We furthersupport adequate funding for increased research by all appropriate government agencies to develop, improve, and disseminate information on alternative or sustainable agriculture. We support developing educational programs for farmers on the safe use and disposal of agricultural chemicals, including their containers, in an environmentally safe way.

4. The National Grange supports a continuous program where all applicators of restricted use pesticides are certified and regularly recertified.

5. The National Grange supports allowing the continued and appropriate use of the following farm chemicals: 2-4-D for weed control; triazines as a crop protectant; Elgetol for thinning apples; Compound 1080 for predator control; Methyl bromide for controlling insect infestations in stored commodities and any chemicals found to be effective in controlling fire ants. We further encourage the EPA to reevaluate their restrictions on certain pesticides that are used for grasshopper control so that a more effective environmental control program may be offered to farmers and ranchers.

6. The National Grange supports legislation that provides increased and continuous funding for the IR-4 minor use pesticides program. We recommend streamlining the approval process for minor use pesticides by reducing the cost and time necessary for registration or re-registration.

7. The National Grange supports a federal Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) that updates standards pertaining to pesticide and chemical residue in food be revisited, utilizing new technologies for determining food safety based on the negligible risk standard. We specifically urge the Environmental Protection Agency to implement the FQPA by using sound scientific data based on actual use of pesticides and agricultural chemicals and by providing a transition period for agriculture to adjust to the withdrawal of an approved pesticide.

8. The Cooperative Extension Service and the State Departments of Agriculture, in cooperation with retail and wholesale dealers of lawn and garden pesticides, should conduct special pesticide application classes for homeowners to ensure the proper use and disposal of unused chemicals and their containers. The sale of lawn and garden pesticides should be monitored closely by local and state authorities to insure that restricted use pesticides are not sold to uncertified applicators.

9. The National Grange opposes the EPA classifying plants as a pesticide based upon genetic engineering.

10. All fertilizer manufacturers using toxic, heavy metal, chemical or radioactive wastes should be required to list those components on the package label.

11. The National Grange will support a high priority program for the control of noxious weeds on all lands including Witchweed, Tartanian Honeysuckle, Russian or Autumn Olive and Multiflora Rose. We further urge Congress to prohibit all sales of any form (live, dried, seeds) of any plant that has been placed on a state, regional or national noxious weed list.

12. The National Grange urges the USDA to continue funding for the control of the Asian Gypsy Moth; Pine Beetle; Tussock Moth and the Asian Long Horned Beetle. We support additional funding and legal authority to restrict the importation of foreign pests into the US. We urge USDA to alert the general public to the potential threat that foreign insects pose to our native species.

1. The National Grange strongly supports the cooperative Extension Service (ES) as well as the land grant universities in their effort to maintain a quality extension program in their respective states The ES should continue to provide leadership to the agricultural and rural sectors with programs directed primarily to improving the quality of rural life. We recommend renewed federal funding for the State Farm Safety Specialist position and farm safety programs, establishing a job retraining program for displaced, disabled, or injured farmers and ranchers, maintaining a viable 4-H Program, and increased funding by all government entities so that the ES can provide information on alternative and sustainable agricultural practices and marketing methods.

2. The National Grange continues to strongly support adequate funding for basic and applied agricultural research from federal, state and private sources. We specifically recommend full funding of the federal share of agricultural research, especially in cases of emergencies when increased research is required. We strongly support additional research to provide the technology that is pertinent to small-scale agriculture, including more emphasis on research in the areas of marketing, insect control, disease control, energy use, improved product quality, and soil and water management.

3. The National Grange supports increased funding for the National Seed Storage Laboratory in an effort to preserve plant material and seed germ plasm.

4. The National Grange will support research and education programs that will promote the goals of sustainable agriculture research, of precision agriculture practices and organic farming practices. The goals of research in these areas should be the development of the most efficient and effective Best Management Practices (BMP’s) to reduce soil loss due to erosion, make animal nutrition more efficient, reduce the amount of waste, reduce the nutrient levels in waste, and to identify methodologies that will result in higher profitability from production through market development.

5. The National Grange supports the Teff Research Bridging Ethiopia and Kansas/Nebraska concept proposal that will pursue cooperative farming and marketing practices that will raise income and pricing control of internationally cooperating smallholder farmers.

1. The National Grange supports a federal policy to allow the use of biotechnology in agriculture. We recognize that genetic engineering of plants and animals has already increased the availability of food, and decreased the environmental impact of agriculture , resulting in safer, longer-lasting, more nutritious and better tasting food. We further support continued research on biotechnology and genetic engineering, including further scientific research into non-human cloning. We support an approval process for genetically modified plants and animals, including plants and animals intended for industrial and pharmaceutical production, which utilizes science based decision making to assure the safety of agricultural products. To that end, the National Grange philosophically supports the efforts of National Science Foundation (NSF) concerning their Plant Genome Initiative.

2. The National Grange supports legislation requiring that patented plants and livestock developed through biotechnology (gene-splitting, cloning, genetic engineering, etc.) be made available to all farmers regardless of the farm size.

3. The National Grange supports establishing a scientific advisory committee composed of representatives from the Food and Drug Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Academy of Science to provide the public with information regarding biotechnological research and the effect that any new discovery may have on the environment, food safety, or human health. The Grange urges these agencies as well as the other national farm organizations to publicize the safety of GMO’s to help reduce the resistance to the use of this technology.

4. The National Grange supports pending current congressional legislation that would allow U.S. farmers to save seed from GMO seed for their own use if they pay a tech fee per bushel that would go to the patent holder.

5. The National Grange supports legislation whereby the research and development costs (Bio Technology Fees) that are borne solely by the U.S. farmer; either be eliminated; or negotiated in trade agreements that would require participating countries to share these costs.

6. The National Grange supports legislation where by the research and development costs (Bio Technology Fees) that are borne solely by the U.S. farmer are either eliminated or negotiated in a trade agreement that would require participating countries to share these costs.

1. The National Grange encourages the USDA to enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act and recommends that Congress investigate the relationship of corporations that own and operate livestock/poultry slaughtering plants and livestock/poultry feeding facilities to make sure they are not violating anti-trust laws. If any agribusiness firms are found to be in violation of anti-trust laws, the Department of Justice or the Federal Trade Commission should take the necessary action to uphold the laws.

2. The National Grange calls on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the agricultural supply, agricultural transportation, grain handling, pricing policies and the potential anti-competitive marketing practices of all large corporations in the food processing and food marketing industries. We oppose the concentrated growing, marketing and distribution of agricultural production by large corporations other than farm co-operatives in the U.S. We call upon the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the pricing policy of the food industry and anti-competitive marketing practices, such as the purchasing of shelf space and product location that places new and less expensive generic brands at a marketing disadvantage. We express deep anti-trust concerns regarding the control of the U.S. seed supply to both Congress and the Department of Justice and urge both to conduct a close review of recent acquisitions and mergers

3. The National Grange urges the Secretary of Agriculture to appoint a study committee composed of representatives from farm organizations, commodity groups, and integrators to study the terms of grower contracts to determine fairness to both parties and their acceptance by lending institutions. We further support better nationwide reporting of price and contract information, including forward contract prices, and on going studies of the relationship between farm gate prices and retail prices. We urge USDA to fully fund these efforts.

4. The National Grange urges continued awareness of the address issues related to the Internet trading of grain and other agricultural production. We urge the imposition of necessary regulations on Internet trading of grain where appropriate to protect the farmer.

1. The National Grange strongly supports the U.S. Department of Agriculture remaining as an independent agency with the Secretary of Agriculture as a member of the President’s Cabinet.

2. The National Grange supports the repeal of the USDA’s personnel regulations that forbid USDA employees from actively participating in the meetings and other activities of farm organizations, from holding office in farm organizations, from participating in membership recruitment campaigns, or from acting as a volunteer financial or business agent of a farm organization. This should not change or alter the USDA’s other regulations concerning general employee conduct.

3. The National Grange strongly urges the USDA to devise plans to reduce the paperwork for farmers to participate in federal farm programs. We urge the USDA and its agencies to format all reports, applications etc., that are to be filed by farmers, so that they may be filled out via computer media using commonly accepted word processing programs, and returned to the agency for processing.

4. The National Grange continues its long-standing support of the County and Community Committee System as the proper means of supervising and administering all farm programs. We pledge our full support for the federal government in investigating incidences of discrimination and in implementing action that will bring about changes to end racial discrimination in USDA policies. We urge stricter monitoring and enforcement of the Farm Service Agency’s farm programs in order to eliminate any abuse of farm program regulations. The Grange supports funding and staffing of the Farm Services Agency at levels that are consistent with congressional mandates. In meeting these mandates, we will support co-location and cross-agency use of personnel from various agricultural agencies within counties where offices now exist.

1. The National Grange strongly supports the continuation of the multi peril federal crop insurance program (FCI) that provides coverage on all program, non-program and specialty crops on a nationwide basis. We support changes in the FCI program that would include multi-peril insurance for all crops. We recommend that federal crop insurance coverage be updated annually to reflect the cost of production. We further believe that area coverage should be dropped and a realistic production base should be established for each tract of land.

2. The National Grange urges the USDA Risk Management Division to take steps to accelerate the processing and payment of claims. We support using uniform standards for grading fruits for market, hail and other damage payments

3. The USDA Risk Management Division should discontinue providing insurance coverage on a percentage basis. Coverage should be changed to insure crops on a dollar amount of loss per acre (or unit). The National Grange recommends removing any percent cut on estimated yields if weather conditions prevent timely planting. In addition, the USDA Risk Management Division should delete all of the current footnotes and should clearly state all exceptions, limitations and other provisions concerning crop coverage in the insurance policy.

4. The National Grange supports disaster aid relief that is based on individual rather than countywide losses. We urge the federal government to make available a recourse loan on a need basis for damaged commodities.

5. The National Grange urges the USDA Risk Management Division to allow an option that will permit wheat producers covered by the USDA Risk Management Division’s crop insurance to obtain a replant payment if replanting is required.

6. The National Grange urges the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to streamline procedures that will expedite implementation of the disaster and market loss program payments. Funding for these payments must be “emergency” and not otherwise reduce any other farm bill program spending.

7. The National Grange supports the Farm and Ranch Risk Management (FARRM) account program allowing farmers and ranchers to deposit a set-aside amount of pre-tax dollars into an interest-bearing account to average income fluctuations.

1. In the organization of farm laborers on the West Coast and other farm labor-intensive areas, it is evident that the consolidation of production units may lead to increased costs to the consumers and the producer because of possible disruption caused by labor disputes. Therefore, while we continue to support the rights of individuals to organize, we call for sound approaches when dealing with labor problems in the agricultural industry. Labor and management in the food and agricultural industries should seek solutions to solve problems without striking. To further this goal, we recommend establishing procedures for negotiating labor disputes that will minimize disruptive labor strikes, especially during critical growing and harvesting periods. We also support a prohibition on the exclusive use of hiring halls for supplying agricultural labor and a prohibition on the use of secondary boycotts.

2. The National Grange supports a youth differential minimum wage rate for youth under the age of 18 so agricultural employers will be willing to employ such persons.

3. The National Grange supports legislation that will reduce federal funding of the Legal Service Corporation (LSC), a federal agency that provides legal services to the poor, including migrant farm workers. The LSC legal services should be limited to representing the poor in the courts, not an advocacy group for farm employees that investigate perceived violations of the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act.

4. The Workman’s Compensation Insurance Program should be the exclusive remedy for work-related injuries under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Workers Protection Act.

1. The National Grange supports a comprehensive farm safety-training program for operation of farm machinery, use of chemicals, and animal management to be funded through the Cooperative Extension Service at land grant universities.

2. The National Grange supports legislation that would require manufacturers of tractors and self-propelled farm equipment that may be used on public highways be equipped with signal lights and reflectors that would be visible from all sides. Machinery and wagons should be equipped with reflector tape. Farmers should be encouraged to use lights and reflectors or a reflective material on all sides of tractors and machinery that is traveling on public highways.

2. The National Grange continues to support the development of aquaculture. We urge aquaculture farmers to use care and caution in the placement of rearing pens in public waterways so as not to interfere with other waterway uses.

3. The National Grange supports legislation that would ensure a producer the “right to harvest” any legally planted crop in spite of any environmental or regulatory action arising between planting and harvest time.

4. The National Grange supports research, production, processing and marketing of industrial hemp as a viable agricultural activity. We do not in any way support or condone the growth or use of marijuana as a hallucinogen. We support strict enforcement of all laws that currently ban the production and sale of marijuana or that classify all species of cannabis as a Class 1 controlled substance in the United States. We oppose amending these laws as the primary means of promoting industrial hemp production. Instead we urge further research and application of existing biotechnology techniques to develop genetically modified industrial hemp that will be biologically incompatible with all other forms of cannabis or marijuana. We further urge that genetically modified industrial hemp contain distinct chemical markers that will quickly and easily identify industrial hemp varieties using low cost and accurate on-site testing methods for the purpose of contract compliance, law enforcement and as evidence in court.

5. The National Grange supports requiring all meats in the national school lunch program to meet the new standards used by the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service.

6. The Grange supports initiatives to encourage the use of farm structures as a base for communication antennas.

7. The National Grange seeks a more aggressive position on the issue of irrigation water shared by the U.S. and Mexico on behalf of the U.S. interest and that the period of payback for the excess usage of irrigation water be limited to two years rather than five years.

8. The National Grange urges manufacturers to embed serial numbers into cast components of new tractors and/or hide them inside of the housings to deter theft.

9. The National Grange work with other farm groups to make a Nebraska Tractor Laboratory Test or an equivalent test a national requirement to sell farm tractors in the United States.