Let's hear it for Montana's farmers

Family farming and ranching is an important part of our heritage and it has made agriculture Montana's largest industry. It affects all economic activity in Montana and must be preserved through public policies that make it possible to sustain the family-oriented agricultural production so vital to our state. If we are truly committed to our family farmers and ranchers, we need to focus on such things as fair prices, improved trade policies, value-added products, market promotion, community education and availability of credit.

So what are your legislators doing to help the family farmers and ranchers of Lake County? Several bills were heard last week in the House Agriculture Committee; and of particular note were HJ 7 (Small-Eastman - D), HJ 11 (Windy Boy - D), HB 459 (Jent - D) and HB 484 (L. Jones - R).

HJ 7 is a resolution urging the U.S. Congress to reject the USDA's proposal to resume live cattle trade with Canada until Montana's producers and consumers can be assured that the food supply is safe from Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and that the Montana cattle industry will not be harmed. The hearing went well, and I am optimistic that by the time you read this, it will have passed. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the Federal government is still planning to open the borders in March to live cattle aged 30 months or less. Why is this important to Montana? The United States' export markets have declined more than $2 billion since the first Canadian cow with BSE was discovered in Washington state in 2003. Montana's beef industry is a significant contributor to the state's agricultural economy and is vital to Montana's economy; and Montana borders the province of Alberta, Canada, where all of the BSE-positive animals in North America have originated. Without this needed protection against BSE, it could spell disaster for Montana's cattle industry.

HB 484, which I co-sponsored, would allow state-inspected mobile slaughter units to come to the ranch, opening up a whole array of markets for value-added meat products, such as Montana-grown, natural or organic beef, or free range poultry. Presently, Montana law does not give the State authority to inspect mobile slaughter units. This bill would give explicit authority to the Department of Livestock to inspect slaughter units by simply adding mobile slaughter units to the definition of establishments covered by state meat inspection laws. At the hearing, there was literally a room full of people testifying in favor of this bill, including Jan Tusick of Mission Mountain Markets. This bill, if passed, has the potential of creating 10 full-time jobs for every unit and increasing value-added wealth by $1.7 million annually. Because these units come directly to the farm, it eliminates the need for transporting live animals. The animals are less stressed, which can improve the quality of the meat and reduce the producer's cost. And Montana's retailers, such as restaurants, and consumers will have greater availability of Montana-grown meat and specialty meat products raised to their specifications. The bottom line is that this bill will strengthen our local food and agricultural economy.

HB 459 seeks to reestablish and make permanent the successful Montana Agricultural Heritage Program, which protects the values and principles recognized by Montanans who are concerned about the future viability of our family-based agricultural tradition and the values contained within that tradition by securing the long-term conservation and productive use of Montana's agricultural lands for future generations. We have a rich heritage of family-based agricultural enterprises that foster and promote economic and cultural values, open space, and diversity of wild species; but it is becoming increasingly difficult for our family farmers and ranchers to keep their businesses going, not only for themselves, but for their families, their children, and their grandchildren. Through the Montana Agricultural Heritage Program, perpetual and renewable-term agricultural easements would be available to our local farmers and ranchers on a voluntary basis. It would also make available donations, grants, gifts and other financial support to make it possible to keep the family farms in the family.

Finally, pesticide use, livestock disease, noxious weeds, and irrigated and dryland cropping systems affect all Montana agricultural interests. HJ 11 is a joint resolution of the Montana Senate and House of Representatives urging cooperation between and among state and federal agricultural research stations and tribal agricultural research programs to facilitate ongoing research, sharing of research scientists, and education efforts in addressing these critical issues. These efforts would help provide a unified approach in addressing the major concerns of our number one industry.

Montana's farmers and ranchers face many hardships in today's economy. Drought, fluctuating markets and increased operating costs make Montana's top industry one of the most demanding. Here in Helena, we need to keep this in mind when making decisions that affect farmers and ranchers. I think President Dwight D. Eisenhower put it best when he said, "Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand miles from the corn field." As a member of the House Agriculture committee, I will continue to work hard to preserve Montana's farming and ranching heritage and assure that our number one industry stays that way.