Champaign County Farm Bureau

Stand up for Agriculture: The Best is Yet to Come

Stand Up For Agriculture: The Best is Yet to Come

By, Kirk L. Builta, Information Director

Amongst the business meetings, award ceremonies and break-out discussion sessions held at this years Illinois Agricultural Association’s (IAA) Annual Meeting in Chicago, Farm Bureau members where inspired, encouraged and challenged by keynote speakers and Agricultural experts.

Kicking off the 2007 gathering of Farm Bureau members was a keynote speech delivered by Leading Economist and author, Barry Asmus. Asmus, the senior economist with the National Center for Policy Analysis, encouraged an audience of nearly 1,000 members to stand up for agriculture while delivering his six “unstoppable trends”. From population and demographic growth, stable price levels, increased productivity and globalization, Asmus told producers that “the best years for agriculture are yet to come”. He told Farm Bureau members that the is “the best in the world in wheat, grain and meat and protein, and the world will demand it” in the future.

Following Dr. Asmus’ speech, Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson, a diversified grain and livestock producer from Seneca, IL laid out his vision for Illinois Agriculture. Nelson reported that with high corn and soybean prices, it’s easy for farmers to “enjoy the ride”, however President Nelson challenged Illinois Farm Bureau members, as producers, to be “the people who make things happen”. Nelson said we must look ahead as an organization and as leaders. We must believe, as he does, that the best is yet to come.

Laying out his mission of agricultural awareness, Nelson told that the future of agriculture is uncertain and threatened by an aging infrastructure, uncertain legislation, skyrocketing energy prices and challenges from environmental and animal welfare groups. It is for these reasons that Nelson challenges all Illinois Farm Bureau members and producers to “step up to the plate and tell the modern-day production story so consumers can understand it”. Without this dialogue and without looking ahead, we are at risk of loosing the good times we enjoy in agriculture.

Closing out the cast of top-notch presenters at this years’ 93^rd annual meeting was special guest, the Acting United States Secretary of Agriculture, Chuck Connor. Connor spoke of the challenges facing the 2007 Farm Bill. Telling producers that although the window of opportunity is closing, there is still time for Congress to produce and pass a good farm bill.

Many argue that the bill provides too much support for wealthy farmers, and Secretary Connor agrees as he displayed a map of New York City . “A good percentage” of income support, “goes to the top 2 percent of tax filers in ” he said arguing against continued supports for wealthy individuals who have virtually “no ties” to a farm.

We, as producers must overcome these obstacles and stand proactive as we continue to provide high quality food, fiber, and fuel to the world. President Nelson reminds all producers to live as the statue standing in front of the Illinois Farm Bureau building in Bloomington, Illinois . Its plaque states that “to plow a furrow, you must look ahead” and we must do just that.