Category: Legislature

Seed Pre-emption at the Oregon Legislature

We are currently in the midst of a short session of the Oregon Legislature.  This year there are over 600 bills to get through, and only 35 days to do it.  Which means that many of us farmers are walking the halls of the capital more frequently than the rows of our fields.  Yesterday I headed down to Salem to testify on a bill that would remove important aspects from the Seed Pre-emption law.  A law that we got passed back in 2013, after a long hard battle.

The basic run down of this law is that it prohibits counties and cities from regulating seed production in Oregon.  This is important because as farmers we don’t want to have 36 different laws regulating how we can grow our seed, or 36 different policies on the growing of GMO’s.  It’s a common sense law, that protects farmers.

Here’s a good article that sums up nicely what is going on with this issue as of right now.
Oregon Seed Pre-emption Law Challenged in Legislature.

And here is what I looked like at the Capital yesterday…yes, baby in tow.

He was a trooper and didn’t complain too much about his early start to agvocacy.  Like I told many people yesterday, I’m here because I want to continue my legacy of farming here in Oregon.  I want my sons to have the opportunity to put their hands in the same soil that their great grandfather did.  And to do that, here in Oregon, we have to continually show up in Salem to let our voices be heard.  To hear testimony from many farmers you can click the link below.  The public hearing portion starts at about 1:09 into the meeting.

http://oregon.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?clip_id=10569

As the article states it was mostly farmers who testified yesterday and they all did a great job.  Now if only the battle was even close to over.  Tuesday presents another opportunity for this law to be called into question.

Minimum Wage Hearing

Last week was the first big call to action for this short legislative session for farmers. The hearing was in regards to raising Oregon’s already high minimum wage. And if anyone was in doubt if this is a big topic this year I think you would have only had to show up at the capital that evening to see hundreds of people there to give their view. 

A good friend of mine, fellow blogger and great agvocate, Shelly Davis shared her thoughts and pieces of her testimony on her blog, Daughter of a Trucker. So I wanted to share it on here today because while I didn’t physically have the chance to get to the capital that day I was glad that part of my “tribe” made the trip to share how many of us in agriculture feel about this issue. 

  To see this post follow this link:

 http://daughterofatrucker.com/2016/01/15/i-am-oregon-business-a-follow-up-to-the-minimum-wage-hearing/ 

While we all want people to earn a fair wage, the ways in which to get to that point will be debated extensively this session. I just hope that people will realize what a bandaid just raising minimum wage will be for our state. And it will only shortly hide the real issues with a non business friendly state if we aren’t careful. 

American Farm Bureau Presidental Election

When I was in kindergarten I remember telling everyone at school that my dad was the President of the United States. I also preceded to tell everyone that I would be the first woman president. Hey if my dad can handle it, I know when I grew up I could follow in those big footsteps right?! Well little did my little 6 year old self know but my dad wasn’t the president of the United States, he was the president of our county Farm Bureau and while a very prestigious post, not really quite the same thing.

That memory always brings a smile to my face.  And lately I have been thinking more and more about it as the American Farm Bureau has been working its way to a new President for the first time in 16 years.

Obviously from the story above you can see that since I was a tiny kiddo I was aware of and grew more active in Oregon Farm Bureau. It was a number of years ago that I first met Barry Bushue, Oregon’s Farm Bureau President and quickly saw a great leader and someone who always worked hard to understand the issues and look for a balance in how to deal with them. Today Barry is running for American Farm Bureau (AFBF) President. Beyond his obvious qualifications including being Vice President of AFBF since 2008, and serving on national committees for both AFBF and the USDA he has also been a tireless advocate for all Oregon agriculture. Which is not an easy job to take on.

barry_bushueOregon is blessed to be a state where agriculture is very important, with its diverse growing region with over 250 different crops, it also serves the economy by proving 1 in 8 jobs.  Which is all great, but it tends to foster an environment where sometimes it’s hard for all farmers to always get along.  It’s one of the main challenges that we have here in Oregon, keeping farmers from going against other farmers.  Whether it is organic vs. conventional, or wine grapes vs. grass seed; Barry has had to take on these challenges time and time again. His continued testimony of coexistence, while using common sense and science to bring farmers together on issues is well respected and well known.   I have had the pleasure of testifying next to him in legislative committee hearings, and I always come away from those experiences proud to have Barry represent me as a farmer here in Oregon.

indexOn the national front I think that the challenge for farmers, while diverse, is becoming more aligned as large groups aim to hurt the American farmers and the tools that we use to grow healthy and safe food, fiber and fuel for the world. Barry is no stranger to this conflict, he comes from the heart of some of the most controversial legislation and fighting that we have ever seen in agriculture.

I have no doubt that any of the four men running for AFBF President will do a good job of moving farm bureau in a well rounded way into the future. But I think that Barry has already cultivated the skills required and the thick skin necessary to lead our national policies on agriculture for all farmers!

Good luck Barry, we will all be rooting for you!! And my 6 year old self will really look up to you, I mean if a country president is equal to US President, American Farm Bureau President is basically like ruling the world!

To learn more about this great leader please visit his website: www.barrybushue.org