American Agri-Women

 

COLORADO AGRI-WOMEN ARE “MILE HIGH!"
 

Bennett, CO (AgPR), January 25, 2010 -- Colorado Agri-Women are a mile high with enthusiasm after organizing a new state group in Denver last Friday.

Fifteen Colorado women met with three national officers of American Agri-Women (AAW) and agreed, as one participant put it, that “women have to be involved". Many more have communicated that they want to be partners in this movement.

Danell Kalcevik of Bennett was elected president at the founding meeting. She and her husband, Kent, represent the fourth generation of a farm family in Eastern Colorado that raises wheat, millet, sunflowers and cattle.

Danell became acquainted with AAW members at a Syngenta Leadership Conference in North Carolina last spring and wanted to join the team. She commented that she liked AAW’s vision statement: “We are a force for truth, a reasoned, non-partisan voice for the agricultural community to the public.”

Janell Reid of Ordway is vice president of Colorado Agri-Women. Her husband, John, was president of the Colorado Independent Cattle Growers Assn. last year and her background is in the cattle business. Although married to a rancher for 37 years, she grew up in the Denver suburbs and understands the city woman’s point of view.

Becky Ravenkamp of Hugo is the first secretary. She and her husband, Scott, are part of a family operation that is exclusively dryland farming, raising wheat, corn, millet and sunflowers. She teaches special education and had to reschedule a school meeting in order to attend.

Treasurer is Korry Lewis, a senior at West Texas A&M, who will be back on her family’s Muddy Valley Ranch south of LaJunta in the spring. In order to join, women may send a check for $40 (which includes both state and national dues) to: Korry Lewis, 43200 Highway 109, Kim, CO 81049.

Colorado Agri-Women will meet again to vote on by laws and elect district directors prior to the AAW midyear meeting at the Doubletree Hotel in Denver, April 8-11. There will be a welcome reception honoring Colorado Agri-Women on April 8.

National president Chris Wilson of Manhattan, KS, said, “We’re excited to have this lively group of women join us in American Agri-Women. They will be strong advocates for agriculture and capable of meeting the challenges we know lie ahead.”

AAW is the nation’s largest national coalition of farm, ranch and agribusiness women with 53 state, commodity and agribusiness affiliate organizations throughout the country. AAW is a volunteer organization working to provide true information about agriculture to the public since 1974. 

 

ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT RULING THREATENS FOOD PRODUCTION IN CALIFORNIA
 

 

Judging from the varied reactions of viewers watching last Sunday's 60 Minutes TV segment, "California: Running Dry", the state's three-year-drought is more complicated than simply the weather, according to the president of a national coalition of farm and ranch women. "If you look at comments on the CBS website, you can see how emotional people are," said Chris Wilson, president of American Agri-Women. "But if people studied the facts of this case, they would see the devastating effects of the Endangered Species Act on not only rural people but Americans everywhere, not just California, because these farmers feed the world."

In a 2006 lawsuit environmental groups demanded that the pumps in the Delta be shut off to protect a small minnow-smelt. Protectors of the smelt claim it can be sucked into the pumps that distribute water to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. In August 2007, U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger ordered curtailing of the pumping of water that supplies the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta until a new biological opinion could be written, which it was in December 2008, resulting in more pumping restrictions. San Joaquin Valley water agencies challenged the ruling. As a result, in May 2009, Judge Wanger agreed the original restrictions on pumping needed to be revisited with the water agencies' compelling argument that people are being harmed by unreasonable concern over the welfare of a tiny fish.

According to one Californian, the drought was just as severe last year and farmers cut back on planting, but received from 10-30% of their water allocation through the Delta, depending on where their land was located. This year, because of the Delta smelt ruling, the allocation is 0% (zero percent). Hundreds of thousands of acres have been fallowed, almond trees pulled, and more than 60,000 jobs were lost.

The Obama administration has addressed the California water crisis by releasing a coordinated interim action plan of six federal agencies with their list of actions to be coordinated with the state. But some say it is too little, too late.

Carol Chandler, past president of California Women for Agriculture, stated, "There is a lot of rhetoric about conservation and restoration without addressing the need for water storage and temporary suspension of the Endangered Species Act. To improve our situation, growers in California need more water storage, conveyance capabilities around the fragile Delta so water can travel south, repair of the Delta levees to prevent salt water intrusion and flooding (salt water intrusion comes into the Delta during drought when the water seeps in from the Pacific Ocean), and suspension of the Endangered Species Act during severe drought conditions." Chandler added that many people would like to see a review of the biological opinions declaring that the pumps were the reason the smelt were dying.

AAW president Wilson stated, "A fish has been put above the needs of human beings who rely on the fresh products that come out of one of the most bountiful breadbaskets of America. We depend on California production of over 300 crops. Just one example is that 90% of almonds come from California. Without an adequate water supply, we risk shortages of our food supply here at home. United States farmers produce the most plentiful and safest food supply in the world so why risk growing it elsewhere? We all believe in conservation of the species but your families must come first."

House Passed Estate Tax Bill Could Be Devastating for Family Farms

On December 3, by a vote of 225-200, the House of Representatives passed HR 4154 sponsored by Representative Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), which makes permanent the 2009 estate tax rates and exemption threshold.

The bill sets a 45 percent maximum tax rate on estates valued over $3.5 million for individuals and $7 million for married couples. The estate tax is currently set to be repealed for one year in 2010, returning in 2011 with a tax rate of 55 percent and an exemption lowered to $1 million. Pomeroy claims that 99.75 percent of individual families will be exempt from any estate tax under his bill.

Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA), who introduced an agriculture-specific estate tax bill in July, HR 3524, which would exclude from gross estate value property that is used by a decedent for farming purposes, supported the Pomeroy bill. Thompson’s support of HR 4154 is likely a realization by the Congressman that HR 3524 will not be considered for a vote by the entire House.

HR 4154 has been received by the Senate where it awaits possible action.

AAW President Chris Wilson said, "This bill would permanently extend the excessively high tax rate of 45 percent with an un-indexed exemption amount of $3.5 million currently in effect for 2009. At the 45 percent rate, nearly half of the value of farms, ranches and small businesses would be taxed by the federal government."

The estate tax punishes individuals at their death and, in effect, is a double tax on assets which were already taxed when earned. It disproportionally affects the assets of family-owned small businesses and ag producers which are transferred at the time of death.

This bill does not set a reasonable rate, does not provide an appropriate exemption amount, and is not indexed for inflation. More and more agriculture producers are going to face this tax in the future. In lieu of total elimination, AAW supports an individual exemption of $5 million to $10 million, indexed for inflation.
 

American Agri-Women partners with Broadband for America

Over the past three months, the Broadband for America (BfA) coalition has grown to nearly 100 members ranging from independent consumer advocacy groups, to content and application providers, to the companies which build and maintain the internet. Together these organizations represent the hundreds of millions of Americans who are literally connected through broadband.

American Agri-Women is proud to be part of this growing network of advocacy groups determined to give broadband availability to all Americans regardless of geographic location, economic position, or social level. It’s encouraging to see the names of Time Warner and Verizon along with other communication networks as members.

Broadband for America’s network website is www.broadbandforamerica.com. Please visit the site and sign up as a follower to receive communications.

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Join American farm women from across the country at the new AgConnect Expo in Orlando, Florida, this January 12-15, 2010. Join us in establishing a place for women who take their role in agriculture seriously at this industry gathering place. AAW will be hosting a reception during this event and invite you stop by and say Hello!

We are honored to have three of our own AAW members as speakers at this event. Doris Mold, Chris Wilson and Marcie Williams will be presenting sessions on ‘Balancing Your Budget”, “Planning for Your Future”, and “Managing Multiple Tasks on the Farm”. One of our partners from the National Council of Agriculture Employees, Frank Gasperini, will be sponsored by AAW and speaking on “Labor Issues on the Farm: Hiring, Wages and Migrant Labor”.

 Special VIP privileges for AAW members will include: Free entry to the Special Preview Day activities; Networking Night at Universal Studios; and The Networking Zone which offers continued discussion following educational sessions so you can bounce ideas off the experts and like-minded farmers from around the country and overseas.

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 Almost 40 AAW members flew to Washington DC in June to take agriculture issues to Capitol Hill, and meet with agency representatives for issue updates.