Congress, Administration Must Unite on Immigration Reform

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 9, 2014—During a Day of Action with events in Washington, D.C., and in more than 60 congressional districts across 25 states, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Partnership for a New American Economy, Business Roundtable and other groups are urging Congress and the administration to work together to enact immigration reform.

At a press conference in the nation’s capital, farm leaders and top business association CEOs discussed the critical need for immigration reform to drive job creation and economic growth in the United States, while representatives from state and local employer associations, state Farm Bureaus, local businesses and other industry leaders made a similar case at local events in Arkansas, California, Indiana, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and more than 10 other states. The coordinated events cutting across various industries, sectors and communities show how wide and deep the need for immigration reform runs.  
“Immigration reform is critical for the agricultural industry,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “Many farmers rely on an immigrant labor force and without reform, growers will begin to plant less labor intensive crops or food production will go off shore. Simply put, either we import our labor or we import our food.”
Failure to act is not an option, Stallman continued.
“As a nation, we can’t afford to continue with an immigration system we’ve long outgrown and is working more and more against our overall national interest.  We urge Congress and the administration to work together and with us to achieve real immigration reform that addresses the needs of farmers and the economy, as well as the country’s need for border security,” he said.

Vermont Dairy Farmer, Mother & Blogger Discusses Biotechnology Benefits at House Hearing

Washington, D.C. (July 9, 2014)—Farmers need to do a better job at connecting with the public when talking about the benefits that biotechnology brings to producers, consumers and the environment, said Joanna Lidback, a dairy farmer from northeast Vermont, today. Lidback, who also keeps a blog documenting her family’s life on the farm (farmlifelove.com), testified during a hearing of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology and Foreign Agriculture.

“I believe that biotechnology plays a major role in our collective ability to not only feed a growing global population but also to make individual improvements on our own farms, be it 45 cows or 4500; a row crop operation or an apple orchard; a multiple-generation farm or a beginning farmer,” she said. “The science shows that GMOs are safe and bring tremendous benefits, but we in agriculture have failed to communicate this effectively with the public.”

Lidback testified on behalf of Agri-Mark Dairy Cooperative and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives; Agri-Mark is a member of both the National Milk Producers Federation and NCFC.
Lidback also highlighted the impact that being forced to use non-GMO feed would have on the 45 cow dairy farm that she operates with her husband.

“In speaking with our dairy nutritionist earlier this week, he pointed out that the only non-GMO feed he could get us right now was organic. Doing the math, our feed costs would go from $5,160 a month to $11,370 a month; over the course of a year, that means our feed costs alone would increase by $74520,” she testified. “I do not see how we could survive, let alone farm profitably, in the long term with those increased feed costs.”

Lidback concluded her statement by reiterating the need for producers to engage more with the public on issues relating to agriculture’s use of biotechnology.

“I’m happy to continue speaking up for our right to farm in whatever way we choose which in our case includes biotechnology and the use of GMOs. It’s important to share my knowledge about the opportunities and challenges we face as modern-day farmers and modern-day parents,” Lidback concluded. “When I have one person, or ten people, reach out to me for a question or appreciating my hands-on and practical perspective from the farm, then I have succeeded.”