Tuesday, February 24: SDARL's traditional ABA Day

Tuesday, February 24th started at the American Bankers Association with Nate Franzen, President of Agribusiness for First Dakota National Bank, giving a presentation on staying in touch with activities in Washington, D.C.

Nate Franzen

Nate is a SDARL class I graduate, and he spoke on the growing disconnect between agricultural and policy makers, and how we as South Dakotans can keep that from happening.  We as producers also have an obligation to pay attention to the rest of the world, because leadership is not a spectator sport.

Even and Pravecek

Brittany Dengler, senior research manager with the ABA, spoke on national economy trends.  Consumers are behind the modest growth in the GDP, and they benefit from steady job growth.  There is, however, concern over the number of unemployed long term, over 27 weeks.  Also troubling is the slow gains in construction and manufacturing jobs lost in the recession.  This leads to well below normal gains in the housing sector.
Michael Torrey, originally of Kansas, now of Michael Torrey Associates of Washington, D.C., talked to the class about how his firm lobbies for and helps manage their clients. They focus on building relationships between clients and policy makers that produce substance on issues.  They lobby legislative and executive branches of the government.

Haugen, Youngblom, Osterman and others

Michael Holland thanked by Jim Kanable

Michael Holland, Director of government affairs for Monsanto, visited with the class about their top priorities in ag.  They're focusing on maintaining the Renewable Fuels Standard, trade, and section 179 dealing with taxation and accelerated depreciation.  GMO labeling is a hot topic that is driven by opponents to rid the country of those products, and they're working diligently to influence legislation on his issue.  One of Monsanto's stated goals is to double the national average yield by 2030.

ABA Vice President of Congressional Relations Ed Elfmann focused on how the ABA deals with all legislators and ag committees in the federal government.  They are dealing with record farm incomes, even though it has declined recently.  FDIC insured that lenders have been diminished by nearly two-thirds in the last 28 years.  Farmers have been restrained in their borrowing for capital investments.  He also communicated that 84% of the farm bill is geared to fund nutrition.  He commented on congressional issues facing ag lending in 2015.
Farmer Mac is a bridge between capital markets and ag producers, helping provide security and coverage on loans.  They graciously sponsored the noon meal, and Larry Jones gave a presentation on how their process works.  Ag producers get more options because their lender can spread risk out.

The day switched gears a little when Ryan Bennett, the director of government affairs for the National Milk Producers Federation, gave a presentation on what they do.  They represent dairy cooperatives in all 50 states, and are ran by a board made up of mainly producers.  In addition, they also help manage several other non-coop dairy institutions and other check-off funded organizations.  Major policy interests range from dairy policy to trade to immigration.

Reuvekamp adding insight in dairy topics

In keeping with producer oriented speakers, Matt Mika with Tyson Foods, Inc, gave his talk as Director of Government affairs.  Tyson is number 1 in chicken, number 1 in beef, and number 2 in pork, so they wield a big stick when it comes to ag policy.  They are following issues like Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS), trade, and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HSS) dietary guidelines.

Rusche, Johannsen

CropLife America representative Rebeckah Adcock is the Senior Director of Government Affairs stopped by to talk shop regarding policy on issues that affect pesticide and herbicide use, among other things.  WOTUS is one of the major issues they're facing now, stemming from some states' lack of action on non-navigable, new state waters.  CropLife America see this as a Clean Water Act issue that needs to have a rule written that makes sense.

Kristina Butts speaking; Schley making notes

Kristina Butts is with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) as the Director of Federal Relations.  After a brief synopsis of what NCBA does and how it's organized, she explained more about how they're trying to influence the USDA and Health and Human Services (HSS) dietary guidelines.  The major issue taken with this issue is that the advisory board does not contain the proper personnel and is not addressing issues within the scope of the guidelines.  She also spoke to trade opposition of WOTUS.

Bryan Dierlam

The Cargill Federal Relations Director, Bryan Dierlam, came before the class last and encouraged us to fight any fight united as producers, and fight it on the battlefield of our choosing, rather than fight and die a battle we can't win.  He spoke to worldwide development of food production ability as well as infrastructure investments for food distribution.  Trade issues and labor were also discussed.

Samson, Johannsen

The ABA-day was being concluded by hosts Ed Elfmann and Nate Franzen, followed with a -for SDARL groups traditional- walking tour led by the newly retired John Blanchfield. Blanchfield took us on a brisk hike to Farragut Square and the White House, keeping us entertained with historical stories.

Submitted by Warren Symens

Monday, February 23: Mount Vernon & Sustainable Food & Agriculture

Flagraising at Mount Vernon by Seminar Team Leaders Hinke & Johnson

          Today, Monday the 23rd, we started the morning off by going to Mount Vernon Memorial.  Our tour of George Washington’s estate began with the raising of the American Flag.

Mount Vernon

 From there we were able to walk through Washington’s Mansion.  The architecture of the Mansion was incredible for that time in history.  Also the view overlooking the river was gorgeous. For the rest of the morning we were able to walk around the 500 acre estate.  Although it is winter, we were able to see the gardens where they grew their own crops.  Most of us bared the crisp wind and viewed the family tomb.

          

Jamie Johnson as a Seminar Team Leader

President George Washington wax replica

View of the Potomac River

  For lunch we went to historic Gadsby Tavern.  Our food was delicious and our entertainment during was awesome.  Our first speaker, Pam Hess, the Executive Director of Arcadia gave insight on challenges of supplying poverty communities with healthy food.  Arcadia is center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture. www.arcadiafood.org

Pam Hess

Since its establishment in 2010, Arcadia's mission has been to improve the health of our community, support the viability of local farmers, and preserve the environment for future generations. Through our programs, we:  Work to address issues of food access and food justice; Raise awareness about healthy food and its sources; Establish innovative connections between local, sustainable farms and consumers. It was great to see someone else who had that much passion on providing nutrition.

After a very short break we had the honor of listening to Bruce and Julie Knight.  Julie, Strategic Conservation Solutions, spoke on how providing healthy eating and environmental structure in Fairfax is just as important and challenging as it is in South Dakota.  She spoke on Partnership for a Healthier Fairfax and its healthy eating team & how one highly suburban/urban community is doing to address food security issues.

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/livehealthy/chip.htm

Julie Knight in conversation with members Kroupa and Haugen

 Bruce Knight, Co-founder of Strategic Conservation Solutions, is a South Dakota native from the Gann Valley area who believes his grandfather had a true definition of sustainability!  Leave the land better than when you received it.   Bruce Knight, spoke on  sustainability from a more macro level as well as policy issues and getting your voice heard locally, nationally and globally.

Bruce Knight

Submitted by Randy Nelson & Nick Scott

Washington, DC; a first impression

Class VIII SDARL class met early Saturday, February 21^st, morning in Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Fargo to start our Washington DC trip.  Although we had many set backs due to weather, we all made it safely.

SDARL Class VIII near the White House

                Sunday morning we had the opportunity to go the largest Roman Catholic Church in all of the North America, The Basilica.  Four of our members were asked to be a part of the service by bringing gifts to the front of the congregation.   Another group visited the Capitol Hill Baptist Church, where we were in awe at the music, sermon and the interest in our group.  The third group started at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum where we saw the documentary of the Hubble Space Telescope.  This group also had an impressive visit at the Holocaust Museum.

 In the afternoon we enjoyed a great tour of the different memorials.  A few of favorites were the Jefferson Memorial, seeing the black marble Korean War wall with the faces was amazing, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall where actually seeing all the names of soldiers who gave their life was more impressive and humbling, than just seeing the number of lives lost.

Reichert at the Vietnam Memorial

 We ended our day with South Dakota Farm Bureau President, class 3 SDARL alumnus, Scott VanderWal.  Scott spoke of the importance of the power of one and telling our personal stories.  Some great advice that he gave all of us was to lead with values and to keep a healthy balance between personal and professional responsibilities. 

Scott VanderWal being thanked by Joel Erickson

Submitted by Nick Scott & Randy Nelson

Ready for the Washington, DC Seminar

On Saturday, February 21st, Class VIII of SDARL will start it's National Study Seminar in Washington, DC. The schedule is jam-packed and full of meetings with prominent leaders, tours, and experiences. Find the agenda on the website: www.sdarl.org.
Class VIII Reporters will keep you updated daily, right here at sdarl.blogspot.com.

Reflections on the visit to Hawaii

John Anderson of DeSmet, Class 4:

“I found the diversity of the crops to be interesting given the size of Hawaii. The thing I found most interesting was the lettuce/tilapia farm where they grew both crops using recycled water and the rainwater. To me, being able to integrate the growing of multiple crops together is being very efficient and will need to be done in the future in all countries.

The variation of rain within the island surprised me. What also surprised me was the shipping of feeder cattle to the mainland vs feeding the cattle in Hawaii. I know they don’t have a grain feed supply but the shipping cost of cattle is substantial.

Overall, the trip was very interesting. My take away from the trip regarding agriculture is that every part of the world has issues regarding agriculture. There is no perfect place to be in production agriculture. Hawaii doesn’t have the cold weather and has great climate for the most part but that can cause other issues. Maybe we don’t have it so bad in South Dakota except for the cold winters.”

Terry Jaspers of Sisseton, Class 3:

“The most interesting and fascinating is how producers adapted to the climate and the economics of growing a specific crop in a specific location.  From a big picture standpoint the overall conversion from sugar cane and pineapple plantations to intensively grazed grassland, vegetable, fruits and seed corn was very interesting.  We had seen similar conversions in New Zealand from sheep to dairy, Argentina, grass and cattle to soybeans, corn. I wish we could have spent more time at the Queen Bee business but we got a quick overview of what they were doing. It would be nice to know more about the economics of bee keeping and the major issues facing the honey business.”

Marshall Edelman of Willow Lake, Class 2

The best stop for me was Ponoholo Ranch. Being a cowman 24/7 probably influenced that somewhat. It was very interesting to see the differences in rainfall, etc. I believe I read somewhere that almost all the different climates in the world are represented on the big island except for two. That is amazing.

The ability to raise GMO seed in Hawaii is very important to us here on the mainland as we strive to feed the world. If we lose the ability to produce GMO seeds in Hawaii this will have a devastating effect on our industry.

Bill Slovek of Phillip Class 4
This was the first time for me in Hawaii and all of it was exciting. The most interesting thing is that the volcanoes that formed the islands are still active. Being able to see that was great. 
I never realized there were so many vegetables and fruits, some that I’d never heard of in my life. It was amazing, the different things they have and there are some that are pretty good. Many don't make it to the central United States and a lot of what they produce goes to Asian markets.

As far as cows, it would be fun to ranch in Hawaii and not have to have a hydro swing, a rake and a baler. I wouldn’t have to work all summer to put up hay and then feed the cows all winter.  

After visiting with the cattle ranchers who send their cattle on boats or planes to California to finish, I ran some of the numbers. I figure that what it costs them to ship the critters to the mainline is about the same that I spend on machinery, fuel and labor to put up hay and haul it. I think it could be fun!

To me, it was really interesting to see people trying to grow food without any land. The aquaculture operation raising fish and lettuce floating on Styrofoam in a tank was fascinating. They can be more sustainable with a limited amount of land. It was really neat to see how creative they can be.

Gary Cammack of Union Center, Class 1
The Ponoholo Ranch was the best visit for me as I guess I could most readily identify with the operation. There were a lot of similarities and a lot of differences, really more similarities than differences.

Flying the cattle to the mainland was interesting. It would add a freight charge on top of the bill to go to market. It uses a different mode of transportation. It’s not unlike some of the struggles we deal with each year.

The most diverse ag enterprise and the one I had the hardest time wrapping my head around, was the abalone farm, where it takes 3 years to raise 3.7 million abalone in tanks. That was the most different endeavor.

Connie Sieh Groop of Frederick, Class 6:

In Hawaii, soil, or what is referred to as soil, all originates with the volcano, either millions of years ago or 200 years ago. On the Big Island of Hawaii, land near the road on the west side looked like a barren wasteland while other areas were green and lush with foliage.

Near the Kilauea Volcano, we visited a winery. The manager told me that in order to plant the vines, they used jackhammers to carve out a 2-foot wide trench in the volcanic rock. They put in compost, then added some dirt and the vine cuttings. The jackhammer cracks the rock so the roots can take hold. They are near enough to the volcano that sometimes, when the winds are from the wrong direction, the blossoms on the vines are affected from the sulfur gasses from the volcano. They also grow are able to grow white, green and black tea in that area. 

Volcanos, tea and flowers

The Hawaiian islands were built by volcanoes and evidence is seen especially on the Big Island. Some of us went on to tour Volcano National Park. Our guides, Josh and Jill live close to the area where there is active lava threatening some of the homes. Each day reports are given, indicating what to expect. There is only a small area that is impacted but an eruption could impact that area at any time. Scientists are constantly monitoring signs. We couldn't get close to the crater or any lava but witnessed the area from a distance and could see steam rising from rifts. We also walked through a lava vent created many years ago. The area shows the result of 70 million years of volcanism, migration and changes.

On the way back to our motel, we stopped at store featuring orchids and a winery. At the winery, they said that sometimes, winds blow the sulfur dioxide gases toward their vines and that can damage the setting of the flowers, reducing the fruit yields.  Because of the gases in the air and the way the winds blow, people can be affected y VOG, volcanic originated gases, which can cause headaches and a congested feeling. The winery also featured white, black and green teas.

Ahhh, smell the coffee!

At the Mountain Thunder Coffee Farm at Kona, Trent Bateman showed us the basics of coffee farming. It takes 3000 of coffee cherries to make one pound of coffee. His trees are grown on the mountain at  3200 ft. which stresses the plant but makes for a phenomenal taste. He said that rust is not a problem but they do have a beetle  borer that likes to eat the beans and has destroyed 25 percent of the world's coffee.  The plant takes 5 years to get to full production and some trees are 100 years old.  The cherries are picked by hand. They also grow Mamaki tea that has antioxidants and is considered like 'chicken soup' by the natives. They have 20 acres of that tree, both wild and propagated. Trent also showed how coffee was graded, dried and roasted. 

The next day, we visited Hilo Coffee Mill which is on the north side of the island and gets much more rain. Small coffee farms are prospering in East Hawaii. This company provides milling for local farmers that includes processing, packaging and marketing.  No batch is too small. .