Congress must recognize farming as a business which, like any other, cannot survive while selling their goods for less than the cost of production. This is the most readily acknowledged fact in the business world. While surveys confirm the public's support for the family farm system of production agriculture, current farm policy falls short of establishing a price support which, in fact, would "support prices" at a level which covers the true cost of production. The proper role of government in the economy is to establish a level playing field. Government 15 willing to do this as it relates to other industries, so it should be sensitive to the fact that the main five multinational grain trading companies have monopolistic power in the marketplace. There is no competition in the countryside for the purchase of grain from farmers. Therefore, legislative essential. remedy in the form of a support price is If Congress is not serious about establishing a price suppoort mechanism in the 1990 Farm Bill which will cover the cost of production including labor and a return on investment, then it is NOT serious about the survival of the family owned and operated farm. - 2 FARMERS... The smallest minority in the OREGON ORSSON WHEAT GROWERS LEAGUE Pendleton, Gregen 27001 3% . Yet they are the most efficient of any segment of our society. of our population They have increased production per worker when everyone else has reduced production per worker. They produce more jobs per worker than any other industry — approximately 18 to 1. They generate over 50% of the new dollars each year by their management of renewable resources, capital and production practices. They feed 116 other people per worker. They have done more conservation than anyone else for less money than all the rest of society combined (examples): ⚫ planted over 21 million acres of woodland through water control, prevented over 17 million tons of sediments from going into our streams, lakes and reservoirs Revegetated over 17 million acres of rangeland planted over 16 million acres of wildlife habitat ⚫ through the growth of green crops they assimilate more oxygen and purify they use less than 4% of our energy ⚫ through property taxes provided the major finances needed for schools and roads during the 19th century and early 20th century. ⚫ changed the wilderness of the United States to an inhabitable land. In conclusion, 97% of the U.S. population is dependent on 3% to provide food, fiber, 50% of the outdoor recreation, 70% of the food for wildlife, 60% of the open space and to carry out the conservation programs on 70% of the land. Compiled by: Arleigh Isley Oregon State University Extension Service June, 1989 The Record shows Landowners Have Done More for Environment and Wildlife Than Any Other Group. As of 1985 the following had been accomplished: 1. Three million acres have been diverted from crop land to wildlife habitat. 2. Over 72% of all wildlife food is provided by private landowners. 3. Irrigation distribution systems provide over 175 million yards of waterway and habitat for waterfowl. Drainage from irrigated lands have created in excess of 750,000 acres of swamp or wetlands in the western U.S. Riparian areas associated with irrigation canals extends over 250,000 miles. 4. Over two million ponds and 325,000 reservoirs have been constructed providing water for livestock and wildlife. These provide over 15 million visitor days of recreation annually. 5. Wildlife habitat has been improved on 211⁄2 million acres. 6. Twenty one million acres have been planted to trees. 7. Seventeen million acres of rangeland has been seeded. 8. Watershed projects hold over 17 million tons of sediment out of streams annually. 9. More than 55 million acres are contour farmed. 10. Over 20 million acres are strip cropped to prevent erosion. 11. Over 20 million acres of cropland has been converted to grassland and 3.5 million to forest. 12. Agriculture is the only major industry that has increased worker efficiency the last 10 years. Currently one agriculture worker produces enough to feed 116 people. 13. Farm exports - 37 billion-only segment with a positive import-export balance of payments. 14. Over 50% of all recreation occurs on private property about 75% of that on agriculture land. In the last 55 years over two million individual farmers, ranchers and forest product producers have carried out conservation and environmental improvement practices on over three quarters of a billion acres. Space limits listing all their accomplishments, but some must be noted. OREGON OREGON WHEAT GROWERS LEAGUE 300 B.. 10th PO. Box 400 Pendleton, Oregan 07001 Source: ASCS annual reports 1936-1985 SCS annual reports 1940-1985 Congressman Dan Glickman Peck and Son Congressman Ron Marlenee Congressman Bob Smith Wheat sub-committee, U. S. House Agriculture Committee Dear Sirs: Currently, increasing government regulations are making farming more difficult. Freedom to farm is most important. We can produce the raw products for food, and in adequate supply, if government interference does not stall the process through controls and frequent required reporting to both ASCS and SCS. We want to be able to grow wheat, as much as the market can absorb, and till and conserve the soil by experience-proven methods. Erosion is not a problem on this farm. Intruding CRP weeds from the neighbor's grass plantings have created new problems for us and ASCS has not enforced the in-place regulations. A new or amended bill should correct problems in the application of present bill as administered by ASCS and SCS. It stresses us to find that our entire farm is classified as "highly erodable"--every acre. This is not true, but enables ASCS to dictate terms that we cannot live with. Every farm is unique and the farming practices should be decided by the farm operator, not by a "blanket" law administered by bureaucrats. The title "Food Security Act" is deceptive--sounds great to the urban population, but the regulations are going to eventually destroy the food supply. We favor less regulation--not more in a new law. We have been farming and living on this land for 44 years, and it is an Oregon Century farm. Conservation is our by-word. Respectfully submitted, C.K Puch Quare Pick C. K. Peck, Lucile Peck I am a wheat grower from Oregon with a keen economic interest in the 1990 farm bill. In reviewing the USDA program announcement and the preliminary regulatory impact annalysis, I find it disturbing that no effort was made to correct long standing inequities in program yields. USDA has proposed that program yields remain as they have for the past five years, an average of 1981-1985 proven yields, dropping the high and low years. This policy has, for the past five years, ignored a large number of farms with no proven yields for the years 1981-1985. This leaves those farms with an out dated assigned yield, based on yield data from the 1960's and before. One example of this problem is well represented by two farms I operate in Morrow County, Oregon. These two dryland wheat farms are side by side. Farm A receives program payments based on a program yield of 47 bushels per acre using the current formula for determination of program yields. Farm B receives program payments based upon an assigned program yield of 18 bushels per acre. How did this inequity come to be? Both farms were operated by |