Jim Fuerstenau, MFCA executive director, says the five-day bus tour will provide participants with a better understanding of some of the techniques and programs successfully in place in other parts of the country. &Quot;Armed with that information, we hope that Michigan leaders and lawmakers will begin to move forward in this effort to preserve large blocks of contiguous farmland to ensure agriculture stability and profitability for generations," Fuerstenau said.

New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania are the destinations showcasing smart land-use strategies and programs at both local and state levels.

"It's a five-day commitment, but a very valuable commitment for land owners who want and need to learn more, public officials who are looking for ways to solve problems on a local level, and state officials who are seeking broader policy that more effectively addresses this issue of urban sprawl," Fuerstenau said.

This is the third farmland preservation tour sponsored by Michigan Farm Bureau in the last two years. "On this trip, we're encouraging not only producers, but also legislators and planning officials to see how smart growth and farmland preservation programs are being utilized in other parts of the country," Fuerstenau said. "This is a great opportunity for us to learn from states that have been doing this for several years. With this information, it is our hope that Michigan can develop a program to help secure the future of our state's second largest industry."

Registration fee is $550, which includes all individual tour expenses, including meals, lodging and transportation.

To register for the tour, call Jim Fuerstenau at (517) 323-6550.

the Michigan Department of Transportation, in an attempt to alleviate traffic congestion and improve safety along US-31 between Holland and Grand Haven, last week announced plans to build a 27-mile, rural bypass about 10 miles east of the existing corridor, rather than rebuilding the current alignment into a limited-access freeway.

"This decision goes against the state and national push to protect valuable and productive farmland, while curtailing urban sprawl," said Jack Laurie, Michigan Farm Bureau president. "If state legislators allow this freeway to carve out pieces of the leading agricultural county in the state, where does it stop? This sets precedent for future decisions and an attitude that is inconsistent with the governor's appointment of a farmland preservation force."

Gov. Engler was quoted in a press release describing the rural bypass option as "the most protective of farmland."

According to MDOT's own lengthy and comprehensive Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), the bypass consumes 830 acres of prime farmland immediately, and a projected 13,000 acres in the next 20 years as induced urban sprawl follows. A decision to reconstruct the existing alignment has a much smaller farmland impact of 169 acres.

"How this protects farmland is incomprehensible," Laurie said.

The DEIS also projects that only 18 percent of motorists will utilize the rural bypass, while in 20 years the growth-induced traffic volume on US-31 is expected to increase 19 percent.

"Because the nature of the farming business involves fewer people, that doesn't mean the resource base - the land- is any less valuable than a storefront. In fact, when non-ag business are displaced, they look for new ground and rebuild. It's not that simple for the farmer; you don't reconstruct farmland."

Ottawa County Farm Bureau, with more than 1,300 farm family members, began a "Farmland not Freeways" campaign about three weeks ago when leaks of a recommended rural bypass option began to surface.

"Considering the overwhelming evidence, testimony and correspondence that's recorded in the DEIS, we never thought MDOT would seriously consider this option as the best solution for the US-31 bottleneck," said Phil Kuyers, Ottawa County Farm Bureau president. "We're incredibly disappointed with our state leaders, in the governor's endorsement and the lack of leadership on this issue to make the right decision - not the easy one - for future generations. We're not ready to accept this as a reality and will peruse the proper channels to block this unwanted development."

MDOT cannot proceed with the rural bypass option without approval from federal agencies, including the Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Michigan Farm Bureau; Ottawa County Farm Bureau; Michigan Farmland and Community Alliance; West Michigan Environmental Action Council; Committee for Alternatives to the Bypass; the townships of Olive, Crockery and Robinson; and many concerned residents are petitioning federal agencies and state legislators to reconsider.

Laurie described the rural bypass as a classic example of improper planning. "In two or three generations down the road, if this rural bypass goes through, agriculture will be virtually nonexistent from I-96 to the lake," he said. "The townships affected by this freeway have not planned for growth, nor do they want it. I don't understand how this is in the best interest of the people of Ottawa County, for agriculture or the state's economy."

Laurie's concerns are echoed throughout the DEIS. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a letter dated Oct. 28, 1994, urged MDOT to, "LEAVE IT WHERE IT IS. . . Fix if you have to, but leave the agricultural corridor along . . . Can we really justify the cost involved in building a new corridor thought the heart of the best ag ground in the country? The feeling of the agricultural sector is no . . . By fixing the existing US-31, it would take less land, disrupt less people and would accomplish the task with less money."

The rural bypass option is projected to cost $587.5 million, which includes boulevard improvements on existing US-31, and a freeway bypass of the Holland/Zeeland area and of Grand Haven east of US-31. Reconstruction of US-31 into a limited access freeway was estimated at $577.2 million.

In a letter dated Oct. 27, 1994, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, in considering the impact a rural bypass would have on forested wetlands, said,". . . an alignment alternative that utilizes the existing roadways and thus minimize wetland impacts would be preferred over a route on new alignments."

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, in a letter dated Nov. 29, 1994, said, &Quot;We encourage you to devote a substantial effort in the environmental document to the project's secondary impacts associated with accelerated and expanded development that may result from its approval. Induced growth can eliminate forested areas used for wildlife habitat and will put pressure on remaining areas."

The West Michigan Environmental Action Council urged MDOT, in an Oct. 27, 1994, correspondence, to put land-use planning before transportation planning. "At a time when the concept of sustainable economy is just being defined, we would do well to properly value the irreplaceable agricultural lands that we are blessed with."

And in a May 24, 1999, letter signed by Michael Fortenbacker, Crockery Township supervisor; Timothy Dykstra, Olive Township supervisor; and Raymond Masko, Robinson Township supervisor, the three townships jointly stated that a rural bypass option would produce no winners. "US-31 will continue to have large numbers of personal injury and fatal accidents. Our wetlands, streams and rivers will suffer more damage and destruction. Farming, as a major industry, will be only a memory and we'll resemble Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties in more ways than we'd like to think about. The cities of Grand Haven and Holland will lose their industry, commerce and quality of life at an even more accelerated rate, leaving them with but a shell of what they were, or could have been."

"We need a level playing field with market access, improved dispute resolution and reduced barriers and subsidies," said John Weller, one of five Michigan farmers who represented Michigan Farm Bureau at the June 24 session.

Weller, ad dairy farmer from Middleton, was joined by Monte Bordner, a cattle producer from Sturgis; Pat Albright, a swine farmer from Coldwater; Dave Girton, a grain and beef producer from Coldwater; and Tony Raney, a greenhouse and nursery farmer from South Lyon, in providing both statewide and commodity-specific concerns with international trade.

Michigan Farm Bureau horticulture and forestry specialist Ken Nye testified on behalf of the fruit and vegetable industry.

Michigan exports $887 million in food and ag products annually, which directly supports more than 20,000 jobs and indirectly supports many more, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture.

Weller said dairy producers are still waiting for the market access dispute with Canada, an 11-year struggle, to be resolved. "The Canadian situation is the type of issue that makes producers wonder if trade agreements work for us or against us," he said. "Trade-distorting subsidies, whether internal or for export, need to be eliminated worldwide. We cannot leave our industry open to unfairly subsidized competition, and we must be prepared to retaliate."

The United States currently imports more beef than it exports. In 1999, 2.7 billion pounds of beef are expected to be imported. "All imported agricultural products should be subject to the same inspection, sanitary, quality, labeling and residue standards as domestic products," Bordner said during his testimony.

Bordner said unscientific standards have unfairly restricted entry of some U.S. agricultural products to foreign commerce. "The current beef hormone restrictions of the European Union on U.S.-produced beef is an excellent example of an unwarranted food safety requirement that is harming our export potential. This dispute has cost U.S. beef producers billions of dollars in lost sales, you no satisfactory resolution has been reached in this decade-old dispute. This is frustrating to beef producers and clearly illustrates the need to pursue quicker mechanisms for dispute resolution within the WTO."

Albright, a 3,000-head, farrow-to-finish hog producer, gave another livestock perspective. "The need to expand markets before expanding production is all to vivid in my memory," he said, alluding to recent hog prices that dipped to 30-year lows. "Our only place for real market growth is in the international marketplace. We have the ability to produce and deliver a quality pork product. All we need now is the opportunity to compete fairly in all markets - foreign and domestic."

Given 95 percent of the world's consumers are outside the United States, testimony centered on tapping those markets. &Quot;With our Freedom to Farm act, U.S. agriculture is even more dependent on the world market," said Girton. "Given access, we believe that American agriculture can compete on an even footing with other production regions. We cannot sit idly and watch our competitors gain negotiating advantage over us - negotiations must proceed in a timely manner."

Canada is one of the largest trading partners with the United States, but licensing restrictions and other non-tariff barriers have impacted not only the dairy and poultry industries, but fruits and vegetables, as well. "Non-tariff barriers have been imposed on commodities such as apples and potatoes that need to be identified and corrected," Nye said. "Michigan producers have first-hand knowledge of Canadian licensing and grading requirements that have unfairly restricted our fruit and vegetable exports into their markets. In light of the fully implemented U.S.-Canadian free trade agreement, we wonder how such restrictions can still exist in our so-called open market. Let's fix these problems with a good agreement, backed up with strong enforcement."

Michigan is traditionally the third-largest apple-producing state in the United States and the leading apple processor - but that may change if China is allowed to continue dumping apple juice concentrate in the United States. An anti-dumping petition was introduced just a couple of weeks ago asking for a 91 percent duty on imported apple juice concentrate from China. "We hope this will offer expedient and fair relief for our apple producers who have been suffering hardships due to China's dumping of apply juice concentrate," Nye said.

As the owner of a family-operated commercial greenhouse and nursery business, Raney said the U.S. imports about four times more in dollar volume of greenhouse, nursery and sod products than it exports. "A significant portion of the import volume is in cut flowers, which have displaced a large portion of U.S. production," Raney said. "We can compete with these imports as long as they are not subsidized or dumped (sold for less than the cost of production) in our market."

Raney also expressed concern over currency exchange rates and their impact on trade. "We have seen Canadian producers target the U.S. market for shipments of greenhouse products because of the favorable exchange rate," he said. "I encourage the development of a mechanism to recognize exchange rates as a potential illegal trade practice."

The Indianapolis meeting is one of several being held across the United States this summer to compile issues and concerns that may be raised at the WTO negotiation session on agriculture this fall in Seattle, Wash.

The Michigan Farm Bureau board of directors recently approved the bylaws for the new alliance that will work with other organizations with similar mission statements to ensure the viability of agriculture in Michigan for present and future generations.

Jim Fuerstenau was hired in March as the executive director of the alliance. &Quot;The goal is to permanently preserve large, contiguous blocks of farmland in Michigan and to work to increase profitability of agriculture,&Quot; he said. &Quot;Together, these two goals will help stabilize and improve the long-term opportunities for ag producers.&Quot;

The Michigan Farm Bureau Board appointed six Farm Bureau members to the alliance board of directors, which can include up to 11 members in the future. Board members for the alliance include: Jack Laurie, president, and Wayne Wood, Paul Koeman, Alan Garner, Brigette Leach and Mike Fusilier.

"There are many, many needs throughout the state of Michigan, for information concerning the issue of farmland preservation," Fuerstenau said. "The alliance will seek to create a business environment that would facilitate long-range economic decision-making, opportunities for ag producers, support businesses and policy makers."

According to Michigan's 1997 Census of Agriculture, more than 1 million acres of Michigan farmland have been lost during the last 15 years. And, in the last five years, 270,000 acres of cropland were converted to other uses.

The alliance will continue to investigate and promote farmland preservation options, such as agricultural security areas, purchase of development rights, transfer of development rights and use-value assessment on farmland.

Michigan's economy is good right now, but from an economic standpoint, the state has always relied on agriculture for stability, Fuerstenau said. "If we're already losing 10 acres of farmland every hour of every day, what's going to happen when the population grows by 1.1 million people over the next 20 years?" Fuerstenau asked.

Farmers and ranchers provide food and habitat for 75 percent of the nation's wildlife.

It takes just 40 days for most Americans to earn enough money to pay for their food supply for the entire year.

Did you know that peanuts are not actually nuts? Peanuts, like soybeans, are members of the legume family.

One acre of land roughly the size of a football field can produce: 24,000 heads of lettuce, 45,500 lbs. of strawberries, 36,000 lbs. of potatoes, 28,800 lbs. of navel oranges, 14,000 sweet corn plants or 1,328 lbs of cotton lint.

American agriculture is the nation's largest employer, with more than 22 million people working in some phase - from growing food and fiber to selling it at the supermarket.

In 1855, Michigan became one of the first states, along with Pennsylvania, to establish a state agricultural college.

Michigan is the second most diverse agricultural base in the nation. In 1997, Michigan led the nation in the production of 10 commodities: dry black beans, dry cranberry beans, dry navy beans, blueberries, tart cherries, cucumbers for pickles, geraniums (pots, seed and cuttings), flowering hanging baskets (except petunias), Easter lilies in pots, and flats of petunias.

Did you know that the apple is the most versatile fruit? Archeologists have found evidence that humans have enjoyed eating apples since 6500 B.C. Besides being ideal for eating, fresh apples can be baked, used in pies, cooked for sauce, and pressed into cider and juice. Commercial processors use Michigan apples for pie slices, sauce, juice and baby food. Michigan is also the nation's leading supplier of apple splices for makers of frozen apple pies and pie filling.

Instead of going to the land fill, gypsum waste from electric power plant smokestacks can be sold to farmers. Although it is still in the research stage, farmers are able to apply it to their land while raising soybeans and corn. By using gypsum, you are protecting soil from erosion.