About 35 producers from across the state provided support during a press conference Wednesday, Oct. 6, at noon, then visited all 110 House representatives' offices, dropping off background information and citing actual cases of overregulation.

Michigan Farm Bureau President Jack Laurie said, "With 1,859 local units of government in Michigan, we're facing a dangerous scenario. It's leading to a patchwork quilt of various regulations - regulations that can conflict, overlap or simply add to the stack of already existing regulations."

During the press conference, Michigan Farm Bureau brought four producers with personal experiences with township overregulation to the microphone.

Joe Marhofer, an Ionia County hog producer, explained how his township first granted, and then later revoked, his permit to build a new swine nursery. "$31,000 in lawyer fees later, the building is complete," he said.

Citing a lack of understanding at the local level, Marhofer explained that he expanded, going from 235 animal units to 210 units (nursery pigs). "I expanded smaller," he said. "I had the land, the opportunity and knew how to do it."

Marhofer's long-awaited victory in the courthouse did not come without a cost. He has yet to recoup his legal fees or production losses during the time the case was in litigation. Marhofer told one of his builders, "If we lose in court you might as well leave Michigan, because that will be the last livestock building built."

H.B. 4777, according to Michigan Farm Bureau, will create uniform regulation across the state, in specific areas of business already highly restricted by state and federal laws. "We just need one rulebook to work with, instead of a township rulebook, a county rulebook, a state rulebook and a federal rulebook," he said. "Give us one that we can work with, and we'll do a good job."

John Weller, a Gratiot County dairy farmer, had a similar story to tell after his township made it extremely difficult to expand.

H.B. 4777 does not take away from a township's ability to govern in areas the state constitution intended. However, commerce is not one of them, Laurie said, citing two specific areas that are currently being overregulated by townships in order to restrict or eventually prohibit agriculture from surviving in an already challenging economic environment. For farmers, those areas are the Right-to-Farm Act and migrant labor housing, already governed by the Michigan Right-to-Farm Act and the Michigan Public Health code.

Don Gregory, a Leelanau County fruit farmer, and Deb Clelland, an Ottawa County fruit farmer, said H.B.4777 will help them continue to provide good migrant housing for the workers that they and many other fruit, vegetable and specialty crop farmers need to plant and harvest their crops. "Each township views migrant housing in just a little bit different way," Gregory said. "Most of them would not like to view them at all. The idea is if we made our ordinance just a little tighter than the township next door, growers like myself that farm in several townships are going to be more apt to put my housing in the township next door. I think the concept of the rules and regulations revolving around migrant housing being done at the state level is the proper place for them."

Gregory, who is also a township official, said some local ordinances regarding agriculture are made without decision-makers being totally informed and educated. "They don't have the necessary information, but are trying to make decisions related to them," he said. "There are certain issues better answered at the state level."

Representatives from Michigan Pork Producers, Michigan Cattlemen's Association, Michigan Milk Producers Association and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce also attended the press conference in support of H.B. 4777.

Passage of H.B. 4777 would help satisfy the recently released recommendations of the Senate Agriculture Preservation Task Force, appointed by Senate Majority Leader Dan DeGrow (R-Port Huron) and chaired by Sen. George McManus (R-Traverse City). The task force recommends strengthening Michigan's Right-to-Farm Act, which provides protection in nuisance lawsuits if farmers comply with the Michigan Department of Agriculture's Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPs).

The House Committee on Employment Relations, Training and Safety is expected to have a hearing on H.B. 4777 sometime next week. Michigan Farm Bureau members will testify.

After numerous revisions and amendments, the bill ultimately removes Section 4 of the right-to-farm law, which allowed township and county ordinances to take precedent over the right to farm. "Section 4 provided no protection for farmers who follow Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPs) - as defined in the Right-to-Farm Act," said Ron Nelson, Michigan Farm Bureau legislative counsel. "By removing Section 4, judges - when ruling on nuisance lawsuits - are no longer bound to enforce local ordinances, which are sometimes overrestrictive and unfair, without regard to the right to farm law."

One Michigan farmer, who testified during a hearing on S.B. 205, Sept. 29, knows the scenario all too well. Glenn Preston and his brother, Keith, began work to expand their Algansee Township, Branch County, dairy farm by finishing hogs for another farmer. Two neighbors voiced opposition and later sued the Preston family alleging odor problems from four new hog barns.

The Prestons, who were found be in compliance with GAAMPs, lost the case on the grounds of a township ordinance that doesn't allow any heat, glare, fumes, dust, noise, vibration or odor to cross property lines. The plaintiff neighbors, Preston said, live upwind of the barns, more than 750 feet away, and made their first odor complaint before any animals were in the new facility. Still, the $58,000 ruling, has set a precedent - if left unchecked - for future farmers to lose, according to Nelson.

"Senate Bill 205 does not prohibit a local unit from developing ordinances based on land-use planning, but it does clarify and define local ordinances in agricultural zones with regard to the right to farm law and GAAMPs," Nelson explained. "People can't continue to move out in the country and then object to the lifestyles and activities that are generally found in rural areas. You can't move next to a railroad track and not expect to see or hear a train; and you can't move next to a farm and not expect to see or hear a farm."

Michigan Farm Bureau members passed policy in support of removing Sect. 4 from the Right-to-Farm Act, during the 1998 annual meeting. Michigan Farm Bureau also supports House Bill 4777, which would not allow local governments to create regulations in some specific areas that go beyond state and federal laws. "Some may think this is a drastic measure," Gougeon said of his proposed S.B. 205. "Then again, we think drastic measures are needed because we are at a crossroads."

S.B. 205 will now move to the House and be assigned to a committee. "There is considerable interest by House members in this bill," Nelson said. "We encourage their support in order to ensure the viability and stability of Michigan's agricultural industry."

A court order, Sept. 28, provided for a 30-day extension on the current pricing system until the final rule on the Federal Milk Marketing Order Reform (FMMOR) is made.

The court's ruling follows a rejection by the U.S. House of Representatives on reform of the Depression-era dairy program. Producers last month were forced to approve a modified Option 1B and the end of the Northeast Dairy Compact, or be left with no pricing system. However, Congress is hearing an overwhelming displeasure with the proposed new system.

Until a final rule is approved, U.S. milk prices will continue to be based on the distance between a farmer's herd and Wisconsin - a location considered the most efficient milk-producing area in the 1930s. While Michigan producers would not see a sharp difference between Option 1A or 1B, producers in Florida - where hot weather can sharply reduce milk production - might receive as much as $3 more per 100 pounds of milk than a Wisconsin producer under Option 1B.

"While there is no huge disparity between the two options here in Michigan, we would see slightly higher prices under Option 1A," said Ernie Birchmeier, Michigan Farm Bureau livestock and dairy specialist. "Farm Bureau is a strong supporter of Option 1A."

The FMMOR has pitted Midwestern states against other regions in the country. The current dairy price program was created to encourage local production of milk in southern states by paying higher prices to farmers in those areas. The program, one of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's most complicated, stands in sharp contrast to most other commodities that were deregulated by Congress in the 1996 Freedom to Farm law. Dairy farmers in the Midwest have long sought reform in the program that sets prices for fresh milk, contending they are penalized simply because of their location.

Dairy producers are expected to lose $200 million or more annually if the modified Option 1B Class 1 (fluid milk) price differential is enacted. "The bottom line is, Option 1A makes more sense for dairy producers across the county," Ernie Birchmeier. "Congress has the opportunity to show support for agriculture and an interest in improving farm income during a time of financial turmoil for farmers by voting for Option 1A."

Three separate lawsuits have been filed to stop the implementation of Option 1B by the Dairy Farmers of America and two other organizations representing dairy groups in the Southeast and Northeast.

"Foods derived from biotechnology - which have been approved by FDA as safe after rigorous studies - need to be confirmed by FDA to other governments, the media and some consumers when critical questions are brought forward based on lack of information or misinformation," said GMA's Lisa Katic, director of scientific and nutrition policy.

Katic added that FDA needs to fully expedite regulatory action on petitions for the expanded safe use of irradiation and electronic pasteurization. The GMA also believes that greater emphasis should be placed on performing microbial risk assessments for ready-to-eat foods, and that federal educational efforts for safe food handling need to be strengthened.

Contact: Bob Boehm (517) 323-7000, ext. 2023

"That's driving a tractor," is a typical response Dunphy hears. U.S. employers seek to fill about 48,000 jobs each year in food and agricultural sciences. But only 46,000 graduates have training or education devoted to those areas.

According to Dunphy and farm agencies, fewer students are entering agriculture careers because they view it as a dying or backward occupation. Dunphy sees part of his job as correcting that misunderstanding among students. "Agriculture is chemistry, satellite communications, marketing and economics, in addition to traditional farming," he said. "There is still a big demand for ag jobs, and the variety is so vast."

Contact: John Walter (517) 323-7000, ext. 3234

Birchmeier, of Eaton Rapids, has been with Farm Bureau for 10 years and was formerly the Young Farmer program manager.

Birchmeier, a swine producer, graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in agricultural communications and has a lifelong interest in the livestock industry.

As the livestock and dairy specialist, Birchmeier will be working closely with members, industry representatives, Michigan State University, and state and federal agencies to implement Farm Bureau policy on state and national issues relating to the livestock and dairy industries. He will also be responsible for supporting the Michigan Farm Bureau Livestock and Poultry, Equine, and Dairy Advisory Committees and will assist in policy development activities on state and national issues.

Contact: Ernie Birchmeier (517) 323-7000, ext. 2024

Michigan Farm News is the state's only statewide farm newspaper and reaches 9 out of 10 Michigan farmers. The grant is distributed by the Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program, part of the state agriculture department, through money collected from nitrogen and pesticide user fees.

Contact: Sue Stuever Battel, ext. 6540

"Legally, we don't have a leg to stand on," said one unidentified "high-ranking EU official" in a Dow Jones Newswire report. "There is no international support for the ban. The overwhelming consensus confirmed by the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods and the WTO is that hormones are safe. There's not a shred of proof that it's carcinogenic."

Nonetheless, the EU isn't about to budge on its ban. According to EU Commission spokesperson Gerry Kiely, "There is very strong evidence that hormones pose a risk, so hormone-treated beef would also pose a risk."

Kiely stressed that the EU will wait for the results of the 17 studies, even though it's doubtful the studies will clarify what an acceptable risk level would be, he said.

Contact: Bob Boehm (517) 323-7000, ext. 2023

Liselotte Madsen says pigs are more prone to reproduce if they are protected from the sun. Madsen believes by applying sunscreen on the backs of pigs, mating season will be more productive.

Next summer, Danish pig producers will start using a factor-8 sunscreen developed by Pharmacia-Upjohn made especially for farm animals.

Contact: Ernie Birchmeier (517) 323-7000, ext. 2024

It takes about 5,300 bees to gather enough nectar to make one pound of honey. The average bee will only produce about 1/12 teaspoon (or .013 ounces) of honey in its lifetime.

When reheating leftovers, keep food safety in mind. Putting food in the refrigerator slows the growth of bacteria but doesn't kill it. When the food reaches the danger zone - 40° to 140°F - bacteria multiply rapidly. That's why it's important to thoroughly reheat it. When reheating liquids like sauces, soups and gravy, bring them to a boil. For other leftovers, heat thoroughly to 165°F. Use a meat thermometer to check. At that temperature, any bacteria on the food should be killed. If you reheat leftovers in the microwave oven, make sure no cold spots remain in the food by stirring a few times during warming. With all that in mind, food safety experts say, "When in doubt, throw it out." If the food wasn't cooked, handled or refrigerated properly to begin with, you're taking a risk if you hope heating it thoroughly will make it completely safe.

Chocolate contains the same chemical - phenylethylamine - that the brain produces when people fall in love. By stepping up the heartbeat and the body's energy levels, the chemical causes a happy, slightly dreamy feeling.

Do you have an outdated image of beef? There are seven cuts of beef that fall between the skinless chicken breast and thigh in terms of fat content. The key is to pick cuts of beef with the words "loin" or "round" in the name, such as top sirloin, bottom round and tenderloin. You'll find that these are the leanest cuts of beef.

Dairy farmer-funded research has made major breakthroughs in extending the shelf life of cottage cheese. Researchers learned that carbon dioxide, found naturally in milk, is removed in processing. Adding the carbon dioxide back to cottage cheese before packaging is a natural way to maintain flavor and extend shelf life. This process also can be used to extend the shelf life of fluid milk.

Pain relievers work with your cells, your body's nerve endings, your nervous system and your brain to prevent you from feeling pain. Deep within your skin and body tissues are nerve endings, some of which can sense pain. When your body's cells get injured - from a burn, for example - they release a chemical called prostaglandin, which can have a powerful effect on the special nerve endings that detect pain. The nerve endings react to the prostaglandin by picking up and sending the messages of pain and injury through the nervous system and to the brain. Pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen prevent damaged cells from releasing prostaglandin. Without this chemical, the brain won't get messages of pain as quickly or clearly. As a result, your pain either goes away or becomes less intense.