From no-till planting and other conservation methods to complex manure management systems, sound environmental stewardship is a 24/7, year-round job for Michigan agricultural producers like Larry Nobis, a St. Johns dairy farmer.

"We are witnessing changes and concerns over environmental issues in the entire farming community. This awareness and discussion about environmental issues has recently intensified, primarily in the livestock production areas," said Nobis, who runs the 700-cow Nobis Dairy Farms with his brother, Kenneth.

"There is nothing wrong with society's high expectations for a clean environment," said Nobis. "In fact, farmers have been trying to protect the environment for a long time. We value the family farm and will only be able to pass it to our children if we take care of our natural resources and make good decisions now to secure the environment for generations to come."

That's why Nobis takes offense to radical environmental groups dubbing large family-owned operations as "factory farms" that purposely disregard the well-being of animals and the environment.

For one, Nobis said today's family farms must grow to survive. "We have seen many changes in production agriculture over the years," he explained. "These changes have given farmers the ability to produce large quantities of quality food. However, our changing economy has made expansion and increased production necessary to maintain our family farm."

For instance, Nobis said his grandparents supported themselves by growing crops on 80 acres and milking 10 cows. Generations later, Nobis Dairy Farms now milks 700 cows, produces crops on 2,500 acres and also supplies incomes for 17 employees.

Nobis is the first to acknowledge that the farm is not perfect.

"We do the best we can on our farm with the technology and resources available, but there is always room for improvement. This holds true throughout all of production agriculture and all other industries," he said.

"The issues at hand today revolve around defining and developing the most efficient and most cost effective methods that will obtain long-lasting improvements that are beneficial to our environment, and at the same time, promote economic health in our farming communities."

For his part, Nobis is on the steering committee for the Michigan Agricultural Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP).

Developed over the past two years by several state agencies and agricultural environmental groups, MAEAP is a voluntary, incentive-driven program to promote water quality through the development of Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs). CNMPs are customized plans detailing how an individual farm manages manure, field crop nutrients and storm water runoff.

Nobis, along with other MAEAP proponents, was in Washington, D.C. on April 4 asking federal officials to support the program.

"A government can pass laws, give warnings and issue fines, but this is not a producer-friendly solution to the problems at hand," Nobis said.

"A better solution is through education and problem identification - the backbones of MAEAP. If a farmer learns how to write his own CNMP, he is going to be fully aware of what is in it and feel more ownership. This will lead to increased adoption of a written game plan that increases the environmental soundness of farming practices so that they benefit the farmer and the community."

Earth Day practiced year-round
Schug Farms and the Kalamazoo County Farm Bureau didn't wait for a special day of the year to practice and promote environmental stewardship at a local level.

Schug Farms, a 900-acre, 8,000-head hog farm run by brothers Mike and Dennis Schug in Climax, has practiced various conservation methods for the past 10 years. And in February - well before Earth Day - the Kalamazoo County Farm Bureau decided to make the farm a model by awarding it a first-ever Environmental Steward of the Year award.

Kalamazoo County Farm Bureau President David Fry said the award was meant to demonstrate to the non-farming public that a farm can be a large livestock producer and still be environmentally conscious.

Schug Farms was recognized for its no-till planting, which reduces erosion and improves soil fertility, and its use of windbreaks along roads and fences to reduce erosion and runoff near waterways. As well, the Schugs annually plant oats to hold the nutrients in the soil over the winter.

The brothers also have an Integrative Pest Management scout test the soil to accurately gauge the amount of water and nitrogen, if any, that should be applied and count the number of beetles and rootworms to determine if insecticides are necessary for growing seasons.

In addition, the Schugs use a hog feed pre-mixture that breaks down the phosphorous in manure, making the waste less invasive on soil. Another feed mixture helps break down the solids and ammonia in the manure pit to reduce odor.

• Crop protection chemical use on corn, soybeans, and wheat was down 24 percent between 1982 and 1997. For these crops, insecticide use was down 56 percent and herbicide use was down 19 percent.
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) reduced insecticide use on cotton by 74 percent over a six-year period from 1976 to 1982. During that time, average cotton yields increased by 27 percent.
• Nitrogen-use efficiency of U.S. corn grain (based on a five-year rolling average) is up 29.3 percent from 1980 to 2000. In 2000, farmers applied an average of only 1 pound of nitrogen to grow a bushel of corn compared to 1.31 pounds of nitrogen to grow a bushel of corn in 1984.
• Conservation tillage was used on an additional 12.3 million acres in the United States last year. In 2000, conservation tillage was used on more than 65 million acres, including 31.9 million soybean acres, 23.2 million corn acres and 4.2 million wheat acres.
• Conservation tillage is now used on more than a third, or 36.7 percent, of U.S. acreage. That's more than 109 million acres. No-till, according to one projection, could grow from 52 million acres to 88 million acres nationwide by 2005.
• Thanks to no-till methods over the last 18 years, water's erosion rate on U.S. croplands has dropped more than 24 percent.
• Since 1986, Farm Bureau's Cooperative Well Water Testing Program has assisted more than 67,500 farm families in 24 states to test their well water for nitrate. Heidelberg College's Water Quality Laboratory in Tiffin, Ohio has tested 54,800 of those samples. Only 4.4 percent of those samples were above the Safe Drinking Water Act standard of 10 parts per million (ppm) nitrate-nitrogen. Over 83 percent of the wells fell below 3 ppm, which is generally considered to be within natural background levels.
• Coastal estuaries impaired by agriculture declined from 3,539 square miles in 1992 to 1,827 square miles in 1998, a decrease of 48 percent. Meanwhile, coastal estuaries impaired by municipal, urban and other sources increased dramatically from 5,056 sq. miles to 10,655 sq. miles and now account for 85 percent of the impaired estuaries.
• Erosion on 36.5 million acres of Conservation Reserve Program land is down 90 percent to around 1 ton per acre per year. Most soils naturally regenerate at rates of 2 to 12 tons per acre per year.
• Crop residue management (CRM) leaves at least 15 percent of the soil surface covered with old stalks and leaves which dissipate raindrop impact and wind erosion. Various forms of CRM are now used on 67.2 percent of all planted acres. No-till soybean acreage rose from 2.2 million acres in 1989 to 21.4 million acres in 2000. No-till is one form of CRM and can reduce erosion by 90 percent. Favorable yields and reduced costs have keyed CRM's rapid growth.
• The National Resources Inventory found the average sheet and rill erosion on cropland fell from 4.1 tons per acre per year in 1982 to 3.1 tons per acre per year in 1992. The average rate of wind erosion cropland fell from 3.3 tons per acre per year to 2.5 tons per acre per year over the same period, a 24-percent reduction. These rates are well within most soils' natural ability to sustain productivity.
• Wetlands drainage due to agriculture averaged only 29,000 acres per year between 1987 and 1991. That's down from 157,000 acres per year between 1974 and 1983, and is about one-fourteenth as much as the annual loss estimate for the period 1954 to 1974 (398,000 acres per year). And this does not count the restoration of more than 400,000 acres of wetlands during the last five years via the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program and other private programs. Meanwhile, urban drainage of wetlands now accounts for more than 54 percent of wetland losses each year.

They're concerned about "big picture" matters, mainly sustaining agriculture as Michigan's second largest industry, according to results of a recent survey conducted during the 2001 Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) Young Farmer Leaders' Conference. MFB's Young Farmer program provides education and other resources for farmers between the ages of 18 and 35.

Surveyed were 200 producers from 50 of Michigan's 68 county Farm Bureaus. Topping the list of Young Farmer challenges was profitability, followed by availability of farmland and facilities, and loss of farmland.

Michigan's survey results mirrored what 295 Young Farmers from 41 states ranked as challenges. Nationally, overall profitability and land availability were the top two concerns, followed by government regulations and urban encroachment.

"Michigan Farm Bureau recognizes the need to address these issues and plan our Young Farmer Leaders' Conference based on these needs," said Matt Smego, manager of MFB's Young Farmer Department. "At the March conference, for instance, Young Farmers listened to presentations dealing with estate planning and loan applications, as well as family farm relationships."

With this year's challenges identified, survey respondents went a step further to identify actions they feel the government should take to assist the agricultural industry. State and national Young Farmer surveys revealed the same top solution - boosting exports. Some 20 percent of producers identified increasing exports as a step to increasing profitability - a response that did not surprise MFB Commodity Specialist Ken Nye.

"I would almost expect young producers - and any farmer for that matter - to respond saying the U.S. needs to export more," Nye said. "Our population is well fed and not growing at a rapid rate, so exporting is the only true growth opportunity in agriculture today."

Nye cited the need to open more channels in the free-market system and the reduction of trade barriers as ways to boost agricultural exports. American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) policy calls for the elimination of sanctions, unrestricted trade and an aggressive enforcement and monitoring of trade practices. AFBF policy also recommends the elimination of regulations that make the exporting process more costly to producers.

"We will work with Congress and organizations like the World Trade Organization to ensure that trading practices are fair and equitable for our exports and adequately provide protection from illegally traded imports," Nye said.

MFB also recognizes Young Farmers' concerns about land availability and works to assist these aspiring farmers through FarmLink, a program that matches producers looking to retire with young producers more than willing to keep the land in agriculture.

According to the survey, nearly 55 percent of current Young Farmers started farming as a member of a family partnership, with less than 25 percent beginning on their own.

Though challenges seem to annually crop up on producers, they remain optimistic about the agricultural industry. More than 80 percent of Michigan Young Farmers surveyed said they were more optimistic about farming than they were five years ago, and 77 percent said they were better off than they were during that same timeframe.

"It's no secret that farmers face challenges, but it's very encouraging to see the enthusiasm and determination these producers possess," Smego said.

FarmLink applications can be completed online at the Michigan Farm Bureau Web site, www.michiganfarmbureau.com, or by calling the Farm Bureau Member Services Department at (888) 805-4864.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), using aircraft to spot large feeding piles in northeastern Michigan, issued 20 to 25 tickets since Jan. 1 in Wildlife Management District 7 alone, said Lt. Walt Mikula, District 7 supervisor for the DNR's law enforcement division. Throughout the winter, about 120 total tickets were issued in that district, he said. District 7 covers eight northeastern Michigan counties, including most of the state's high-risk area, where TB has been found in both deer and cattle.

Feeding and baiting, except in very small quantities for recreational viewing, is banned due to the risk of nose-to-nose contact between deer, a common way animals spread bovine tuberculosis.

"When officers spotted areas where deer congregate, we had probable cause to enter the property and contact the person responsible for putting the feed out," Mikula said.

Mikula said several of the tickets issued were to hunt clubs, but farmers were not ticketed for hay bales in fields where there was no intent to feed or bait.

"Agriculture producers go to great expense to raise and store feed for livestock," said Rob Anderson, associate legislative counsel with Michigan Farm Bureau. "Having deer destroy this feed presents a real economic challenge. There are cases where a farmer could do more to secure feed, but there are numerous cases where deer have broken into feed storage areas despite efforts to keep them out. No matter what the issue, when deer density is high, these problems are going to persist."

Contact: Rob Anderson, (800) 292-2680, ext. 2046

"I am confident that by the time this year is over we will conclude a free trade agreement with Chile," Bush said at the start of a meeting with Chilean President Ricardo Lagos. "It is in our nation's best interest to do so."

Bush's meeting with Lagos comes just before the opening of talks among Western Hemisphere leaders this weekend in Quebec. The United States and Chile are negotiating a bilateral trade agreement that is targeted to serve as a model for Free Trade Area of the Americas, which is expected to be a top discussion point at the Quebec meeting.

Lagos was more guarded about the prospect of finishing the bilateral U.S.-Chile negotiations by the end of the year. "Our team has to work hard, very hard, in order to be able to conclude an agreement by the end of the year," Lagos said.

Contact: Al Almy, (800) 292-2680, ext. 2040

About 40,000 visitors were expected to attend this year's World Pork Expo, including 2,000 foreign visitors from 60 countries.

The NPPC board reportedly is planning "a World Pork Expo in 2002, with appropriate biosecurity precautions."

Meanwhile, federal officials ranging from the Agriculture Department to the CIA met recently to review plans for combating any U.S. FMD outbreak.

One official said that in order to be fully prepared, Feds are treating the matter "like it's a probable likelihood."

The official said an outbreak would be treated similar to a natural disaster in which states take the lead in responding and draw on federal resources when needed. Officials also discussed arrangements for earth-moving equipment to bury mass amounts of animal carcasses and the drafting of emergency orders that could defer some environmental rules to ensure the quick burial of affected livestock.

Contact: Ernie Birchmeier, (800) 292-2680, ext. 2024

Approximately $500,000 is available in FY 2001 to fund the grants. Individual awards may be up to $50,000 including those grants that involve more than one state and will be available for one year from the date of the award. If the program takes more than 12 months to complete, APHIS will evaluate program accomplishments and may award a 12-month renewal. It is expected that the awards will begin on or about Aug. 1, 2001.

Applications may be submitted by public and private industry groups, nonprofit organizations and by governments and their agencies such as universities, colleges, research institutions, veterinary hospitals and other public and private nonprofit organizations.

Deadline for applications is June 1, 2001. Applications should be submitted to USDA, APHIS, VS, AHP, EP, Mr. Gordon Cleveland, 4700 River Road, Unit 41, Riverdale, Maryland, 20737. For more information, contact Cleveland at (301) 734-8073, or write to him at the above address.

Contact: Al Almy, (800) 292-2680, ext. 2040

Apples are Michigan's No. 1 fruit. They are by far the state's largest fruit crop on a volume basis, accounting for more than 70 percent of the total weight of Michigan's harvested fruits. The 1999 Michigan apple crop was 1.25 billion pounds, while the 1999 volume of all other fruits (tart cherries, sweet cherries, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, pears, plums and grapes) was 515 million pounds - well less than half of the apple crop alone. The first official Michigan apple statistics were compiled in 1889. Production that year was 13.16 million bushels. Most crops in the following years were less than 9 million bushels until 22.99 million bushels were produced in 1896 to set a record that stood until 1982. In 1897, devastating frosts reduced the crop to only 3.78 million bushels. A similar situation occurred in 1945 as a result of abnormally warm temperatures in late March. The crop of 1.25 million bushels that year was the lowest since official records have been kept.

Peanuts are not actually nuts. Peanuts, like soybeans, are members of the legume family.

The popularity of broccoli is growing by leaps and bounds. In 1970, consumption of broccoli was only a half a pound per person. Today, the average person in the United States eats 4.5 pounds a year. In fact, we are eating 900 percent more broccoli than we did 20 years ago. In the United States, broccoli was probably first grown by immigrants from Italy in home gardens in Brooklyn, N.Y. In 1923, a group of Italian vegetable farmers in Northern California started to grow broccoli commercially and in a few years they were shipping fresh broccoli to Boston and New York.

Onions contain a mild antibiotic that fights infections, soothes burns, tames bee stings and relieves the itch of athletes foot.